Why Mixing Prescription Drugs with Alcohol Is Dangerous

All too often, we hear about actors, musicians, and other celebrities in the news and tabloids succumbing to overdose due to mixing prescription drugs with alcohol. To name a few, rapper Mac Miller, professional wrestler Chyna, professional ice hockey player Derek Boogaard, and musician Jimmy Hendrix all died due to overdosing on prescription drugs mixed with alcohol (also known as polysubstance use).

However, this type of tragedy affects not only the wealthy and the well-known. Thousands of individuals meet their unfortunate demise every year due to this deadly combination of substances. How many people overdose each year due to mixing prescription drugs with alcohol? Although there is no definitive answer to this question, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “in 2019, nearly half of drug overdose deaths involved multiple drugs.” They also estimate that “the number of American lives lost to drugs every day” equals over 250 people.

You do not want to be part of this statistic. Polysubstance use is a dangerous form of substance use disorder (SUD) that shortens your lifespan. The draw of it, achieving a greater high, is not worth the consequences that come with it. If you or a loved one suffer from addiction and are at risk of polysubstance use, be well aware of the dangers that lie ahead.

The Dangers of Mixing Alcohol With Prescription Drugs

The dangers of mixing alcohol with prescription drugs greatly outweigh the narrow, short-term benefits you otherwise receive from it. Polysubstance use promotes both “adverse short-term and long-term health problems,” according to the American Addiction Centers for Drug Abuse. The combination can even be potentially fatal.

Side-effects of polysubstance use depend on which substances you choose to mix. Prescription drugs popular to use in combination with alcohol include prescription opioids, benzodiazepines, and stimulants. From an ebook published by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) discussing harmful interactions of mixing alcohol with medicines, a list includes “commonly used medicines (both prescriptions and over-the-counter) that interact with alcohol.”

What Are Prescription Drugs?

Prescription drugs cover a broad class of different medications that physicians prescribe you when suffering from certain illnesses. Common prescription drugs included opioids (also known as painkillers), antidepressants, amphetamines (a type of stimulant), antibiotics, antihistamines, and many more.

From helping treat physical pain, varieties of mental health disorders (such as depression or anxiety), allergies or allergic reactions, and more, prescription drugs are widely used in modern society. Even as a staple of prolonging human life more than our ancestors could imagine, prescription drugs are still capable of being abused either by failing to take them in moderation or by mixing them with other substances.

Why would someone consider abusing prescription drugs? Doing so enables the intoxication of the person using. Unfortunately, substance abuse has become an epidemic in the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:

• 70,630 people died from a drug overdose in 2019
• 10.1 million people misused prescription opioids in the past year
• 1.6 million people misused prescription pain relievers for the first time

Mixing Alcohol With Prescription Painkillers

Mixing alcohol with prescription painkillers can lead to overdose and death. From over-the-counter to prescription, painkillers such as acetaminophen, hydrocodone, oxycodone, morphine, and others, may result in the development of any of the following health conditions:

• Upset stomach
• Bleeding from the stomach or ulcers
• Liver damage
• Rapid heartbeat
• Increased risk of overdose

If you are concerned that a loved one is potentially mixing alcohol with painkillers, learn to recognize the symptoms in case they need help or medical treatment. The following symptoms can help indicate whether someone you know has mixed alcohol with painkillers:

• Drowsiness
• Dizziness
• Slow or difficulty breathing
• Impaired motor control
• Lapses in memory

Mixing Alcohol With Antidepressants

If done in large consumption, mixing alcohol with antidepressants can worsen symptoms related to depression. Mixing alcohol with antidepressants can also be dangerous to your physical health. Drinking in moderation and limiting drinking to times opposite when you take your medication lessens the risk of developing health complications due to polysubstance use.

The most common type of antidepressants are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and as described by the National Library of Medicine, antidepressants work by helping “balance chemicals in our brains.” The most commonly prescribed antidepressants include:

• Fluoxetine
• Citalopram
• Sertraline
• Paroxetine
• Escitalopram

Side effects of antidepressants, which can worsen taken alongside alcohol, include:

• Nausea and vomiting
• Weight gain
• Diarrhea
• Sleepiness
• Problems with sexual performance
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Trouble sleeping
• Increase in suicidal thoughts and actions

Mixing any of these antidepressants with alcohol can result in any of the following short-term and long-term health complications:

• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Cardiovascular disease
• Stroke
• Liver damage or failure
• Increased risk of alcohol abuse and addiction
• Fatal toxicity

Mixing Alcohol With Amphetamines (Stimulants)

Physicians prescribe amphetamines when a patient experiences any of the following disorders:

• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Narcolepsy
• Obesity

Prescription amphetamines are used to treat ADHD, narcolepsy, and obesity by controlling egregious symptoms of each. For treating obesity, a combination of medication, calorie diet, and exercise plan is required to lose weight effectively.

Amphetamines are stimulant drugs. Amphetamines have the effect of heightening brain activity. Thus you gain greater alertness and physical ability. For example, common misuse of prescription amphetamines would be using the medication to stay awake for work or study for school.

