Both methadone and alcohol are substances that affect the body profoundly but in different ways. Methadone is commonly used to treat opioid addiction and manage pain, while alcohol is a widely consumed substance that impacts nearly every bodily system. Mixing these two can lead to dangerous interactions, as both substances depress the central nervous system. The combination of methadone and alcohol can significantly increase the risk of respiratory failure, coma, and even death.
In this post, we will talk about the dangers, adverse effects, and risks of combining methadone with alcohol. We’ll describe how the two drugs interact inside the human body, what side effects could be potential, and what can be dangerously toxic in combination. If you are under methadone treatment or know someone undergoing it and are asking about general potential alcohol use with methadone, read on for how to stay safe and get help when needed.
What Happens When You Mix Methadone and Alcohol?
Methadone is an opioid that acts in the central nervous system in the presence of pain and disorders of opioid dependence. Alcohol is a depressor and decreases the activity of the brain, affecting physical coordination, judgment, as well as skill. Many harmful unpredictable interactions may result from substituting these two drugs.
Methadone and alcohol are central nervous system depressants. That is to say, in the human brain, activity or instances of activity, heart rate, and breathing will be lower or decreased. Whereas the body will respond separately to each of these drugs when they occur simultaneously, their combined effects become cumulative.
Methadone and Alcohol Interaction
When mixed with alcohol, methadone may cause respiratory depression, another condition where respiration slows to dangerous levels. Eventually, those levels could result in respiratory arrest, coma, and even death. It causes extreme sedation, causing a person to become drowsy, lethargic, or unable to stay awake.
Other dangerous interactions include:
- Decreased heart rate. Methadone and alcohol both tend to reduce the heart rate. When combined, methadone and alcohol may lower the heart rate to a dangerous level.
- Impaired cognitive function. Methadone in conjunction with alcohol significantly impairs judgment, coordination, and the ability to think clearly, therefore risking accidents or dangerous acts.
- Increased risk of overdose. Alcohol suppresses the sedative effect that may cause an overdose because on certain occasions the patient ends up taking more doses than intended.
What Is Methadone?
Methadone is a long-lasting synthetic opioid primarily used in the management of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) and chronic pain. Because it forms long-lasting chemical bridges to the same receptors that heroin or morphine uses, methadone helps decrease craving and the attendant withdrawal symptoms from those overcoming addiction. Unlike most other opioids, methadone does not have the same sort of euphoric effects. Therefore, patients can be tapered off it as part of a treatment framework.
Methadone is commonly dispensed in a professional setting or through a controlled outpatient service. When used as injected, methadone enables individuals to stabilize and enhance their functionality and lifestyle, minimizing recurrence of the disorder, while they continue working on their rehabilitation.
However, in case methadone is not taken according to the prescription or with the abuse of such drugs as alcohol, then it could be very deadly. The patients that pass through methadone treatment need extensive patience and commitment to remain away from alcohol among other drugs from causing havoc to methadone.
What Are the Side Effects of Methadone and Alcohol?
Methadone and alcohol each have their side effects, and a combination of them highlights those side effects which are worse and even perilous.
Side Effects of Methadone
Methadone side effects mostly depend on the dosage, frequency of usage, and medical history. Common side effects of methadone include:
- Drowsiness. This drug causes drowsiness by seeking to sleep or lethargy.
- Constipation. Similar to most other opioids, methadone slows down digestion, and in most cases, constipation occurs.
- Nausea and vomiting. There may be some gastrointestinal side effects associated with using methadone.
- Respiratory depression. Methadone depresses respiration, often causing death if one is not given proper care when taken in heavy dosages.
- Dizziness. Some users feel lightheaded or dizzy, especially when standing up quickly.
Side Effects of Alcohol
Alcohol also has several well-known side effects, which include:
| Impaired motor skills | Alcohol affects coordination and balance, increasing the risk of accidents. |
| Drowsiness | Similar to methadone, alcohol can make people feel sleepy or fatigued. |
| Nausea and vomiting | Overconsumption of alcohol can lead to severe stomach upset. |
| Slurred speech | Alcohol can affect speech and cognitive function, making it challenging to communicate clearly. |
| Memory impairment | Drinking alcohol can impair short-term memory and decision-making abilities. |
Side Effects of Methadone and Alcohol Together
The side effects can be worse significantly when methadone and alcohol are mixed. This combination may cause.
- Extreme sedation. Both drugs cause a slow-down of brain activity, leading to extreme drowsiness and sometimes loss of awakening.
- Severe respiratory depression. The combined effects of methadone and alcohol on breathing are the most dangerous interactions between the two substances.
- Increased risk of overdose. The two drugs combined can add up to cause a high overdose, even with the reduced doses of each.
