Can you take mucinex and alka seltzer plus

Mucinex, Nyquil, and Dayquil are all over-the-counter cough and cold medications. But their active ingredients and uses vary.

Over-the-counter (OTC) medications can be helpful when you come down with a cough, cold, or fever. Mucinex, Nyquil, or Dayquil are just a few common OTC products that you may have in your medicine cabinet to provide relief. 

But sometimes you might need more than just one of these products if you’re experiencing multiple symptoms. In that case, can you take Mucinex and Nyquil together? And what about combining them with OTC pain relievers, like Tylenol (acetaminophen) or Advil (ibuprofen)? 

Let’s discuss.

What is the difference between Mucinex and Nyquil?

Mucinex and Nyquil are both medications that can be used for cough and cold symptoms. Their ingredients and uses vary slightly. So, one may be more preferred over the other, depending on your symptoms. 

Keep in mind: Mucinex and Nyquil ingredients can vary by product. And there are a number of different dosage forms available, including oral pills and liquids. Always check your specific product’s label since it may contain ingredients that are different from what’s discussed below.

What is Mucinex?

Mucinex is a medication that’s used for chest congestion. It contains the active ingredient guaifenesin. Guaifenesin is an expectorant. This means it works by breaking up mucus in your airways. This allows you to cough up mucus more easily and to clear your airways.

Another version of Mucinex is Mucinex DM. It contains guaifenesin and another active ingredient, dextromethorphan. Dextromethorphan is used to help relieve coughing. Mucinex DM is used to treat a cough with mucus in the chest. 

What is Nyquil?

Nyquil is a combination medication used to treat cold and flu symptoms like cough, sore throat, and headache. It can also help with fever, runny nose, and sneezing. 

Nyquil typically contains the following active ingredients, each with a different purpose:

• Acetaminophen: a pain reliever and fever reducer

• Dextromethorphan: a cough suppressant

• Doxylamine: an antihistamine that can help with congestion and sneezing

How is Nyquil different from Dayquil?

Typically, Nyquil is taken at night before you go to bed, and Dayquil is taken during the day.

Dayquil is similar to Nyquil, except Nyquil contains doxylamine, which causes sleepiness. And unlike most Nyquil products, Dayquil contains phenylephrine. Phenylephrine is a nasal decongestant that helps with nasal and sinus congestion and pressure.

Sometimes decongestants like phenylephrine can make it harder to sleep. That’s why it’s included in the daytime formulation (Dayquil) and left out of the formulation that’s meant to help you sleep (Nyquil).

Aside from phenylephrine, Dayquil typically also contains acetaminophen and dextromethorphan. But like Nyquil, ingredients can vary by product.

Can you take Mucinex and Nyquil or Dayquil together?

Many of the OTC cough, cold, and flu formulations contain similar ingredients. In general, you’ll want to avoid taking medications that contain overlapping ingredients. 

Always check with your healthcare provider or pharmacist before taking OTC medications together. This can help you avoid duplications in treatment. 

And even if the OTC medications are safe to take together, it’s a good idea to check with your pharmacist for potential interactions with other medications or supplements you’re taking.

Mucinex and Nyquil

Mucinex and Nyquil don’t typically share any of the same active ingredients, and they don’t interact with each other. Taking these two medications together should be safe for most people. 

Even so, some people might confuse Mucinex with Mucinex DM. Mucinex DM contains dextromethorphan, which is also found in Nyquil. 

Taking Mucinex DM and Nyquil together could result in too much dextromethorphan in your system, leading to more side effects like dizziness and drowsiness. This combination should be avoided. 

Mucinex and Dayquil

Mucinex and Dayquil should also be safe to take together. In most cases, their active ingredients don’t typically overlap or interact. However, there are Dayquil cough products that contain guaifenesin. So, you may be getting too much guaifenesin if you take these products together.

As mentioned above with Nyquil, you should avoid taking Dayquil with Mucinex DM because they both contain dextromethorphan. 

Can you take Mucinex with Tylenol or Advil?

Mucinex may only help relieve chest congestion. Some people with cold and flu symptoms might also need to take a pain reliever. 

Tylenol and Advil are common OTC medications used for pain relief. They’re both helpful at reducing body aches, sore throat, and fever that might accompany other cold or flu symptoms. But is it safe to take these OTC pain relievers with Mucinex? 

Mucinex and Tylenol

The only active ingredient in Mucinex is guaifenesin. Mucinex doesn’t contain any type of pain reliever, so it should be safe to take with Tylenol. However, ask your pharmacist or healthcare provider before combining medications if you have other medical conditions or take additional medications. 

Mucinex and Advil

As mentioned above, Mucinex doesn’t contain a pain reliever. So, it should be safe to take with Advil as well. 

Can you take Nyquil with Tylenol or Advil?

Since Nyquil contains several active ingredients, taking it with an OTC pain reliever is a little more complicated. 

Nyquil and Tylenol

Nyquil contains acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol. It’s possible to take too much acetaminophen. This can lead to serious problems like liver damage, or even death. 

One study showed that many people are likely to take too much acetaminophen when using multiple OTC acetaminophen-containing products. And the FDA also warns against taking too much acetaminophen from OTC products, especially if you have liver problems or drink a lot of alcohol. 

Most adults shouldn’t take more than 4,000 mg of acetaminophen in a day. And the daily maximum can also vary by product. For some people, the recommended amount may be even less. This includes people with liver problems or heavy alcohol use. Taking Tylenol and Nyquil at the same time could result in an acetaminophen overdose. 

Always check with your pharmacist or healthcare provider before combining OTC products that contain acetaminophen. They can make sure you’re taking a safe amount. 

Nyquil and Advil

Advil is a common pain reliever with the active ingredient ibuprofen. Advil and Nyquil don’t interact with one another. But it may not be necessary to take these two medications at the same time. That’s because Nyquil already contains a pain reliever (acetaminophen). 

But if you’re finding that you need additional pain relief, it’s generally OK to take Advil with Nyquil. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist about the safest way to combine these medications.

The bottom line

Many OTC products contain similar ingredients. So, you should be careful when mixing them. Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist which medications are safe to take together. 

It may be better to choose just one cough and cold product with multiple ingredients (e.g., Dayquil or Nyquil) if you have many different symptoms. This will help give you the greatest amount of relief and will lower your risk of taking too much of one ingredient.

GoodRx Health has strict sourcing policies and relies on primary sources such as medical organizations, governmental agencies, academic institutions, and peer-reviewed scientific journals. Learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate, thorough, and unbiased by reading our editorial guidelines.

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