Dangers of mixing alcohol and other drugs

Whether or not it’s safe for you to drink at all will depend upon factors like your age, current Sober living house health, and any medications that you take. Side effects that may occur when heart medicines are consumed with alcohol can include dizziness, a fast heart rate, fainting, drowsiness or a dangerous fall. Some heart or blood pressure medicines may make driving hazardous, especially if you get drowsy or dizzy. It’s important to involve healthcare providers and explore treatment options. It’s crucial to remember that substance misuse affects people of all ages, and older people may be at greater risk of side effects due to the changes in their bodies.

At its worst, the consequences of mixing alcohol and medicines can be fatal. Combining a medicine that acts on the brain with alcohol may make driving a car or operating heavy machinery difficult and lead to a serious accident. Supplements that are marketed as mood enhancers may also interact dangerously with alcohol. Some people have reported blacking out or having seizures after combining alcohol with 5-HTP, a supplement that may improve symptoms of depression. Opioids, benzodiazepines, stimulants, marijuana, and certain prescription medications are particularly dangerous when combined with alcohol. Marijuana is often mistakenly considered harmless when mixed with alcohol, but the combination significantly impairs judgment, coordination, and memory.

The 6 Stages of Mental Health Recovery

When combined with alcohol some OTC medicines can have serious drug interactions, too. However, do not stop using any medications without first talking to your doctor. Alcohol can interact with certain drugs or exacerbate the medical and mental health conditions you’re being treated for. They can provide personalized guidance based on your specific medications and health status. Many individuals who use sleeping pills — both legitimately and recreationally — mix alcohol with the medications.

Public Health

If someone you know has mixed sleeping pills and alcohol and is showing signs of overdose (such as difficulty breathing or loss of consciousness), call 911 immediately. Stay with them until help arrives, keep them awake if possible, and provide any information you have about what they took. Benzodiazepines are a class of drugs that work by enhancing the effects of a neurotransmitter called GABA, which helps to calm the brain and promote relaxation.

Drinking alcohol while using other drugs‎

Poly-drug use is dangerous because different drugs act on our bodies in different ways. For example, the more alcohol in the body, the less heroin needed to cause an overdose. Mixing alcohol and drugs (prescription or otherwise) comes with a host of risks and dangers.

Diabetes Medications

This can increase the risk of reckless and dangerous behavior when a person mixes energy drinks and alcohol. One study on mice suggested that repeated exposure to alcoholic energy drinks at a young age could increase the risk for substance abuse later in life. Combining alcohol with some illicit drugs can cause long-term organ damage, and mixing alcohol with certain prescription pills can make a person stop breathing. Even some over-the-counter supplements can cause major health problems when mixed with alcohol.

These medications are usually taken as needed, and can help provide short-term relief from difficulty sleeping. The combination of popular prescription cholesterol drugs (statins) and over-the-counter niacin (a type of B vitamin that lowers cholesterol) can increase the risk of muscle pain and damage. Stimulants such as Ritalin, Adderall, meth, speed and cocaine mask the effects of alcohol, which can cause users to drink more than they intended. This can lead to increased blood pressure and tension as well as overdose when alcohol and cocaine are mixed.

Blood pressure medicine and alcohol consumption is an interaction that should always be reviewed with a pharmacist, although some blood pressure meds and alcohol are safe to combine in moderation. Alcohol Sober living house and blood pressure medicine drug interactions may be taken for granted leading to hypotension (low blood pressure) in some cases. Use of prescription and non-prescription drugs, as well as herbal remedies, also is extremely prevalent.

What causes an overdose when mixing alcohol and drugs?

Community harm reduction strategies aim to create supportive environments that promote all community members’ safety, health, and well-being. These strategies recognize that collective efforts can significantly impact reducing harm. One common community harm reduction strategy is the establishment of harm reduction centers or clinics. Even if the two substances together do not cause intense sedation and respiratory distress, they have the potential to alter your coordination. If you become confused and disoriented and you walk while impaired, you could fall, trip, or experience some other kind of accident that could lead to cuts, bruises, or broken bones. The National Alliance on Mental Illness suggests that all people who take antidepressants avoid alcohol, but the organization reports that some people are reluctant to give up drinking.

It can make it hard to breathe, which can damage your brain and other organs. Combining alcohol with medications used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure) can cause dizziness, fainting, drowsiness, and arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat). If you take medications for arthritis, it is important to know that mixing them with alcohol can increase your risk for stomach ulcers and bleeding in the stomach, as well as liver problems.

• When these drugs are used together, even in miniscule doses, it can lead to adverse symptoms that include dizziness, confusion, and fainting.
• Combining opioids like oxycodone, fentanyl, or heroin with alcohol significantly increases the risk of respiratory depression, where breathing slows or stops entirely.
• In many cases, the individual takes an opiate painkiller to manage pain from an accident or injury and finds greater relief (and even a sense of euphoria) when supplementing with alcohol.
• Few people even consider them drugs, yet together they are responsible for thousands of preventable deaths each year.
• This creates a vicious cycle of substance abuse as anxiety and depression are often a precursor to sleeping problems and substance use disorders.

Z-drugs quiet activity in the brain, allowing individuals to fall sleep more easily. Benzodiazepines, such as Restoril, are also sometimes prescribed to treat insomnia. According to American Sleep Association, 50 to 70 million American adults have a sleep disorder. Nearly 30 percent experience short-term insomnia and 10 percent struggle with chronic insomnia. When combined with alcohol, medications for attention and concentration disorders can make a person dizzy and sleepy.

Medical Detox and Withdrawal Management

Alcohol can also make extended-release opioids release their entire dose at once, a phenomenon called dose dumping, according to a 2014 article published in Postgraduate Medicine. Ecstasy, also known as MDMA, can conceal the effects of alcohol when individuals consume both drugs. Another small study published in Psychopharmacology analyzed driving performance and found similar results in individuals who combined the drugs.

Kellie Charles was a previous Board Member of the Australasian Society of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists and Toxicologists. Mixing stimulants like cocaine, Adderall, or methamphetamine with alcohol creates a conflicting effect, as stimulants increase energy while alcohol slows the CNS. Our programs offer diverse types of therapy, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to allow clients to modify negative thoughts and behaviors. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) assists clients in managing their emotions and tolerating distress. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) provokes psychological flexibility and allows clients to participate in value-based actions towards recovery.