# Mixing Alcohol & Xanax?



## QuakerOats167

Does anyone know how bad the effects are of mixing these two? I'm taking a very small dose of Xanax before social events where I plan on drinking. Will this be really bad? I've heard mixed responses...


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## Prakas

i asked my physch. about this. He said to wait atleast 2-3 hours after I had a drink to take the Xanax. However, this is assuming just 1-2 drinks. If you plan on having more, you probally would need more time, or just not take it that night.


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## JoshC

yeah, one bad effect is taking a two day nap. done it before. dont do it.


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## Prakas

A two day nap lol. You make it sound like a good thing. Sleeping the pain away. Sleep and fantasy is better than reality for me. Why face problems if you can escape them


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## arth67

they both make each other more powerful so experiment at home first


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## JoshC

haha prakas you funnyyyyy 

im just saying its not a good idea to mix anything that slows your heart rate with alcohol. doing a little bit of it is fun and will really chill you out, but if you overdo it you could slip into a coma! :O


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## QuakerOats167

Thanks for the replies... ok I'm taking a .25 mg which is a pretty small dose, so if I take one of those, eat dinner, then go out for the night and have like 2-3 drinks do you think that would do much?


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## belfort

you will be fine if you only tajke asmall dose like .25 xanax..that is barely enough for most people to even feel it so u should be fine....dontgo overboard with teh drinks and you will be good...


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## euphoria

Be careful, this combo is dangerous if not treated with caution. Don't drink and then take Xanax, it's hard to judge the effects that way. Take the Xanax first, wait until it's fully kicked in (can be longer than normal if not on empty stomach), then drink slowly (preferably beer, definitely not spirits). Be aware that the combo can greatly reduce your judgement in all areas, but this shouldn't be much of a problem in the dosage you're using. I still cringe thinking about drunk-benzo-dialling.


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## UltraShy

QuakerOats167 said:


> I'm taking a .25 mg which is a pretty small dose...


To be exact, 0.25 mg is the SMALLEST dose possible without cutting pills as Xanax comes on four sizes: 0.25, 0.50, 1 & 2 mg tablets.



QuakerOats167 said:


> ...so if I take one of those, eat dinner, then go out for the night and have like 2-3 drinks do you think that would do much?


YMMV, but I very much doubt that would present any problem.

I probably have as much personal experience as anyone around here when it comes to mixing Xanax and alcohol.


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## technoviking

It really depends on how much of each you take, obviously. You can black out or you can have a great time and not be anxious, which is the goal.


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## La_Resistance

I often take Xanax before drinking. I've done this numerous times, and never experienced any problems.

I actually love the combo, it's awesome.


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## db0255

I get a headache when I combine Ativan and alcohol. Mixing alcohol and benzos is really not a good idea, and will lead to a greater dependence and a bigger risk of addiction. Tread lightly!


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## missyny

*Don't mix it*

This past weekend my 18 year old son was offered xanax because he was very depressed after the loss of his grandfather. He took xanax and drank beer. He ended up in the intensive care unit in the hospital on a ventilator. He almost died. DON'T MIX IT !!! You can die from it. The ICU doctor told us that my son was extremely lucky to be alive.


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## riptide991

I dunno, ask Whitney Houston.

Doh someone resurrected a thread from 2009. =\


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## istayhome

bloody retarded. This is a topic that always comes up and always makes people hysterical. Alcohol bye itself can be very dangerous, fatal in overdoses. Xanax at extreme overdoses will put you to sleep. Combining small amounts of both won't hurt you, people do it all the time. Tolerance is very relevant as far as dose is concerned.

If someone is used to x amount of xanax and x amount of alcohol and neither comes close to causing a black-out or any other serious condition, they can safely cambine the two. Benzodiazapines and alcohol have an additive effect. Meaning that cns depression of both when taken together will cause as much cns depression as the benzo causes combined with the amount of cns depression that alcohol causes.

Xanax+alcohol=safe in moderation when taken responsibly
stupidity+alcohol=dangerous and possibly fatal


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## UltraShy

kehcorpz said:


> I dunno, ask Whitney Houston.


The coroner is quite clear that Xanax had nothing to do with it:



> The Los Angeles County coroner's office has determined that Whitney Houston's official cause of death is: *"drowning and effects of atherosclerotic heart disease and cocaine use."*
> 
> More: The Life of Whitney Houston
> 
> The singer was found in the bathtub of her Beverly Hilton Hotel room on Feb. 11, hours before a pre-Grammy party. She was 48.
> 
> The coroner's office also said the manner of death was an "accident."
> 
> However, the toxicology report adds that "Cocaine and metabolites were identified and were contributory to the death. Marijuana, *Alprazolam (Xanax)*, Cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril) and Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) were identified but *did not contribute to the death.*"


Moral of the story: don't snort lines of coke when you have heart disease and are about to enter any body of water.


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## ragnarok

I learned the hard way not to mix alcohol and benzos. I was in the bathroom taking a leak, and somehow I knocked over a glass cabinet stand thing. I spent the next hour on my knees cleaning up the glass with my bare hands. My knees were red raw in the morning and my hands had a ton of cuts on them and apparently the t-shirt I had on was covered in blood. 

Since then, i've been able to drink 5% vol "alcopops" while on benzos and not knock myself out, but I think that's because i've become more tolerant to the benzos. I still can't drink any strong spirits though or the same will happen.


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## harrison

missyny said:


> This past weekend my 18 year old son was offered xanax because he was very depressed after the loss of his grandfather. He took xanax and drank beer. He ended up in the intensive care unit in the hospital on a ventilator. He almost died. DON'T MIX IT !!! You can die from it. The ICU doctor told us that my son was extremely lucky to be alive.


I'm really sorry about your son - I have an 18 yr old too. It is confusing though - as one of the guys says above - usually it's possible to mix them and the results won't be anything like that - then again we don't know how much he took or how much he drank.

Glad he's Ok anyhow.


