Many alcoholic people take other drugs to get rid of that bad habit. But when alcohol and depressants mix, something worse happens. How does it happen? What are the causes? Follow this article to acknowledge yourself. What can happen by mixing alcohol and other depressants cause?
In the US, consuming alcohol in moderation is permitted for those older than 21. Around the nation, millions of individuals enjoy drinking with meals or socially with friends. Millions of people battle alcohol use disorders, binge or heavy drinking.
Additionally, although it is legal for adults in America to consume alcohol, many people abuse it. Some combine it with illegal, prescription, or over-the-counter substances. It is a risky practice because alcohol can intensify the effects of other medicines, especially those that depress the central nervous system (CNS). Overdose and poisoning risks are both increased by this.
When used with other depressants like opioids, benzodiazepines, and sleep aids, alcohol, a depressant, can be harmful. Combining depressants can raise the risk of alcohol poisoning and drug overdose, which have lethal consequences.
Furthermore, alcohol is a member of the depressive drug family. It indicates that it reduces central nervous system activity. Alcohol can synergistically impact other prescription, illegal, or over-the-counter depressants that can be harmful. However, alcohol consumption while also using other depressants may indicate drug abuse or addiction, for which substance abuse therapy is strongly advised.
The article will cover, what is alcohol, what are depressants, what can happen by mixing alcohol and other depressants cause, why is it harmful to combine alcohol with antidepressants, what are the effects of depressants on the central nervous system, how do depressants work, advice for the use of prescription drugs.
Table of Contents
What is alcohol?
Additionally, any member of the class of chemical compounds known as alcohols has one or more hydroxyl (OH) groups linked to an alkyl group’s carbon atom (hydrocarbon chain). It can be thought of as drinks as an organic version of water (H2O) in which an alkyl group, commonly symbolized by R in organic structures, has taken the place of one of the hydrogen atoms. For instance, the ethyl group, or CH2CH3, is the alkyl group in ethanol (also known as ethyl alcohol).
Furthermore, one of the most prevalent chemical molecules is alcohol. They are among the most widely produced organic chemicals in the industry. They are used as sweeteners and in creating perfumes and essential synthesis intermediates for other molecules. The two most well-known alcohols are likely ethanol and methanol (or methyl alcohol). In addition to sterilizing medical equipment, ethanol is utilized in fuels, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals.
Additionally, it is the alcohol in alcoholic drinks. Ethanol is also used to make anesthetic ether. Methanol has several uses, including as a solvent, a raw ingredient for producing formaldehyde and special resins, a component of antifreeze, and a cleaner for metals.
Furthermore, according to the degree of bonding between the hydroxyl group and the carbon of the alkyl group, alcohols can be categorized as primary, secondary, or tertiary. At room temperature, the majority of drinks are colorless liquids or solids. However, high water solubility is a property of low molecular weight alcohols; as molecular weight increases, so do their boiling temperatures, vapor pressures, densities, and viscosities.
Additionally, this page discusses alcohol’s composition, categorization, physical characteristics, economic significance, sources, and responses. See chemical compounds, phenol, and ether for further details on substances that are chemically related to one another.
What are depressants?
In medicine, depression is a chemical or other substance that reduces the activity of the body’s essential organs. General anesthetics, opiates, alcohol, and hypnotics are all central nervous system depressants. Ataractics, or sedatives, relieve tension by acting mainly on the lower layers of the brain; they do this without impairing mental clarity.
These medications, also called “downers,” are available as liquid or colored pills and capsules. As they are intended to lessen the symptoms of mental illness, some medications in this class, including Zyprexa, Seroquel, and Haldol, are referred to as “major tranquilizers” or “antipsychotics.” Therefore, Xanax, Klonopin, Halcion, and Librium are depressants frequently referred to as “benzos” (short for benzodiazepines1).
Barbiturates, used as sedatives and sleeping aids, include other depressants, including Seconal, Amytal, and Nembutal. Here you can find some well-known brands and street names.
Quick results of depressants
- Sluggish brain activity
- Slowed breathing and pulse
- Reduction in blood pressure
- Inadequate focus
- Confusion
- Fatigue2
- Dizziness
- Speech slurred Fever
- Sluggishness
- Visual alterations
- Dilated eyes
- Incoordination and disorientation
- Depression
- Incapacity or difficulty urinating
- Addiction
Higher doses can lead to suicidal thoughts, paranoia3, impatience, memory loss, judgment, and coordination. A few people have the opposite result from what was intended, like agitation or hostility. However, combining sedatives and tranquilizers with other medications, especially alcohol, can cause breathing and heart rates to slow down to the point of death.
