# Benzo's and Alcohol



## orbit55 (Apr 23, 2008)

How many of you actually have a benzo script that specifically states to not consume alcohol? I've been on Xanax and Klonopin and both have stated the medication may "Intensify the Effects of Alcohol". I've never had my bottle state DO NOT MIX...

I'm in a small debate on a different forum that I won't name and one member pulled some drugs.com website that makes this claim. I've never had a doctor say do not drink. My first doctor simply said to cut your regular intake in half. I've gone out drinking with my friends many times, and yeah my tolerance is low and I get drunk quicker, but I still felt like a normal person.


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## Drew (Jan 23, 2006)

I'm in a similar situation as you, the bottle doesn't say not to drink and my pdoc doesn't either, he just said to be more conscious of my alcohol consumption and never drink "a lot".

I'd be curious to hear as well if others have had different experiences.


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

I've gotten my monthly bottle of Xanax from the same pharmacy for years now. Some months the bottle will have a warning sticker that says not to consume any alcohol with it and other times it will not. Pharmacists have a whole collection of warning stickers and from what I've seem they like to mix it up by changing which one(s) they decide to put on from month to month.

Despite what it may or may not say, I can assure you that it is safe to mix benzos and booze. And before somebody jumps on me for saying that I must clarify that by "safe" I mean it will not harm you other than both are CNS depressants that produce an additive effect. Someone might reply the combination could potentially kill you, which is true -- if you take enough benzos you could reduce the blood alcohol level needed to produce death by alcohol poisoning to a "mere" .45 instead of .50 -- though even without the added help of benzos that's enough alcohol that odds are you can't manage to stand and are most likely passed out.

So it's safe as long as we're not talking about insane behavior like taking the whole bottle of pills and washing that down with a whole bottle of vodka.

Adding in other CNS depressants like opioids would also produce an additive effect. This would be a way idiots manage to accidentally die -- they're a human pharmacy filled with a ton of assorted CNS depressants. All of which would be safe if not used in excess.


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

No doctor has ever mentioned the issue of drinking. Back when I started seeing my pdoc I indicated on his new patient questionnaire that I NEVER drink, which was true at that time. And I'm not stupid enough to update that information.


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## Drew (Jan 23, 2006)

UltraShy said:


> Some months the bottle will have a warning sticker that says not to consume any alcohol with it and other times it will not. Pharmacists have a whole collection of warning stickers and from what I've seem they like to mix it up by changing which one(s) they decide to put on from month to month.


*shakes head*

I wonder if they just grab the one closest to them. :roll


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

^My personal favorite warning is "May cause drowsiness" on sleeping pills.:lol Well, I should hope so!

Give how totally ineffective Lunesta & Ambien are for me that "May" part actually is accurate.


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## arth77 (Jun 4, 2009)

benzos make many people feel drunk, so alcahol adds to the benzos effect

so you need to experiment with benzos and booze, especially if driving or operating machinery

overall bans on booze and meds are mostly to keep insurance cos happy and reduce the possibility of people suing for accidents

social drinking with friends is important for morale, but when starting any new prescription med, take a tablet at home first and have 1 or 2 drinks as the reaction cant be predicted, may save you from dancing on the table later when drinking with friends, or perhaps from passing out


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## Drew (Jan 23, 2006)

UltraShy said:


> ^My personal favorite warning is "May cause drowsiness" on sleeping pills.:lol Well, I should hope so!


That's hilarious! :lol

Reminds me of the Planters Dry Roasted Peanuts I bought recently:
"Allergy Information: Contains Peanuts" :lol


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## belfort (May 3, 2009)

benzos/alcohol seem to work some of the time but other times just make me a jumbled mess...sutre, i have no anxiety and my inhibitions are very low but my memory is terrible and my overall movement is slowed too much....


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## orbit55 (Apr 23, 2008)

Well let's just say this other person I am debating with has absolutely no experience with benzo's and even thinks driving on benzo's is potentially dangerous. I mean I don't think people should be driving while drinking, so they definitely shouldn't be driving while mixing benzo's and booze. Furthermore, people who take benzo's daily no longer get the extreme depressing effect. They just feel like normal people without irregular amounts of anxiety. Also, I think people who take benzo's prn should be more careful with driving.


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## DMBfan (Aug 29, 2008)

I think the danger isn't death but blacking out, doing a face plant, trying to drive, making an *** out yourself in front of co-workers etc. I've read several stories of people taking klonopin falling asleep at the bar or blacking out after drinking and having no memory of the night before. I personally haven't had a problem with waiting until the benzo wears off and drinking booze (at least 4 hours after my last valium dose) but this can be difficult to do with the longer acting benzos.