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## Luctor

QuakerOats167 said:


> Does anyone know how bad the effects are of mixing these two? I'm taking a very small dose of Xanax before social events where I plan on drinking. Will this be really bad? I've heard mixed responses...


I actually did that this weekend. Took 1.5mg of Xanax before and during a wedding (0.5mg at a time). About an hour after taking the last 0.5mg of Xanax, stupidly, I started drinking. Heavily.

I went from being the quiet, nervous guy in the corner to the life of the party. I even kissed a girl and got her number after pretty much banging her on the dance floor in front of my entire family.

Besides a moderate hangover, I felt fine until Sunday evening, when I had a mild panic attack. I've relapsed into a slight depression since. I'm not sure if the Xanax/alcohol mix is to blame, but I was improving until this weekend.

My suggestion is take it very easy with the alcohol. Drink a glass of water between drinks, and pace yourself.


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## riptide991

UltraShy said:


> The coroner is quite clear that Xanax had nothing to do with it:
> 
> Moral of the story: don't snort lines of coke when you have heart disease and are about to enter any body of water.


I thought she fell asleep because of the Xanax/alcohol and as a result drowned. So I thought it was more indirectly. While the other factors were ultimately the cause.


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## CD700

ragnarok said:


> I learned the hard way not to mix alcohol and benzos. I was in the bathroom taking a leak, and somehow I knocked over a glass cabinet stand thing. I spent the next hour on my knees cleaning up the glass with my bare hands. My knees were red raw in the morning and my hands had a ton of cuts on them and apparently the t-shirt I had on was covered in blood.
> 
> Since then, i've been able to drink 5% vol "alcopops" while on benzos and not knock myself out, but I think that's because i've become more tolerant to the benzos. I still can't drink any strong spirits though or the same will happen.


I did something similar to that a few years ago after mixing alcohol with xanax. Somehow I managed to break a glass coffee table that was in the living room and it left glass all over the floor but instead of cleaning it up I just left it there and every time I went out the room to get another drink I was walking on the glass and not even noticing. Next day I was picking bits of glass out of my feet for ages and the carpets were coverd in blood spots and partial foot prints lol


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## istayhome

I have I question about all of these benzo/alcohol stories that people are posting to outline the dangers of combining the two. To the various members that told the stories: Were you accustomed to a certain beenzo dose AND familiar with how alcohol regularly affects you then take your normal benzo dose and drank your moderate amount of alcohol; OR were you trying to get "f*cked up" and took more benzos than you need then proceeded to drink heavily, or vice-versa.

I've yet to meet anyone who normally takes benzos and takes the proper dose which they normally tolerate and is effective for them, then have a few drinks (the buzz that they are comfortable and familiar with, can maintain safely) then have this combination suddenly give them and experience out of a horror movie.

I think anyone who has extremely danger or near fatal problems from the combination must be using way too much of both. Over th years I've known plenty of benzo users who also drink alcohol and have never heard of any of this crap happen to them. I think people are being self-destructive or trying to push the boundaries of "fun" while forgetting that they have a brain, or maybe they don't have a brain. 

They only people who have trouble are recreational users and abusers. Benzo's, opioid's and alcohol is a combination that people say to avoid like the plague. But again Many people whor are receiving medical treatment take opioids and benzos in tandem then have a couple drinks at night. How could they possibly still be alive?


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## Luctor

istayhome said:


> I have I question about all of these benzo/alcohol stories that people are posting to outline the dangers of combining the two. To the various members that told the stories: Were you accustomed to a certain beenzo dose AND familiar with how alcohol regularly affects you then take your normal benzo dose and drank your moderate amount of alcohol; OR were you trying to get "f*cked up" and took more benzos than you need then proceeded to drink heavily, or vice-versa.


For me, alcohol has always lowered my inhibitions and diminished my social anxiety. Basically, all the combination did for me was make me a little crazier than usual, a little faster.

I didn't drink to get ****ed up. I drank because my date, a friend I took with to be a sort of security blanket as I had huge anxiety about this wedding, ditched me at 8pm, because she drank too much and went back to our room and passed out.

Suddenly alone, with everyone asking me "what's wrong?" "Come drink" "Come dance" I decided to have a drink. It made me feel good. Better than I was before. And it snowballed from there.


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## ragnarok

istayhome said:


> I have I question about all of these benzo/alcohol stories that people are posting to outline the dangers of combining the two. To the various members that told the stories: Were you accustomed to a certain beenzo dose AND familiar with how alcohol regularly affects you then take your normal benzo dose and drank your moderate amount of alcohol; OR were you trying to get "f*cked up" and took more benzos than you need then proceeded to drink heavily, or vice-versa.
> 
> I've yet to meet anyone who normally takes benzos and takes the proper dose which they normally tolerate and is effective for them, then have a few drinks (the buzz that they are comfortable and familiar with, can maintain safely) then have this combination suddenly give them and experience out of a horror movie.
> 
> I think anyone who has extremely danger or near fatal problems from the combination must be using way too much of both. Over th years I've known plenty of benzo users who also drink alcohol and have never heard of any of this crap happen to them. I think people are being self-destructive or trying to push the boundaries of "fun" while forgetting that they have a brain, or maybe they don't have a brain.
> 
> They only people who have trouble are recreational users and abusers. Benzo's, opioid's and alcohol is a combination that people say to avoid like the plague. But again Many people whor are receiving medical treatment take opioids and benzos in tandem then have a couple drinks at night. How could they possibly still be alive?


I barely ever drink alcohol so it was probably the non-tolerance to the alcohol combined with the benzos that ****ed me up.


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## rik

You hear mixed responses because everyone reacts differently with alcohol while on a benzodiazepine. Some get drunk very fast. I read people past out on this combo. For me it makes no difference. I can take 2 mg Lorazepam and drink a lot. Seems like I feel the alcohol even less if I have taken Lorazepam.


