During the course of treatment with any medication, doctors often recommend eliminating the use of alcohol. And some drugs taken with alcohol can cause serious health problems. Tranquilizers and alcohol are a dangerous combination that can have extremely negative consequences not only for health but also for life.
What are tranquilizers and how do they work
The word "tranquilizer" comes from the Latin tranquillo, which means "peace". These drugs are psychotropic, which affect the central nervous system. Medicines have a calming and hypnotic effect, are able to reduce the level of anxiety, nervous excitability, reduce fear.
The mechanism of action of such medications is to inhibit the brain structures that are responsible for the regulation of the emotional state.
Medicines in this category are strictly forbidden to prescribe themselves and take them uncontrollably. Fortunately, such serious drugs are not dispensed from pharmacies without a prescription. Their use is possible only as directed by a specialist and under his supervision. Such therapy can have many side effects, one of which is addiction, which leads to the development of withdrawal symptoms after discontinuation of therapy (like “breaking”).
When tranquilizers are prescribed
Medicines of this group are recommended for patients who suffer:
- neurosises accompanied by anxiety, fear, panic attacks;
- post-traumatic disorders;
- obsessive movements, muscle cramps;
- epilepsy.
Can I drink alcohol with tranquilizers
According to the instructions that accompany each drug, the combined use of alcohol and tranquilizers is strictly contraindicated. This is explained by the fact that both drinks containing alcohol and medicines of this type can affect the functioning of the brain and nervous system, therefore such a combination can be dangerous.
How do alcoholic drinks and medications work when used together
When drinking alcohol, a state of euphoria occurs, which soon gives way to depression, the drugs of this group have the same effect. So, drinking alcohol and tranquilizers, which enhance the calming effect of each other, you can fall into a state of deep sleep, which is very difficult to get out of on your own.
Also, under the influence of alcohol, the ability of the medication to cause muscle relaxation is enhanced. As a result of this, it is possible to stop the processes provided by the muscles without the participation of consciousness (palpitations, respiration, etc.). This condition is very dangerous for life.
Main side effects
Those who are interested in the question of whether it is possible to drink alcohol while taking tranquilizers should take into account several more side effects that may occur with this combination:
- Due to the negative effect on the brain, the risk of hallucinations, dizziness, fears increases, suicide attempts are possible.
- After a large dose of alcohol and the subsequent intake of pills, a person increases emotionality. This condition leads to the fact that the patient cannot remember how many tablets he drank and whether he drank at all. In this case, the effects of tranquilizers and alcohol can be life threatening if an extra dose of the medicine is taken.
- The patient may be intolerant of certain components of the drug. This reaction, reinforced by alcohol, can at best lead to shortness of breath, drowsiness, shortness of breath, and can even result in death.
Even if tranquilizers and alcohol, when used together, did not cause any disorders, it is better not to repeat such experiments in the future.
Overdose symptoms
A person under the influence of alcohol can take an increased dose of the drug. By themselves, such medications do not give serious complications when the dosage is exceeded. But tranquilizers and alcohol at the same time give severe symptoms, which are manifested in the following:
- daytime sleepiness and inability to wake up;
- tremor of the eye;
- drop in blood pressure;
- impaired coordination and consciousness, up to a coma;
- respiratory depression;
- cardiac arrest.
What to do if dangerous symptoms occur
If, after the combined use of alcohol and drugs of the tranquilizer group, any alarming symptoms occur, an ambulance should be called immediately. You can try to provoke vomiting in the victim. In the event that consciousness is not impaired, it is recommended to take activated carbon according to the instructions.
After placement in the hospital, the patient will need a gastric lavage and the introduction of infusion solutions that increase urine output. Such actions will help to remove the drug from the body. In the form of symptomatic therapy, the introduction of an antidote, flumazenil, is possible.
Tranquilizers for alcohol addiction
From the foregoing, the compatibility of tranquilizers and alcohol should not even be in doubt. Their joint use is a direct threat to life. But it is worth noting that with alcohol dependence, the administration of drugs of this group may be recommended. Usually they are prescribed if a person develops withdrawal symptoms. It occurs in people who suffer from alcohol dependence, if alcohol was stopped for any reason. In this case, such manifestations occur:
- excessive sweating;
- cardiopalmus;
- hand shake;
- anxiety;
- irritability;
- the appearance of guilt.
In this condition, the patient can stay for several days. To relieve a person of painful symptoms, medications are prescribed, including tranquilizers. Abstinence syndrome without appropriate therapy will be very difficult, with signs of metal-alcoholic psychosis: insomnia, changeable mood. Perhaps the appearance of hallucinations. The patient loses orientation in space, can be aggressive and dangerous to others. The elimination of mental disorders is facilitated by tranquilizers, which are used in tablets or in the form of injections.
Taking such funds, the patient with a dependence on alcohol is at rest, becomes slow, his physical and emotional activity decreases. The painful condition caused by the lack of alcohol in the blood passes, so the desire for libations disappears.
The main thing is not to confuse withdrawal symptoms with a hangover. In the latter case, a person feels unwell in the morning after the abuse of alcohol. An unpleasant state usually disappears in a day. At the same time, ethanol has not yet come out of the blood, therefore the use of tranquilizers is strictly contraindicated. The consequences can be very serious.
Drinking after treatment
Patients who are interested in whether it is possible to drink alcohol while taking tranquilizers will have to wait until the end of the course of therapy. Three days after discontinuation of the drug, its effect on the body ceases. If the treatment lasted a long time, then for another week there is a risk of withdrawal syndrome. When this period ends, alcoholic beverages can be consumed. But if a person has serious mental problems, it is better not to take alcohol at all until an absolute recovery occurs.
Patient Reviews
There is such a thing as "phenozepam sleep" that occurs when tranquilizers and alcohol are combined. Patient reviews indicate that as a result of the use of phenozepam with alcohol, a condition similar to sleep occurs, which may be accompanied by involuntary urination or defecation, vomiting. You can even choke on vomit, which will lead to respiratory arrest, this should be remembered to those who want to know if alcohol can be used with tranquilizers. But the lethal dose is only 10 mg of the drug. Signs of an overdose can also occur with the use of a smaller amount of medication under the reinforcing effect of an alcoholic drink.
The important thing is that it absolutely does not matter which drinks you consume - low alcohol or strong. There are reviews on the network about such cases, from which it follows that the results, even with the use of beer or wine with tablets, can be unpredictable. In one case, a person experiences a mood lift, in the other - falls into a deep sleep, after which he is in a detached state. And for some users, the effect came unexpectedly after a day or two after drinking alcohol and drugs. This is dangerous because at this time a person may be, for example, driving.
However, some people note that if you take the drug prescribed by your doctor in therapeutic doses and at the same time sometimes allow yourself to drink a little alcohol, then no dangerous side effects occur. But the body of each person is individual, and the consequences may occur in the future, complicating life. Therefore, during therapy, it is better to abandon such experiments.
Alcohol and tranquilizers are categorically incompatible. Reinforcing each other’s action, they can lead to the development of health and even life-threatening consequences. If, through negligence, you have made such a mistake, immediately call an ambulance without waiting for the development of symptoms. The situation is very serious and unpredictable, so it is better to play it safe.