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

Drew said:


> Reminds me of the Planters Dry Roasted Peanuts I bought recently:
> "Allergy Information: Contains Peanuts" :lol


Yeah, I've seen that same warning on a pack of peanut butter cookies that on the front screams "Made with Real Peanut Butter" and lists peanut butter as the main ingredient.

Yet their lawyers still demand they carry that warning for anybody who couldn't guess the secret ingredient.


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## Kanes (May 10, 2009)

You can drink on benzos, but it isn't recommended since a lot of people don't know their own limit. I tried it once and I just fell asleep. The only real benefit I could see to this combo is that you could reduce some of the hangover effects of alcohol by supplementing some of the anxiolysis with benzos. In other words, you could drink less and have less of a hangover. I don't have much interest in this combo though.


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## wxolue (Nov 26, 2008)

Its not suggested because they're both depressants. They both enhance the effects of the other. Just drink in moderation and im sure you'll be fine


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## BnSwiss (Jan 29, 2010)

*Hmmm*

I suffer from pretty bad PTSD which can kinda trigger a socially nerve wraking experience, day or time. And am also a recovering Heroin addict and if you are truly trying to deal with you anxiety I personally recomend not drinking and taking Benzos of any kind I take about 2 MG of a Kolonopin a day and 30mg of Restoril at badtime when needed. And from experience with taking large ammounts drugs I can tell you that if i was drinking and taking a benzo of anykind it was for the sole purpose of getting ****ed up and not actually trying to settle my anxiety. So based on that if you are drinking and taking benzos your not trying to releve anything your just trying to get messed up. I mean I don't even care if your socially drinking but if your taking any benzos and drink about a shot you'll be pretty messed up. I really can't believe you guys are actually talking about this.


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## bezoomny (Feb 10, 2007)

Drinking on benzos makes me completely black out within 4 drinks. It usually takes over ten drinks on an empty stomach to black me out. Surprisingly enough, there is no alcohol warning on my klonopin.


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## meyaj (Sep 5, 2009)

The danger of mixing benzos and alcohol isn't down to just the toxicity. Benzos will make you pass out a lot easier when added into the mix, and many deaths are from things like people vomiting in such a state and choking to death on it. This nearly happened to my brother who was relatively benzo-naive and didn't take much, but had a fair bit of alcohol, and he's lucky I was there.

I'm not saying you can't mix the two, and I do so myself (often the only way I can elicit any sort of feeling from benzos at all), but you DO have to be careful about it. Benzos on their own are remarkably safe but it's not a smart idea to get totally hammered at the same time. The remark about it slightly reducing the necessary BAC from .50 to .45 may be true, but that's not how most deaths from combining these things occur...

But yeah... as far the the stickers go, sometimes it tells me not to mix with alcohol, sometimes to use caution, and sometimes it's not there at all. Not just with benzos, but even with SSRIs I sometimes had the "no alcohol" stickers! Sometimes it tells me not to mix with grapefruit juice, but the sticker is often missing too. There's really no standard for these... the pharmacists just have these stickers and its really up to their own discretion which they stick on.


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## Akane (Jan 2, 2008)

I'm pretty sure if you read that little paper that always comes with your medication all benzos (and pretty much all anxiety and depression meds) say do not consume alcohol. They don't always put the stickers on the bottles because you are suppose to read the paper. Not that anyone does which is why they started putting stickers on the bottles. 

I wouldn't get really drunk while on such medications. That could be dangerous. I don't see a problem with some alcohol though. I try to keep it equal to or equivalent to the amount in a glass of wine. All it does is make my benzos or sleep aids or whatever work better which is good. Especially when my doctor is being overly cautious and not prescribing a high enough dose. I'm about to tell her to pick between a script of 4mg of lorazepam (actually within the normal range for treating insomnia with it) or 2mg plus vodka and let her decide which she thinks is safer. Cause the latter is what I've been doing for weeks in order to fall asleep.


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## meyaj (Sep 5, 2009)

Akane said:


> I'm about to tell her to pick between a script of 4mg of lorazepam (actually within the normal range for treating insomnia with it) or 2mg plus vodka and let her decide which she thinks is safer. Cause the latter is what I've been doing for weeks in order to fall asleep.