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## Brtrev2v

QuakerOats167 said:


> Does anyone know how bad the effects are of mixing these two? I'm taking a very small dose of Xanax before social events where I plan on drinking. Will this be really bad? I've heard mixed responses...


I took about 5 0.5 mg tablets of xanax and took two shots of vodka.. i was still okay.. coherent but couldnt walk straight.. can remember only tidbits of the night


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## Mazullo

I know this thread is a little old, but I figured I'd chime in. I'm a big beer drinker and quite frankly I don't wanna stop lol. The info on the web (even some very reputable sites) are all over the place on this subject. Some say the combo is deadly, even in small amounts, other say moderation is fine. Very confusing. Same with SSRI's and alcohol. 

So anyways, I called the manufacturer of my Xanax and asked them straight up. They gave the "you shouldn't drink at all" spill first and then broke it down a little better for me. So FWIW, here's what they advised me. These calculations were for "average" weighted people. They said....

.25 mg's abstain for 4-6 hours
.50 mg's abstain for 7-8 hours
1.0 mg's they did not recommend drinking for 24 hours after.


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## istayhome

Mazullo said:


> I know this thread is a little old, but I figured I'd chime in. I'm a big beer drinker and quite frankly I don't wanna stop lol. The info on the web (even some very reputable sites) are all over the place on this subject. Some say the combo is deadly, even in small amounts, other say moderation is fine. Very confusing. Same with SSRI's and alcohol.
> 
> So anyways, I called the manufacturer of my Xanax and asked them straight up. They gave the "you shouldn't drink at all" spill first and then broke it down a little better for me. So FWIW, here's what they advised me. These calculations were for "average" weighted people. They said....
> 
> .25 mg's abstain for 4-6 hours
> .50 mg's abstain for 7-8 hours
> 1.0 mg's they did not recommend drinking for 24 hours after.


It's going to be different for everyone based an their tolerance levels, metabolic rate, neurotransmitter functioning, etc etc.

I don't recommend this and I was not treating my body like a temple but I spent about a year taking 8 mg of xanax + 2 g of phenibut + at least 6 "average drinks" a day. I was never overly sedated or really had any side effects, unless I drank a lot.

The company reps. you talked to are being overly conservative and covering their big fat fanny's.

There is no set rule of thumb every individual needs to responsible and aware. I realize that those qualities are in short supply.


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## Mazullo

Oh yea, they are certainly being overly cautious. I guess my point was that even the pharm company's that make the stuff say drinking + Xanax does not = certain death. There are sooooo many people out there who will tell you just that. I believe in the long run it may stop people from getting the help they need because they are afraid to give up their social life. People always have such a negative view of alcohol when in fact it's a normal part of many people's social life. There are wine lovers, bourbon lover, and like me, beer lovers all over the world. 

Personally I have avoided SSRI's because I'm usually told on forums and the like that mixing the two will most likely cause dire consequences. 

I wish there was a little more effort by drug companies and doctors to look deeper into the cause and effect of mixing the two. And possibly coming up with a "real" formula on how safe or unsafe the combo is. Instead of the blanket generic statement issued with all these meds that say "DO NOT CONSUME ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES WHILE TAKING THIS MEDICINE".


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## 49erJT

I could drink a 12 pack easily in my early 20's even when taking Lexapro, Xanax, and other meds. Now, if I have more than a beer with Klonopin I get a tired, dizzy, and spacey feeling because i've got little alcohol tolerance these days and I think that makes the combo more potent.


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## 49erJT

Mazullo said:


> Personally I have avoided SSRI's because I'm usually told on forums and the like that mixing the two will most likely cause dire consequences.
> 
> QUOTE]
> 
> I wonder what consequences?
> 
> I drank like a mad man on Zoloft, Lexapro, and Prozac many years ago without having any issues that I'm aware of...I'm talking about taking shots and playing beer pong until I couldn't walk levels of alcohol. It seems like SSRI's made me crave alcohol looking back.


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## Mazullo

49erJT said:


> Mazullo said:
> 
> 
> 
> Personally I have avoided SSRI's because I'm usually told on forums and the like that mixing the two will most likely cause dire consequences.
> 
> QUOTE]
> 
> I wonder what consequences?
> 
> I drank like a mad man on Zoloft, Lexapro, and Prozac many years ago without having any issues that I'm aware of...I'm talking about taking shots and playing beer pong until I couldn't walk levels of alcohol. It seems like SSRI's made me crave alcohol looking back.
> 
> 
> 
> Well, here's a few things that I've read on-line.
> 
> 1. Can cause seizures and lung impairment that could possible lead to sudden death. This comment was actually from a doctor answering a patients question on Ask an expert.com I believe it was.
> 
> 2. Will totally negate the effects of the meds.
> 
> 3. Will make you terribly ill for days afterwards.
> 
> 4. Can cause nervous system troubles.
> 
> 5. Can cause shallow breathing that can lead to death while you sleep.
> 
> 6. Can cause dangerous spikes in blood pressure
> 
> 7. Can cause dangerous heart arrythmias.
> 
> That's just a few of things I've been told or read on-line.
Click to expand...


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## TheoBobTing

I don't really see the point in mixing alcohol and benzos. If you are partying, just mix alcohol with even more alcohol.


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## istayhome

TheoBobTing said:


> I don't really see the point in mixing alcohol and benzos. If you are partying, just mix alcohol with even more alcohol.


For me, alcohol and benzos are quite different. If I were going to a party, a valium or xanax will get me out the door. But even large amounts of alcohol will lead to me still being anxious and just getting drunk, sitting at home alone.


