Most of the time, when people talk about substance use disorders, they are imagining an addiction to a single substance. A person is addicted to cocaine or to prescription painkillers or to alcohol and so on.
But substance use disorders are not always an either/or proposition. Sometimes they are a both/and proposition. And when that is the case, an already dangerous situation becomes all the more dangerous. Take, for example, the very real dangers of mixing alcohol and opioids.
Nixing the Mixing of Alcohol and Opioids
Alcohol—which, of course, is itself a drug—has a marked tendency to amplify the effects of some other drugs. The reverse can also be true, which means that some drugs tend to amplify the effects of alcohol.
This amplification—no matter which way it occurs—is all about enzymes. When taken together, some drugs and alcohol compete for enzymes in the body, and that competition can prolong or strengthen the effect of the drug in question or of the alcohol it has been paired with.
In the most extreme cases, alcohol can activate enzymes that then transform a drug into a dangerously toxic substance. When this happens, a person may end up with long-term damage to their liver, pancreas, or brain.
To complicate matters even further, ongoing alcohol abuse can also lead to the activation of enzymes in the body that will decrease rather than increase a drug’s effect. When this happens, a person is likely to take more and more of the drug in question to achieve the same high they experienced in the past, greatly increasing the chance that they will overdose.
For the purposes of this discussion, we are specifically interested in the ways in which alcohol interacts with opioids. The known potential results of mixing alcohol and opioids could hardly be more serious. They include:
- Confusion (including an inability to remember how much of a drug has been ingested, making it difficult to respond appropriately when the person needs help)
- Respiratory issues that may include shallow breathing and difficulty breathing
- Extreme sleepiness and the possibility of falling into a coma
- Death
We encourage you to take an extra moment to think about this list—especially the last entry. Death, of course, is the most serious side effect of all.
Make Sure Your Medical Professional is not Misled and Mixed Up
Opioids are often prescribed as a way to manage serious pain. As the ongoing crisis around opioid addiction demonstrates, these powerful drugs can be plenty dangerous all on their own. That is why it is absolutely essential that you are honest with your doctor if you have an issue with alcohol and they are considering prescribing an opioid.
You may think there is very little risk that your doctor would ever need to prescribe pain medication for you, but there are plenty of ways you might find yourself in that very conversation. For example, you might be in a car accident. You might suddenly need surgery that will require pain management following the procedure. You might be hurt at work. Suddenly, opioids may be under consideration—and if you have a substance use disorder, you must share that information with your doctor.
You might be reluctant to admit that you have a substance use problem, but getting past that reluctance can save your life. It might also open up an opportunity for you to have an honest conversation with your physician about how you can get help for your substance use disorder.
We Might Be Your Perfect Match for Recovery
If you are struggling with a substance use disorder—whether that disorder stems from a single substance or more than one—we can help you work your way back to sobriety. We will take the time to listen to you so that we have a complete picture of your situation, which may also include co-occurring mental health disorders that are contributing to your substance use issues. While opioids and alcohol are a terrible combination, we are confident that our expertise and your desire to make a change in your life are a powerful combination indeed.
