Unsafe Substances For The Recovering Person
Recovery is not one-size-fits-all and substances that may be safe for some people to use may not be for others. Many people in recovery have the goal of remaining chemically-free and find it helpful to avoid certain substances as they pose a risk to their recovery. People in early recovery are not always aware of the risks associated with some of these substances. Please consult with your prescribing doctor if you are currently taking one of these medications and discuss your goals around recovery with them. This is NOT medical advice.
Household Items
❑ Vanilla Extract (imitation without alcohol is ok)
❑ Cooking with Alcohol
❑ Imitation “near-bear or near-wine”
❑ Kombucha
❑ Mouthwash with Alcohol
❑ Poppy Seeds (can produce false positive for opiates on drug test)
❑ CBD Products
❑ Over-the-counter medications with DM or PM (see below)
Colds and Allergies
❑ Actifed (Triprolidine)
❑ Benadryl /Benylin/Sominex/Nytol (Diphenhydramine)
❑ Comtrex/Chlortrimeton (Chlorpheniramine Maleate)
❑ Dimetane (Brompheniramine Maleate)
❑ Dristan (Phenylephrine)
❑ Entex (Phenylpropanolamine)
❑ PBZ (Tripelennamine)
❑ Phenergan with Codeine
❑ Robitussin with Codeine
❑ Sudafed (Pseudoephedrine)
❑ Tavist (Clemastine)
Prescription Pain Relievers/Muscle Relaxants
❑ Anbesol (Ethyl Aalcohol)
❑ Bancap/Anexsia/Tussionex (Hydrocodone)
❑ Codeine
❑ Darvocet/Darvon/Wygesic (Propoxyphene)
❑ Demerol (Meperidine)
❑ Dilaudid (Hydromorphone)
❑ Dolophine (Methadone)
❑ Fioricet/Fiorinal/Phreneline/Esgic (Butabital)
❑ Levo-Dromoran (Levorphanol)
❑ Midol (pamabrom,pyrilamine)
❑ Midrin/Duradrin (Dichloralphenyzone)
❑ Morphine
❑ Nubain (Nalbuphine)
❑ Numorphan (Oxymorphone)
❑ Opium
❑ Parafon Forte (Chlorzoxazone)
❑ Percodan/Percocet/Tylox (Oxycodone)
❑ Percogesic (Phenyltoloxamine)
❑ Robaxin (Methocarbamol)
❑ Skelaxin (Metaxolone)
❑ Soma (Carisoprodol)
❑ Stadol (Butorphanol)
❑ Sublimaze/Duragesic (Fentanyl)
❑ Talacen/Talwin (Pentazocine)
❑ Ultram (Tramadol)
❑ Vicodin/Loratab/Damason (Hydrocodone)
Stomach and Intestinal
❑ Donnatal (Phenobarbital)
❑ Lomotil (Diphenoxylate)
❑ Paregoric (Opium)
Sedatives/Sleep Medications
❑ Ambien (Zolpidem)
❑ Ativan (Lorazepam)
❑ Chloral Hydrate
❑ Dalmane (Flurazepam)
❑ Doriden/Cytadren (Glutethimide)
❑ Halcion (Trizolam)
❑ Klonopin (Clonazepam)
❑ Librium/Librax (Chlordiazepoxide)
❑ Mebaral (Mephobarbital)
❑ Mysolin (Primidone)
❑ Nembutal (Phenobarbital)
❑ Phenobarbital
❑ Placidyl (Ethchlorvynol)
❑ Prosom (Estazolam)
❑ Restoril (Temazepam)
❑ Seconal (Secobarbital)
❑ Serax (Oxazepam)
❑ Trancopal (Chlormezanone)
❑ Tranxene (Chlorazepate)
❑ Tylenol/Advil PM (Diphenhydramine)
❑ Unisom (Doxylamine)
❑ Valium (Diazepam)
❑ Xanax (Alpraxolam)
Psychiatric
❑ Adderall (Amphetamine)
❑ Biphetamine (Dextroamphetamine)
❑ Cylert (Pemoline)
❑ Desoxym (Methamphetamine)
❑ Didrex (Benzphetamine)
❑ Miltown/Equanil (Meprobamate)
❑ Pondimin (Fenfluramin)
❑ Ritalin (Methylphenidate)
Other
❑ Acutrim/Dexatrim (Phenylpropanolamine)
❑ Adipex/Lonamin/Fastin (Phentermine)
❑ Marinol (Dronabinol) (THC)
❑ No Doz/Vivarin (Caffeine)
❑ Preludin/Bontril (Phendimetrazine)
❑ Primatene Mist/Bronkaid Mist (Epinephrine)
❑ Sanorex (Mazindol)
This list is not exhaustive but a starting place for consideration.