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The Effects of Mixing Alcohol & Drugs

Alcohol is commonly used and abused with over-the-counter medications, prescription medications, and illicit drugs. When taken with over-the-counter drugs and prescription medications, alcohol can reduce the effectiveness of these medications and lead to significant interaction effects that can be potentially dangerous. When mixing alcohol with illicit drugs, the effects will vary depending on the major action of the drug. The effect alcohol has on drugs will vary depending on the type or class of drugs alcohol is taken in conjunction with.  A brief description of the general effects that result when one mixes alcohol with various classes of drugs follows.
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Using Alcohol in Conjunction with Antidepressant Drugs

Antidepressant drugs are medications that are specifically developed to treat clinical depression. These drugs belong to several different classes of drugs, and the use of alcohol has a differential effect on the drug depending on the class of drugs. One of the most common reasons for using alcohol in conjunction with antidepressant drugs is to achieve some sort of enhanced psychoactive effects from the drug itself; however, these drugs do not produce feelings of elation or euphoria in most people.

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The Use of Alcohol with Medications to Control High Blood Pressure

Medications designed to control high blood pressure are referred to as antihypertensive medications. There are numerous drugs on the market that are prescribed for the control of high blood pressure, including Lopressor (HCT hydrochlorothiazide), Norvasc (amlodipine besylate), and Accupril (quinapril).

When an individual mixes alcohol with antihypertensive medications, they may experience:

  • Increased high blood pressure due to the antihypertensive medication being less effective when taken with alcohol
  • Other cardiovascular issues, such as an irregular heartbeat
  • Dizziness and even fainting spells

Alcohol Use and Medications to Control Diabetes

There are numerous prescription medications that are used to control diabetes, including insulin for type I diabetes and Glucophage (metformin) to control issues associated with type II diabetes. When an individual with diabetes drinks alcohol, this alone can result in a potentially serious situation due to the high sugar content of many alcoholic beverages.

The effect of alcohol on medications to control diabetes can include:

  • Serious issues with rapid heartbeat and increased blood pressure
  • Fatigue, weakness, dizziness, headache, nausea, and/or vomiting
  • Dangerous alterations in blood sugar levels

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Alcohol Use and Central Nervous System Depressant Drugs

The central nervous system (CNS) consists of the brain and spinal cord. Numerous prescription medications, over-the-counter medications, and illicit drugs have CNS depressant effects. The CNS depressant slows the functioning of the brain and spinal cord. Alcohol itself is a major CNS depressant.

Numerous effects can occur when one mixes CNS depressants. The danger associated with mixing CNS depressants is that the effects of both drugs are enhanced. This can result in an increased potential for overdose on either drug, dangerously reduced functioning in areas of the brain that control life-sustaining functions like breathing and heart rate (which can lead to potential organ damage or fatalities), significantly decreased judgment, and substantial issues with motor functioning, including response time, motor coordination, etc.

Alcohol and CNS Stimulants

While alcohol suppresses the functions of the CNS, there are numerous drugs that speed up CNS functions.

When individuals use alcohol with CNS stimulants, they typically are attempting to deaden the effect of the stimulant as opposed to suppressing the effects of the alcohol. The use of alcohol and stimulants is a very common practice among college students who abuse medications designed to treat ADHD in an effort to help them study. Individuals who use illicit stimulant drugs, such as cocaine, commonly use alcohol to “take the edge off” the stimulant drug.

Mixing alcohol and caffeine is typically not problematic unless one uses extreme amounts of both drugs. Individuals who drink several cups of coffee after using alcohol may experience nausea, jitteriness, sweating, etc.; however, in most instances, this is not going to be a serious issue.

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Mixing Alcohol and Anticonvulsant Drugs

Anticonvulsant drugs include several classes of drugs that are prescribed to control seizure activity or as mood stabilizers. In some cases, benzodiazepines and even barbiturates may be prescribed for seizure control; however, the effects of alcohol with these two classes of drugs will be explained below. Instead, antiepileptic drugs that are not benzodiazepines and barbiturates include drugs like Topamax (topiramate), Neurontin (gabapentin), Lamictal (lamotrigine), and Tegretol (carbamazepine).  Drinking alcohol while taking these drugs can result in:

  • A decrease in the drug’s ability to control seizure activity, resulting in an increased risk that one will have seizures
  • Generalize effects that can include dizziness, lethargy, and issues with motor functioning, including coordination and reaction time
  • Increases in depression and suicidality

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The Development of a Substance Use Disorder and Issues with Polysubstance Abuse

Polysubstance abuse can be particularly complicated to treat for numerous reasons. Clinicians may unintentionally miss or overlook one’s use of alcohol in favor of concentrating on one’s use of some other drug, such as opiates, stimulants, etc.

Because individuals in treatment for an alcohol use disorder who have issues with polysubstance abuse need to have all of their issues addressed at the same time, whenever treatment is focused on only one substance of abuse, the treatment outcome will not be successful. Thus, it is essential that all of the issues that occur as a result of an individual’s use of multiple substances be identified and treated.

Moreover, as can be gleaned from the information above, chronic polysubstance abuse issues often result in significant issues with emotional, cognitive, and physical functioning compared to the abuse of alcohol alone.