But mixing Ativan and alcohol — two depressants — is extremely dangerous and can lead to several short-term and long-term effects. Even if an overdose doesn’t occur, mixing Ativan and alcohol can cause long-term health issues, including development of a substance use disorder and liver damage, among other conditions. While waiting for help to arrive, try to keep the person awake and sitting upright if possible.
Ativan and Alcohol Can Increase Your Risk of Injury
By reducing withdrawal symptoms, Ativan can help a person safely solution focused therapy interventions detox from alcohol and lower the risk of complications, such as seizures or the life-threatening condition delirium tremens. In addition to the immediate dangers, mixing Ativan and alcohol can have lasting effects on mental health. Alcohol can worsen anxiety symptoms over time, which may counteract or decrease the effectiveness of Ativan. Using these substances together can also increase the risk of misuse and dependence, which may lead to a substance use disorder. The Recovery Village Atlanta offers comprehensive addiction treatment for drug and alcohol addictions and co-occurring mental health conditions. Combining alcohol with Ativan can increase the likelihood of an overdose.
Although Ativan is a medically useful medication, it has a high abuse potential. Ativan has dangerous interactions with other drugs of abuse, especially opioids and alcohol. The risk of combining benzodiazepines and alcohol can be more severe in some instances. Studies suggest that 72% of deaths caused by benzodiazepine overdoses involve alcohol. Some deaths may have been preventable with knowledge of these risks and improved support. Using lorazepam and alcohol increases the likelihood of developing more serious CNS-related side effects.
Mixing Ativan and Alcohol: Can You Drink on Ativan?
The dose required to produce an overdose from either drug is lowered when Ativan and alcohol are used together. If another CNS depressant drug is added to the mix, this effect is further magnified. This is especially the case when opioids are used with Ativan and alcohol. Ativan is processed in the body at different rates depending on the person. Peak levels are generally seen after about two hours, and the active half-life is about 12 hours. The true range of the half-life includes those who clear the medication significantly faster and slower.
Effects of Ativan When Mixed With Other Drugs
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. Even if you survive an overdose, it can lead to permanent and irreversible consequences. All of these side effects can be worsened due to the depressant effects of alcohol. The most detrimental side effects of drinking alcohol with Ativan usage revolve around slowing brain activities, breathing, and heart rate. This is because both substances are central nervous system (CNS) depressants.
- If you think you may have a medical emergency, immediately call your physician or dial 911.
- If another CNS depressant drug is added to the mix, this effect is further magnified.
- Taking Ativan with other drugs that slow your breathing can cause dangerous side effects or death.
- Considering this risk, many people have questions related to the timing of using alcohol and benzodiazepines and whether they can be mixed at all.
- 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.
Why Is It Dangerous to Mix Ativan With 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 mirtazapine with alcohol 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. Ativan — the brand name for the medication lorazepam — is a sedative-hypnotic drug from the drug class known as benzodiazepines.
It is thought that benzodiazepines work by enhancing the activity of certain neurotransmitters in the brain. Data has also demonstrated that the combination of benzodiazepines and alcohol have detrimental effects on driving safety than just alcohol alone. The mixture of benzodiazepines and alcohol is involved in 51.7–64.3% of motor vehicle accidents, DWI convictions, and other driving offenses.
Insufficient GABA can also cause panic attacks and a decreased ability to fall and stay asleep. The primary danger of mixing alcohol with Ativan is that they bind to the same receptors, amplifying one another’s effects on the body. Since alcohol and Ativan work on the same GABA receptors in the CNS, combining them will cause the effects of each individual substance to multiply. Brain cells use a mixture of “go” and “stop” signals to regulate messages, maverick house sober living and GABA is the “stop” signal. Note that this list is not all-inclusive and includes only common medications that may interact with Ativan.
Treatment for Ativan Use & Misuse
It is a benzodiazepine, a class of drugs used to treat various conditions, such as anxiety, seizures, and insomnia. Other common examples of benzodiazepines include Valium, Xanax (alprazolam), and Klonopin (clonazepam). When these two substances are mixed, your brain receives signals to shut down certain body functions, including breathing. So, when taking Ativan with alcohol, your body’s oxygen can decrease, which is a primary risk factor for overdose death. Another potential cause of death is inhaling vomit into the airway while unconscious, causing suffocation.
Never share Ativan with another person, especially someone with a history of drug addiction. The loss of coordination and slowed movements can cause falls and other accidents. The sedation can be so powerful as to cause household accidents, such as falling asleep with the stove on, falling asleep while smoking or sleeping through a fire alarm. If you suspect that you or a loved one is overdosing on Ativan, alcohol or any other substance, it’s crucial that you call 911 as soon as possible. Join 40,000+ People Who Receive Our Newsletter Get valuable resources on addiction, recovery, wellness, and our treatments delivered directly to your inbox. When there’s not enough GABA, neurons fire quickly, increasing the risk of epilepsy in people with seizure disorders.
There is an increased risk of oxygen deprivation from depressed breathing, causing damage to the brain and body. Ativan is generally safe but becomes dangerous when combined with alcohol consumption. Between 2005 and 2011, about 1 million emergency department admissions involved benzodiazepines, but most of them occurred while the user was also on opioids, alcohol, or both. It is rare for overdoses to be caused solely by benzodiazepines like Ativan.
If you or someone you care about is struggling with Ativan or alcohol, quality, supportive and non-judgmental help is available. Contact a Recovery Advocate today to get started on the path to a substance-free life. Over time, metabolizing alcohol has been described primarily as linear. When drinking an alcoholic beverage, the body’s ADH enzymes are likely required to operate at full capacity. Under these conditions, the average amount of alcohol processed per hour is about 7 grams or one drink per hour.