“Is it safe to drink alcohol after being off of painkillers for a week?”
My friend had been prescribed opioid painkillers the day he had surgery on his teeth, which was over 2 weeks ago about. When is it safe, and how long should you be off of the opioid painkillers to be able to safely consume alcohol again?
Male | 21 years old
5 Answers
Yes, it is, in moderation. Best, Alex Kagzanov, PharmD. Supervising Pharmacist UrgentRx Pharmacy Phone: (718) 570-3360 Fax: (718) 228-3845
It should be safe for him to consume alcohol again responsibly if he has finished the entire course of the narcotics.
It depends on the opioid, but Hydrocodone and Oxycodone stay in the system for about 4 days after the last dose. A week should be long enough to safely consume alcohol.
A week is sufficient time to be off of pain medications before drinking alcohol. It is never recommended to mix the two, however, as long as at least three days have passed since last taking a pain medication, there should be no issues.
If you have a healthy liver, it is safe to drink in moderation.
