Can You Drink Alcohol While Taking Benzonatate?
In our latest question and answer, we discuss the safety considerations when combining alcohol with benzonatate.
I'm taking benzonatate 100 mg for a cough and I just wanted to know if it is safe to have a glass of wine while taking this. We will not be driving or doing anything besides laying in bed.
Aug 19, 2022- Benzonatate and alcohol both have sedating effects so using them together may cause dizziness and drowsiness, and you should avoid activities requiring alertness.
- Alcohol can suppress your immune system and may slow your recovery from the infection you're treating with benzonatate.
- While there is no direct drug interaction between benzonatate and alcohol, it's generally better to avoid alcohol when you're sick.
Answer
Thanks for reaching out to us! There is no specific drug interaction between benzonatate and alcohol, but both have sedative effects and can make you feel dizzy so they need to be used together with caution. Additionally, since most individuals who take benzonatate are sick (typically treating cough due to infection), alcohol generally isn't a good idea to consume anyway.
Combined Effects
Benzonatate is a non-narcotic medication most commonly used for cough symptoms associated with colds and acute respiratory infections. At normal dosages (maximum daily dose of 600 mg), benzonatate is not associated with respiratory depression or significant CNS (central nervous system) depression. This is an advantage over other drugs such as opioid-based cough medications (e.g. hydrocodone, codeine).
While benzonatate is typically very well tolerated, it can cause mild sedation. When combined with alcohol though, the sedative effect can be enhanced and you should not operate heavy machinery or partake in activities that require strict attention.
Very rarely, drugs like benzonatate can cause mental confusion and strange behavior. This is extremely rare and should not be a problem if you have no prior history of these problems.
Since you plan to stay home, lying in bed, the combination of alcohol and benzonatate isn't considered particularly dangerous but again, may not be the best idea. Consumption of alcohol has been linked to a suppression of the immune system and may lead to longer healing times if you are treating an infection.
Final Words
Thanks again for reaching out to us!
References & sources
Glossary — Terms in This Answer
- Benzonatate
- A non-narcotic medication used to treat cough symptoms, particularly from colds and respiratory infections.
- Sedative effects
- The ability of a substance to calm, relax, or make a person drowsy.
- Non-narcotic
- A medication that does not contain or derive from opium-based drugs and carries lower risk of addiction.
- Acute respiratory infections
- Sudden infections affecting the lungs and airways, such as colds or bronchitis.
- Respiratory depression
- A dangerous slowing of breathing rate that can occur with certain medications.
- CNS (central nervous system) depression
- Suppression of brain and spinal cord function that slows thinking, movement, and reflexes.
- Opioid-based cough medications
- Cough treatments containing narcotic drugs like hydrocodone or codeine that carry addiction risk.
- Immune system suppression
- A weakening of the body's ability to fight infections and disease.
Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD
Doctor of Pharmacy, board certified clinical pharmacist (BCPS), American Herbalist Guild, Medication Therapy Management certified
Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS, is a licensed pharmacist with more than 13 years of experience across retail pharmacy, clinical pharmacy, medication safety, pharmacy program development, and healthcare administration. He is the founder of HelloPharmacist.com, where he helps patients...
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