Is Mixing Alcohol And Benadryl A Good Idea?
An antihistamine to fight allergy symptoms is Benadryl or diphenhydramine.
This is often prescribed to treat cough, watery eyes, runny nose etc. It acts on the central nervous system and alcohol also. Usually it is best to avoid taking two medicines together as drug interactions can be unpredictable, as one medicine may highlight the effect of the other.
It is also advisable not to take alcohol along with the medicines as alcohol also acts on the nervous system. When both benadryl and alcohol are taken together then it can result in fatality. Benadryl is easily available in the chemists and markets and is often reached out in case of cold and allergies. You may think it is all safe and easy to consume it. but it comes with its own set of side effects which you should be wary of.
Risks of mixing Benadryl and alcohol together
Alcohol
Sleep feeling
antihistamines are known to make the person very sleepy and drowsy. If taken along with alcohol then the effects like drowsiness, slow reactions, decreased cognition and coordination are magnified. If the person drives a vehicle or any sharp tool then it can be extremely life threatening.
Consciousness can be impaired
It is only because of consciousness that we are able to be alert and can take out decisions in a sensible way.
When Benadryl and alcohol are mixed together then consciousness can be altered and diminished. This can bar us from thinking sensibly. It can also lead to trauma or accidents. The overall sensibility of the individual goes for a toss.
Intense dehydration
alcohol causes our body to become dehydrated and we often feel very thirsty.
Benadryl also dehydrates, so if taken together then extreme levels of dehydration occur. It can also diminish the cognitive abilities.
Very dangerous for the elderly
Due to increasing age, our bodies cannot digest alcohol very fast. So alcohol stays inside the body for long. So if Benadryl is consumed along then this can pose as a greater risk for the old people. N elderly patient might feel more damage if Benadryl and alcohol are mixed together.
cognitive and memory function are impaired
Alcohol is known to decrease our learning capacity and impair our memory. So if Benadryl and alcohol are combined then brain functioning and memory can be impaired. It hinders our abilities to think and make our choices.
Interactions with other drugs
if Benadryl is combined with other medicines or antihistamines then it can result in increasing the side effects caused by Benadryl.
A list of such medicines which may react with Benadryl and should not be taken with Benadryl are antihistamines, sedative medicines, medicines for ulcer, cough and cold medicine, drugs for depression.
Consuming cough syrups which contain alcohol
Consuming even very small amount of alcohol with Benadryl can increase its risks and side effects. So try to avoid taking cough syrups along with Benadryl.
Females could be more affected
this combination of alcohol and Benadryl could affect the women more than men. As women tend to have less water in the body to dissolve alcohol in it. so the same amount of alcohol is more concentrated for women than it is for men. So even if less amount of alcohol along with Benadryl is taken by a female then it can be very dangerous for them.
This combination can be misused
since Benadryl and alcohol will cause sleepiness, drowsiness, someone can actually give this to put you to sleep, if they want to harm you in anyway.
Dementia
studies have reported that combining alcohol and Benadryl can cause dementia or feeling of being crazy and lost. But still more evidence is needed in this regard. Specially the elderly might feel dizzy and confused, and lot of alcohol could damage the cognitive ability and impair the decision making of the individual.
Some of the side effects of Benadryl are drowsiness, nervousness, confusion, dizziness, balance loss, mood swings, feeling sleepy, eyes become dry, nausea or vomiting, gait is not steady.