Taking them together can worsen side effects like drowsiness and difficulty with cognitive tasks. Diphenhydramine can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Ask a doctor before using this medicine if you are breast-feeding. This drug passes into breast milk and may have undesirable effects on a nursing infant. During pregnancy, this medication should be used only when clearly needed.
No, Benadryl is not known to interact with melatonin, L-theanine, or trazodone. Melatonin and L-theanine are herbal supplements used to help with sleep. Trazodone is a type of antidepressant that’s sometimes prescribed for insomnia. If you’d like additional information about having lab tests while taking Benadryl, talk with your doctor. It’s possible for drugs to interact with supplements such as vitamins and herbs.
- If you unintentionally mix alcohol and diphenhydramine, rest in a safe environment to restore balance.
- If you’re struggling to stop taking Benadryl® and alcohol together or struggling with either of these drugs on their own, contact Ocean Recovery.
- To help with ruling out causes, the time of onset of delirium is important.
- Remember, combining these drugs doesn’t necessarily mean taking them at the same time.
- And millions more experience various other types of allergies—everything from insect bites and pet dander to shellfish, peanuts, and mold spores (to name a few).
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you’re unsure whether it’s safe for you to drive while taking diphenhydramine. Wine is a popular alcoholic beverage that is often enjoyed with meals or as a social drink. However, when combined with Benadryl, the risks of adverse effects increase. Benadryl is a branded form of diphenhydramine, an antihistamine indicated for the treatment of allergy symptoms like coughs, sore nose and throat, and rashes. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of American, allergic rhinitis (aka hay fever) affects 20 million adults in the United States each year. And millions more experience various other types of allergies—everything from insect bites and pet dander to shellfish, peanuts, and mold spores (to name a few).
Histamine can cause symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, itchy watery eyes, itchy skin, or hives. Ask a doctor or pharmacist before using this medicine if you are also using any other drugs, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Some medicines can cause unwanted or dangerous effects when used together. Not all possible interactions are listed in this medication guide. If you choose to consume wine and Benadryl together, it’s essential to be aware of the risks involved and limit your intake. You should also avoid operating heavy machinery or driving after mixing wine and Benadryl, as the combination can impair your coordination and reaction time.
This is because sleepiness is a side effect of Benadryl, and consuming alcohol can worsen it. Excessive sleepiness could be dangerous while driving or performing other tasks that require you to be alert. With polysubstance abuse of this sort, where alcohol, stimulants, opioids, or other substances are taken in combination, your life is at stake. Alcohol withdrawal symptoms are dangerous in their own right, which is why someone with an alcohol use disorder should never attempt to quit on their own. When alcohol is combined with a diphenhydramine medication, the consequences become even direr. Acute diphenhydramine poisoning can lead to cardiovascular collapse and death, two to 18 hours after use.
Misuse As A Sleep Aid
This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Data sources include Micromedex (updated 2 Jan 2024), Cerner Multum™ (updated 16 Nov 2023), ASHP (updated 10 Jan 2024) and others. Diphenhydramine is an antihistamine that can be used to treat allergic reactions, relieve motion sickness, as a sleep aid, and relieve some symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
Some people are more prone than others to losing consciousness when sedated. In these people, combining Benadryl and alcohol is more likely to cause a loss of consciousness. This can be harmful due to the likelihood of falls and other accidents. The easiest way to lookup drug information, identify pills, check interactions and set up your own personal medication records. I discuss the potential side effects of combining alcohol and Benadryl in more detail below.
Other sources of alcohol
Instead, she explains, you’ll likely be steered toward one of the second-generation allergy medications. Loratadine (Claritin), fexofenadine (Allegra), or cetirizine (Zyrtec) and alcohol are generally considered a slightly safer combination. These medications do not typically cause drowsiness or other side effects that are intensified by alcohol consumption. Diphenhydramine is a first-generation antihistamine that blocks the effects of histamine, a chemical created by the immune system. An increase in histamine release generally occurs when your immune system overreacts to allergens, such as pollen, pet dander, or a drug, especially in allergic reactions.
Toxicity
This includes beverages, mouthwashes, and other drugs that list alcohol as an ingredient. To be on the safe side, you can ask your doctor or pharmacist how long to wait after you finish taking Benadryl before you reach for a drink. Newer antihistamines come with less risk because they perform their function without affecting the central nervous system as much. After all, for many people with allergies, using Benadryl® or other antihistamines is a regular thing, something they need to do every year, for weeks or even months at a time. Diphenhydramine can also have negative cardiovascular consequences in the setting of toxicity.
This medication may interfere with certain lab tests (such as allergy skin test), possibly causing false test results. Make sure lab personnel and all your doctors know you use this drug. Alcohol or marijuana (cannabis) can make you more dizzy or drowsy. Do not drive, use machinery, or do anything that needs alertness or clear vision until you can do it safely. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist. To prevent motion sickness, take your dose 30 minutes before starting activity such as travel.
Allergies
In 2013, a 22-year-old Georgia woman who was found dead in a creek. Authorities determined that she intentionally took too much Benadryl and fell into a cold stream. She died from severe diphenhydramine intoxication and hypothermia. However, longitudinal research would be required in people who consume high levels of Benadryl and alcohol to know whether this has any effect on the risk of dementia.
Benadryl interactions with supplements
Do not use a household spoon because you may not get the correct dose. If you have a single-dose form of this medication (such as a single-use whistle), you do not need to measure the dose. Diphenhydramine plasma levels do not provide any relevant clinical information and are also not readily available.
Some products (such as long-acting tablets/capsules) are not recommended for use in children younger than 12 years. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more details about using your product safely.These products do not cure or shorten the length of the common cold addiction recovery and may cause serious side effects. To decrease the risk for serious side effects, carefully follow all dosage directions. Do not give other cough-and-cold medication that might contain the same or similar ingredients (see also Drug Interactions section).
These aren’t all of the risks, but they are some of the more concerning or serious risks you should consider before combining Benadryl® and alcohol [2]. Remember, combining these drugs doesn’t necessarily mean taking them at the same time. If you consume alcohol a couple of hours before taking Benadryl®, that counts. The opposite also counts, taking Benadryl® a few hours after drinking, especially if you are still feeling the effects of the alcohol at all, can also be dangerous.
This is not to say, however, that it is okay to go on a bender while taking Claritin, Zyrtec, Xyzal, or Allegra—Dr. Corry recommends avoiding alcohol altogether while taking any medication. 254 massachusetts sober living homes transitional living ma Alcohol and medicines can interact harmfully even if they are not taken at the same time. Cough syrup and laxatives may have some of the highest alcohol concentrations.
For cough and cold symptoms, you can give diphenhydramine tablets and liquid to children over the age of 6. Check with your pharmacist or doctor to make sure a product how does social drinking become problematic as we age is suitable for your child. When it comes to mixing alcohol and diphenhydramine (commonly known as Benadryl), the potential risks should not be taken lightly.