Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
Can Promethazine Be Taken After Alcohol Consumption?
Question: Hi, a couple of nights ago when I went out with friends and drank several beers. I had been to the doctor recently and was prescribed promethizine with coedeine for my cough. I wasn't in my right state of my mind and took too much of the promethazine. When I got up the next morning my face was almost green looking to me, and my whole body very pale. My surface veins were very prominent, popping out and the blue color showing very much. Was something happening to my body? It was so odd to me. I'd never looked or felt this way.
Brief Answer:
the combination with alcohol probably
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
drinking alcohol with central nervous system (CNS) depressants potentiates the effects of both, so this is probably the cause of your symptoms. Alcohol does induce dilatation of the veins. You haven't mentioned how much promethazine you took but any dose would have caused increased untoward effects when combined with alcohol. Codeine is another depressant of the CNS. Thankfully the dose in anti-cough formulations is not high.
Regarding the green color, this is not expected and is probably a misconception. Green (or similar to green) colors may occur when a patient has long-standing jaundice or sometimes in patients with copper overload or end-stage kidney disease. None of the aforementioned conditions fits your case though. So it has to be a misconception caused by the effects of the drugs on cognitive functions and perhaps the engorged veins.
I hope you find my comments helpful!
Kind regards!
the combination with alcohol probably
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
drinking alcohol with central nervous system (CNS) depressants potentiates the effects of both, so this is probably the cause of your symptoms. Alcohol does induce dilatation of the veins. You haven't mentioned how much promethazine you took but any dose would have caused increased untoward effects when combined with alcohol. Codeine is another depressant of the CNS. Thankfully the dose in anti-cough formulations is not high.
Regarding the green color, this is not expected and is probably a misconception. Green (or similar to green) colors may occur when a patient has long-standing jaundice or sometimes in patients with copper overload or end-stage kidney disease. None of the aforementioned conditions fits your case though. So it has to be a misconception caused by the effects of the drugs on cognitive functions and perhaps the engorged veins.
I hope you find my comments helpful!
Kind regards!
Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
