Valium, the brand name for diazepam, can also be used before medical procedures to relax patients. This relaxation is caused by depressant effects of alcohol. When used moderately, alcohol makes people feel relaxed and drops their inhibitions.
- It’s important to be careful in these situations because the person might find they develop a problem with two drugs rather than one.”
- It’s best to avoid alcohol while taking diazepam.
- If you’re taking diazepam as an add-on therapy for treating seizures, you may need a higher dosage of your other seizure medications.
- In 2009, 23.5 million persons aged 12 or older needed treatment for an illicit drug or alcohol use problem.
- It is also used for pre-procedural sedation, as well as for reducing alcohol withdrawal symptoms.1 Valium increases the activity of GABA, an inhibitory neurotransmitter, to calm the patient’s nervous system and reduce brain overactivity.2
- The tragic reality is that mixing Valium with alcohol isn’t just risky, it can be deadly.
- Individually, both substances come with health risks when abused, though effects vary based on the person; size, weight, and overall health all come into play here.
Why Mixing Alcohol and Valium Is Dangerous
If you have not been experiencing any symptoms till now, chances are everything will be all right. If you have been taking diazepam for some time and had a drink with a friend without knowing its implications, do not panic. It’s always better to talk to a professional before combining medication with any other substance, especially if you are unsure of the consequences. If you experience these symptoms but choose to ignore them, the condition will continue progressing, leading to long-term issues. They simply enjoy the feelings this combination leads to without knowing that it is setting them up for a long-term substance use disorder. In some people, the combination also worsens suicidal thoughts or makes them prone to committing suicide.
Doctors prescribe it for conditions Hydroxyzine guide such as anxiety, depression, alcohol withdrawal, and muscle stiffness. In severe cases, mixing alcohol and Valium can cause an overdose. Valium and alcohol are a dangerous combo that can bring serious health risks.
General Health
If used together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use this medicine, or give you special instructions about the use of food, alcohol, or tobacco. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Appropriate studies have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of diazepam buccal film in children younger than 2 years of age and older than 5 years of age. Appropriate studies have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of diazepam tablets and oral liquid in children younger than 6 months of age. In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. You can also call our hotline for alcohol addiction 24/7 to speak with an admission navigator and check your benefits while you are on the phone.
This medicine may cause some people, especially older persons, to become drowsy, dizzy, lightheaded, clumsy, unsteady, or less alert than they are normally. If you do not have a drug take-back location near you, flush any unused narcotic medicine down the toilet. Drop off any unused narcotic medicine at a drug take-back location right away. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine. The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine.
Long-term Effects
Check your local drug store and clinics for take-back locations. Ask your healthcare professional how you should dispose of any medicine you do not use. Store the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light. If you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible. The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine.
Benzodiazepines ameliorate or prevent the symptoms and complications of moderate to severe alcohol withdrawal, which can include autonomic hyperactivity, agitation, combativeness, hallucinations, seizures, delirium, and death. These drugs block the enzyme that breaks down diazepam. Examples of drugs that can cause interactions a complete guide to ketamine withdrawal and addiction with diazepam are listed below.
The brain, liver, heart, pancreas, stomach, and kidneys are all susceptible to damage caused by alcohol abuse. Long-term alcohol abuse can lead to more severe conditions, such as malnutrition, liver disease, pancreatitis, and cancer. These symptoms are similar to the side effects that you might experience if you have a Valium prescription and take the recommended dosage as directed by your doctor. Benzodiazepines, including Valium, come with a wide range of side effects, including addiction. As with any prescription drug, it’s essential that Valium only is taken under the direction of a doctor with a full picture of your medical history. The drug offers a euphoric effect to users in high doses and, when combined with alcohol, can result in a range of undesirable health outcomes.
