Fira

Hello I'm still relatively new to this site. It is what really got my to stop drinking the first time which was about a month ago. One day I just quit cold turkey and I think I lasted 8 days and I ended up starting to drink again and like I used to. This time I am just as committed to quit and I figure this time I am going to ween myself off slowly, its easier this way and much safer than to just cut yourself off. I seem to be doing pretty good right now I have severely cut back. My whole question here is I took 2 500mg store brand pain reliever/fever reducers with its main ingredient being acetaminophen. I took them when I woke up at around 11 AM or so today(I work from home, make my own hours) and it is 5 PM now and I have not had a single drink yet today since I was worried about combining the two. I never really take pain relievers at all anymore because of my drinking so I don't know how long I should wait before having a drink. The bottle says do not have more than 3 alcohol beverages a day when taking the drug and that's about how much I drink now since cutting back from say 10-15. I'm not going to be taking any more but do you think its safe to have something now or should I wait another two or three hours or much more? They say the acetaminophen usually leaves the system anywhere from 4-6 or 6-8 hours but I'm not going to risk my liver on guessing...even though drinking in general hasn't exactly been great for it either.

Dee74

Hi Fira

We're not really the board to ask when it's safe to drink

If you're worried then why drink at all tonight?

None of us are Drs - the only guidelines I'd go by are already on the packet.

If you have to drink tonight, and you have to take paracetamol, and you feel you can't keep to the instructions...then maybe it's time to see someone and get some professional advice on how to stop?

D

freshstart57

You seem to be asking about taking acetaminophen with alcohol, possible interactions, etc. This is one of those simple questions that lies at least partly in the realm of medical advice, and that is something that we are neither qualified nor permitted to give.

Soooo, ask some other random internet source, hopefully one with medical credentials, or better still, ask a Dr.

Something I feel I am permitted to share with you is about the alcohol thingy. My life became a whole bunch better without it, so there's that. Some of us will tell you that tapering off alcohol looks a lot like just continuing to drink alcohol. Sooo, again, talk to your Dr. and see if quitting the stuff altogether is right for you.

heathersweeds

Hello Fira-
Why not, just for tonight, not drink at all? Give your body a break from everything? You will probably feel good in the morning too.

sugarbear1

Alcohol changes the lining of the digestive tract. The lining of the digestive tract doesn't change if we don't drink for 1 day. The mix can lead to ulcers from what I've read.....

I'd call a doctor now and talk honestly.

Fira

Thanks for all the quick replies. I do understand this isn't really the place to ask for medical advice but I only did end up asking because I saw lots of similar questions with other medications all over this board that people seemed to have no problems with and figured it would be all right to ask about something that might help with my problem. I think I can hold out until tomorrow without another drink but I was just curious about the interactions. Even so I'll refrain from asking something like that again

Dee74

I understand it can be confusing for new members but there's a difference between asking for others experience about specific meds and asking is it safe/what should I do, Fira

You really need a Doctor to definitvely answer those kinds of questions

D

Sudz No More

As a rule I have almost never used pain relievers for this very reason. Even in sobriety I try to limit when if ever I take them at all. Unless I am really in pain I just go without taking them.

My main thinking on your concern is just that. Don't do them together at all. If you plan to drink don't do pain meds. If you plan to do pain meds don't do alcohol. Really pretty simple when you get down to it.

LexieCat

Drinking is not safe under any circumstances for an alcoholic, regardless of any medications they may have taken.

That's my two cents. I don't think anybody here is going to give you a green light on that one.

Riel

Acetaminophen - Tylenol - is very hard on your liver, and it's even worse combined with alcohol. As a drinker, it's probably one drug you'd just want to avoid.