Only trained and licensed medical professionals can provide such services. If you or anyone you know is undergoing a severe health crisis, call a doctor or 911 immediately. Acetaminophen is a non-opioid analgesic found in various forms, including tablets, capsules, liquid suspensions, and even combination products with other medications like cold and flu remedies. Narcotic analgesic combinations contain a narcotic analgesic, such as hydrocodone or codeine, with one or more other analgesics, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol), aspirin, or ibuprofen (NSAIDs). They are used to treat moderate-to-severe pain when other less potent analgesics are not effective. If you regularly drink or plan to for a special occasion, choosing a pain reliever that isn’t affected by alcohol can be tricky.
How to Prevent a Dangerous Interaction
This is particularly dangerous since you might feel less pain relief initially, potentially leading you to take another dose of Tylenol and exceeding the recommended daily limit. The labels on all What Does Acid Feel Like When You Take It over-the-counter pain relievers and fever reducers advise individuals who consume three or more alcoholic drinks daily to seek advice from a doctor before using these medications. Mixing alcohol and medicines puts you at risk for dangerous reactions. Protect yourself by avoiding alcohol if you are taking a medication and don’t know its effect.
Acetaminophen (APAP) overdose is one of the predominant causes of drug induced acute liver injury in the U.S and U.K. Clinical studies show that ingestion of alcohol may increase the risk of APAP induced liver injury. Chronic alcoholism may potentiate APAP hepatotoxicity and this increased risk of APAP toxicity is observed when APAP is ingested even shortly after alcohol is cleared from the body.
Is It Safe to Mix Painkillers and Alcohol?
If you lie about the amount of alcohol you consume on a regular basis, your doctor can’t accurately judge the risks and benefits of prescribing a particular medication. Even though these drugs are over the counter, they still have the potential to be very dangerous. A study on 102 healthy participants taking a cumulative 4,000 mg dose of Tylenol for two consecutive days while consuming moderate alcohol quantities reported no major side effects. 39% of people who take more than 4,000 mg of acetaminophen for more than three consecutive days while also consuming alcohol show biochemical signs of liver injury. In other words, users should not exceed 4,000 mg of acetaminophen daily.
Acetaminophen is a pain reliever that can also help to reduce fevers. Some types of Tylenol may include other drugs as part of its formulation — for example, Tylenol PM is a combination of acetaminophen and diphenhydramine. A healthy person may safely use Tylenol while drinking lightly and infrequently, but safety is not guaranteed. Typically, mixing Tylenol and alcohol should be avoided unless instructed by a doctor. For someone who is otherwise healthy, it is generally acceptable to have up to two drinks for men or one for women after taking a dose of Tylenol.
What are the risks of mixing pain medications and alcohol?
In general, alcohol use has the potential to make symptoms of a mental health condition worse. In addition, there are hundreds of mental health medications that interact with alcohol. Combining alcohol with a mental health medication can make the medication less effective or even more dangerous. The Recovery Village Cherry Hill at Cooper offers comprehensive addiction treatment for drug and alcohol addictions and co-occurring mental health conditions. While the medication is generally safe for pain and fever, it should only be taken as directed on the package labeling and should not be mixed with alcohol.
- The half-life of acetaminophen, which is the time it takes for half of the drug to be eliminated from the body, is approximately 2 to 3 hours in healthy adults.
- It is not safe to take acetaminophen (paracetamol, Tylenol) while drinking alcohol.
- Some drugs (often antihistamines) used to prevent and treat motion sickness can also be purchased over-the-counter.
- Acetaminophen overdose can cause acute liver damage, failure, and death in the most severe cases.
We may be paid a fee for marketing or advertising by organizations that can assist with treating people with substance use disorders. The specific quantities and timing of consuming Tylenol and alcohol that may cause liver damage are not known and may respond to individual vulnerabilities. Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances. This CME/CE credit opportunity is jointly provided by the Postgraduate Institute for Medicine and NIAAA. If you drink regularly, consider topical pain relievers instead of Tylenol. Tylenol typically works to relieve pain and fever for three to four hours.
Read the label on the medication bottle to find out exactly what ingredients a medicine contains. Ask your pharmacist if you have any questions about how alcohol might interact with a drug you are taking. Alcohol, like some medicines, can make you sleepy, drowsy, or lightheaded. Drinking alcohol while taking medicines can intensify these effects.
It’s best to take the lowest dose necessary and stay closer to 3,000 mg per day as your maximum dose. If you need to take high doses of acetaminophen for chronic pain, check with your doctor first. Popular alternatives to acetaminophen include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen and naproxen.
Symptoms of liver damage, such as abdominal pain, jaundice and nausea, may be attributed to alcohol consumption rather than acetaminophen toxicity, delaying appropriate medical intervention. Acetaminophen alone is known to cause liver damage when taken in excessive doses. Combining acetaminophen with alcohol exacerbates this risk due to the synergistic effect on liver function.
In short, alcohol and pain medication are a deadly combination, so it’s best not to mix them. If you have an injury or medical condition that causes pain or spasms in your muscles, you might be given medications to relax them. Muscle relaxants are commonly used to treat back and neck pain, as well as certain kinds of headaches. One ingredient in some cough suppressants called dextromethorphan (DXM) can be especially dangerous because it can cause extreme sedation and respiratory depression.