OUT FROM UNDER!
Treating Your Own Addictions
Dan Mahony, M.Phil. & Bill Moschella, D.D.S.
APPENDIX 10
ALCOHOL IN OVER-THE-COUNTER MEDICATIONS
Your medicine chest could be hazzardous to your recovery. Alcohol is one of the most popular ingredients in over-the-counter medications. We recommend that you carefully read the labels. Here is a brief survey of the alcohol content of many of the most often used items. You may be surprised at what you find. By the way, the "proof" of alcohol is twice the percentage. Whiskey, for example, is usually 80 proof.
Mouthwashes
The average of the sample was 28% alcohol. The lowest surveyed was 7%, and the highest was a whopping 65% (130 proof).
Toothache remedies
This group had the highest percentages of all. The average was an astonishing 43%.
The highest in this group was 90% alcohol!
Vitamins
Are you really getting your daily dose of A, B, and C? It could be just another shot of booze. The average was 13.5%
Cold remedies
This was the largest group. They almost always contain
alcohol. The average was 11%.
The highest contained 40% (same as whiskey).
Diarrhea medications
The average alcohol conent of those surveyed was 9.25%, with a low of 0.6% and a
high of 18% (36 proof).
Laxatives
The majority of laxatives are alcohol free, but not all. Cas-evac is 18% alcohol.
Liquid pain medications
Almost all of the liquid forms surveyed contained alcohol. These varied in content from 7-10%.
(Beer is 5%, wine 10%)
Anemia (iron)
Niferex Elixir is 10% alcohol.
Possible hallucinogens when taken with other medications on this list.
Alophen
Compoz
Contac
Donnagel
Nytol
Nytol
Sleep-eze
Sominex
These medications do not contain alcohol:
Actifed
Carmex
Codimal Expectorant
Coricid
Delsym
Drixoral
Efficol Cough Whips
Gly-Oxide
Mediquel
Naldecon-DX Adult Liquid
Orabase
Orabase with Benzocaine
Orajel
Orthoxicol
Ryna
Sudafed
Sudafed Plus
Tanac
Triminic DM
Triaminicol
WAL-ACT
WAL-MINIC DM
WAL-PHED
Antidiarrheals
Dia-Eze
Kaopectate
Kaolin-Pectrin
Pep to Bismol
Rheaban
Oral Products
Benzodent
Cankaid
Chloraseptic
Proxigel
S.T. 37
© 2003 by danmahony.com