Commonly prescribed amphetamines include:

• Adderall
• Concerta
• Dexedrine
• Focalin
• Metadate
• Methylin
• Ritalin

Common side effects of any of these medications include:

• Headache
• Difficulty Sleeping
• Decreased appetite
• Dizziness
• Problems with sexual performance
• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhea or constipation
• Weight loss

Mixing alcohol with amphetamines can worsen any of its typical side effects. Other health complications and more severe side effects of mixing alcohol with amphetamines include:

• Increased risk of stroke or heart attack
• High blood pressure
• Circulatory problems
• Liver failure
• Muscle necrosis
• Seizures
• Overdose

Aside from the physical health complications due to mixing alcohol with amphetamines, this type of polysubstance use majorly increases the development of major mental health disorders, such as new or worsening bipolar disorder, anxiety, or depression.

Mixing Alcohol With Antibiotics

A common misconception is that mixing alcohol with antibiotics will reduce the medication’s effectiveness. It does not. Still, though, mixing alcohol with antibiotics is extremely dangerous. The most significant risk that occurs due to combining the two is the increased risk of health complications because of harmful side effects.

What are antibiotics? According to the CDC, “antibiotics are medicines that fight infections caused by bacteria in humans and animals by either killing the bacteria or making it difficult for the bacteria to grow and multiply.” The following is a shortlist of antibiotics that you should not take in conjunction with alcohol:

• Cefoperazone
• Cefotetan
• Doxycycline
• Erythromycin
• Metronidazole
• Tinidazole
• Ketoconazole
• Isoniazid
• Linezolid
• Griseofulvin

Consuming alcohol with any of the previous antibiotics listed can result in serious health complications. Side effects of drinking alcohol alongside any of these antibiotics include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Headache
• Redness of the skin
• Rapid heartbeat
• Stomach ache
• In some cases, liver damage
• In some cases, high blood pressure

If your doctor prescribes you antibiotics, make sure to consult with them about the potential damage mixing alcohol with the medicine can cause.

Mixing Alcohol With Antihistamines

What are antihistamines? Antihistamines refer to medications that help treat minor allergic reactions, such as when you sneeze from ingesting pollen, get itchy from pet dander, or your skin becomes irritated from dust mites.

Prescription antihistamines include:

• Carbinoxamine
• Cyproheptadine
• Desloratadine
• Hydroxyzine

Most antihistamines you can get over-the-counter, such as:

• Eyedrops
• Nasal sprays
• Benadryl
• Claritin
• Zyrtec
• Loratadine

Mixing alcohol with prescription antihistamines is not recommended by doctors and can prove to be dangerous due to the increase in the risk of developing adverse side effects. Common side effects of taking antihistamines include:

• Dry mouth
• Dizziness
• Nausea and vomiting
• Restlessness
• Incontinence
• Blurred vision
• Confusion

Avoid drinking alcohol while using antihistamines as otherwise allergy symptoms could worsen, especially if you already have trouble breathing or other respiratory issues. Additionally, due to the common side effects of drowsiness, confusion, and dizziness of the antihistamine Benadryl, mixing alcohol with it can be dangerous and put you at greater risk of an overdose.

Alcohol Is a Depressant

Discussing the dangerous effects of mixing alcohol with various prescription drugs requires us to talk about the singular effects of alcohol, as it can act as a powerful depressive drug on its own.

Because alcohol is a depressant, your body and brain function slower due to its effect on your central nervous system when ingested. When under the influence of alcohol, specific neurological pathways are blocked from responding to brain activity. The physical impact of this is felt as the impairment of motor control, your vision, hearing, and even your emotional responses. Drinking has a combined effect on all of your senses. It even throws off your stability and your equilibrium.

These changes that alcohol brings about to your body enable you to temporarily feel more relaxed, less anxious, and even gain confidence in social settings. How a person reacts to the effects of alcohol is unique. Also, the effects of alcohol amplify based on how much you consume.

Different Responses in Different Cases

Take, for example, two intoxicated men. Both have had a considerable amount to drink and qualify as drunk. While the first retains a friendly, outgoing demeanor, the second man is quite the opposite—an angry drunk. Both are on par with experiencing the physical effects of intoxication, but they experience its emotional side differently.

That said, mixing alcohol with prescription medication follows the same pattern. The physical effects of alcohol as a depressant, when combined with any of the substances listed above (or even some of those unlisted), remain the same. Polysubstance use is a dangerous game to play that results in permanent damage to both your physical and mental health, the consequence of overdosing, and even potential death.

Real Recovery Sober Living is a treatment facility center for men in the early stages of their recovery from addiction. Our program was founded because we believed men struggling with addiction in Florida were not receiving proper help to get better. We believe a safe and stable environment, as well as community, is pertinent to achieving success in early recovery. Unlike halfway houses in the greater Tampa Bay area, our sober living homes provide a forum for men who struggle with alcohol and other substances to not only work on their recovery but also prepare themselves for life after reintegration into the real world. Long-term sobriety is dependent both on substance abstinence as well as altering your lifestyle. If you are ready to equip yourself with the resources, tools, and expertise to fight addiction, do not hesitate to reach out. Do not let addiction dictate the rest of your life, and call (727) 290-9156 for more information on getting help.