Most people understand the importance of being careful when taking prescriptions such as Ativan (lorazepam). Doctors always provide warnings about what to do when taking Ativan, and people can usually notice its effects once they begin to take it. But what happens if you take Ativan along with alcohol or other substances?
Ativan is a mild tranquilizer that helps people feel calm. It is a benzodiazepine and similar in function to other medications you may have heard of, such as Xanax and Valium. It does this by making brain functions slow down, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
The medication is available only to people who have a prescription, and it must be taken exactly as prescribed. Ativan is usually prescribed for anxiety, insomnia, and pain associated with alcohol withdrawal.
Things can get murky when one takes Ativan. Mixing the medication with any drug is not recommended, but alcohol seems to be everywhere we go. Society seems to run on happy hours, networking events with free booze, or special occasions that require a toast. This makes it easy to slip up and mix the two substances, even if a person is doing their best to stay safe.
Ativan and alcohol are both depressants (downers). Each person’s tolerance to both alcohol and Ativan is different. For some people, only one or two drinks can create a bad reaction when consumed with Ativan.
Effects of Ativan When Mixed With Other Drugs
Using Ativan with other drugs is risky. Although many things should not be mixed with Ativan, some of the riskiest substances to mix with the drug are:
- Codeine
- Meperidine (Dilaudid)
- Hydromorphone
- Methadone
- Oxycodone
- Tramadol
- Fentanyl
When used with Ativan, these medications or their street drug equivalents could increase the chances of coma or life-threatening respiratory issues. Tell your doctor if you have been prescribed any of the above medications or if you take other drugs, including street drugs.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) says benzodiazepines are often combined with opioids. Both of these types of drugs are considered “downers,” or drugs that slow down the nervous system. Mixing these types of substances is very dangerous, as the practice can suppress breathing to dangerous levels.
Ultimately, your doctor needs to be aware of any substances you are taking before you have prescribed a benzodiazepine.
Tell the physician if you take any of the following:
- Over-the-counter medications
- Contraceptives
- Herbal remedies
- Supplements
- Sedatives
- Allergy medication
- Antidepressants
- Anti-seizure medication
Combining Ativan with any of the medications above could cause side effects that require medical assistance. These include:
- Difficulty breathing
- Dizziness
- Lightheadedness
- Drowsiness
Effects of Mixing Ativan and Alcohol
Ativan should not be mixed with alcohol. The relationship between alcohol and benzos gets complicated because benzodiazepines such as Ativan are commonly used to treat alcohol misuse, according to the Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research.
In fact, they have considered the best treatment when dealing with mild-to-severe symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. Not everyone who experiences withdrawal because of alcohol needs to be hospitalized, but those who do usually receive benzodiazepines for up to three days and may receive other medications if necessary.
Taking Ativan with alcohol is even riskier. This usually happens when people are using one or both substances for recreational reasons. We need more research on Ativan (lorazepam) specifically, but there is some knowledge about what happens when alcohol is mixed with Xanax (alprazolam). Since it is a similar medication, there are some ways that Ativan may work similarly to Xanax.
Taking alcohol with benzos may cause alcohol’s depressant qualities to work faster because both substances are downers. Because both drugs slow down your central nervous system, taking benzos with alcohol makes it easier to go into cardiac or respiratory arrest. The risk of alcohol poisoning also increases with this mixture, especially if taking an extended-release version of benzodiazepines.
Factors that influence how your body reacts when alcohol is mixed with benzos include:
- Your weight and height
- Your age
- The dose and type of benzo you are taking.
- How much you ate before consuming alcohol and lorazepam
- Any existing liver or kidney problems.
The liver and kidneys help you metabolize everything you put into your body. Health issues with any of these organs make it hard to get rid of Ativan or alcohol. If either drug is present in the body because of a metabolic issue, it could cause both of them to flood your system.
Lorazepam and Alcohol
Lorazepam and Alcohol
Lorazepam and alcohol pose the same dangers you might expect from Ativan and alcohol. Some people wonder how long after drinking can I take Ativan, or should you drink alcohol with Ativan, but the answer is no. Then you might wonder, can you take lorazepam and alcohol? The answer is also no. Lorazepam is a medication prescribed to treat anxiety. Like Ativan, it also poses a risk of addiction and adverse effects, especially when it’s mixed with other depressants like Ativan or alcohol. The combination of the two will likely lead to potentially fatal outcomes, including slow and labored breathing, drowsiness, coma, or death.
As a benzodiazepine, lorazepam will interact negatively with any depressant drug, including alcohol. If you consume while taking lorazepam, your heart rate will slow down, leading to breathing issues. Drinking while taking lorazepam for anxiety, insomnia, or any other condition your doctor deems necessary can be extremely risky or even life-threatening. The simple answer here is to avoid drinking, but if you must, speak to your doctor about your options. You should not drink until lorazepam has left your system, which could take a few days.
