The Dangers of Mixing Drugs and Alcohol

Addictions to alcohol or prescription drugs are often dangerous on their own. However, when drugs and alcohol are mixed, the lethal consequences increase severely. On their own, an alcohol addiction or a prescription drug addiction can be dangerous. For those who choose to mix alcohol with prescription drugs, the risk of lethal consequences increases exponentially.

Mixing alcohol and prescription drugs is never safe; the combination is risky and can quickly turn lethal. Depending on the type of prescription drug that is mixed with alcohol, you can experience a variety of side effects as your body works to process the combination.

However, even though it is well known that mixing drugs and alcohol is dangerous, a recent study by shows that 60 percent of those who regularly use prescription drugs also drink alcohol. And further, about 5 percent of those have at least three drinks at a time. (Brown University)

According to residentialtreatmentcenter.com, when drugs and alcohol are mixed, regardless of one’s level of addiction to either or both, certain things can happen including:

“Internal bleeding: Many prescription drugs, primarily narcotic painkillers, can cause internal bleeding within the stomach and other gastrointestinal organs. Should you misuse narcotics and consume alcohol simultaneously, you can make this internal bleeding much worse, to a point where the blood is unable to clot.

Organ failure: Organ failure is a risk for individuals who abuse prescription drugs and/or have an alcohol addiction because organs such the liver and kidneys are unable to process the amount of substances going into the body. If you abuse even one of these substances, organ failure is a concern. If you abuse alcohol and prescription drugs simultaneously, however, your odds of suffering this life-threatening side effect are more likely in a shorter period of time.

Respiratory depression: Alcohol is a depressant, meaning that it slows down your system and its functions. When you abuse alcohol and prescription drugs that are also depressants (such as Klonopin, Xanax, or Ativan), you put your body at risk for experiencing an excess of depressive symptoms that can cause your breathing to slow down to dangerous levels. This can cause suffocation, as well as death.

Cardiac complications: Both alcohol and prescription drugs affect your heart, especially if you abuse them at the same time. Depending on the types of prescription drugs that you take, you can send mixed signals to your heart that can cause it to malfunction. This can lead to blood clots, heart attacks, and other side effects that can threaten your life.”

When mixing drugs and alcohol the results are always unpredictable and one’s life is put at risk. The result can be life lasting permanent effects on not only the user, but also others who care about that person.