Can You Drink Hydrogen Peroxide?

Many people have questions about how to take hydrogen peroxide, such as:
 
  • Can you drink it?
  • Can it be used in an enema?
  • Can it be given intravenously (through an IV)?
     
According to Dr. Steven Galson of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), "No one has presented any evidence that hydrogen peroxide taken internally has any medical value." Thus, taking hydrogen peroxide internally (such as by drinking it) is not only considered ineffective -- it can put you at risk of serious side effects, such as:
 
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Burns in the mouth, throat, esophagus, and stomach
  • Inflammation of the intestines
  • Bleeding in the stomach
  • Stomach ulcer
  • Rupture of the colon.
     
(Click Food Grade Hydrogen Peroxide to learn more about why you should not drink hydrogen peroxide.)
 
Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD
 
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