Dangers of Mixing Methadone and Alcohol
Methadone and alcohol are a very deadly combination. Both independently cause central nervous system depression, and the danger multiplies and often quickly becomes fatal when taken together.
Respiratory Depression and Overdose Risk
One of the serious risks posed by methadone and alcohol exposure is respiratory depression. Methadone and alcohol can slow down the body’s process of breathing, and the synergetic effect of both substances can lower the rate of a patient’s breathing, leading to the lack of oxygen in the body, resulting in such medical conditions as brain damage, coma, and even death.
Even at therapeutic, methadone overdoses can occur when combined with alcohol, since the latter potentiates the sedative effects of methadone. It is more likely for people to overdose by accident on their own, especially if not aware of the interaction or feel an urge to drink more alcohol to overcome methadone’s effects.
Impaired Judgment and Risky Behavior
When methadone is taken together with alcohol, the cognition ranging from memory and decision-making skills to and solution of problems is largely affected. This means that the people involved in such practices will be more exposed to risky behavior, such as drunken driving, poor decisions, or getting involved in accidents.
This mixture can make the user emotionally unstable, possibly making them anxious depressed, and aggressive which can be both dangerous for the user and everybody else.
Long-Term Health Consequences
Long-term complications of health include liver damage, cardiovascular problems, and neurological issues due to the chronic mixture of methadone with alcohol. The two types of addiction also compound each other, and the addict suffers the most overwhelming challenge in recovery making it much more difficult to stop using methadone and alcohol.
Treatment for Methadone and Alcohol
If someone you know or you are addicted to alcohol mixtures and methadone, seek help immediately. There are many treatment programs using medicine, where not only alcohol addiction but also opioid addiction can be treated.
Detoxification
The first treatment approach for individuals with mixed methadone and alcohol dependence is detoxification to eliminate the presence of both drugs in the body safely. Drug detox programs are provided under close supervision 24/7 so that the patient receives proper care as he undergoes withdrawal.
Rehabilitation Programs
As a rule, after detoxification, patients need rehabilitation forms-that is, inpatient or outpatient programs to break them free from further cycle substation. These may include individual counseling, group therapy, and family support for a better understanding and learning of healthier coping mechanisms.
Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)
MAT is helpful to the patient recovering from opioid and alcohol use disorders. To the person in recovery from an opioid use disorder, this medication they receive helps in controlling craving/relapse. For alcohol use disorder, among the various types, these include disulfiram, acamprosate, or naltrexone as a way of controlling craving and alcohol intake.
Therapy and Support Groups
Other than detoxification, treatment forms the core process of addiction. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, among others, assists in modifying inappropriate thought processes and associated maladaptive behaviors related to alcohol and methadone use. Other types of support groups include Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA), in which people are facilitated in a community of people working with recovery, which provides peer support and encouragement.
Wrapping Up
The mixture of alcohol and methadone is dangerous. Both of these drugs have a heavy impact on the central nervous system; the risks become more compounded when used together. Other dangers of using methadone with alcohol include respiratory depression, overdose, and also poor judgment.
Seek services if you have a problem with methadone abuse with or without alcohol because many addiction treatment centers, detox centers, rehabilitation programs, and therapy programs can be there for your aid towards recovery and help in regaining control in life.
Call to Action
If you have ended up on the web due to substance use or if you need answers about methadone and alcohol, reach an experienced drug abuse treatment professional now. The journey to a healthier life starts with knowledge and treatment. You can take that first step toward a healthier, drug-free life now.
FAQ’s
- What not to mix with methadone?
Alcohol use is contraindicated. Taking any sedatives, or other opioid pain medications, such as codeine, hydrocodone, oxycodone, or morphine, will increase adverse effects from the medication, such as sedation and overdose and potential death. Do not take illegal drugs.
- What are the dangers of mixing alcohol and medication?
You risk nausea and vomiting, headaches, drowsiness, fainting, or loss of coordination from mixing with alcohol on some medicines. It may expose you to dangers such as internal bleeding, heart problems, and difficulties in breathing.
- What medication reacts badly with alcohol?
Some common drugs that cause undesirable interactions with alcohol are
- Psychotropic drugs: Injuries, overdose, and other risks.
- Benzodiazepines.
- “Z-drugs” for insomnia.
- Antidepressants.
- Opioids: Respiratory Depression and Overdose.
- What happens if you drink alcohol and take drugs?
When you take alcohol with another drug, there is interaction in your body where one drug changes the effects of another drug. Alcohol mixed with other drugs can be unpredictable and dangerous. If you take alcohol combined with other drugs, then the effects could be nausea, illness, or even death.
- What does methadone treat?
Methadone is a treatment for opioid use disorder. Methadone is a long-lasting full opioid agonist; it is a schedule II controlled medication. A prescription for methadone may be dispensed only by a SAMHSA-certified OTP to individuals with an accepted diagnosis of opioid use disorder.
