Can You Drink Alcohol After Getting the Flu Shot or While Taking Tamiflu or Xofluza?
Key takeaways:
There are no direct interactions between alcohol and the flu shot or flu medications like Tamiflu (oseltamivir) or Xofluza (baloxavir marboxil). But alcohol may worsen flu symptoms and medication or vaccine side effects.
There are several over-the-counter cold and flu medications that interact with alcohol. To avoid complications, try to avoid drinking alcohol while taking these products.
The best way to protect yourself from the flu, or lower your chances for flu complications, is to get your flu shot every year.
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A night of dancing and drinking with friends is probably the last thing you want to do when you have the flu. Fever, severe body aches, and tiredness are enough to make you want to stay in bed all day. But in case you tend to make hot toddies when you’re sick, you may want to reconsider.
Why? Side effects of alcohol consumption include headache, fatigue, and stomach upset. Sound familiar? These side effects are similar to some flu symptoms. Drinking alcohol could make you feel even worse when you have the flu.
Read on to learn more about the effects of alcohol on flu symptoms. You’ll also learn how alcohol can affect you if you take flu medications or get the flu shot.
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How does alcohol interact with the flu shot or flu medications like Tamiflu?
There are no direct interactions between alcohol and the flu shot or prescription flu medications, such as Tamiflu (oseltamivir) and Xofluza (baloxavir marboxil). This means that alcohol doesn’t affect how well the vaccine or medications work.
But that doesn’t mean you’re totally in the clear. In many cases, alcohol can worsen side effects of the flu shot or flu medications. Alcohol can also make any flu symptoms you’re having worse. What’s more, heavy drinking (5 or more drinks) can weaken your immune system. This means it may take longer to recover, and you could be more likely to experience flu-related complications.
What side effects can I expect from the flu shot and flu medications?
As mentioned, alcohol doesn’t directly interact with the flu shot or flu medications. But the side effects of alcohol, the flu shot, and flu medications are similar. If you drink while you have the flu or in the days after you get the flu shot, your road to recovery may be more challenging. What’s more, alcohol can dehydrate you. A loss of fluids can worsen flu symptoms and also prolong recovery.
Flu shot side effects
If you’ve ever gotten a flu shot, you may have experienced some side effects afterwards. Some people feel soreness or swelling in the injected area. Others may experience side effects such as:
Headache
Low-grade fever
Nausea
Body aches
Tiredness
Flu medication (Tamiflu, Xofluza) side effects
Tamiflu and Xofluza help your body fight the flu virus. They can lessen symptoms and shorten the amount of time that you’re sick. But they can cause mild side effects for some people.
What does the flu vaccine interact with? Pharmacists review flu vaccine interactions and what medications are safe to take.
Is the flu vaccine a live virus? Most flu vaccines are inactivated (contain dead virus). Read answers to more frequently asked questions about what’s in the flu shot.
What to expect after your flu shot: Learn about notable flu shot side effects — from fever to fatigue — and how to manage them.
Common side effects of Tamiflu and Xofluza can include:
Nausea
Vomiting
Headache
Diarrhea
Can I drink alcohol after my flu shot or while I’m taking flu medications?
There’s no exact rule for whether you can drink alcohol after getting the flu shot or taking flu medications. But it’s best to wait until you have finished your treatment and are feeling back to normal. And if you experience any side effects from the flu shot, it’s a good idea to avoid alcohol until all side effects are gone.
Are certain people more at risk when combining alcohol and the flu shot or flu medications?
Alcohol can have negative effects on anyone, but certain groups of people can experience them more intensely.
Studies show that women are more sensitive to alcohol compared to men. The same amount of alcohol can cause a higher blood alcohol level in women than in men. Higher alcohol levels raises the risk of experiencing alcohol’s negative side effects. And this could worsen side effects from the flu shot or flu medications.
Older adults are also more vulnerable to the effects of alcohol. As we age, the body doesn’t break down alcohol as well. This can cause it to stay in the body longer. And this means it could make side effects from the flu shot or flu medications feel worse for longer.
Is having just 1 or 2 drinks OK?
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend against drinking large amounts of alcohol. This means limiting your alcoholic drinks to 2 or fewer per day for men and 1 or fewer per day for women. But these guidelines also suggest that drinking any amount of alcohol can have negative outcomes, such as a higher risk of cancer or high cholesterol, among others.