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## 49erJT

Mazullo said:


> 49erJT said:
> 
> 
> 
> Well, here's a few things that I've read on-line.
> 
> 1. Can cause seizures and lung impairment that could possible lead to sudden death. This comment was actually from a doctor answering a patients question on Ask an expert.com I believe it was.
> 
> 2. Will totally negate the effects of the meds.
> 
> 3. Will make you terribly ill for days afterwards.
> 
> 4. Can cause nervous system troubles.
> 
> 5. Can cause shallow breathing that can lead to death while you sleep.
> 
> 6. Can cause dangerous spikes in blood pressure
> 
> 7. Can cause dangerous heart arrythmias.
> 
> That's just a few of things I've been told or read on-line.
> 
> 
> 
> Wow....I was young and dumb and didn't realize all of the potential dangers. I did have high blood pressure while taking Lexapro and that may have been due to mixing alcohol with it? Live and learn
Click to expand...


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## Mazullo

Now I'm not saying this is accurate information. In fact, I'm assuming most of it is not accurate. These are just things I've read.


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## UltraShy

missyny said:


> This past weekend my 18 year old son was offered xanax because he was very depressed after the loss of his grandfather. He took xanax and drank beer. He ended up in the intensive care unit in the hospital on a ventilator. He almost died. DON'T MIX IT !!! You can die from it. The ICU doctor told us that my son was extremely lucky to be alive.


How much Xanax are we talking about here?

How much beer are we talking about?

I know many will consider such to be insensitive questions, but I don't mean it to be. I mean it to be a legitimate inquiry into the specifics of the incident. I seriously doubt this was one tablet of Xanax and a beer. I strongly suspect this was more along the lines of dozens of cans of beer or numerous 40 ounce bottles of malt liquor that would have anybody passed out drunk.


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## UltraShy

49erJT said:


> I could drink a 12 pack easily in my early 20's even when taking Lexapro, Xanax, and other meds.


With greater maturity I assume you can look back and realize that a dozen drinks in one sitting is excessive regardless of what else you're taking or not taking. 12 is a LOT!

I'd wake up with a headache from hell if I drank like that. Quite possibly I'd be barfing, which should pretty well explain why I don't drink to such excess. I prefer not waking up feeling like s***.


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## Recipe For Disaster

The guy who said they were additive was right. Its basically like, if youve had two beers and you take a xanax, its kind of like having two beers and then drinking 2 shots. Pretty much all the bad things that can happen from the combo, could happen with alcohol by itself.



Brtrev2v said:


> I took about 5 0.5 mg tablets of xanax and took two shots of vodka.. i was still okay.. coherent but couldnt walk straight.. can remember only tidbits of the night


How much vodka would you normally drink in order to make yourself unable to walk straight? For me, I never thoiught benzos impaired my coordination much at all, even on 10 mg of xanax i could walk a straight line. Now after 10 shots of vodka on the other hand, it would be a different sory. Same witj


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## Recipe For Disaster

TheoBobTing said:


> I don't really see the point in mixing alcohol and benzos. If you are partying, just mix alcohol with even more alcohol.


That's rather short sighted isn't it? I mean, that's like saying "I don't see the point in limes, just use lemons for everything". Yes they are similar, but by mixing benzos and alcohol you can get much drunker off smaller amounts of alcohol, thus reducing the hangover.

For instance, lets say you drink 10 beers and take 1 mg of xanax and that givs you the feeling of havign drunk 14 beers. Or, you could drink 14 beers with no xanax and get the same feeling but then you have to do with a 14 beer hangovrer which is worse than a 10 beer hangover.


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## 49erJT

UltraShy said:


> With greater maturity I assume you can look back and realize that a dozen drinks in one sitting is excessive regardless of what else you're taking or not taking. 12 is a LOT!


I had a pretty good tolerance back then so 12 would not make me that sick the next day but I agree it is a lot...Now I can't drink more than 2 beers without feeling like **** the next day and I have no desire to drink heavy anymore.


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## calories

I have combined .5-1.5mg of Xanax with 5-6 drinks over an evening. I was spinning by the time I got to bed, but I did not blackout or get sick.

For comparison, I would normally anticipate 7-8 drinks over an evening to end up spinning.


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## CD700

I get a 12 pack every time I drink, it's not that much. I don't get physical hangovers but anxiety is much worse the next.

Last week I had some valliums before I drank and didn't notice much difference. I think extra care needs to be taken in the alcohol-benzo mix when the alcohol is a premix with coke or anything with caffeine. The caffeine+benzo+alcohol is were I have had nasty experiences in the past.


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## istayhome

I'm trying to think if I've ever had the equivalent of 12 beers in one night.... I don't think so, and I thought I used to drink heavily. Damn people, stop destroying your livers.


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## TheoBobTing

Recipe For Disaster said:


> That's rather short sighted isn't it? I mean, that's like saying "I don't see the point in limes, just use lemons for everything". Yes they are similar, but by mixing benzos and alcohol you can get much drunker off smaller amounts of alcohol, thus reducing the hangover.
> 
> For instance, lets say you drink 10 beers and take 1 mg of xanax and that givs you the feeling of havign drunk 14 beers. Or, you could drink 14 beers with no xanax and get the same feeling but then you have to do with a 14 beer hangovrer which is worse than a 10 beer hangover.


I find that a moderately substantial amount of alcohol is enough to reduce social phobia without causing a big hangover. I wouldn't advise neither 10 nor 14 beers, regardless of the size of the hangover. But then again, Americans drink p*ssy-sized servings of beer.


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## istayhome

TheoBobTing said:


> I find that a moderately substantial amount of alcohol is enough to reduce social phobia without causing a big hangover. I wouldn't advise neither 10 nor 14 beers, regardless of the size of the hangover. But then again, Americans drink p*ssy-sized servings of beer.


I spent years at bars hoping this famed 'social lubricant' would reduce social phobia... never happened.


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## TheoBobTing

istayhome said:


> I spent years at bars hoping this famed 'social lubricant' would reduce social phobia... never happened.


I tried 4mg of lorazepam (8x what the doctor ordered), hoping it would make me calm and sociable. Turns out, half a pint of ale would've had a much larger effect on me.


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## istayhome

TheoBobTing said:


> I tried 4mg of lorazepam (8x what the doctor ordered), hoping it would make me calm and sociable. Turns out, half a pint of ale would've had a much larger effect on me.