As a benzodiazepine used to relieve common ailments like anxiety, lorazepam is also used to alleviate the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal and prevent seizures in those who become dependent on the substance. The restrictions for alcohol and lorazepam consumption are strict and for good reason. The consequences of mixing them can be deadly. Although this is mentioned frequently in this text, it must be reiterated to remind you of the dangers.
The most common symptoms of mixing two depressants like lorazepam and alcohol include the following:
- Dizziness
- Extreme drowsiness
- Difficulty breathing
- Slurred speech
- Slowed heart rate
- Clammy skin
- Vomiting
- Low body temperature
- Blackouts
- Impaired coordination and memory
- Unusual behavior
- Dangerous mood swings
- Nausea
- Delusions and mania
- Suicidal ideation
- Loss of consciousness
- Seizures
- Respiratory arrest
- Increase risk of overdose
- Coma
- Death
Both lorazepam and alcohol are responsible for the release of GABA. The liver is responsible for filtering the drugs from the system simultaneously, meaning the risk of overdose increases. The only way to avoid a potentially fatal overdose is to abstain from using these drugs together. Mixing the two is risky. Even if you survive an overdose, it can lead to permanent and irreversible consequences.
Is There a Safe Amount of Alcohol and Ativan You Can Take?
Mixing Ativan and alcohol in any amount is not advisable. One drink will probably not cause complications in most people, but it’s best to avoid this combination altogether.
Adding To the Problem: Benzos and Overdose Deaths
Benzodiazepines of all kinds have been linked to overdose deaths, according to CNN. In fact, the number of deaths has increased steadily from 1999 to 2010. These days, there are four times more deaths linked to benzos than in the late 1990s. Some reasons for this might be:
- Prescriptions are in larger doses than before.
- People might be using more than one prescription
- Users sometimes mix benzodiazepines with alcohol
Am I Addicted to Ativan or Alcohol?
Am I Addicted to Ativan or Alcohol?
It’s possible to become addicted to both Ativan and alcohol when used alone. When using the two drugs together, your chances of becoming physically and psychologically addicted increase dramatically. Ativan provides users with a buzz that’s similar to when they drink alcohol. When you continue using Ativan and become tolerant of it, you lose out on that effect, which is why many people will turn to alcohol to potentiate the effects of Ativan. Signs that you’ve become addicted to Ativan or alcohol include the following:
- You’re unable to avoid using alcohol when taking Ativan
- You notice feeling physically unwell when you miss a dose of Ativan
- You have a strong desire to take more Ativan than prescribed or take it more frequently than your doctor instructs
- Stealing to support your habit
- Doctor shopping to get more Ativan
- Getting behind the wheel when you’re under the influence of Ativan or alcohol
- Continued use despite consequences like getting arrested for driving under the influence
If you’ve developed a poly-substance addiction, you need to get help right away. Substance use disorders are dangerous enough, but when they involve more than one drug, especially two depressants, like Ativan alcohol, waiting to get help can claim your life. Please, don’t wait another moment. Get the help you deserve today.
How Long Does Ativan Stay in the Body?
Ativan’s most potent effects occur within two hours of taking it in the liquid or tablet form. If receiving an injection instead, it will take between 15 minutes and 30 minutes to start feeling the drug’s effects.
The injectable form of Ativan causes reactions that can be felt for up to 24 hours.
Ativan has a half-life of 12 hours. This means that every 12 hours, its concentration decreases by half. The body gets rid of it through urine after it has been metabolized (chemically altered or broken down).
Ativan is metabolized in the liver. Its metabolites, substances that result from its metabolism or break down, are eventually excreted by the kidneys. These major metabolites have a half-life of about 18 hours.
Depending on how long you have been taking Ativan, it may take between one and six weeks for your body to fully get rid of it.
So, what happens if you take other drugs while some form of Ativan is still in your body?
Is Ativan Cut With Other Substances?
If you have a legal prescription for Ativan and purchase the drug from a licensed pharmacy, there is virtually no risk of your Ativan being cut or contaminated with other substances. If you purchase Ativan from illicit drug markets, there is no guarantee that the substance you buy is a safe product.
There is not much evidence that there is a problem with Ativan being cut with other substances by dealers or using counterfeit products in its place. However, some users may cut Ativan on their own with other substances to alter the effects of the drugs.
When users cut their own prescription drugs such as Ativan, they usually crush the pill up and then combine it with other powdery substances and snort it. Some common substances that some people may use to cut Ativan include:
Cocaine
This is a stimulant drug that may be combined with Ativan to create an energetic high that is tempered by the relaxing effects of the sedative properties of Ativan. As with all polysubstance misuse, this practice can mask dangerous overdose symptoms and result in users accidentally taking too much and overdosing.
Methamphetamine
Methamphetamine is another stimulant drug that is used similarly to the cocaine combination. This practice also comes with the same risks of accidental overdose.
Methadone
Ativan is sometimes used to boost the pain-relieving effects of methadone. Because these two drugs both act as depressants, there is a significant danger of depressing the central nervous system too much, causing a fatal overdose.