Windward Way Recovery uses a holistic, evidence-based approach to treat the problem of Valium and alcohol addiction. The exact effects vary among individuals and also depend on the drug, dosage, and delivery method,” says Medical News Today. Someone might focus their day-to-day activities around substance abuse, which can affect their work and social relationships. Addiction to Valium, alcohol, or both brings various side effects. However, when those effects wear off, users might experience anxiety, stress, or even depression.
Understanding Methadone Detox: Process, Benefits, and Challenges
Using this medicine with any of the following may cause an increased risk of certain side effects but may be unavoidable in some cases. We are a parent company to Treatment Solutions that offers a wide network of substance abuse treatment facilities across the nation. Physical dependence and tolerance can develop over time, causing the patient to start taking larger doses of Valium and suffer withdrawal symptoms if they stop using it.12 It is also used for reducing the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal and for pre-procedural sedation. If you become dependent upon diazepam or alcohol at any time, seek out professional assistance to regain control over your life and body. They can prescribe medications to alleviate withdrawal symptoms, manage pain, and ensure you are properly hydrated and consuming proper nutrients.
Alcoholism and Personality Changes
Diazepam belongs to a class of drugs called benzodiazepines. That is, you need to take it in addition to certain other drugs. Add-on treatment means diazepam may be used as part of a combination therapy. Diazepam oral tablet is a controlled substance drug. Diazepam oral tablet is a generic drug that’s prescribed for certain conditions, including anxiety, in adults and some children.
Once detox is complete, patients can start focusing on rehabilitative treatment to understand why they developed an addiction and take care of all triggers. Most rehabs conduct this process in a medically-supervised environment and provide medications to ease the symptoms as needed. If you believe to be dependent or addicted to diazepam and alcohol, the best way to overcome this issue is through professional help. If you have difficulty stopping, you might have developed an addiction and must seek professional support to save yourself from the potential side effects. Depending on how much diazepam you are on and how much alcohol you drank, you might feel a bit more tired than usual. These hidden components of counterfeit benzodiazepines make an event of overdose more dangerous and potentially fatal.
- In fact, there is clinical evidence that diazepam is safe for the treatment of alcohol withdrawal in these patients when administered using a simple symptom-based approach.
- That is, you need to take it in addition to certain other drugs.
- Taking certain anxiety drugs with diazepam can increase your risk of drowsiness or sleepiness.
- These drugs block the enzyme that breaks down diazepam.
- Some prescription drugs have similar effects that can be dangerous when mixed with alcohol.
- When people rely on both to perform daily tasks, emotions, or sleep, that’s not use, it’s dependence.
- It’s always better to talk to a professional before combining medication with any other substance, especially if you are unsure of the consequences.
Keep in mind that many insurance providers offer addiction program assistance. If you try to go through detox on your own, it can be very dangerous. Medical professionals can help make the experience far more comfortable, and much less dangerous, than trying to do so on your own. This will greatly depend upon your addiction, insurance, program expenses, work online aa meetings zoom proof of attendance schedule, and more. This comes after you build up a tolerance to the drug, become dependent, and start to believe, and act, as if you cannot go without it.
Aside from taking Valium in doses that are larger than recommended, individuals tend to mix this drug with alcohol. Valium, also known by the name of diazepam, is an addictive benzodiazepine used to treat seizures, muscle spasms, and anxiety. It is our hope that with increased awareness, more and more people will get help with their alcohol problems. Alcohol Addiction Center is a free, web-based resource helping to bring education and information to the world of alcohol addiction. For any individual who may have overdosed or is experiencing alcohol poisoning, call 911 immediately. It is important to avoid drinking alcohol if you are prescribed diazepam.
If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines. Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with this medication or change some of the other medicines you take. Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is not recommended.
It’s best to avoid alcohol while taking diazepam. Until you know how diazepam affects you, avoiding activities that can potentially harm you or other people is best. Mixing the two substances can make you very sleepy. It would be best if you avoided alcohol altogether while on diazepam. Alcohol can accelerate the absorption of diazepam in the body.