Long-term impacts of depressants
Many depressants can quickly cause tolerance, requiring higher doses to have the same effect. To achieve the desired high, the user may increase the amount to the point of coma or overdose death. Furthermore, depressants can cause depression, chronic exhaustion, respiratory issues, sexual issues, and sleep issues when used over an extended period.
Furthermore, if the user cannot obtain more of the drug, cravings, anxiety, or panic are frequent as the dependency on it grows. Nausea, fatigue, and sleeplessness are withdrawal symptoms. Agitation, a high body temperature, delirium, hallucinations, and convulsions can happen for frequent and high-dose users. However, depressant withdrawal can be fatal, unlike most drug withdrawals.
Furthermore, these medications can raise the risk of diabetes, high blood sugar, and weight gain (up to 100 pounds have been reported), according to a report by USA Today, based on data from the Food and Drug Administration collected over four years, antipsychotics, a class of depressants, where the main suspect in 45 cases of heart disease, choking, liver failure, and suicide.
What can happen by mixing alcohol and other depressants cause?
When used with other depressants like opioids, benzodiazepines, and sleep aids, alcohol, a depressant, can be harmful. Combining depressants can raise the risk of alcohol poisoning and drug overdose, which have lethal consequences. Alcohol is a member of the depressive drug family. It indicates that it reduces central nervous system activity.
Furthermore, alcohol can synergistically impact other prescription, illegal, or over-the-counter depressants that can be harmful. Alcohol consumption while also using other depressants may indicate drug abuse or addiction, for which substance abuse therapy is strongly advised.
What happens when alcohol and depressants are mixed?
Similar to other depressants, alcohol slows down activity in the brain and spinal cord, which can affect a person’s heart rate, respiration, and level of alertness. When combined, alcohol and depressants can have compounding effects that can hasten the onset of intoxication and seriously impair respiratory and cardiac function.
Risks associated with alcohol and antidepressants
It can be harmful to consume alcohol when using depressants, especially when these medications are abused.
The following are the main risks of combining alcohol and depressants:
- Respiratory depression
- Alcohol poisoning
- Faster intoxication
- Convulsions
- Coma
- Shallow blood pressure
- Death
Combining alcohol with other legal or illegal depressants can raise the danger of overdosing, which can be lethal if left untreated in extreme situations.
Opioids and alcohol combination
Opioids are a class of potent medications that include heroin and pharmaceutical opioids. It can be harmful and even fatal to combine alcohol and painkillers.
Alcohol and opioids taken together may result in the following:
- Sluggish
- Irregular breathing
- breathing problems
- Being unresponsive
- Dizziness
- Nauseous and dizziness
- Death, weak pulse seizures
Consult your doctor about the safety of consuming alcohol while taking a prescription painkiller before taking it.
Alcohol and benzodiazepines combination
Prescription medications known as benzodiazepines are frequently used in the short term to treat anxiety, panic attacks, sleeplessness, and seizures.
Among the popular benzodiazepines are:
- Xanax (alprazolam)
- Ativan (lorazepam)
- Klonopin (clonazepam)
- Valium (diazepam)
- Librium (chlordiazepoxide)
- Halcion (triazolam)
It can be dangerous to consume alcohol while using benzodiazepines. It may intensify the effects of both medicines, resulting in slow breathing, blackouts, poor balance, and dizziness.
Alcohol with barbiturates combination
Additionally, barbiturates are an older group of sedatives frequently administered in the 20th century for seizures and sleeplessness. Benzodiazepines have mainly superseded the usage of these drugs. Moreover, barbiturates and alcohol can interact toxically. These factors can potentially overwhelm the body’s central nervous system, resulting in severe and possibly lethal intoxication.
Alcohol and other depressants combination
When combined with other depressants like Ambien, gabapentin (Neurontin), and over-the-counter sleep aids, alcohol can be harmful.
Alcohol and these additional depressants combined may result in the following:
- Unusual or careless conduct
- Loss of memory
- Intoxication
- Bad balance
- A lack of cooperation
- Dizziness sedation
- A bad hangover
Speak to your doctor before taking a depressant about the dangers of consuming alcohol while taking a prescription depressant or over-the-counter sleep aid.
Risks associated with alcohol and antidepressants
The body, brain, and behavior can all be significantly impacted by the additive effects of alcohol and other depressants.
The following are the risks of combining alcohol with depressants:
- A greater likelihood of having a car accident and more acute and rapid drunkenness
- Drug addiction results from drug and alcohol abuse.
- Substantial cognitive impairment
- A severe substance use problem
- Drug overdose and alcohol poisoning are more likely to occur in those who abuse alcohol and depressants together.
