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Benadryl and Alcohol

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Benadryl and alcohol do not mix. It is a dangerous combination because it can make a person dizzy and sleepy. It  is an antihistamine that reduces the effects of histamine in the body. Histamine comes out when someone is exposed to an allergen and can produce symptoms of sneezing, itching, watery eyes, and a runny nose.

  • At no point should a person who’s drinking and taking this product attempt to drive or perform other tasks that require alertness.

According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, an estimated 50 million people in the U.S. suffer from allergies each year. So, it’s completely understandable that allergy sufferers pop antihistamines to relieve some of their symptoms.

  • It’s important to realize that mixing over the counter allergy medications, with alcohol is not necessarily safe.
  • Other anti-allergy medications are not as sedating as Benadryl.

It effectively blocks the body’s response to allergens. It can cause several different side effects. First, both are central nervous system depressants. The central nervous system controls most body and mind functions, from physical coordination to cardiac function to sensory experiences, alertness, and sleep. Taken individually, both affect the central nervous system in similar ways. Thus, together the side effects of each are increased.

Common side effects may include:

Intense drowsiness – on their own, both cause sleepiness, but mixing the two substances intensifies the side effect, making it tempting for people to misuse the combination as a sleep aid.

Poor Coordination and motor skills will be more impaired

Dehydration – consuming liquor, a diuretic, people often have a headache the day after drinking. This drug, which can cause dry mouth, nose, and throat, worsens dehydration symptoms lead to an even more painful hangover.

Loss of consciousness – sporadic, but since people with allergies are already congested, in their nasal passages and lungs. This combination can lead to slow breathing and cause a person to faint.

Confusion and memory impairment – block certain neurotransmitters in the brain associated with learning and memory, making people somewhat foggy. Ethanol has similar side effects, and when the two are combined, the impairment will be far more noticeable.

The side effects used individually or combined will affect people differently and vary in intensity based on their makeup, body weight, and metabolism.

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