That's a good way to get cut off completely :lol


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## Akane (Jan 2, 2008)

She can't stop all my meds because I have extreme insomnia. I will not sleep for days without meds and this was before I ever started any meds so it's not withdrawal. Which means I'll end up doing whatever it takes to get sleep or going back to a nonfunctioning suicidal state. Which that doctor has seen and it's part of why she gives me anything I want most of the time.

Every script I fill anywhere comes in a bag with a paper stapled to it and the info labels to send in to my insurance if I need to.


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

UltraShy said:


> ^My personal favorite warning is "May cause drowsiness" on sleeping pills.:lol Well, I should hope so!


My new favorite warning is the "may cause drowsiness" label they put on my dextroamphetamine. Uh, one of the most potent stimulants might make me sleepy? Wow, that would be quite something.


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

bezoomny said:


> Drinking on benzos makes me completely black out within 4 drinks. It usually takes over ten drinks on an empty stomach to black me out. Surprisingly enough, there is no alcohol warning on my klonopin.


I've never blacked out, but I've probably only once in my life had ten drinks at one time. I don't plan to repeat that as it resulted in 20 hours of seemingly endless vomiting and it took 36 hours before I felt recovered. I assume by blacked out you mean went unconscious without recall of exactly what happened. I've certainly felt tired and went to bed after drinking, but never blacked out.

I wouldn't even drink a full bottle of wine at once (5 drinks) as that just has me waking up with a headache.


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

Akane said:


> I'm about to tell her to pick between a script of 4mg of lorazepam (actually within the normal range for treating insomnia with it) or 2mg plus vodka and let her decide which she thinks is safer. Cause the latter is what I've been doing for weeks in order to fall asleep.


I fully agree with you that doctors act like idiots when it comes to benzos. It's as if they are unaware that liquor stores exist, such that they make patients jump through hoops to get some damn benzo, which simply drives at least some patients to alcohol instead where nobody is going to ask why you're buying so much even if you have a whole cart load of liquor.

Of course, I'd agree with the comment above about saying this to a doctor being a dangerous idea. My brother's Klonopin script specifically states "can only refill after 30 days." That notation got put on there after he was stupid enough to tell his doc how he would consume a month's supply of benzos in 21 days and wash them down with liquor.

I let my psychiatrist believe that I never drink. He hasn't asked since that original questionnaire years ago when I could honestly say I didn't. I also have not updated him on me becoming a gun owner since I started seeing him in 2003, another new patient question.


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## hey25 (Jul 30, 2009)

I keep taking Xanax when I'm drunk and then it makes me black out. This I need to stop.


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## martyboi (Sep 18, 2009)

Benzos+alcohol is a terrible combo. even at a reasonable benzo dose with a reasonable amount of liqour...I find that it impairs my concentration to the point where ill be unable to converse intelligently with anyone. If you're goal is to be the life of the party and command the respect of the people around you...you have to be with it and thinking on your feet. Taking multiple depressants like benzos with alcohol is definitely not going to achieve that and is pretty stupid if you ask me.


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## bezoomny (Feb 10, 2007)

UltraShy said:


> I've never blacked out, but I've probably only once in my life had ten drinks at one time. I don't plan to repeat that as it resulted in 20 hours of seemingly endless vomiting and it took 36 hours before I felt recovered. I assume by blacked out you mean went unconscious without recall of exactly what happened. I've certainly felt tired and went to bed after drinking, but never blacked out.
> 
> I wouldn't even drink a full bottle of wine at once (5 drinks) as that just has me waking up with a headache.


By blacked out, I mean that I was fully conscious but had absolutely no memory of what I did. I'd come to five or six hours later with absolutely no idea where I was or what I'd done during that time.


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

bezoomny said:


> By blacked out, I mean that I was fully conscious but had absolutely no memory of what I did. I'd come to five or six hours later with absolutely no idea where I was or what I'd done during that time.


OK, thanks for defining that. I've never been so drunk as to lose memory of what happened.

Seems rather dangerous. I notice that you're 21 & female, which makes me think of how some horny frat boys like to rape passed out coeds who can't easily report a rape when they haven't a clue as to details like was it the entire football team?

Gee, I really must be getting old when I'm now giving father-like advice to young women.:lol


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## Kam2010 (Jan 25, 2010)

I always worry about mixing the two also, as I have the label on my bottle saying not to mix with alcohol. The irony is though, that I often need to take a Clonazepam if I'm going to go out to meet someone for drinks (to reduce the anxiety of socializing)....So I drink much more slowly than I normally would, to avoid being a complete utter drunken mess.


