How Long Does Nyquil Last? – A Quick Guide with Side Effects and Warnings

Nyquil is a common medicine that many people take to relieve the symptoms of the common cold, flu, and various allergies. But a lot of people want to know how long does Nyquil last. When you think about the famous “Nyquil hangover” that often happens after taking this medicine, this question becomes even more important.

In this article, we’ll talk more about what Nyquil is and how long its effects really last.

Table of Contents

1.What does Nyquil mean?

Nyquil is a popular medicine that can be bought without a prescription. It is used to treat sore throats, colds, flu, and allergies. People often call it “Vicks Nyquil.” Procter & Gamble makes Nyquil, which came out to the public for the first time in 1996.

Nyquil’s effects come from its many ingredients, such as alcohol and a number of antihistamines that make you sleepy.

Some of the most important parts of this medicine are:

Acetaminophen
Doxylamine succinate
Dextromethorphan HBr
Citric acid
Polyethylene glycol
Propylene glycol
Sodium citrate

Most of the ingredients in Nyquil make you sleepy, so it’s usually given right before bed. But there is also a daytime version of Nyquil that makes people feel much less sleepy.

2.When Should You Use NyQuil?

Nyquil is used to relieve the symptoms of the common cold, flu, allergies, and breathing illnesses like bronchitis. To be more specific, you can take a dose of this medicine to treat:

Throatache
Fever
Body aches
Runny nose
Sneezing
Coughing

Nyquil works very well to stop coughing. Dextromethorphan HBr is an ingredient that makes it easier to go to sleep by stopping a cough. But Nyquil won’t help if the cough is caused by something long-term, like smoking or asthma. Also, if you’re coughing up a lot of mucus, you should talk to your doctor first.

3. Nyquil’s Side Effects

The most common side effects of Nyquil, which are often called “The Nyquil Hangover,” are:

Sleepiness
Lightheadedness
Blurry vision,
Upset stomach
Feeling sick
Nervousness
Constipation
A dry nose and throat.

All of these side effects are mild and will go away in a few days. But if they don’t go away, you can talk to your doctor.

Still, this medicine could have some less common side effects. If any of the following happen, you should see a doctor right away:

Hallucinations or confusion,
Shaking,
Trouble urinating,
Irregular heartbeat,
Seizure,
Or severe allergic reactions that include: rash, swelling, severe dizziness, itching, and breathing problems.

4. Safety measures

If you are allergic to any of the things in Nyquil, don’t take it. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other options that will work for you.

Also, you should not take this medicine if you have any of the following diseases or conditions:

Asthma
Diabetes
Glaucoma
Heart Problems
High Blood Pressure
Kidney Problems
Liver Problems
Hyperthyroidism

Don’t drive or use any machinery after taking Nyquil. The medicine could make you feel sleepy and make it hard to see, which could be dangerous.

5. How long before Nyquil starts to work?

When you take liquid Nyquil, you will feel something warm in your throat right away. After 10 minutes, this medicine starts to work well. The first thing you notice is that the pain in your body starts to go away. Soon, you’ll start to feel like your eyelids are closing on their own. If you took Nyquil during the day, though, it would be best not to sleep because it will make it hard for you to fall asleep.

Nyquil has alcohol in it, and many doctors have said that even though this can help you sleep, it doesn’t help you sleep in a healthy way. Instead, it changes the way you sleep, which makes you feel even more tired the next day. Because of this, Nyquil shouldn’t be used to help you fall asleep quickly.

6.How long does Nyquil work for?

When you take Nyquil, it usually makes you sleepy for 4 to 6 hours, but it can sometimes make you sleepy for up to 8 hours. You will still feel the effects of the medicine for up to 8 hours after your last dose. After this point, you’ll start to feel less sleepy, and after 10 hours you’ll be able to drive or run a machine. But the parts of Nyquil could stay in your body for up to 3 days after you’ve taken the last dose.

To learn more, we’ll look more closely at the half-lives of the substances in this medicine:

Doxylamine succinate: This substance has a half-life of about 10 hours in a healthy adult. This means that after your last dose of Nyquil, it will take your body 2.29 days to get rid of it.
Acetaminophen: The half-life of this drug is between one and four hours. This means that if a healthy adult eats it, it will stay in his or her body for somewhere between 11 and 16.5 hours. This ingredient is found in all Nyquil products except “Nyquil Cough,” which is interesting.
Dextromethorphan: The half-life of dextromethorphan is between 3 and 6 hours. In reality, a healthy adult’s body will get rid of Dextromethorphan after about 11 to 33 hours. All Nyquil products, except “Nyquil Sinus,” have this ingredient.
Phenylephrine: The half-life of phenylephrine is only between 2.1 and 3.4 hours. But a healthy adult’s body gets rid of it between 6 and 18.7 hours later. This ingredient is used in products like Nyquil that help clear out the nose.

7. What factor affects how long it will last?

But the side effects of Nyquil may last for different amounts of time for each person. This happens because different things can change how the ingredients work. These factors are specifically the individual factors, the dosage, how often Nyquil is taken, and how it is taken with other drugs.

Some of the individual factors are:

Age and gender: People over 65 can be more affected by Nyquil. Part of the reason for this is that they often have other health problems that make the effects of Nyquil last longer.
Body size and fat: Doxylamine succinate is a substance that likes to stick to fat. This means that people with a higher body fat percentage will have it in their bodies for a longer time.
Different health problems, such as problems with the liver, the kidneys, or the rate of urine flow.

Conclusion

Nyquil is a drug that is often used to treat cold, flu, and allergy symptoms. It does, however, have some side effects that can make daily life a little harder. In this article, we found out how long it takes for Nyquil to leave our bodies. After taking the last dose of Nyquil, each person will be able to go back to their normal lives after about 10 hours.