What Are the Risks of Taking Xanax and Drinking Alcohol?
Sometimes, people with an anxiety disorder may be prescribed the drug Xanax to help them relax. People may also drink a glass of red wine or have a beer after a very busy or stressful day to help them unwind. While both of these substances have some of the same effects on the body, Xanax and alcohol should never be taken together. When mixed together, they can exacerbate each other’s side effects to dangerous levels, causing the potential for heart problems, loss of consciousness, and even death.
Table of contents
» Can Mixing Xanax and Alcohol Lead to an Overdose?
» What Are the Long-Term Dangers of Using Xanax and Alcohol Together?
» What Should You Do If Someone Mixes Xanax and Alcohol?
» How Is Treatment Different for People Addicted to Both Xanax and Alcohol?
» Key Takeaways on Xanax and Alcohol
» Resources
Can Mixing Xanax and Alcohol Lead to an Overdose?
Yes, drinking alcohol while taking prescribed Xanax can lead to a potentially fatal overdose because, when taken together, they intensify each other’s side effects.
What Is Xanax?
Alprazolam—sold under the brand name Xanax—is a prescription medication that belongs to a class of psychoactive drugs called benzodiazepines. Xanax is a commonly prescribed medication for anxiety and panic disorders. According to ClinCalc, almost 15 million Xanax prescriptions were issued in 2022.
Xanax works by calming down the body’s central nervous system, which includes the brain. It does this by increasing the effects of a brain chemical called gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). GABA naturally plays a significant role in helping the body’s nervous system calm down. It also allows the body to deal with stress and helps regulate sleep.
Xanax binds to GABA receptors in the brain, stimulating GABA activity and helping the body reduce anxiety, leading to a state of calm and relaxation. Xanax takes between one and two hours to start working and has a relatively short lifespan, lasting approximately 11 hours in a typical adult.
What Is Xanax Prescribed For?
Xanax is currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of:
- General anxiety disorders
- Panic disorders
However, it is sometimes prescribed off-label for treating:
- Depression
- Insomnia
- Other anxiety disorders
- Premenstrual syndrome
What Are the Potential Side Effects of Xanax?
There are several side effects that people taking Xanax may experience. Some are more common than others, and their intensity is determined by the dosage you take.
Common side effects of Xanax include:
- Blurry vision
- Constipation
- Coordination issues
- Diarrhea
- Dizziness
- Drowsiness
- Dry mouth
- Headache
- Insomnia
- Irritability
- Lack of appetite
- Memory issues
- Nausea or vomiting
- Reduced sex drive
- Sweating
- Tiredness
- Trouble speaking
If taken illegally or in too large a dose, there’s the potential for more serious side effects from Xanax, such as:
- Addiction
- Balance issues
- Chest pain
- Death
- Dementia
- Fainting
- Fever
- Hallucinations
- Liver problems or jaundice
- Multi-day Xanax blackouts with memory loss or amnesia
- Respiratory problems
- Seizures
- Sleeping for abnormally long periods
- Twitching in the face or limbs
How Does Xanax Compare to Alcohol?
Xanax and alcohol are both substances that affect the body’s central nervous system, causing feelings of relaxation and calmness. Just like Xanax, alcohol also affects the GAMA neurotransmitters in the brain. However, alcohol also affects other neurotransmitters, including dopamine, glutamate, and serotonin, resulting in more widespread changes to the brain.
This brain imbalance is what often causes a person to build up tolerance and dependence on alcohol. Because of their similar effects, both alcohol and Xanax share some common side effects, including:
- Confusion
- Coordination issues
- Dizziness
- Drowsiness
- Memory problems
- Mood changes
- Nausea or vomiting
- Slowed breathing
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, benzodiazepines like Xanax are one of the most commonly abused prescription drugs.
What Are the Long-Term Dangers of Using Xanax and Alcohol Together?
When you are taking prescription Xanax and also drink alcohol, the two substances interact and intensify each other’s side effects. This can increase their severity, potentially leading to hospitalization or even death.
It is not uncommon for people who have anxiety or panic disorder—both of which Xanax is FDA-approved to treat—to also self-medicate with alcohol. According to a study in the journal Alcohol: Clinical & Experimental Research, as much as 40% of people with an anxiety disorder or major depressive disorder also have alcohol use disorder.