I've found both to be equally useless for SA but a good ale is far more enjoyable.


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## TheoBobTing

istayhome said:


> I've found both to be equally useless for SA but a good ale is far more enjoyable.


Cheers to that.


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## bliAcherim

2mg of alprazolam with ...an unknown quantity of single malt scotch = total blackout. I was with friends at the time and... I woke up in the ER. Moderation is key if you're mixing. I had taken the 2mg of alprazolam at least 6 hours before we started drinking so I don't know what the hell happened.


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## istayhome

bliAcherim said:


> 2mg of alprazolam with ...*an unknown quantity of single malt scotch* = total blackout. I was with friends at the time and... I woke up in the ER. Moderation is key if you're mixing. I had taken the 2mg of alprazolam at least 6 hours before we started drinking so I don't know what the hell happened.


That is why you were in the ER buddy. Once you've drank so much liquor that you lose count, don't blame your troubles on anything except your own excessive drinking.


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## CD700

istayhome said:


> That is why you were in the ER buddy. Once you've drank so much liquor that you lose count, don't blame your troubles on anything except your own excessive drinking.


I want to ask why you are reluctant to believe that Alcohol+benzo is a dangerous mix ? Not just in reference to your latest reply but I read through the thread and you seem a bit defensive on the subject and discount peoples experiences as them just being stupid.


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## UltraShy

TheoBobTing said:


> I find that a moderately substantial amount of alcohol is enough to reduce social phobia without causing a big hangover. I wouldn't advise neither 10 nor 14 beers, regardless of the size of the hangover. But then again, Americans drink *p*ssy-sized servings of beer.*


A 40-ounce bottle of malt liquor isn't enough?


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## UltraShy

blakeyz said:


> I want to ask why you are reluctant to believe that Alcohol+benzo is a dangerous mix ? Not just in reference to your latest reply but I read through the thread and you seem a bit defensive on the subject and discount peoples experiences as them just being stupid.


I'd full agree with istayhome that drinking "...an unknown quantity of single malt scotch" is very stupid.

People always want to blame a pill, even when it's really just the final straw that broke the camel's back. A benzo isn't going to push anybody over the edge unless they're so drunk that they're already standing on the edge.

As an aside: who the hell gets wasted on single malt scotch?:stu It's quite expensive and is supposed to be slowly sipped and savored. I personally can't imagine how any whiskey, no matter how fancy, could be savored seeing how it tastes like s***. Though if you're so wasted you don't even know how much you drank you might as well just go with the cheapest stuff, since you're surely too wasted to notice how it tastes at that point.


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## istayhome

blakeyz said:


> I want to ask why you are reluctant to believe that Alcohol+benzo is a dangerous mix ? Not just in reference to your latest reply but I read through the thread and you seem a bit defensive on the subject and discount peoples experiences as them just being stupid.


It is dangerous for an inexperienced user or for someone who is bent on self harm. Personally I would say that benzos are safer than alcohol. It is much easier to die from acute alcohol poisoning than it is die from a benzo-only overdose. Most posters who blame benzos for their problems do so after repeating an extensive list of recreational drugs they consumed at the same time. Heavy drinking being most prevalent. A prescribed dose of xanax and a drink or two won't cause problems for the vast majority of people. What I read often is individuals who are help bents on getting wasted, use a bunch of drugs including 2 mg of xanax then the next day when they find themselves in a terrible state what do they say?

"It was the Xanax that did it!"

No it was that pint of liquor or that 12 pack, or that bag of coke or whatever recreational drugs you overindulged in.

I am defensive. Because benzos have greatly reduced an otherwise debilitating case of GAD that I developed. It is becoming deafening to hear the foolish drug users blame their problems on a useful therapeutic drug instead of on the many substances; legal and illegal that they chose to overindulge in. This is something that affects me. The more people blame their own bad judgment on a medication that is useful to me the more difficult it will be in the future to get medication that doctor's deem "safe," because so many idiots chose to abuse the useful drugs for their own entertainment.


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## mark555666

I can drink myself to **** on benzos everything keeps me awake. Don't do this kids!


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## TheoBobTing

UltraShy said:


> A 40-ounce bottle of malt liquor isn't enough?


The beauty of a bottle that size is that you can tell your doctor that you only drink about three bottles of beer a day and he will think you drink moderately.


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## WineKitty

Alcohol content varies greatly in beer. I can drink 12 of my sister's Miller 64 and finally start feeling buzzed. With it's incredibly low alcohol content of a mere 2.8, small wonder why. It's basically beer flavored water. Higher octane beers such as craft ales have alcohol contents that exceed well over 6%. To say one has drank 12 beers --- the meaning of that varies greatly.

I would never advocate taking benzos and booze in the same day but there are so many variables here. Type of drink, age and weight of drinker, drinker's tolerance to alcohol, amount of benzo used. I personally could easily take a mg of my benzo in the am and have a few higher octane drinks later without any issues at all. BUT AGAIN--NOT RECOMMENDED. Esp when you consider how your liver is in overdrive processing all that.


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## Ash10105

This will make you super ZZZzzzzz... I don't recommend combining them as I have done this and it will just make you want to go to bed.


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## riptide991

Ash10105 said:


> This will make you super ZZZzzzzz... I don't recommend combining them as I have done this and it will just make you want to go to bed.


What about combining crackers and cream cheese?


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## InvisibleWrath

" Why face problems when you can escape them " You sound like a weak individual.


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## ChangelingGirl

Just my opinion, but I consider ht eabove post (about this person who wants to avoid problems beign weak) very offensive.

As for mixing benzos and booze, I'd never do it. The added effect of alcohol on anxiety is probably zero and the two combined can completely knock you out, even to the point of passing out or coma.


