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Drugs and Alcohol: Deadly Cocktail

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According to a December 2017 study cited by the American Psychology Association, 22 million Americans  start drugs and need treatment by the age of 12.

Different hardships and trauma can trigger drug or alcohol use. However, in today’s society, it is done for recreational use, or a fad. “Lean,” for instance, is a popular mixture of prescription-strength cough syrup containing codeine mixed with soda.

Psychiatrist Dr. Duy Nguyen highly recommends that people educate themselves and take great pre-caution when using drugs and depressant (alcohol) at the same time.  Nguyen says, “When you combine alcohol with some drugs, the results can be deadly. More than 100 drugs interact with wine, beer, champagne, and hard liquor, triggering… life-threatening issues, such as internal bleeding.”

Nguyen practices general psychiatry at Beachway Therapy Center in Boynton Beach, Florida, a drug and alcohol rehab facility.




Men and women in taking the “same amount” of alcohol would not lead to the same result. His studies/experiments showed that “this is more of a problem for women…because females have less gastric alcohol dehydrogenase activity (breaking down alcohol through digestion) and proportionally less body water.”

A depressant causes more damage to the human body without the mixing of other medications. According to Dr. Nguyen, it “interfere(s) with the absorption [and] metabolism,” adding when mixing medication and alcohol, it “increase(s) or opposes the effects.” Connecting enzymes with metabolism, this would cause “increase of the amount of drug in your body—along…with effects.”

Here is a list of highly recommended common drugs that Nguyen suggested not combine with alcohol:

Allergy, Cold, and Flu Medication 

  1.  Causes drowsiness and dizziness
  2. Impairs ability to drive vehicles or heavy machinery and false judgments
  3. Risk of overdose

Angina Medications

  1.  Known as chest pain medication slowing the flow of blood to the heart
  2. Combining this with alcohol can lead to rapid heartbeat
  3. Sudden changes in blood pressure
  4. Dizziness and fainting
  5. Avoid alcohol when taking any brand of nitroglycerin

Anti-Anxiety and Epilepsy Medications

  1. Drowsiness and dizziness
  2. Slow breathing
  3. breathing restrictions
  4. Impairs ability to drive vehicles
  5. Abnormal behavior
  6. Liver damage
  7. Memory loss

Antidepressants

  1. Drowsiness and dizziness
  2. Suicidal thought

Muscle Relaxants

  1. Dizziness
  2. Slowed/Impaired breathing
  3. Impaired Motor Control
  4. Abnormal behavior
  5. Memory loss
  6. Seizures

Opiods (Painkillers and Alcohol)

Image result for opioids hydrocodone

  1. Brain damage
  2. Slowed brething
  3. Shut down organ systems

*All are fatal

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