Paracetamol and Alcohol

[lordpoison]

I am sorry, I didn't know in which category I should have posted this topic.
I had a headache and I took 2 Paracetamol pills. After 2,5 hours I drank a beer. Is this ok or should I have any consequenses?

[Tuckamore]

Hi lordpoison,

You should never mix alcohol with most medications but this is especially true with all opiates and acetaminophen.

It has happened, though not common, that a one time mix of alcohol and acetaminophen has caused irreversible damage. Be very cautious in the future.

Take Care,
~Tuck

[geminigirl1963]

It's never a good idea to mix any medications, including over the counter meds, with alcohol - and especially any meds with acetaminophen (the active ingredient in paracetamol or tylenol).  This can increase the risk for liver damage.

However, if this was a one time happening, I would say your chances of developing any problems from this one time event would be very low.  I will say, however, if you are a regular or heavy drinker, you probably should avoid anything with acetaminophen in it (be sure to read labels because it's in a lot of cold and allergy meds also).