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## XnAl

*Xanax and alcohol*

Hi, I've been on Xanax for quite a while, say 4 years odd and admittedly I do do drink a bit (don't get me wrong I'm not like an alcoholic or anything) and I've laid off the Xanax for a little while now.. My query is, I seem to blackout, as in not remember anything, after only a couple of drinks... Is this some long term effect of mixing alcohol and Xanax?? And can I fix this or stop it from continuing to happen...?


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## istayhome

XnAl said:


> Hi, I've been on Xanax for quite a while, say 4 years odd and admittedly I do do drink a bit (don't get me wrong I'm not like an alcoholic or anything) and I've laid off the Xanax for a little while now.. My query is, *I seem to blackout, as in not remember anything, after only a couple of drinks... Is this some long term effect of mixing alcohol and Xanax?? And can I fix this or stop it from continuing to happen...?*


No, xanax is very short lasting. If anything your Gaba receptors are down regulated so you would require more alcohol to get drunk. You are simply drinking too much. drink less in order to avoid this problem.


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## cazmayov

As a matter of fact drinking too much is never recommended


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## istayhome

cazmayov said:


> As a matter of fact drinking too much is never recommended


Well all of the above is relative, but it is all true as well.


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## ellespirit

So, you want to know if you can mix your medications with alcohol? It seems like
alcohol is your only source of relief! And of course you need it... you don't
really care anymore if that is harmful or not... as life for people with social
anxiety or other mental disorders is not worth living....

I was in the same situation 4 months ago! I tried to find some relief in alcohol
because my life was not worth living anyway at the period. I didn't really care
if it was harmful or not. Unfortunately... even alcohol couldn't provide me any
relief... I was quite depressed at the period after many failed attempts to get
rid of my social anxiety. However, I found a new solution for my life! And it took
me some time to find it. I had always wanted to find a cure for my social anxiety
and OCD. I tried several self-help books, which didn't work for me. But one night,
as I was searching on the internet I found out a revolutionary method that can
cure any form of mental disorder including social anxiety or ocd! This is the only
method that can cure entirely any mental disorder because it deals with the cause
of all mental disorders. You can learn more here! :

Unique And Revolutionary Approach

You don't have to spend the rest of your life suffering from your mental disorder.
You can begin a new life, too! You can find peace and relief in your life.
You will not even need to use alcohol although you will not take medication any
longer.

It feels so good to be free from anxiety! You can experience that, too.

Since I don't have a mental illness anymore I am going to leave the forum.
I would like to talk more but nobody posts here anymore.
I am going to begin a new life.


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## halo25

Apparently I must be some sort of mutant, because I've been taking 1MG tablets of Xanax three times a day for 9 years along with Topamax, Toprol, Maxalt, Compazine and other drugs and I drink 6 beers a night without issue. 

Now, I don't take mine for an anxiety disorder, but that really doesn't matter. 

Maybe it's because I'm not 140 pounds? I have no idea. 

Then again, maybe I have so much Xanax in my system that it doesn't even bother me anymore. 

Now, I can tell you the first week I started drinking again I could barely drink two beers. 

Two weeks later, a six-pack doesn't even phase me. 

I don't push it past that limit. 

From reading this thread though, a lot of people here seem to get a lot of "benefit or feeling" from their "benzos" (I love the druggy slang) and I don't think I'd know the difference between taking one of my 1 MG pills or 5 of them. 

On top of that, I drink because I like having a few beers. I'm not slamming them down to kill some depression. 

As for "doctor's orders", you guys have some strange doctors. Mine are at UPENN, Jefferson Hospital and the Mayo Clinic. My off the record advice has been to not go overboard and drink what I can tolerate. 

This thing reads like a junky's lab full of people that can't control themselves. 

Get ALS, Meniere's, CSD, Neurofibromatosis and then start crying.


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## halo25

istayhome said:


> No, xanax is very short lasting. If anything your Gaba receptors are down regulated so you would require more alcohol to get drunk. You are simply drinking too much. drink less in order to avoid this problem.


In the future Dr. Mom, Google Search better. Alprazolam attaches to less than 25-percent of your GABAa receptors. Alcohol touches 1 of the 19 that alprazolam does. The correlation isn't alcohol + xanax, it's GABAa + GABAa. The amount of alcohol does not matter. Does the same damage. The excess alcohol simply makes you more drunk. The blackout comes from a GABAa flux. And "down regulated" is something you picked up off the internet and misunderstood.

They're only "down regulated" if you're on some sore of "benzo". All that means is that the fat soluble molecules in the drug have reversed flow. You act like it's a bad thing. It's the point of the drug.

Holy hell, a year of medical school and I know these things. You Google them off to people as fact?


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## mcmuffinme

I've mixed 4mg of klonopin (a different benzo) and hard alcohol twice. The first time I had to bury my face in my hands because I couldn't keep my eyes open and interact with my friends. So, almost lost consciousness that time. The other time I did it on a first date and mixed it with whiskey my gallant date brought to the movie theater. Let's just say that was a bad experience too.

It's definitely a bad idea. Keep it minimal. I'd suggest either taking xanax alone, or drinking. Just pick one and stick to it.


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## Captainmycaptain

QuakerOats167 said:


> Does anyone know how bad the effects are of mixing these two? I'm taking a very small dose of Xanax before social events where I plan on drinking. Will this be really bad? I've heard mixed responses...


Yes, it's fine. I have consumed unbelievable quantities of benzos and alcohol at the same time with no problems. On the other hand, be very careful about consuming large amounts of alcohol and large amount of ambien. You very well will blackout. I took around 100 mg of Ambien and drank a bottle of vodka. Had a pure blackout. Woke up in my bed with a complete stranger next to me. I checked the internet and nothing was making sense. I was almost sure I had died.


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## whiskeyprincess

My boyfriend and best friend did it, made them both extremely violent. 
Would NOT recommend.


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## UltraShy

DRUGSAREnotGOOD said:


> On the other hand, be very careful about consuming large amounts of alcohol and large amount of ambien. You very well will blackout. I took around *100 mg of Ambien* and *drank a bottle of vodka*. Had a pure blackout. Woke up in my bed with a complete stranger next to me. I checked the internet and nothing was making sense. I was almost sure I had died.


