Mixing Prescription Drugs and Alcohol
Mixing Prescription Drugs and Alcohol
Most prescriptions come with warnings against mixing with other substances, yet mixing prescription drugs and alcohol remains a common practice.
These prescription drugs can come in many different forms.
Opioid painkillers, benzodiazepine depressants, and amphetamine stimulants are some of the most common.
When combined with the effects of alcohol, many prescription drugs may become deadly.
If you or someone you love is mixing prescription drugs and alcohol, it is time to reach out for help.
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Common Combinations of Prescription Drugs and Alcohol
The powerful opioid painkiller Percocet is one prescription drug that is often mixed with alcohol.
The benzodiazepine Xanax is also often involved when mixing prescription drugs and alcohol.
Xanax is used to treat anxiety and panic disorders.
Both Xanax and alcohol are central nervous system depressants.
Taking them together may amplify their effects, but it will also increase the likelihood of an overdose.
The combination of Xanax and alcohol is unsafe at any dose.
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Why Some People Mix Prescription Drugs and Alcohol
Prescription medications serve a wide range of purposes when they are used appropriately. Some prescriptions relieve pain after an intensive surgery or injury, others ease anxiety, and others still help you maintain focus and control. Prescription drugs serve a variety of additional uses, as well. When they are used as directed, they may help manage a variety of mental and physical health issues and disorders. But many of them also have a high potential for abuse and addiction.
For this reason, and many others, nonmedical use of prescription drugs is extremely common. Misusing prescription drugs is dangerous, and it becomes even more dangerous when you mix them with other drugs or alcohol. Many prescription medications offer potent but short-lasting effects. Many addicts will drink alcohol with their prescription medications to intensify or prolong these effects. Doing this can lead you to develop a dependence and become addicted to both substances. It can also lead to a wide variety of health impairments, coma, respiratory depression, and even death.
Short-Term Side Effects of Mixing Prescription Drugs and Alcohol
Because prescription drugs come with a variety of side effects on their own, it can be difficult to identify the ones that you will experience without additional information. The prescription drug that you are misusing, frequency of abuse, quantities, and other individual factors can all alter your experience. But some of the most common side effects of prescription drugs include drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, and dizziness, among others. These are often shorter-term side effects and they are typically uncomfortable or mildly painful rather than dangerous. Over time or in higher doses, more dangerous and persistent side effects become more common.
Long-Term Side Effects of Mixing Prescription Drugs and Alcohol
In addition to persistent short-term impairments, mixing prescription drugs and alcohol generally leads to more dangerous long-term side effects. These long-term side effects often include heart problems and organ damage, as well as respiratory depression. Side effects vary from prescription medication to prescription medication. It is important to take them as prescribed and not mix them with other substances unless instructed to by a medical professional. These side effects are often exacerbated when alcohol is added to the mix.
It can worsen them, change the ways that your body reacts to the drugs, and add its own negative impacts. Combining certain prescription drugs and alcohol can be very dangerous and life-threatening, creating a potentially deadly reaction. But prescription drugs and alcohol is not the only deadly combination that we see more often than we should. Mixing prescription drugs can also have fatal consequences. More than 30% of overdoses involving opioids also involve benzodiazepines. If you are mixing prescription drugs with other drugs or alcohol, call us today. Help is available.
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Addiction Treatment Options
Co-occurring disorders, like prescription drug addiction and alcoholism, require a well-rounded and dedicated approach. This is exactly what we offer at Resurgence Behavioral Health. Many times, addictions like these co-exist with underlying mental health disorders. This combination is called a dual diagnosis, and we can help with this, as well. If you have a severe addiction, multiple addictions, overwhelming withdrawal symptoms or drug cravings, or additional complications, we will likely recommend that you start with an inpatient or residential care program. This type of program offers the highest levels of support, with 24-hour access to our team’s care and guidance.
An inpatient stay comes with a carefully crafted schedule that offers a unique balance of proven treatment methods, creative therapies, holistic remedies, recreational activities, and healthy meals. Inpatient programs eliminate distractions and temptations so that you can remain focused on your recovery. From there, many clients will move on to a partial hospitalization or intensive outpatient program to receive addiction treatments with additional flexibility. But some clients may also start here. We will work with you to choose which program will best suit your unique addiction and needs. There are no one-size-fits-all solutions in addiction recovery.
Proven Treatment Methods and Holistic Remedies
Our goal is to provide customized and effective addiction care to each client we meet. We achieve this goal through a combination of different care methods that serve different purposes. Proven treatment methods like therapy sessions and support groups help you identify and redesign damaging thought patterns and behaviors. Group therapy sessions and support group meetings help you work on building sober social networks. Life skills and relapse training will help you maintain your sobriety after your treatment is through. But beyond these proven treatment methods, creative therapies and holistic remedies can be incredibly beneficial, too.
Art and music therapy give you healthy outlets to express yourself. They boost self-esteem, reduce stress, and provide you with productive activities to focus on. Beach trips, yoga and meditation sessions, and fitness classes all help you meet the needs of your body, as well as your mind. A balanced addiction care program is an effective care program. Our customized and carefully crafted addiction care programs can help you find the peace and balance you need to achieve long-term sobriety. When you are ready to work toward a better life, we are ready to help and to walk alongside you on your recovery journey.
Paying for Addiction Treatments
The cost of any addiction care program may vary depending on several critical details. The type of detox, type of program, length of stay, and other individual factors can all alter the costs. But costs should not prevent you from getting the care that you need and deserve. And paying for addiction care treatments is easier than it has ever been before. If you have health insurance, please call our admissions counselor for a complimentary insurance verification. Most health insurance providers offer coverage for these types of programs, and we work with most major health insurance providers to make this process easier. If you do not have health insurance or your coverage falls short, please ask about our alternative payment options.
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Choosing Resurgence Behavioral Health
With convenient locations, customized programs, and dedicated teams, we offer a level of care unlike any other.
Thousands of individuals and families have already trusted us to help them improve their lives.
Now it is your turn.
Call us today for more information.
Help is waiting at Resurgence Behavioral Health.
