Can You Get Drunk On NyQuil?

Answer

While you may feel some minor effects from the alcohol contained in NyQuil, it's extremely unlikely that it will cause intoxication or get you 'drunk'.

NyQuil contains 10% alcohol by volume. Compare this with the average percentage of alcohol in common beverages:

• Beer (4-6%)
• Wine (12-16%)
• Liquor (35-60%)

'One standard drink' of alcohol is defined by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism as 14 grams of pure alcohol.

In terms of the standard alcoholic beverages, 14 grams of alcohol equates to:

• 12 ounces of beer
• 5 ounces of wine
• 1.5 ounces of liquor

Amount Of Alcohol In A Dose Of NyQuil

While NyQuil is more concentrated in terms of alcohol content than most beers, it is important to consider how much you are consuming.

One dose of NyQuil is 30mL (one ounce). This yields only about 3 grams of pure alcohol per dose, less than a quarter of what is considered to be 'one standard drink'.

Considering that it takes multiple 'standard drinks' for someone to become intoxicated, it stands to reason that you really can't get drunk on NyQuil unless it is misused or abused.

You are far more likely to experience serious adverse effects from ingesting too much of the active ingredients in NyQuil before you are much affected by the alcohol content.

Nevertheless, if you have a medical condition or are taking medication that inhibits the metabolism of alcohol (e.g. Antabuse), it is feasible that you may feel some untoward effects from any amount of alcohol you consume.

Final Words

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