5 ms·

Original NyQuil also had a healthy shot of ethyl alcohol in it. Exactly the thing you weren't supposed to mix with pseudoephedrine.

sva_ 5y ago
I believe you're just not supposed to drink alcohol on Pseudoephedrine because you'd be combining an upper with a downer, and it's very easy to go overboard with the downers when you're on an upper (tolerance to alcohol increases dramatically and increases overdose risk along with all the other side effects and risks.) So a small amount of alcohol won't really have much of an effect, I'd claim.
- joezydeco 5y ago
  In my experiences with old NyQuil it was enough to make you drowsier. And getting to sleep was the primary objective of NyQuil. Back in my college days you could replicate it with one 30mg Sudafed and a shot of Jagermeister. =)
  - sva_ 5y ago
    > NyQuil I don't know about this medication in particular (since I don't live in the US), but I see it contains DXM (dextromethorphan), which is a dissociative (such as ex. ketamine), which probably causes the effects you described. I'm seeing it also contains acetaminophen, which probably makes it hard on your kidneys, if you take too much, so that is probably why people don't abuse it more (I guess or hope).
    - genewitch 5y ago
      in the US Robitussin DM is the one you get if you aim for disassociation(?) - NyQuil is explicitly a sleep aid with some other stuff mixed in, I'd have to go dig a bottle out but i think the active ingredient is an anti-histamine (diphenylhydramine i think) - as a sleep aid, mind you. It is true that NyQuil used to have alcohol, and didn't have DXM or acetaminophen. If the liquid you are looking at is Orange, that's the "daytime" stuff, and that's overpriced garbage. One could buy generic "tussin DM" (or pill form of dextro), mucinex (for guafenasin), and benadryl (or generic diphenylhydramine) to get the same usefulness that a bottle of liquid NyQuil has.
etskinner 5y ago
It still does have alcohol[1]: > Q: How much alcohol is in NyQuil? > A: NyQuil Liquid contains 10 percent alcohol. NyQuil LiquiCaps does not contain alcohol. Alcohol-Free NyQuil Cold & Flu Nighttime Relief Liquid does not contain alcohol. https://vicks.com/en-us/safety-and-faqs/faqs/vicks-nyquil-faq https://vicks.com/en-us/safety-and-faqs/faqs/vicks-nyquil-fa...

sva_ 5y ago

I believe you're just not supposed to drink alcohol on Pseudoephedrine because you'd be combining an upper with a downer, and it's very easy to go overboard with the downers when you're on an upper (tolerance to alcohol increases dramatically and increases overdose risk along with all the other side effects and risks.) So a small amount of alcohol won't really have much of an effect, I'd claim.

joezydeco 5y ago
In my experiences with old NyQuil it was enough to make you drowsier. And getting to sleep was the primary objective of NyQuil. Back in my college days you could replicate it with one 30mg Sudafed and a shot of Jagermeister. =)
- sva_ 5y ago
  > NyQuil I don't know about this medication in particular (since I don't live in the US), but I see it contains DXM (dextromethorphan), which is a dissociative (such as ex. ketamine), which probably causes the effects you described. I'm seeing it also contains acetaminophen, which probably makes it hard on your kidneys, if you take too much, so that is probably why people don't abuse it more (I guess or hope).
  - genewitch 5y ago
    in the US Robitussin DM is the one you get if you aim for disassociation(?) - NyQuil is explicitly a sleep aid with some other stuff mixed in, I'd have to go dig a bottle out but i think the active ingredient is an anti-histamine (diphenylhydramine i think) - as a sleep aid, mind you. It is true that NyQuil used to have alcohol, and didn't have DXM or acetaminophen. If the liquid you are looking at is Orange, that's the "daytime" stuff, and that's overpriced garbage. One could buy generic "tussin DM" (or pill form of dextro), mucinex (for guafenasin), and benadryl (or generic diphenylhydramine) to get the same usefulness that a bottle of liquid NyQuil has.

etskinner 5y ago

It still does have alcohol[1]: > Q: How much alcohol is in NyQuil? > A: NyQuil Liquid contains 10 percent alcohol. NyQuil LiquiCaps does not contain alcohol. Alcohol-Free NyQuil Cold & Flu Nighttime Relief Liquid does not contain alcohol. https://vicks.com/en-us/safety-and-faqs/faqs/vicks-nyquil-faq https://vicks.com/en-us/safety-and-faqs/faqs/vicks-nyquil-fa...