Drinking alcohol with dextromethorphan (DXM), a common ingredient in Robitussin cough syrups, increases the chance of toxicity and can cause serious health problems. Regular dextromethorphan or alcohol abuse can weaken the body’s ability to function without them. As the body becomes more tolerant of the substances, more significant amounts are needed to achieve the desired effects. Benadryl is a potent first-generation antihistamine that crosses the blood-brain barrier, a protective filter that helps keep harmful substances from reaching the brain. It works on the CNS by slowing it down to block the effects of histamine, a chemical released by the immune system that causes allergy symptoms.
Substance of Abuse
Automatically receive FDA alerts, drug interaction warnings, plus data on food, allergy & condition interactions. To view an interaction report containing 4 (or more) medications, please sign in or create an account. Teens often misuse DXM, mistakenly thinking it’s safer because it’s OTC. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you’re experiencing side effects from DXM use. When people abuse DXM, they take a lot of it — many times the recommended dosage.
What Are The Side Effects of Mixing DXM & Alcohol?
But large doses of DXM with binge drinking can increase health problems for both the mother and fetus. Combining alcohol and DXM leads to a number of negative side effects, as discussed above. In addition, you also severely increase your risk of overdose by abusing these drugs simultaneously. Any drugs that suppress the central nervous system are dangerous to mix with dextromethorphan. This includes opioids, marijuana, alcohol, sedatives, and sleep medications.
Signs of misuse
If you’re planning a pregnancy or can become pregnant, talk with your doctor before taking this medication. The strength of the dose is given in milligrams (mg) and mg per milliliter (mg/mL). The following lists contain some of the key side effects that may occur while taking dextromethorphan.
These include stimulant drugs like amphetamines and depressant drugs like benzodiazepines. When individuals use DXM in excess of its prescribed dosages, numerous varied types of effects can occur, depending on the dosage. While dextromethorphan may benefit those suffering from a cough as an over-the-counter medicine, it can be dangerous when mixed with alcohol.
Long-term heavy use of DXM can cause toxicity and tolerance to the drug. Tolerance means you need more of a substance to feel its effects. The maximum daily recommended dose of DXM is 120 milligrams (mg) taken in divided doses.
Symptoms of overdose
Additionally, long-term, excessive usage of DXM has been linked with persistent psychotic symptoms that may last beyond use. And there is no debate about the potential for addiction and potentially life-threatening effects of alcohol use. There is no safe amount of alcohol, and any mixture of these substances poses dangerous risks. Perhaps the most alarming acute effect of DXM is the risk of respiratory depression.
Mixing Dextromethorphan (DXM) and Alcohol: Can You Drink on DXM?
Because both drugs are central nervous system depressants, using them in combination enhances both their effects and can lead to numerous potentially serious conditions. The potential dangers of using these drugs in combination are significantly exacerbated when one uses DXM or alcohol at higher doses. Individuals who regularly abuse these drugs should seek professional help. The identification of the swift antidepressant effects of intravenous ketamine has resulted in a transformative change in the drug discovery process for depression 27. This stems from the evidence that partial agonism at the mu-opioid receptor (MOR) is a contributing molecular mechanism to the effectiveness of these rapid-acting antidepressants 28.
If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. A hospital or detoxification center will aid in your withdrawal from drugs or alcohol by prescribing medications to reduce your symptoms while increasing your comfort levels. Also, medical staff will monitor your physical condition to maintain your health and safety. There are several interactions, particularly at high doses, and they do not produce complementary psychoactive effects.
- Dextromethorphan (Delsym, Robitussin) can interact with alcohol, other medications, and some supplements.
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- Every year in the U.S., around 6000 people go to the emergency room because of misusing DXM with other substances like antihistamines, alcohol, acetaminophen or pseudoephedrine.
- While some cough syrups contain alcohol, the amount in a single dose of cough syrup is not enough to cause dextromethorphan interactions, as long as it’s used as medically recommended.
- Some people intentionally drink alcohol while taking DXM to intensify the high and dissociative effects.
Teens often misuse DXM, mistakenly thinking it’s safer because it’s OTC. Before using any OTC cough or cold products, always check with your doctor. Your body can develop tolerance to DXM and alcohol with continued use.
Interactions
Do not take more dextromethorphan than recommended on the product label, as this can lead to harmful effects. In general, symptoms of allergic reaction can be mild or serious. For some people, dextromethorphan can cause an allergic reaction. The following sections address additional interactions that may occur with dextromethorphan. Note that this information does not include all other possible interactions with dextromethorphan.
You should not drink when taking dextromethorphan as it can lead to severe and unpredictable dextromethorphan with alcohol side effects. Always ask your healthcare provider what not to take with Benadryl before taking this medicine. Second-generation antihistamines such as Zyrtec (cetirizine), Allegra (fexofenadine), and Claritin (loratadine) are less likely to cause drowsiness. However, they can still cause side effects when taken with alcohol. Dextromethorphan is approved to help relieve cough caused by minor throat or airway irritation (see just above for more information).
Despite its promise, it is not considered the primary course of treatment for any condition other than coughing. A drug’s half-life is how long it takes half a dose to be eliminated from your body. The half-life of DXM differs widely and can range from 2.4 hours to more than 19 hours, depending on your body chemistry. Because it takes five half-lives for a drug to be removed entirely from your system, DXM may sometimes stay in your body for almost four days. Read to learn how DXM and alcohol can affect the body and why you should avoid mixing them. A 2018 report found 1 in 30 teens misuse DXM, and 6 in 10 teens misuse alcohol.
Dextromethorphan (DXM) is the most popular cough suppressant sold in the United States. This section describes dosages of dextromethorphan, an OTC medication. Be sure to follow the instructions on the product labels when taking it.