What Happens When You Mix Methadone and Alcohol?
Mixing methadone and alcohol can trigger dangerous and potentially life-threatening consequences. Methadone is a medication commonly used to help people overcome opioid addiction, while alcohol is a CNS depressant that affects the brain and body in powerful ways. Although both substances may seem manageable on their own, combining alcohol and methadone can have severe effects on the heart, lungs, and brain.
Understanding these dangers is essential for anyone taking methadone or supporting someone in recovery from opioid addiction. This page explores the many risks of using methadone and alcohol together, highlights the side effects of methadone and alcohol, and shows you how to get compassionate and effective addiction treatment.
Methadone is a prescription medication often used to manage opioid addiction [1]. Developed in the 1940s, methadone helps people manage cravings and withdrawal symptoms from opioids like heroin, morphine, and prescription painkillers. Ironically, it is an opioid itself, but it doesn’t produce the same intense high as drugs like heroin. This makes it a safer alternative when used correctly under medical supervision.
Methadone works by attaching the same parts of the brain affected by opioids, helping to ease withdrawal symptoms without causing severe drowsiness or euphoria [2].
Methadone is commonly provided as part of MAT (medication-assisted treatment) programs. MAT blends medications like methadone with therapy and counseling, giving people tools to manage physical dependence and the factors underpinning addiction. This approach has proven effective, allowing many people to reduce their reliance on opioids gradually in a controlled and supportive way.
Trained professionals administer methadone in clinics. Individuals visit the clinic regularly to receive their doses, especially during the early stages of treatment, to ensure they respond well to the medication and avoid misuse. Methadone is usually liquid, but it can also come as a tablet or powder mixed with water. Controlled dosing and medical oversight reduce the risk of misuse and overdose, which are prevalent with other opioids.
Although methadone is effective, it still carries risks, especially if not taken as directed. As a long-acting opioid, it stays in the body longer than other drugs, so taking extra doses or mixing it with other substances can trigger severe complications. One of the greatest risks comes from combining methadone with other CNS depressants like alcohol [3]. Both substances affect the central nervous system, which controls core functions like breathing and heart rate. Mixing methadone and alcohol can slow these processes to dangerous levels, putting people at risk of life-threatening overdose.
Methadone can be a safe and effective recovery tool, but it requires responsibility and support.
The methadone and alcohol combination can provoke severe physical and psychological symptoms. Each substance can cause drowsiness, slowed breathing, and mood changes.
Combined methadone and alcohol use can make these effects much stronger and potentially dangerous. Alcohol and methadone both depress the central nervous system, impacting heart rate, breathing, and coordination. Together, they can suppress these functions too much, which may provoke severe and sometimes deadly outcomes.
The immediate side effects of the methadone and alcohol interaction can vary depending on the amount of each substance taken and the person’s tolerance level. Even in small amounts, taking the substances together can cause:
In addition to the short-term effects of mixing methadone and alcohol, there are serious and life-threatening risks, especially with prolonged use or high doses.
There are also long-term risks associated with mixing methadone and alcohol.
If you or someone you know takes methadone for opioid addiction treatment, avoid alcohol and comply with dosage guidelines.
Mixing methadone and alcohol is extremely risky because both substances suppress the CNS. When methadone and alcohol are taken together, the combined effect can trigger dangerously slowed breathing or respiratory failure, a leading cause of overdose deaths.
Many people don’t realize that the depressant effects of methadone can last much longer than alcohol due to its extended half-life [6]. This increases the risk of severe complications even hours after drinking.
Beyond this, combining methadone and alcohol heightens the likelihood of life-threatening symptoms like seizures, coma, or sudden heart failure.
Avoid alcohol when taking methadone to stay safe and prevent these severe and potentially life-threatening risks.
Treating a combination of methadone and alcohol misuse requires a specialized approach, as both substances create physical dependence and can lead to withdrawal symptoms upon discontinuation. When someone struggles with methadone and alcohol, a treatment plan should address each issue individually while also focusing on the factors underpinning polysubstance use.
For those misusing methadone and alcohol, targeted treatment and ongoing support can lead to successful long-term recovery.
If you need help getting back on track from alcohol or opioid addiction, we offer effective MAT programs at our luxury rehab in Laguna Beach, California.
When you choose medical detox at our beachside facility, you can access medications and continuous clinical care as you withdraw from drugs or alcohol under close supervision. After addressing dependence on alcohol or opioids, you can move into ongoing inpatient treatment.
All treatment plans are personalized at California Detox to reflect the unique aspects of all alcohol and opioid addictions. Therapies include:
Start your recovery by calling California Detox at 888-995-4208.
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK310658/
[2] https://www.painphysicianjournal.com/current/pdf?article=OTg3&journal=42
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK143211
[4] https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/respiration-depression
[5] https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/alcohol/alcohol-fact-sheet
[6] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK574918
[7] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30352668/
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