1) 100mg of Ambien is 10 pills. That's ten times the normal dose. You'd expect to black out given that it's a sleeping pill.

2) A bottle of vodka is not a single serving size and is not intended to be consumed in one sitting.


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## XanaXXX

Apologies for reviving this topic, but there's something I'd like to address and this was the most relevant thing I found when searching Google.

Most of the Google results I find for xanax + alcohol are people asking if it's safe or drug forums discussing how to get the best recreational effects from it. My question is this: as someone suffering from severe anxiety, *what is the effect on anxiety when mixing the two?*

Would it make things worse? Better? No difference? Would 1mg of Xanax have the effect of 2mg with the right combination in terms of anxiety relief, or does it not work that way?

My dilemma is that my anxiety has increased a tremendous amount without any changes in medication or alcohol consumption. My prescribed dosage of Xanax is not adequate/does not have the intended anxiolytic effect presently due to extreme circumstances in my life that have driven my anxiety through the roof. I find that I need to take double or occasionally triple the dosage in order to benefit from the medication - and it DOES work when I do this. The problem being that this means I run out of the meds long before the refill date. My doctor is extremely stingy about prescribing any controlled substances and is only prescribing the Xanax as a continuation of what I was prescribed by my former doctor; he does not prescribe "habit-forming" medications in general and despite my bringing up the increased anxiety and how only higher dosages work, he will not increase the dosage.

So either I take the amount I know to work but then run out 1-2 weeks in advance or I take the prescribed amount and don't run out but it's also not enough to stop the anxiety.

Which is where alcohol comes in. I'm prescribed 1mg of Xanax per day and need either 2mg or 3mg for it to work - occasionally 4mg if the anxiety is especially severe. If I take my prescribed dosage of 1mg PLUS alcohol, would it be anything like if I'd taken 2mg or 3mg of Xanax in terms of the anti-anxiety effect of those dosages?

I am well aware of the dangers of mixing the two. Also, purposely self-medicating with alcohol and Xanax sounds like a recipe for disaster, I know. But I have no idea how else to potentiate the effects of 1mg Xanax to make it the equivalent of a dosage that works. I have no interest in any type of recreational effect - I am way too anxious to ever even experiment with the recreational effects of other drugs - I have a diagnosed anxiety disorder that is ruining my life and I simply want the anxiety to subside or at least become manageable so that I can function. So, does purposely mixing alcohol and Xanax help with anxiety in a substantial way?

P.S.
I am already on a waiting list to see a new doctor - one that will hopefully address my needs so that I don't have to even think about resorting to this method, but that waiting list is 10 weeks long, and the help I need is needed now, not in 10 weeks.

P.P.S.
I used to be prescribed Klonopin and would drink on a fairly regular basis and had absolutely no issues - the one exception being one occasion when I went way overboard with the alcohol and (stupidly) did so knowingly. I would not drink anywhere near that amount again, regardless of medication or anxiety. Also, at no point during that stage was I ever drinking with the intention of reducing anxiety, and my anxiety was much less severe back in those days anyway, so I am unsure whether it helped in that regard or not.

Thank you for reading.


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## harrison

XanaXXX said:


> Apologies for reviving this topic, but there's something I'd like to address and this was the most relevant thing I found when searching Google.
> 
> Most of the Google results I find for xanax + alcohol are people asking if it's safe or drug forums discussing how to get the best recreational effects from it. My question is this: as someone suffering from severe anxiety, *what is the effect on anxiety when mixing the two?*
> 
> *Would it make things worse? Better? No difference?* Would 1mg of Xanax have the effect of 2mg with the right combination in terms of anxiety relief, or does it not work that way?
> 
> My dilemma is that my anxiety has increased a tremendous amount without any changes in medication or alcohol consumption. * My prescribed dosage of Xanax is not adequate/does not have the intended anxiolytic effect presently due to extreme circumstances in my life that have driven my anxiety through the roof. I find that I need to take double or occasionally triple the dosage in order to benefit from the medication - and it DOES work when I do this.* The problem being that this means I run out of the meds long before the refill date. My doctor is extremely stingy about prescribing any controlled substances and is only prescribing the Xanax as a continuation of what I was prescribed by my former doctor; he does not prescribe "habit-forming" medications in general and despite my bringing up the increased anxiety and how only higher dosages work, he will not increase the dosage.
> 
> *So either I take the amount I know to work but then run out 1-2 weeks in advance or I take the prescribed amount and don't run out but it's also not enough to stop the anxiety.*
> 
> Which is where alcohol comes in. I'm prescribed 1mg of Xanax per day and need either 2mg or 3mg for it to work - occasionally 4mg if the anxiety is especially severe. If I take my prescribed dosage of 1mg PLUS alcohol, would it be anything like if I'd taken 2mg or 3mg of Xanax in terms of the anti-anxiety effect of those dosages?
> 
> *I am well aware of the dangers of mixing the two. Also, purposely self-medicating with alcohol and Xanax sounds like a recipe for disaster, I know. * But I have no idea how else to potentiate the effects of 1mg Xanax to make it the equivalent of a dosage that works. I have no interest in any type of recreational effect - I am way too anxious to ever even experiment with the recreational effects of other drugs - I have a diagnosed anxiety disorder that is ruining my life and I simply want the anxiety to subside or at least become manageable so that I can function. *So, does purposely mixing alcohol and Xanax help with anxiety in a substantial way?
> *
> P.S.
> I am already on a waiting list to see a new doctor - one that will hopefully address my needs so that I don't have to even think about resorting to this method, but that waiting list is 10 weeks long, and the help I need is needed now, not in 10 weeks.
> 
> P.P.S.
> I used to be prescribed Klonopin and would drink on a fairly regular basis and had absolutely no issues - the one exception being one occasion when I went way overboard with the alcohol and (stupidly) did so knowingly. I would not drink anywhere near that amount again, regardless of medication or anxiety. Also, at no point during that stage was I ever drinking with the intention of reducing anxiety, and my anxiety was much less severe back in those days anyway, so I am unsure whether it helped in that regard or not.
> 
> Thank you for reading.


