What Are the Deadliest Illicit Drug Combinations?
Many drugs are plenty dangerous enough on their own—things like illegally produced and unregulated fentanyl, for example, are responsible for thousands of unintentional drug overdoses each year. However, many substances can become exponentially more dangerous when combined with other things—even common substances like alcohol—due to how they interact and boost the effects on the body of one another. Suppose you’re wondering what are the worst illicit drugs to combine. In that case, it’s essential to know that combining anything can become extremely dangerous in the right circumstances, and that there are many benefits of getting help from a Florida private drug rehab center to avoid becoming another statistic to drug addiction.
Table of contents
» Why Is Combining Drugs More Risky Than Using a Single Substance?
» What Happens When Fentanyl or Heroin Is Combined With Alcohol?
» How Does Combining Methamphetamine With Depressants Impact the Body?
» Why Is Mixing Prescription Stimulants With Illicit Stimulants So Risky?
» Key Takeaways on What Are the Worst Illicit Drugs to Combine
» Resources
Why Is Combining Drugs More Risky Than Using a Single Substance?
If you’re wondering what are the worst illicit drugs to combine, it’s helpful to understand precisely why combining drugs can be much riskier than using a single substance. Combining drugs is known as polysubstance use, and it can involve taking two or more different substances together, even if it’s unintentional, such as taking a pill that is said to contain one drug but also contains fentanyl or another additive. While it’s extremely dangerous, it’s all very common today, and it’s one of the driving factors behind fatal drug overdoses in the United States.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 250 Americans die each day due to drugs. In 2022, almost half of all fatal drug overdose deaths in the country involved polysubstance use. The reason why this kind of behavior can be so particularly dangerous is that some substances can amplify the effects of others, such as what happens when someone uses cocaine and alcohol at the same time.
When taken together, this combination produces a metabolite that’s psychoactive and is known as cocaethylene. It lasts in the system far longer than cocaine, which may give the user a longer-lasting effect and other unintended consequences, like the psychoactive nature of this substance. This can significantly increase the risk that the person will suffer from serious problems, such as cardiac arrest or other heart problems, due to just how intense this drug’s effects are on the body.
What Happens When Fentanyl or Heroin Is Combined With Alcohol?
Among the worst illicit drugs to combine are any of the list of opioids from strongest to weakest, along with alcohol. But why is this such a dangerous combination? The answer comes down to the fact that both opioids and alcohol are central nervous system depressants, meaning they both reduce activity of the user’s brain and spinal cord by:
- Slowing down nerve signals. This alters how neurotransmitters such as dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin convey messages between nerve cells, effectively slowing down communication in the brain.
- Decreasing brain stimulation. This happens because depressants reduce the amount of neurotransmitters that help stimulate brain activity.
- Suppressing brain function. While this can make the user feel relaxed or calm, it can also lead to dangerous conditions, such as dangerously low or completely stopped breathing and a low heart rate.
Depressants can cause these problems when taken alone; for example, someone can stop breathing if they are overdosing on opioids like fentanyl or if they’ve had too much to drink in a short period of time. However, the risk of these dangers is significantly increased when multiple depressants are taken at the same time, such as using fentanyl or heroin in addition to alcohol.
Another kind of extremely dangerous combination is the mix of benzodiazepines like Xanax, Valium, or Ativan with opioids. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, about 14 percent of all overdose deaths in the United States in 2021 that involved opioids were also found to be related to benzodiazepines. In some cases, users of an opioid will take a benzodiazepine to enhance and strengthen the high.
In many others, people didn’t even realize that the pill they were taking had both substances – they might think they’re taking illicit Xanax, for example, but have no idea that it was also laced with fentanyl. The statistics are clear: Taking benzos and opioids at the same time dramatically increases the risk of a person needing to get help at an emergency department, being admitted to a hospital for treatment, or dying of an accidental drug overdose.
How Does Combining Methamphetamine With Depressants Impact the Body?
If someone you love is starting to frequently and intentionally combine multiple substances at once, it’s time to learn about the effectiveness of interventions for drug addiction and the best treatment programs that can help them overcome addiction and no longer be at risk of deadly overdoses. This is especially the case with the mix of methamphetamine, a potent and highly addictive stimulant, with depressants like alcohol, opioids, or benzodiazepines.
When taken together, meth and a depressant basically confuse the body. The user’s system overreacts to the combination of this powerful stimulant, which tells their brain and body to ramp up certain neurotransmitters and boost their heart rate and breathing, along with a depressant that tells them to slow everything down.
While some people might take a depressant with meth in the mistaken belief that the two drugs will counteract or offset the unwanted effects of methamphetamine, that’s unfortunately not how it works. Instead, they can face several hazardous effects of the combination, such as:
- Rapidly increased heart rate and blood pressure, along with the attempt to slow things down from the depressant, which can put their heart under great strain and lead to things like strokes, heart failure, and cardiac arrest.
- Dangerously slow or completely stopped breathing as the stimulating effects of meth wear off much faster than the depressing effects of the depressant.
- Unintentional overdose. This is because the stimulant can mask or shut down their ability to sense that they’re already on too much of the depressant, which can make them continue to drink or use more depressants, and they can become overwhelmed by these high levels of drugs.
- Confusion and paranoia which is due to the contradictory effects of the two different drugs.
Over the course of time, this combination, if taken regularly, can cause significant damage to the user, such as organ damage or failure, brain damage, and crippling addiction and physical dependence.
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Why Is Mixing Prescription Stimulants With Illicit Stimulants So Risky?
Another thing to consider if you’re wondering what are the worst illicit drugs to combine are is mixing stimulants, even if one or both is a prescription drug, such as an ADHD medication like Adderall. Taking several stimulants at once, no matter if it’s cocaine, ecstasy, amphetamines, or methamphetamine, can cause blood pressure and heart rate to soar to extremely dangerous and unsustainable levels.
In just a short amount of time, the person can suffer extreme cardiac distress, such as aneurysms, strokes, heart attacks, and heart failure, and these problems can all too easily lead to sudden death in someone who thought they were just going to increase their amount of fun for the night or have a good time. Mixing uppers, even if one or both are legitimately prescribed medications to treat certain conditions like insomnia or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, can quickly become a recipe for disaster.
Key Takeaways on What Are the Worst Illicit Drugs to Combine
- Polysubstance use is an extremely dangerous practice of taking two or more substances at the same time.
- What are the worst illicit drugs to combine? Some of the most dangerous combinations include cocaine and alcohol, multiple stimulants taken all at once, stimulants and depressants, and various depressants.
- Drug interactions can amplify the effects of a substance, such as reducing breathing to dangerously low levels if two depressants are combined.
- Mixing stimulants and depressants can cause dangerous mixed signals in the body that can confuse and overwhelm the user’s system.
- Overcoming addiction is the best way to avoid the dangers of combining drugs or using multiple substances at once.
If you or a loved one is frequently taking multiple drugs at the same time, you’re playing a dangerous game that is all too likely to end in death. The good news is that comprehensive treatment programs at WhiteSands Alcohol and Drug Rehab can help. Call us at 877-855-3470 today to learn how to get started toward a better future free from the shackles of drug addiction.
Resources
- National Library of Medicine – Cocaethylene: When Cocaine and Alcohol Are Taken Together
- Georgia Department of Public Health – Polysubstance Use (Mixing Drugs)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Polysubstance Use Facts
- National Institute on Drug Abuse – Benzodiazepines and Opioids
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Drinking Alcohol While Using Other Drugs Can Be Deadly
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.
