One major epidemic sweeping across America today is addiction to opioids. Opioids such as Vicodin, Percocet, Oxycontin, or Codeine are prescription pain medications which act on the central nervous system and cut down on the perception of pain. Due to the fact that opioids act on the brain’s reward system, they also produce feelings of well-being and euphoria, which makes them highly addictive for some people. Opioids are the most abused of all prescription drugs, with an estimated 26 to 36 million people abusing opioids worldwide. Prescription opioids have a high potential for abuse, especially when they are taken in a way that is other than the prescribed manner. Another unfortunate situation is when people mix opioids with alcohol in order to enhance their euphoric high that the opioid produces and lower their inhibitions even further. However, the consequences of doing so can be extremely dangerous. Mixing alcohol and opioids is able to cause serious and permanent health problems as well as significantly increase the risk of overdose and death. Read on to learn more about the effects of mixing opioid and alcohol abuse. Hope Centers of Central Florida are a top provider of drug and alcohol treatment in Florida. Call Orlando treatment center Hope Centers of Central Florida today for an appointment today.
Mixing Opioids With Alcohol
There are many side effects that can come with mixing opioids with alcohol. Opioid abuse alone is able to cause long-term brain damage, and these effects are exacerbated when combined with alcohol and other types of central nervous system depressants. When respiration is depressed, it affects how much oxygen is able to reach the brain. This condition is called hypoxia, and it is able to induce a coma and result in long-term brain damage. Since both opioids and alcohol abuse are able to damage the brain and body, the negative impacts become multiplied when these substances are combined and taken together. Orlando treatment center Hope Centers of Central Florida notes that mixing alcohol with opioids will intensify the sedative effects of both substances, increasing the risk of unconsciousness, coma, overdose, and death. The short-term effects of mixing opioids with alcohol include drowsiness, dizziness, mental confusion, nausea and vomiting, slowed or difficulty breathing, numbness, apathy, impaired motor control, memory problems, unusual behavior, slowed pulse rate, low body temperature, and low blood pressure.
Seeking Drug and Alcohol Treatment
It is essential for addicts to seek treatment, as the long-term effects of mixing opioids and alcohol can include:
- Chronic constipation
- Irritability
- Mood swings
- Impaired Vision
- Increased risk of overdose and death
- Liver disease
- Complicated withdrawal syndrome
Both of these substances can create physical dependence over time, and severe withdrawal symptoms may be experienced following usage which may be life-threatening, which is why it’s important to have medical supervision.
Contact Us Today
Mixing opioids and alcohol can have devastating consequences on the human body and wreck havoc on your central nervous system. This is why getting timely drug and alcohol treatment is so essential for many people suffering from addiction. Hope Centers of Central Florida are a top Orlando treatment center. Call Hope Centers of Central Florida today to seek help.
