Keep in mind that no matter what, it isn’t safe to mix substances, and enabling vs supporting if you’re having a hard time stopping, there’s a help. In fact, there are people who make it their life’s work to help others recover from addiction. If you’re unsure about what to do to stop abusing drugs or alcohol, sometimes the safest thing to do is ask. Someone prescribed benzodiazepines should not ingest alcohol in any combination.
Overdose Risk of Alcohol and Diazepam
Misusing Valium and other benzodiazepines can increase your risk of becoming chemically dependent on the drug. Many benzodiazepines can cause dependence and substance use disorders after just a few weeks of regular use. Valium acts on the central nervous system to slow down excessive electrical impulses in the brain. This tranquilizing effect can help to prevent seizures, abnormal body movements, and muscle spasms.
If an opioid may have been involved, naloxone can be used to reverse the overdose. Naloxone is carried by paramedics, and it’s sold over the counter in some places. We do not receive any commission or fee that is dependent upon which treatment provider a caller chooses. If you or a loved one are struggling, American Addiction Centers is here to help. Please call our free, confidential helpline at to speak with an admissions navigator about your rehab options. You can also use our directories tool to find alcohol rehabs near you and easily check your insurance coverage for treatment.
Mixing Diazepam and Alcohol: Dangers and Risks
- This type of coping has potential to lead to dependence, tolerance, lack of control, and co-occurring disorders.
- If you use both of these drugs at the same time, it could cause liver disease to develop more quickly.
- Although those who mix Valium and alcohol are well aware of what they consider to be “benefits,” they may not fully know or understand the potential negative side effects of this combination.
Long-term alcoholism is also tied to various kinds of cancer, including cancers of the mouth, throat, larynx, esophagus, liver, colon, rectum, and breast. Valium isn’t definitively tied to as many different types of cancers, but studies in mice and rats showed an increased incidence of the development of liver tumors. However, the FDA notes that the studies don’t mean Diazepam has a significant risk for causing tumors in people.
If you think someone you love is suffering from drug addiction, don’t give up hope, and don’t ignore the problem. The combined effects of these two substances are especially dangerous for someone who feels they are tolerant to one of the substances and wants to enhance their high. The threshold for intoxication is lower when combined, as the effects are doubled when taken together.
What are Benzodiazepines?
If you or a loved one are struggling with alcohol, how to make yourself pee benzodiazepine misuse, or other substances, there is effective and compassionate help available. Our addiction treatment specialists at our inpatient rehab in Etta, MS, use evidence-based addiction-focused healthcare to get you on the road to recovery and back to living the life you deserve. Polydrug use is common, especially among people who use drugs recreationally. Settings in which drugs are being used to achieve an intoxicating high may have more than one substance available. Polydrug use may also be common among people who experience drug overdoses. A study in non-fatal overdoses in California found that heroin, benzodiazepines, and alcohol were commonly mixed in overdose cases.
The variety of individual patient effects, tolerance, dependence, body type, liver function, and kinds of benzodiazepines available makes it impossible to recommend any circumstance where this combination is safe. The first thing you should do is to call for emergency medical services. An overdose can be treated, but if someone stops breathing, they need treatment immediately.
Dependence occurs because your brain adapts to the presence of these chemicals. Many users assume that because Valium is a prescription medication, it is not as dangerous as illicit drugs and can easily be combined with other substances. However, the fact is that Valium is never more dangerous than when it is mixed with other central nervous system depressants. We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals. The information we how to flush alcohol from urine provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers.
If you are taking prescription medications other than Valium, Valium and alcohol could also interact with that medication. If you consume too much alcohol or Valium too fast, your organs may not process them, leading to an overdose. Psychological distress and personal stressors—such as relationship problems—may also play a role.6 Combining or intentionally misusing Valium and alcohol can be potentially life-threatening. When a lot of people become physically dependent upon drugs, they also begin having intense cravings, and may not be able to control of the amount they’re using, or when they’ll stop. Valium may have originally been used to treat a legitimate medical purpose, but when it’s used, it can become a vice, and a person may not be able to find balance without it. The concurrent use of alcohol and benzodiazepines can be especially dangerous, as the two interact with the body in similar ways.
However, despite thousands of years of drinking alcohol, researchers don’t know exactly how it works in the brain. The main way it is thought to affect the brain is to interact with a naturally occurring chemical called gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA). GABA is closely tied to relaxation, anxiety management, and sleep, and it works by opening a channel in your nerve cells to let in negative ions. This negative charge shuts down certain activities and has the overall effect of allowing you to rest and digest. Alcohol may have an effect on these channels to enhance the effect of GABA. Take our free, 5-minute substance abuse self-assessment below if you think you or someone you love might be struggling with substance abuse.