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## bezoomny (Feb 10, 2007)

Kam2010 said:


> I always worry about mixing the two also, as I have the label on my bottle saying not to mix with alcohol. The irony is though, that I often need to take a Clonazepam if I'm going to go out to meet someone for drinks (to reduce the anxiety of socializing)....So I drink much more slowly than I normally would, to avoid being a complete utter drunken mess.


I just have a drink or two before leaving in that situation. I pretty much only use klonopin on weekdays when there's absolutely no chance of my being near alcohol.


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## Xethavosh (Jul 24, 2010)

In my experience, you just have to know how each substance effects you. In this case. The benzodiazapine and alcohol.
I've been on clonazeapam for years, yet I am only on 1 mg 2 times a day. A total of 2 mg a day. I drink as if I would without it.

The only difference I see is that, if I forget to take my benzo. I have to drink more to get the same effect.

In conclusion... benzos seem safe with alcohol if you are responsible.
But this is only my experience with it and I can only tell you not to take my advice (for legal reasons).


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## Allani (Oct 18, 2010)

Benzos are cross tolerant with alcohol and both can be addictive. I don't drink but the nature of alcohol is such that being treated for anxiety, I would avoid it as it exacerbates feelings and combining two sedating substances, one of which impairs judgement seems potentially risky as well. I have a very low tolerance for alcohol and it makes me stupid and I don't enjoy how it feels when I consumed enough to feel it. Xanax used to make me sleepy but now simply calms me and allows me to breath and stop tensing every muscle in my body. My tolerance has increased and it takes a higher dose to achieve the desired effect but bodies adapt to meds the longer they are used. Bear that in mind when using alcohol. The risk of intoxication will be increased. Hence, the warning. Depending on how you metabolize alcohol as an individual, you may decide combing the two is fine or you may regret the decision. Be aware that the two can be deadly in combination. If you do drink while using the medication that it is imperative to consider the medication and reduce the amount of alcohol you ingest. Have one glass of wine if you usually have two. Be aware of how you feel when the two are in your system and don't drive even if you consume less alcohol than would make you at the legal limit of your state because on the medication though legally prescribed and taken as directed, the result could qualify you for a DUI. Since each intensifies the other be careful. Alcohol impairs judgement in excess so drinking while chilling with no anxiety could affect you in ways you never dreamed, including making you intoxicated on less alcohol than might otherwise do so. Good luck and proceed with caution.


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## hey25 (Jul 30, 2009)

I had the worst blackout of my life a couple of months ago thanks to xanax and booze combo. I took a xanax in the car when I was heading to a party because I was feeling a little nervous, but I forgot I took it and then started drinking. I got really drunk really quick and a few hours later me and a friend did another xanax together and then I don't remember anything, apparently I passed out face first somewhere. All I know is when I woke up later that night I was thankful to be alive, I seriously think I OD'd and almost died that night. It's very scary and I'm never going to take it again when I'm drinking.


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## Rbk (Aug 5, 2010)

> 4mg of lorazepam (actually within the normal range for treating insomnia with it)


Lorazepam for treating insomnia? I don't think this is a good idea. Try diazepam or antihistamines - they are much better.


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## 49erJT (Oct 18, 2010)

00


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## crayzyMed (Nov 2, 2006)

49erJT said:


> I've been taking a 0.50mg klonopin in the am and having drinks that night (about 10-12 hrs later) and there does not appear to be any additive effects for me. I know klonopin has a long half-life but I can have like 6 beers and still walk around and be totally alert. I've never blacked out and my memory is always fine the next morning. I wonder why so many people black out from the combo and I don't?


Individual sensivity to the amnesic effects, i'm insensitive to benzo blackouts myself.


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## 49erJT (Oct 18, 2010)

00


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## crayzyMed (Nov 2, 2006)

Well, i can take 20mg of xanax and only double vision without other effects lol. Except when on stimulants when they do work (they are also the only thing that fix my anxiety, they also normalize my brain somehow so benzo's do work) but even then like you they cause sedation with depression, dont like them.

It wouldnt have killed you but if you were sensitive you could have blacked out or started acting extremely weird and disinhibited leaving you not remembering what happened.

Seems that your response is simular as mine on stimulants, no matter what dose of benzo's i take i remember everything lol, dont get disinhibted either, just sedated, and start stumbling when walking and depressed.


