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When you’re watching TV, it's not uncommon to hear a commercial for a medication. During this commercial, there’s a time when someone spits out a list, rapid-fire, of things that could “go wrong” while you’re taking it. Many of these lists are of side effects, some of which most people will never experience, but they have to warn you. Because of this, some people tend to look at warnings on prescription medications and brush those off as something that is slapped on there for “legal reasons,” but many of these warnings can be more serious than we like to believe.
Here at Serenity Lane, we believe in open communication and education for our clients and their families. Lorazepam is one of many prescriptions that has warnings about drinking alcohol while taking it, but why exactly does it say that? How serious can it be if you combine the two substances?
Many adults who are on prescription medications might partake in a drink or two without realizing how it might impact their prescriptions. You might begin to experience side effects and not know where they’re coming from. Accidents happen, and being able to spot when you or a loved one might need help is an important step to making sure you receive it.
Lorazepam is a benzodiazepine. It is a prescription medication primarily used to assist those who have anxiety. It is also sometimes used to help people with sleeping problems, or in hospitals as an emergency method to help someone having a seizure. Many people are more familiar with it by its brand name - Ativan.
Lorazepam is usually prescribed for short-term use. Benzodiazepines have a high chance of withdrawal, sometimes even when taking them as prescribed, so many doctors don’t prescribe them for long periods. There are always exceptions, and in those cases, clients are usually weaned off of the medication before they stop taking it.
Sometimes when taking a new prescription, it's easy to forget the warnings that come along with it and have a drink without thinking about it. Doing this isn’t going to be life-threatening, especially if you catch it before potentially overindulging.
Not everyone who drinks alcohol and takes lorazepam is doing so with a prescription. The use of benzodiazepines outside of their prescription purposes isn’t new, but that doesn’t make it any less potentially dangerous. Lorazepam, like all benzodiazepines, is a depressant. Alcohol is also a depressant. Taking them in combination can lead to the side effects of both being amplified.
While alcohol cannot cause a person to overdose in a way most people recognize, benzodiazepines can. Combining these two can lead to a situation where you might take too much without realizing it due to the impairment of thinking that comes from both of these substances. Benzodiazepine overdoses are rarely fatal on their own, but when combined with other substances they can be.
Both alcohol and lorazepam already have their own long lists of potential side effects. If you take the two in combination, not only can some of their singular side effects become worse, but there are also some more serious side effects that can occur, some of which are life-threatening.
A depressant affects a variety of chemicals in our brains and tends to have a calming or even sleep-inducing effect. This is why Lorazepam is used as a sleep aid at times, and why many people tend to “crash” after drinking a lot of alcohol.
Now, what happens when you put double depressants into your system? Here are some of the main side effects that can occur:
Both alcohol and benzodiazepines can cause dependence in people due to the way it affects the chemicals inside of your brain. Taking these two in combination can lead to other long-term complications and changes in your body such as:
In the first half of 2020 alone, almost 3,000 people died from overdosing on benzodiazepines. On average, 2,200 people die from alcohol poisoning in the United States each year. Combining substances can lead to a myriad of complications, overdosing being one of them.
The body can slow down drastically when both lorazepam and alcohol are present in the system. The reduced ability to breathe can lead to potential asphyxiation. In Oregon we have the Good Samaritan Law, meaning you cannot get in legal trouble for asking for medical help with an overdose.
Here are some signs that you or a loved one might be overdosing:
If you need help with an overdose, please call for medical assistance immediately.
Benzodiazepine use disorder and alcohol use disorder are both very treatable conditions. We believe in the importance of knowing what your options are in order to ensure that you can choose the road to recovery that works best for you.
When looking to recover from any substance use, detox is always the first step. Having the substance out of your system can help you start your healing journey. Our medical professionals will be there to assist you whenever you need it and help ensure that your detox and withdrawal symptoms are managed properly and safely.
After detox, you will be able to either move on to inpatient or outpatient treatment, depending on the level of care that you need. Both provide individual and group therapy sessions alongside other activities that can help provide you with the skills and tools you need to recover. Inpatient allows you to stay on-site during your recovery, which can help those who might have at-home triggers or stressors. Outpatient allows you to go home at the end of the day while still participating in the same treatment plan.
If you or a loved one is looking to get started on your road to recovery or if you have any questions at all, give us a call today at (800) 543-9905.
How does mixing Lorazepam and alcohol affect the body and brain?
Both Lorazepam and alcohol are depressants. This means they can have a sedative effect. Combining the two can amplify the sedation, which can lead to slow coordination, difficulty breathing, and even unconsciousness.
How long after taking lorazepam can an individual have a drink of alcohol?
It is recommended that you wait at least 3 days after your last dosage of lorazepam before you drink alcohol. This ensures that the substance is entirely out of your system.
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