A severe substance use problem, drug overdose, and alcohol poisoning are all more likely to occur in those who abuse alcohol and depressants together.
Why is it harmful to combine alcohol with antidepressants?
It is advised to avoid consuming alcohol while taking an antidepressant. It can be detrimental, and it might make your symptoms worse. If you combine antidepressants:
- You may feel more depressed or anxious
- Side effects may be worse if you also take another medication
- You may be at risk of a dangerous reaction if you take MAOIs
- It may impair your thinking and alertness
- You may become sedated or feel drowsy
- You may have trouble sleeping
- You may be at risk of alcohol abuse
You may feel more depressed or anxious
Drinking can negate the therapeutic effects of your antidepressant, making the management of your symptoms more challenging. Alcohol may appear to lift your spirits momentarily, but ultimately, it worsens the signs of anxiety and depression.
Side effects may be worse if you also take another medication
Many medications, including anti-anxiety drugs, sleep aids, and prescription painkillers, can have adverse side effects when used with alcohol. If you consume alcohol while taking one of these medications combined with an antidepressant, the side effects could worsen.
You may be at risk of a dangerous reaction if you take MAOIs
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), a class of antidepressants, can raise blood pressure dangerously when consumed with some alcoholic beverages and foods. Know what foods and drinks are safe to drink while taking an MAOI and which alcoholic beverages are most likely to have an adverse effect.
It may impair your thinking and alertness
Your judgment, coordination, motor abilities, and response time will be more negatively impacted by antidepressants and alcohol than alcohol alone. Certain combinations might put you to sleep. It may affect your ability to drive or perform other tasks requiring concentration and focus.
You may become sedated or feel drowsy
Alcohol and several medications contribute to sedation and sleepiness. The combined effect may be amplified when combined.
Just so you can drink, don’t stop taking your antidepressant or other prescription. To keep a stable level in your system and function as intended, the majority of antidepressants require taking a consistent daily dose. Your depression might worsen if you suddenly stop and start taking your meds.
Ask your doctor, even though it’s typically advised not to drink if you’re depressed in case of depression.
You may have trouble sleeping
Addiction and substance misuse are more likely to affect those who are depressed. Before your depression gets better, you might require therapy for alcohol dependence if you struggle with self-control.
You may be at risk of alcohol abuse
Some depressed people have difficulty falling asleep. Alcohol may make it easier to fall asleep fast, but you tend to wake up more frequently at night. If you’re worried about your drinking, you could find that drug addiction counseling and treatment programs can help you stop abusing alcohol.
Additionally, it could be beneficial to join a support group or a 12-step program like Alcoholics Anonymous. Depending on your circumstances and your risk of alcohol addiction, it might be acceptable to drink occasionally but consult your doctor first.
Tell your doctor about your current drugs, including prescription and over-the-counter ones, and any additional medical conditions you may be experiencing. Communicating with your doctor is crucial because
- Alcohol may be present in several liquid treatments, such as cough syrups.
- As you age, your body processes medication differently, so you might need to change the number of drugs you take.
- The level of one medicine in your body and how it responds to alcohol may alter if you take a different medication.
What are the effects of depressants on the central nervous system?
Barbiturates and benzodiazepines are the two most prevalent categories of CNS depressants. They could make you feel sleepy. These CNS depressants and other hypnotics aid in sleep for their users. They are recommended to address sleeplessness, and tranquilizers ease anxiety or reduce muscular spasms.
- Benzodiazepines
- Barbiturates
- Ethyl alcohol
Benzodiazepines
When used as directed for brief periods, benzodiazepines, a CNS depressant once commonly recommended for specific medical ailments, successfully cure anxiety or sleep disturbances and relax muscles. They were created in the 1950s, and by the 1960s and early 1970s, their use had significantly risen.
Additionally, they are not used as frequently as other medications to treat comparable diseases because of the substantial risk of addiction. It’s critical only to use benzodiazepines as directed by a physician. When used with opioids, they become riskier even. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, benzodiazepines played a role in 16% of opioid overdose deaths in 2019 as well.
Barbiturates
Furthermore, a class of CNS depressants known as “downers” barbiturates. These medications are available in liquid form, multicolored tablets, and capsules and can be used in short doses to treat seizures, anxiety, and sleep problems. However, these CNS depressants affect the nervous system, resulting in sensations of pleasure and relaxation.
Additionally, they were first given in the early 1900s, gained popularity in the 1960s and 1970s, and eventually developed into a recreational substance used to cure undesirable side effects of illicit drug usage and lower inhibitions and anxiety. Historically, barbiturates were regarded as a secure depressant. However, they are no longer commonly used to treat mental disorders and sleep issues because of the substantial risk of addiction and overdose.
