Can You Take Cold-Eeze And DayQuil Together?

There is no known drug interaction between Cold-Eeze and DayQuil.

Question

Can you safely take Cold-Eeze with DayQuil?

Asked by Kristi On Dec 07, 2022

Answered by
Medical Content Reviewed By HelloPharmacist Staff

Published Dec 07, 2022
Last updated Apr 18, 2024

Key points

  • There is no known drug interaction between DayQuil (including DayQuil Severe) and Cold-Eeze. They are considered safe to take together.

Answer

Yes, it is safe to take Cold-Eeze and DayQuil together. There is no drug interaction between them.

Drug Interactions

It's always a good idea to look into potential interactions between two drugs before taking them. The risk of an interaction occurring is especially increased when you are taking a product with multiple active ingredients, like DayQuil, or with an over-the-counter supplement, like Cold-Eeze (since it may not be as well studied).

Let's take a look at each product separately.

DayQuil

DayQuil contains three active ingredients:

  • Acetaminophen (analgesic)
  • Dextromethorphan (cough suppressant)
  • Phenylephrine (nasal decongestant)

DayQuil Severe contains:

  • Acetaminophen (analgesic)
  • Dextromethorphan (cough suppressant)
  • Phenylephrine (nasal decongestant)
  • Guaifenesin (expectorant)

While each drug in DayQuil (and DayQuil Severe) has several drug interactions to be concerned with, there are no known interactions with Cold-Eeze.

Cold-Eeze

Cold-Eeze contains zinc, specifically zinc gluconate glycine, and is purported to shorten the duration of a cold. It, therefore, makes sense that it would be used along with other over the counter cold medications to help with your symptoms.

Somewhat surprisingly, zinc has numerous drug interactions with both over-the-counter and prescription products that are important to know about.

Perhaps most notably, zinc can chelate, or bind to certain compounds, making them far less absorbable, thereby potentially decreasing their effectiveness. This is of serious concern with many drugs, including several classes of antibiotics (such as quinolones like ciprofloxacin).

Other drugs that zinc can 'chelate' include:

  • Keflex (cephalexin)
  • Tetracycline antibiotics
  • Allegra (fexofenadine)
  • Norvir (ritonavir)

It is very important to ask your pharmacist or doctor about potential interactions with zinc products before using Cold-Eeze.

Final Words

As mentioned at the beginning of this answer, however, there is no drug interaction between all of the active ingredients in DayQuil and the zinc contained in Cold-Eeze.

References

About the Pharmacist

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD

Dr. Brian has been practicing pharmacy for over 13 years and has wide-ranging experiences in many different areas of the profession. From retail, clinical, program development, and administrative responsibilities, he's your knowledgeable and go-to source for all your pharmacy and medication-related questions! Dr. Brian Staiger also has herbalist training and educational certificates in the field of medical ethnobotany. Feel free to send him an email at [email protected]! You can also connect with Dr. Brian Staiger on LinkedIn.

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