Sometimes, the pressures and problems in your life lead you to rely on substances to help you forget about them momentarily. Mixing muscle relaxers and alcohol magnifies the side effects and may promote more use. Many options are available to help the person stop taking muscle relaxers and alcohol and avoid serious side effects from polysubstance abuse.
- Most muscle relaxants bind to receptors in the brain that reduce nerve signals to muscles while simultaneously affecting neurochemicals involved in wakefulness.
- Alternative therapies are another option for treating alcohol withdrawal symptoms.
- Muscle relaxers typically cause drowsiness because they depress the central nervous system, which affects both muscle function and brain activity related to alertness.
- Side effects may include drowsiness, itchiness, constipation, hallucinations, and low heart rate.
- They work by reducing the communication between the nerves and the brain, which helps to relax the muscles and relieve discomfort.
This drug can help with conditions that cause cramps, such as multiple sclerosis (MS) or cerebral palsy, and spinal cord injuries. The risk of overdose is also much higher when alcohol and muscle relaxers are mixed, as both substances reduce the brain’s ability to control essential bodily functions like heart rate and breathing. It is also important to remember that muscle relaxants alone will not cure an addiction to alcohol; they are simply one tool in the treatment arsenal against alcohol withdrawal symptoms.
Finding Freedom from Muscle Relaxer Addiction
Many people who take these medications experience sleepiness within hours of their first dose. This drowsiness occurs because muscle relaxers typically depress the central nervous system, which controls muscle function and alertness. Understanding the effects of muscle relaxers is important, especially if you need to drive, work, or perform other activities requiring mental alertness. If you are considering tapering off medication or drugs, seeking professional help is essential.
The inability to make smart choices when intoxicated can make it easier to use another drug or consume more than usual. Depressants lower the neurotransmission levels in your brain, which creates a mellow, relaxed feeling. Some people like the feeling of lowered inhibitions from alcohol together with muscle relaxation from baclofen. It’s important that when one of these side effects leads to a medical emergency, the individual must be taken to a hospital or treatment center right away to avoid any fatal consequences. Muscle relaxers may also be used in conjunction with techniques like physical muscle relaxers for alcohol withdrawal therapy, due to their side effects and risks. Even if you have failed previously and relapsed, or are in the middle of a difficult crisis, we stand ready to support you.
- Alcohol, on the other hand, can induce impaired judgment, blurred vision, and coordination issues.
- Common muscle relaxer side effects include drowsiness, dizziness, dry mouth, fatigue, and confusion.
- If you tried over-the-counter drugs to relieve muscle pain, but they didn’t work, your doctor might prescribe muscle relaxers.
- DBT is actually a modified version of CBT that was initially intended to treat borderline personality disorder, as it targets the particular psychological response formulation of the person.
Mixing Alcohol and Muscle Relaxers
Read on to learn more about muscle relaxers and why they don’t mix with alcohol. It’s paramount to recognize that we owe it to ourselves, our body, and our overall well-being to make informed, healthy decisions. Just as we would distance ourselves from relationships or situations that cause us undue stress, it’s an act of self-care to avoid substance combinations that are detrimental to our health. The drowsiness can last anywhere from 4-24 hours, depending on the specific medication, dosage, metabolism, and other factors like age and medications you may be taking. Medications with longer half-lives, such as cyclobenzaprine, can cause drowsiness that persists into the next day, particularly in older adults or those with reduced kidney or liver function.
Some muscle relaxers, like carisoprodol (Soma), have a high potential for dependence and addiction. If someone has been using muscle relaxers regularly, stopping suddenly can cause withdrawal symptoms, especially if they’ve developed dependence. One of the most dangerous aspects of muscle relaxer use is combining them with other substances. Muscle relaxers are CNS depressants, meaning they slow down brain activity. When mixed with other depressants, the effects can become life-threatening.
Why Medical Supervision is Important:
It is not recommended to consume alcohol and muscle relaxers together, as this combination can increase the risk of drowsiness and other serious side effects. Dual diagnosis treatment is a saving grace for those struggling with substance abuse and mental health disorders. It’s important to treat them simultaneously because they influence each other in a recovering person’s journey. Following detox, a professional addiction treatment program will help you stay sober. With the help of intensive behavioral therapy, you’ll address the reasons why you abuse substances. You’ll also learn healthy ways to cope with challenges when you feel the urge to use drugs and alcohol.
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Muscle relaxers are effective for pain relief caused by certain conditions, but taking them with alcohol could lead to dangerous side effects. The side effects of this drug may include breathing changes that happen due to weakness in the respiratory muscles and muscle weakness. Side effects may include drowsiness, itchiness, constipation, hallucinations, and low heart rate. Prolonged use of muscle relaxers, especially when combined with alcohol, can lead to long-term cognitive impairment, difficulty concentrating, and decreased alertness. This added layer of complexity can deepen the muscle relaxant addiction cycle and worsen withdrawal symptoms.
The Reframe app equips you with the knowledge and skills you need to not only survive drinking less, but to thrive while you navigate the journey. Our daily research-backed readings teach you the neuroscience of alcohol, and our in-app Toolkit provides the resources and activities you need to navigate each challenge. Find rehab for yourself or a loved one by speaking with a treatment provider. You might think of it as gradually turning down the volume on a loudspeaker. But if you slowly lower the volume, you’ll adjust, and the change is much less noticeable.
Despite being prescription medications intended for short-term relief of muscle spasms and pain, some people seek these drugs for their drowsiness and relaxation effects. Carisoprodol is particularly concerning as a controlled substance with significant abuse potential when combined with other drugs like benzodiazepines or opioids. They both depress your central nervous system, which slows down your brain activity. In turn, these substances also slow down your breathing and heart rate, making you feel calm or sleepy.
This means that the side effects of muscle relaxers, like drowsiness or dizziness, can compound, or intensify, when a person also drinks alcohol. If you’re abusing alcohol and baclofen, addiction treatment will begin with medical detox. You’ll be under the care of nurses around the clock who will regularly check your vital signs and provide medications to ease withdrawal symptoms.
After your initial assessment, our team will create a treatment plan that fits your unique needs and situation. The short- and long-term effects of baclofen and alcohol can be dangerous. This dual dependence can contribute to severe health problems, such as liver damage and cognitive impairments.
Prescription drugs used as muscle relaxers can differ in their composition, chemical structures, and the way they work in the brain. In conclusion, muscle relaxers can be a valuable tool for managing alcohol withdrawal symptoms, but they are not a cure-all solution for alcoholism. Treatment for alcohol addiction must involve comprehensive care that includes both medical and mental health interventions. Muscle relaxers have been found to be beneficial in managing some of the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal, such as anxiety, insomnia, and muscle cramps.
With long-term use, you’re likely to become dependent and to exhibit withdrawal symptoms if you stop using the medication. There are many ways that people misuse muscle relaxers, and the most common is using drugs for non-medical purposes, such as for gaining a euphoric feeling. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, Soma is one of the most frequent muscle relaxers people misuse, either by forging prescriptions or by doctor shopping to acquire multiple medications. Casco Bay Recovery can provide you with the highest level of outpatient treatment with some medical supervision. We have medical personnel in the form of a team of therapists and addiction specialists who are dedicated to creating a program to address your needs and requirements.