Ethyl alcohol
One of the world’s first and most often used artificial compounds is ethanol, also called “alcohol.” In alcoholic beverages, as a solvent and in other compounds, alcohol is used. There is proof that beer production began 12,000 years ago. Alcohol is very addicting, alters a person’s inhibitions, makes them tired, and lowers their stress levels. However, despite being legal, there are some risks and dangers involved.
Furthermore, one is binge drinking, a risky habit many young adults engage in. It is defined as a pattern of alcohol intake that results in a blood alcohol content of 0.08% or more, remarkable to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).
Most CNS depressants boost brain activity, inhibiting chemical gamma-aminobutyric acid’s (GABA) action. When used to treat anxiety and sleep issues, CNS depressants are beneficial because of the tired and soothing effects they induce.
People who use CNS depressants experience temporary loss of coordination and sleepiness while their bodies adjust to the adverse effects. Depressant use has additional side effects, such as:
- Inadequate focus
- Speech slur Headache
- Confusion
- Sluggish brain activity
- Lightheadedness
- Dizziness
- Breathing problems
- Mouth ache
- Reduction in blood pressure
How do depressants work?
Increasing the activity of the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid is how many CNS depressants function (GABA). GABA transmits information from one cell to another, just like other neurotransmitters. GABA activity is increased, which lowers brain activity and has a calming effect. It is why taking depressants may make you feel sleepy. In addition to making people feel sleepy or tired, depressants frequently cause the following side effects:
- Reduction in blood pressure
- Bewilderment or disorientation
- Dizziness
- A lack of cooperation
- No memory
- Breathing and heart rate decline
- Unsteady speech
Anyone exhibiting the signs above and the symptoms needs to see a doctor. Severe symptoms may cause severe respiratory problems, overdose, or even death in rare circumstances.
Advice for the use of prescription drugs
Additionally, people will often manage anxiety with depressants or another medicine when faced with high-stress situations, whether personal, like divorce or financial difficulties, or social, like the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the best people to turn to are primary care doctors familiar with a patient’s medical background. However, they can seek guidance from reputable organizations like the NIAAA, NIDA, and the U.S., thus, food and drug administration for informational and instructional purposes.
Furthermore, at La Hacienda Treatment Center, those with drug and alcohol addictions can receive life-altering treatment. La Hacienda, a renowned facility for the treatment of drug and alcohol addiction, is situated in the picturesque Texas Hill Country on a 40-acre property. However, it serves as a healing environment for clients who enter the grounds.
Moreover, La Hacienda is much more than just a place to abstain from harmful substances like alcohol and drugs. Staff and management agree that spiritual experiences play a significant role in substance misuse therapy. Therefore, they employ the medical and therapeutic techniques required to overcome physical, psychological, cognitive, and behavioral issues.
Furthermore, at La Hacienda Treatment Center, patients are always given priority and are the subject of specialized, one-on-one care. Hence, La Hacienda has received the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for Behavioral Health Care.
- Opiates
- Cannabis
- Hypnotics
- Sedatives
Opiates
When appropriately used to treat moderate to severe pain, opiates are very effective medicines. They attach to opioid receptors on central nervous system nerve cells, preventing the brain from receiving pain signals.
Cannabis
The legalization of cannabis is a topic of tremendous widespread interest. But how much do you understand the narcotic known as cannabis or pot?
Hypnotics
Sleeping pills, often known as hypnotic or soporific medications, are a group of psychoactive substances mainly used to treat insomnia or as an anesthetic before surgery.
Sedatives
Central nervous system depressants are sedatives, which include barbiturates, benzodiazepines, opioids, and sleep-inducing medications. These medicines are widely used for their therapeutic benefits, but misuse can lead to dependence and addiction.
Conclusion
Always follow the directions on your prescription if you are taking depressants for a medical issue. By doing this, it can reduce the risk of reliance. But if you use depressants for a long time, dependence could develop even if you take your prescription as directed. Always consult your healthcare professional before stopping a drug from reducing the possibility of adverse withdrawal effects.
Furthermore, alcohol is a hypnotic sedative, and when consumed in excess, it suppresses important body activities. It is generally not advised to combine alcohol and antidepressants for several reasons. While drinking can aggravate the adverse effects of antidepressants, so can some drugs. In some circumstances, alcohol usage among those at risk might bring on or exacerbate depressive symptoms. But is refraining from alcohol entirely the only choice for those taking antidepressants, and is it always wrong to combine alcohol with antidepressants? Hence, they will discuss the effects of mixing alcohol and antidepressants in the following article.