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## 49erJT (Oct 18, 2010)

crayzyMed said:


> Seems that your response is simular as mine on stimulants, no matter what dose of benzo's i take i remember everything lol, dont get disinhibted either, just sedated, and start stumbling when walking and depressed.


Do stimulants make your anxiety better?


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## crayzyMed (Nov 2, 2006)

49erJT said:


> Do stimulants make your anxiety better?


They are actually the only thing that help, they also vanish my OCD, they make me very extroverted and feel normal and also fix the not know what to say problem, like shart about random stuff that doesnt make any sense gets rewarding too.

Ive tried opiates, benzo's, GHB, alcohol etc all without succes, and thats pretty heavy duty stuff that fix pretty much everyone up when they are on them.


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## 49erJT (Oct 18, 2010)

crayzyMed said:


> They are actually the only thing that help, they also vanish my OCD, they make me very extroverted and feel normal and also fix the not know what to say problem, like shart about random stuff that doesnt make any sense gets rewarding too.
> 
> Ive tried opiates, benzo's, GHB, alcohol etc all without succes, and thats pretty heavy duty stuff that fix pretty much everyone up when they are on them.


What stimulants have you had success with?


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## crayzyMed (Nov 2, 2006)

49erJT said:


> What stimulants have you had success with?


Amphetamine (adderall and dexedrine they both work) ritalin seems to be rather **** for SA tough. However they only work consistently when i added memantine to them, or they poop out within several days, even worse they started doing the reverse of effects. I also found the supplement curcumin very effective against tolerance but my experience with it is only short term. Also with memantine i took 2 day breaks every week.


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## 49erJT (Oct 18, 2010)

crayzyMed said:


> Amphetamine (adderall and dexedrine they both work) ritalin seems to be rather **** for SA tough.


I was prescribed ritalin as a child because I had the hypo-active form of ADD ( I was not hyper but could not focus on anything) and I didn't notice much of a difference so I stopped taking it after like a week.

Can stimulants be dangerous for you heart....hypertension runs in my family and I developed it a few years ago when I was taking large doses of ephedra to help me work out. I wonder if a doctor would prescribe Klonopin and adderall.


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## crayzyMed (Nov 2, 2006)

If you have problems with blood pressure then you can add a beta blocker to amphetamine (safe with therapeutic doses of amp). 

Ephedra is much worse for your heart then amphetamine.

Klonopin and adderall is a combination a few peeps take here, but it takes a good docter, many are hesistant to prescribe amphetamine for SA, but if you have been diagnosed with ADHD it should be easy to get.

Yeah the only benefit ritalin had was on my anhedonia, didnt do much more.


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## TomThumb (Jan 1, 2013)

Withdrawal


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## jnms (Dec 2, 2012)

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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## lizbina (Jan 30, 2013)

*Benzo's and booze*

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articl...ton-s-death-xanax-and-alcohol-deadly-duo.html


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## jjj7777ggg (Dec 27, 2014)

*GF taking Lorazepam+Zolpidem+25oz wind daily*

Hello,

This may seem ridiculous to some but I'm am in need of advice. My GF (over 50) is doing the drug and alcohol practically every day. She is an MD with fine credentials.
Her working has tapered off and I have moved out. I insisted on her getting serious help and she argues with me.

Am I correct in assuming that this pattern of behavior is unsustainable or am I over reacting.

Due to her professional status, she claims to know more than I do.

Thank you.


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## CosmicLow (Jun 2, 2013)

i don't know but i always consume alcohol after having benzos.. benzos make me crave alcohol and i take both moderately .. its an awesome feeling however sometimes i say stupid ****.. because i become totally anxiety free.. i gen. take 30 mg of nitrazepam along with 3 or 4 shots of vodka. safe till now for me without addiction but i think i have some kind of addiction for alcohol. 

conclusion: it's safe to mix benzos and alcohol in moderation.


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## harrison (Apr 14, 2012)

jjj7777ggg said:


> Hello,
> 
> This may seem ridiculous to some but I'm am in need of advice. My GF (over 50) is doing the drug and alcohol practically every day. She is an MD with fine credentials.
> Her working has tapered off and I have moved out. I insisted on her getting serious help and she argues with me.
> ...


I would say that you are the one that knows what is right - not her - she either needs to stop or get professional help. That sort of behaviour is very obviously unsustainable - it will affect her work performance and maybe endanger peoples lives. Her judgement will be impaired.

The alcohol greatly increases the effects of the benzos - that's why people like it so much.


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