A study in the Journal of Psychiatric Research reports that over 37% of people with panic disorder also have lifetime alcohol abuse or dependence. While it may seem like a good idea to “double up” on the relaxing side effects of both Xanax and alcohol, that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Both alcohol and Xanax cause the body’s central nervous system, including the brain, to slow down its function. When taking both of these substances together, you can actually slow your nervous system down too much, causing severe and potentially deadly side effects like:
- Aggressive behavior
- Brain damage from drug overdose
- Coma
- Confusion
- Death
- Extreme fatigue and sedation
- Heart issues
- Hypoventilation (breathing becomes too slow)
- Impaired coordination or balance
- Kidney issues
- Liver damage
- Loss of consciousness
- Low blood pressure
- Major mood changes
- Memory loss
- Overdose
- Seizures
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 27.2% of drug abuse-related emergency department visits for benzodiazepine—the class of medication that includes Xanax—also included alcohol use. Alcohol use plays a role in about 21.4% of benzodiazepine-related deaths.
What Should You Do If Someone Mixes Xanax and Alcohol?
It is easy to overdose on both Xanax and alcohol alone, and even more so when the two are combined. If you suspect a loved one is using both substances and has overdosed or are at high risk for overdose, then you should immediately seek medical assistance for them.
Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room if you or a loved one is showing any signs of an overdose, which may include:
- Breathing issues
- Chest pain
- Coma
- Complete loss of coordination
- Confusion
- Delirium
- Extreme tiredness
- Fainting
- Hallucinations
- Significant changes in heart rate or blood pressure
- Seizures
- Tremors
- Weak muscles
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How Is Treatment Different for People Addicted to Both Xanax and Alcohol?
Medical detox and various therapies are usually part of the rehabilitation process for both Xanax and alcohol addictions.
Medical detox allows a person to begin the treatment process without having to go “cold turkey.” This medically supervised process helps you or a loved one work through the intense withdrawal symptoms that can stem from Xanax or alcohol addiction.
Additionally, if you are addicted to both alcohol and Xanax, detoxing from both substances at the same time can be very hard. Having a mental health professional to help you through medical detox can help reduce your risk for severe withdrawal symptoms, such as:
- Anxiety
- Delirium
- Extreme sensitivity to light and sound
- Hallucinations
- Hyperventilation
- Muscle spasms
- Rapid heart rate
- Seizures
- Sweating
- Tremors
Once medical detox is complete, you will move to other inpatient or outpatient rehabilitation. Depending on your specific situation, your mental health professional may use various alcohol and Xanax rehab centers to help on your road to recovery, such as:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Dual diagnosis therapy
- Family therapy
- Group therapy
- Holistic/alternative treatments
- Individual counseling
- Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)
Key Takeaways on Xanax and Alcohol
- While both Xanax and alcohol are substances that can help the body relax, they should never be taken together.
- Both alcohol and Xanax share many side effects.
- When mixed, both substances intensify each other’s side effects, increasing their severity and risk for overdose.
- If someone is mixing alcohol and Xanax and is showing signs of an overdose, call 911 or bring them to the nearest emergency room.
- Medical detox and a variety of therapies are used during the rehabilitation process for alcohol and Xanax addictions.
While addiction to alcohol or Xanax are both hard on the body, a mix of the two can be lethal. Our inpatient medical detox program is the first step on the road to substance use recovery, providing you with full support and guidance throughout the withdrawal process. WhiteSands Treatment in Florida offers a specialized dual diagnosis treatment that allows our mental health professionals to get to the root of why there is substance abuse and treat it. This provides a greater chance for full recovery and a much lower chance of relapse.
For more information on how we can help with alcohol and Xanax dependence, call WhiteSands Treatment Center today at 877-855-3470.
Resources
- ClinCalc — Alprazolam Drug Usage Statistics, United States, 2013 – 2022
- National Institute on Drug Abuse — Commonly Abused Prescription Drugs
- Alcohol: Clinical & Experimental Research — Evidence for an alcohol-related “harm paradox” in individuals with internalizing disorders: Test and replication in two independent community samples
- Journal of Psychiatric Research — Family history of alcohol use disorders among adults with panic disorder in the community
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) — Alcohol Involvement in Opioid Pain Reliever and Benzodiazepine Drug Abuse–Related Emergency Department Visits and Drug-Related Deaths — United States, 2010
If you or a loved one needs help with abuse and/or treatment, please call the WhiteSands Treatment at (877) 855-3470. Our addiction specialists can assess your recovery needs and help you get the addiction treatment that provides the best chance for your long-term recovery.
About the Author
Jackie has been involved in the substance abuse and addiction treatment sector for over five years and this is something that she is truly eager about. She has a passion for writing and continuously works to create informative pieces that not only educate and inform the public about the disease of addiction but also provide solutions for those who struggle with drug and alcohol abuse.