There’s no hard-and-fast rule about drinking while you have the flu or around the time you get the flu shot. But you may want to consider whether having a drink is worth possibly intensifying the symptoms of the flu or side effects of the flu shot or flu medications.
What about OTC flu medications? Can I take these and drink alcohol?
Some over-the-counter (OTC) medications can treat symptoms of the flu but not the flu itself. These medications can help lessen your symptoms while your body is fighting off the infection. Some of these medications can have serious interactions with alcohol when taken together.
It’s best to stay away from alcohol while taking any of these medications:
Acetaminophen (Tylenol): If you’ve ever had a fever or headache, you might have taken acetaminophen. It’s included in many OTC combination cold and flu medications. And if you’re not careful, you could accidentally take multiple products that have acetaminophen in them. If you take too much of it or drink alcohol with it, it can cause serious liver problems.
Antihistamines: Medications such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl) and chlorpheniramine are sometimes used to relieve a runny nose and sneezing when you have the flu. When combined with alcohol, they can worsen sleepiness and make you feel dizzy. This can put you at risk for falling and hurting yourself.
Histamine-2 antagonists: Some people who have the flu may experience an upset stomach. Medications such as famotidine (Pepcid) and cimetidine (Tagamet) are sometimes taken to help. But these medications stop certain enzymes in the stomach from breaking down alcohol. This can lead to a higher blood alcohol level.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): Medications such as ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) and naproxen (Aleve) are sometimes used to treat fever, muscle aches, and headaches when you have the flu. When combined with alcohol, they can raise your risk for gastrointestinal bleeding.
OTC cough syrups: Some liquid OTC cold medicines, such as NyQuil, contain alcohol. Taking them and drinking alcoholic beverages can raise your blood alcohol levels. What’s more, these liquid medications often contain one or more of the medications listed above.
When should I get medical attention?
Diarrhea and vomiting are possible symptoms of the flu and side effects of flu medications that can lead to serious fluid loss if not treated appropriately. Drinking alcohol will only make you more dehydrated. And in some severe cases, you could wind up in the ER.
Call your prescriber or seek immediate medical care if you notice you’re not making as much urine, your heart is beating faster than normal, or you’re no longer able to make tears.
Frequently asked questions
Drinking alcohol is probably one of the only things that healthcare professionals typically recommend avoiding after getting your flu shot. You can continue doing your other usual daily activities, such as working or exercising. In fact, some evidence suggests exercising after getting your flu shot could help your immune system respond to it better.
But if you experience flu shot side effects, such as fatigue or sore muscles, listen to your body and take it easy. These side effects should resolve within 1 to 2 days.
Similar to the injectable flu shot, it’s not a good idea to drink alcohol after getting the nasal flu vaccine (FluMist). FluMist has similar side effects to the flu shot, including headache and tiredness. While there’s no direct interaction between the two, alcohol could worsen the nasal spray vaccine’s side effects.
Drinking alcohol before your flu shot doesn’t seem to affect how the vaccine works. It should be similarly effective compared to if you didn’t drink. But keep in mind that you may start feeling flu shot side effects within a few hours of receiving it. And you may have worse side effects if you also consumed alcohol the same day.
The bottom line
There are no firm rules about drinking alcohol after getting the flu shot, while taking prescription flu medications, or while you have the flu. But drinking alcohol can worsen flu symptoms or medication side effects, as well as prolong recovery. What’s more, many over-the-counter flu remedies do directly interact with alcohol. So it’s best to skip the hot toddies and let your body get better. That sip of alcohol will be much more enjoyable when your immune system isn’t working overtime.
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References
Alcohol and Drug Foundation. (2023). Understanding alcohol and our immune system.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). About influenza.
Hallam, J., et al. (2022). Exercise after influenza or COVID-19 vaccination increases serum antibody without an increase in side effects. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity.
Kenzaka, T., et al. (2021). Effects of vaccination day routine activities on influenza vaccine efficacy and vaccination-induced adverse reaction incidence: A cohort study. Vaccines.
MedlinePlus. (2023). Dehydration.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (n.d.). Overview of alcohol consumption.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (2014). Harmful interactions.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (2024). Women and alcohol.
U.S. Department of Agriculture. (2020). Dietary guidelines for Americans 2020-2025.
