Alcohol by itself can be pretty dangerous when abused on its own. However, mixing alcohol with other drugs can be especially dangerous. Some of the most commonly mixed drugs are opioids. Combining these two drugs together can be a recipe for a bad time…
Mixing Alcohol: Booze And Opioids
Why mix them?
The reasons for some people mixing alcohol with opioids is relatively straightforward. Mainly, it comes down to how addictive these pills are. These painkillers are very strong, and very effective. Plus, they use the brain’s reward system to create feelings of euphoria. As a result, they’re some of the most highly-abused medication out there.
Meanwhile, alcohol works as a depressant. It slows the body and its functions down, and lowers inhibitions. So, when someone mixes these drugs, they want to boost the “feel-good” sensation of the pills, while also getting even more relaxed. However, this is much more dangerous than they may realize.
Short-term effects
The short-term effects of mixing alcohol and opioids are quite pressing. In effect, they’re basically the side-effects of each drug, but heavily amplified. For instance, drowsiness, memory issues, and nausea can be pretty common. So can feelings of numbness, and issues walking or talking.
Still, some of the most dangerous ones are related to how your body slows down. You might experience slower breathing, along with low blood pressure, temperature, and a slower pulse. But, due to the effects of the opioids, you may not realize this until it’s too late, and it may result in something such as hypoxia.
The long-term
Long-term results of mixing alcohol and opioids don’t present a pretty picture either. For starters, this combo tends to result in damage to the brain. This can be seen in ways like rapid mood swings, or issues with thinking or focusing. Plus, you might also have issues getting enough oxygen to the brain, due to problems breathing.
Other organs also tend to be at risk, such as the liver, the stomach and the intestines. There’s also the fact that this mixing can result in serious addictions to both alcohol and these pills. This makes things all the more harder if someone wants to try and quit.
