Did your doctor prescribe you Benadryl to treat your seasonal allergy? But do you know that taking alcohol with Benadryl turns out to be deadly?
Indeed, Benadryl is an effective antihistamine that helps treat common colds, flu, allergies, rash, etc., by slowing down the functioning of our central nervous system, thus blocking the action of histamines in the body. And here is the catch. Both alcohol and Benadryl affect and slow down the normal functioning of the CNS, leading to various health problems.
Want to get up with them? Then toggle through the article as it unleashes all the associated risks.
How Much Alcohol Can You Take with Benadryl?
You can’t drink or mix alcohol with Benadryl at all. The reason is that both alcohol and Benadryl affect the central nervous system, which includes the brain and spinal cord.
Both these drugs are depressants that slow down the functioning of the brain and spinal cord, thus making you feel drowsy and unconscious, and even can lead to coma at times.
In fact, a case was reported in 2013 in which a 22 years old woman mixed Benadryl and alcohol in a cold stream, and she died because of severe intoxication.
Risks of Taking Alcohol With Benadryl
Till now, it has become quite clear that there is no point in mixing alcohol with Benadryl. But the question arises, why? What factors turn the intake of Benadryl with alcohol so harmful?
So, enlisted below are a few commonly associated risks of mixing booze and Benadryl.
1. Drowsiness
One of the most common problems associated with drinking alcohol and Benadryl at a time is drowsiness. We are all well up with the sleepy effect of alcohol. On the other hand, Benadryl is also used as a sleep aid at times.
So, if these two are mixed, the sleepy and drowsy effect gets intensified, thus making daily tasks difficult.
And if a person starts to drive or swim after taking them together, he is definitely risking his life.
2. Learning Impairment
Yes, drinking alcohol with Benadryl impairs the brain’s normal cognitive function and learning process.
Benadryl is known to block the action of acetylcholine, a major neurotransmitter in our body that helps boost our learning capability. And by blocking its action, the learning process also gets blocked for the time being.
Similarly, alcohol also temporarily stops the learning process by delaying the communication of signals between the brain and body.
So, when combined together, they have a devastating effect on the learning capability of humans.
3. Extreme Dehydration
Yet another risk associated with drinking Benadryl and alcohol is experiencing extreme dehydration.
It has been found that these both are dehydrating in nature. So, if you take alcohol with Benadryl, your body will face extreme dehydration and muscle aches, and probably, you will have a trip to the hospital too.
4. High Risk of Becoming Unconscious
Similarly, both alcohol and Benadryl have sedative effects and can lead to instant unconsciousness at times, thus increasing the likelihood of accidents.
5. Loss of Control
Moreover, drinking the two together results in slowed communication of nerve signals between the brain and body. As a result, humans fail to perform even basic tasks.
6. Known Source of Dementia
Studies verify that long-term consumption of Benadryl, for around three years or more, poses a high risk of developing dementia. On top of that, alcohol also causes alcohol dementia and memory loss within no time.
So, if you take alcohol and Benadryl together, you surely are damaging your brain health.
7. Leads To Coma
Feeling shocked? But yes, it’s true. The combination of Benadryl and alcohol is so deadly that it can lead to coma, too, although rarely. But there are always chances. So, why risk your life?
In addition to these, there are a plethora of other associated risks. For example, it can damage the internal organ, trigger interaction effects, increase alcohol effects in women particularly, etc. Moreover, as your age, the effect gets multiplied by any folds.
So, it’s better to abstain from mixing alcohol and Benadryl as it can risk your life.
Can You Take Benadryl With Any Medicine?
No, just like drinking alcohol with Benadryl isn’t safe, there are a few medications with which you should avoid taking Benadryl in order to avoid any mishap. A few of them are:
- Meclizine
- Claritin
- Zyrtec
- Vistaril
- Promethazine
- Antidepressants
- Sleep aids
- IBS-D Syndrome medications
Can I Drink Alcohol With Other Antihistamines?
Yes, you can drink alcohol with some other antihistamines depending on the generation they belong to. Histamines are of two types.
- First Generation Antihistamines
- Second generation Antihistamines
Drinking alcohol with first-generation antihistamines turns out to be deadly. However, you can risk it with second-generation antihistamines. They also have side effects, but not as deadly as Benadryl and other first-generation antihistamines. The reason is that second-generation antihistamines cause less dizziness and act as a poor sleep aid as compared to first-generation antihistamines.
How Long After Taking Benadryl Can You Drink Alcohol?
It is best to completely cut off alcohol consumption until your allergy or flu completely subsides, and you stop taking Benadryl.
However, if that isn’t possible, you should at least wait for 6 hours of Benadryl consumption before sipping booze.
Conclusion
Indeed, the risks of drinking alcohol after taking Benadryl don’t apply in every situation and for everyone. However, if they occur, they turn out to be really devastating and can even risk your life. From causing dizziness to leading to dementia, there are numerous health hazards of taking alcohol and Benadryl together.
Therefore, if you are taking Benadryl due to a common cold or some viral allergy, it’s better not to consume alcohol for the time being.
I am a passionate beer connoisseur with a deep appreciation for the art and science of brewing. With years of experience tasting and evaluating various beers, I love to share my opinions and insights with others and I am always eager to engage in lively discussions about my favorite beverage.
