Alcohol by itself can be pretty dangerous if you misuse it. However, one of the most dangerous things you can do with alcohol is mixing opioids with it. Combining these two things together can pose some pretty serious health risks…
Mixing Opioids: Risky Business
Opioid dangers
Mixing opioids with alcohol is a bad idea, mainly because of how each drug affects your body. For instance, opioids tend to reduce not just pain, but also overall sensation in the body. Some also work as depressants, which slow down your breathing and reaction time.
These effects are pretty similar to alcohol. Alcohol is also a depressant, and will slow down your breathing and nervous system. When you mix them together, you’re basically slowing your body’s functions down to dangerous levels. This could even cause hypoxia, because your body can’t get enough oxygen.
Short-term effects
There’s a lot of short-term side effects that come with mixing opioids and alcohol. For starters, drowsiness and dizziness are quite common. This is also combined with feeling numb, vomiting, and potentially even problems with memory and focus. Often times, you’ll find yourself unwilling or unable to move from one place to another.
The most dangerous ones are related to how your body slows down. On top of your breathing, your movement will also slow down quite a bit. Body temperature and heart rate also tend to drop to low levels. This puts you at a high risk of slipping into something like a coma, or suffering from hypothermia.
Long-term effects
The long-term effects of mixing opioids and alcohol add up over time. Often times, issues with the liver, kidneys, and digestive system will develop. You might also experience radical mood swings and issues with vision and thinking. Plus, you’ll be at a very high risk of a potential overdose-related death.
If you find yourself in a position like this, the best thing to do is to quit. Of course, this isn’t always an easy task. However, the treatment process shares a lot of overlap with alcoholism treatment plans. Therefore, it is possible to take care of both at the same time.