It really worries me when I see posts like this. I was in a situation very similar to yours a number of years ago and the way I dealt with it was by increasing the amount of Xanax I took. Eventually I had to start "doctor-shopping" as they call it - a very bad idea. My doctor would ask me how I got through my script so quickly so I would try and think of an excuse to get more.

You obviously sound like you know why this is happening - that's it's tolerance, so I won't bore you with all that. But introducing alcohol into the mix does indeed sound like a "recipe for disaster" as you put it.

Most sources that I can find seem to agree that the Xanax and alcohol will increase each other's effect - but the risks you face are increased too. The effects on memory-loss may be increased, difficulty with co-ordination and cognition etc. Are you planning on using alcohol to increase the Xanax's effect at work for example? If so it might lower your anxiety overall but also make it harder for you to function appropriately.

Really sounds like a bad idea as far as I'm concerned. I'm sorry to hear of your situation and believe me - I do know how hard it is to deal with, but you're going to have to work out whether you want to keep raising the dose of the Xanax, or stop it altogether.


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## mcmuffinme

turn the f--- back. don't do it. I have worried the s--- out of some friends, made a fool of myself in front of someone I had a huge crush on, and just...you just black out, completely, and are 100% unconscious. It's unbelievable. I don't even know how to express how much you should not mix the two...

I just remember one night having my friend smack and me and tell me something to the effect of 'don't do that s--- again, you dumb b----' lol. She was worried, I suppose.


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## jim_morrison

XanaXXX said:


> Apologies for reviving this topic, but there's something I'd like to address and this was the most relevant thing I found when searching Google.
> 
> Most of the Google results I find for xanax + alcohol are people asking if it's safe or drug forums discussing how to get the best recreational effects from it. My question is this: as someone suffering from severe anxiety, *what is the effect on anxiety when mixing the two?*
> 
> Would it make things worse? Better? No difference? Would 1mg of Xanax have the effect of 2mg with the right combination in terms of anxiety relief, or does it not work that way?
> 
> My dilemma is that my anxiety has increased a tremendous amount without any changes in medication or alcohol consumption. My prescribed dosage of Xanax is not adequate/does not have the intended anxiolytic effect presently due to extreme circumstances in my life that have driven my anxiety through the roof. I find that I need to take double or occasionally triple the dosage in order to benefit from the medication - and it DOES work when I do this. The problem being that this means I run out of the meds long before the refill date. My doctor is extremely stingy about prescribing any controlled substances and is only prescribing the Xanax as a continuation of what I was prescribed by my former doctor; he does not prescribe "habit-forming" medications in general and despite my bringing up the increased anxiety and how only higher dosages work, he will not increase the dosage.
> 
> So either I take the amount I know to work but then run out 1-2 weeks in advance or I take the prescribed amount and don't run out but it's also not enough to stop the anxiety.
> 
> Which is where alcohol comes in. I'm prescribed 1mg of Xanax per day and need either 2mg or 3mg for it to work - occasionally 4mg if the anxiety is especially severe. If I take my prescribed dosage of 1mg PLUS alcohol, would it be anything like if I'd taken 2mg or 3mg of Xanax in terms of the anti-anxiety effect of those dosages?
> 
> I am well aware of the dangers of mixing the two. Also, purposely self-medicating with alcohol and Xanax sounds like a recipe for disaster, I know. But I have no idea how else to potentiate the effects of 1mg Xanax to make it the equivalent of a dosage that works. I have no interest in any type of recreational effect - I am way too anxious to ever even experiment with the recreational effects of other drugs - I have a diagnosed anxiety disorder that is ruining my life and I simply want the anxiety to subside or at least become manageable so that I can function. So, does purposely mixing alcohol and Xanax help with anxiety in a substantial way?
> 
> P.S.
> I am already on a waiting list to see a new doctor - one that will hopefully address my needs so that I don't have to even think about resorting to this method, but that waiting list is 10 weeks long, and the help I need is needed now, not in 10 weeks.
> 
> P.P.S.
> I used to be prescribed Klonopin and would drink on a fairly regular basis and had absolutely no issues - the one exception being one occasion when I went way overboard with the alcohol and (stupidly) did so knowingly. I would not drink anywhere near that amount again, regardless of medication or anxiety. Also, at no point during that stage was I ever drinking with the intention of reducing anxiety, and my anxiety was much less severe back in those days anyway, so I am unsure whether it helped in that regard or not.
> 
> Thank you for reading.


What about augmenting it with Lyrica instead? It supposedly works well for anxiety in most cases.


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## Howsyourday

Just came across this post. I had an awful experience a few months ago after mixing Xanax and alcohol. I'm not a regular drinker or regular Xanax taker. I only take it when having a really bad day in work. So I had a really bad day and took 3x .25 Xanax around midday, that night I had a pre planned evening out. I drank a few beers more than I usually would (about 5/6 in total)....then sometime during the night I "blacked out" I remember up to a certain point...then nothing... The next thing I remember I woke up in a strange room with two strangers and I was naked!!! I got dressed and had to "escape" from their place coz I had no idea on how to get out of the building. I've no clue of what happened. Eventually I figured out where I was and made my way home.
After reading this tread I've learned there's also medical reasons why you shouldn't mix both...to be honest I don't know if that would actually stop me...but if I had known about the "blackout" that could happen I would have never drank that night...because it ruined my life.


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## JoeSeijo

Howsyourday said:


> Just came across this post. I had an awful experience a few months ago after mixing Xanax and alcohol.


I seriously doubt the Xanax had anything to do with it. It wears off quickly and it seems many hours passed before you began drinking. In my opinion you simply drank more than you're used to drinking.


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