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However, if you must drink, it’s recommended that you wait at least 24 hours after taking your medication before consuming any alcohol. This will give your body enough time to process the medication and reduce the risk of dangerous side effects. Additionally, the potential for adverse reactions, such as allergic reactions or unpredictable drug interactions, may also increase when alcohol and muscle relaxants are combined. This can lead to a variety of health complications and may require immediate medical attention. The central nervous system (CNS) is responsible for controlling vital functions in the body. Both alcohol and muscle relaxants depress the CNS, meaning they slow down brain activity and can affect heart rate, breathing, and other essential functions.
But so far, evidence supporting the use of baclofen for alcohol withdrawal is limited. A 2017 review couldn’t draw concrete conclusions about the effectiveness of baclofen in treating alcohol withdrawal. The researchers found that the studies reviewed contained either insufficient or poor-quality evidence.
- The investigators found that the studies reviewed contained evidence that was either insufficient or of poor quality.
- Or, you may be unaware that your alcohol consumption is putting you at risk for dangerous side effects.
- The rigidity caused by muscle spasticity can even make it hard for some people to walk.
If you or anyone you know is undergoing a severe health crisis, call a doctor or 911 immediately. All information provided in featured rehab listings is verified by the facility officials. The details are kept up to date to help people with addiction treatment needs get the most full and precise facts about the rehabilitation facility. When someone experiences muscle spasms, the muscle contracts and tightens involuntarily.
- One of the most severe consequences is the suppression of breathing.
- Using baclofen to manage symptoms, especially without doctor supervision, can have dangerous consequences.
- This dual dependence can contribute to severe health problems, such as liver damage and cognitive impairments.
- Social influences, like seeing others mix these substances without apparent harm, can contribute.
Treatment Process
As you can see, many of these effects echo those caused by muscle relaxants, benzodiazepines included, which is the main reason it is so risky to combine these drugs. If you have already consumed alcohol less than 3 days after taking muscle relaxants, you must stop drinking immediately. Seek medical attention if you observe rigorous symptoms, and just to be cautious, consult with your doctor anyway. Mental health conditions often develop alongside substance abuse in a pattern known as a dual diagnosis, where both issues feed into and exacerbate each other.
Generally, it is not safe for health to drink while on these medications. In one case from Pittsburgh Criminalistics Laboratory, it was reported that one patient died due to drowning after drinking alcohol with an antispasmodic medication named Cyclobenzaprine. In this case, the reason behind the fatal health event was because of the severe sedation experienced by the patient.
Adults can take this medication to relieve severe, painful muscle conditions. It can cause drowsiness and dizziness and isn’t recommended for long-term use or by those with a history of addiction. Doctors also warn people of the dangers of combining this medication with alcohol. Metaxalone isn’t a narcotic but a centrally-acting skeletal muscle relaxant with side effects related to the central nervous system, such as dizziness, drowsiness, and nervousness. Metaxalone 800 mg dose is uncontrolled and cannot cause dependence when taken within prescribed limits.
It can treat muscle spasms with severe muscle conditions when a person combines it with rest and physical therapy. Common side effects may include dizziness, irritability, confusion, and headache. Cyclobenzaprine has a half-life of eight to 37 hours for most adults. The half-life of a substance is the amount of time it takes for your body to metabolize half of the medication and remove it from your body. If you must have an alcoholic beverage, it is best to wait 24 hours or longer after taking your last dose of the muscle relaxer to avoid any potentially harmful effects. Most muscle relaxers last around four to six hours, so the medication will still be in their system even if a person starts drinking several hours after they take their dose.
Avoiding Alcohol while Taking Muscle Relaxants
If you’re thinking about mixing these substances, it’s important to understand the risks involved. At New Directions for Women, we want you to be as informed as possible so you can be empowered to live life to the fullest. In this blog, we break down the relationship between muscle relaxers and alcohol and why the two should never be mixed.
What Are Muscle Relaxers and How Do They Work?
70% of patients prescribed a muscle relaxant also received a prescription for an opioid, which might lead to dangerous interactions. Muscle relaxers are not a class of drugs—meaning they do not all have the same chemical structure or work the same way in the brain. Instead, muscle relaxer describes a group of drugs that act as central nervous system (CNS) depressants and have musculoskeletal relaxant and sedative properties. When this occurs, it means that a continuous muscle spasm is occurring. The rigidity caused by muscle spasticity can even make it hard for some people to walk. This is common in people who have conditions like cerebral palsy or in people who have had an injury to their brain or spinal cord.
Alcohol is a CNS depressant, which means it slows down brain activity, leading to sedation, impaired motor control, and slower reaction times. Taking muscle relaxers shares similar properties, which can result in compounded effects when the two substances are used together. While these medications can be highly effective in managing muscle spasms, they come with the potential for side effects, including drowsiness, dizziness, and impaired motor control. This is why healthcare providers often caution against activities like driving or operating heavy machinery when taking these drugs. Yes, mixing alcohol and muscle relaxers can impair your coordination and balance, which can make it dangerous to drive or operate heavy machinery. It’s important to avoid these activities until you know how your body reacts to the combination of alcohol and muscle relaxers.
Treatment for Cyclobenzaprine and Alcohol Addiction
Alcohol, like some medicines, can make you drowsy, sleepy, or lightheaded. Muscle relaxer withdrawal causes mild symptoms such as nausea, headache, drowsiness, malaise, and discomfort for many people. Symptoms tend to peak about two to four days after consuming Flexeril.
Some people mix substances to amplify the effects of one or both drugs, while others do it to offset the negative side effects of another. Still, others mistakenly believe that combining drugs will somehow make them safer. Since we have covered the effects of muscle relaxers, it is also important to understand the effects of alcohol.
Now, the half-life is It’s dependent on several factors such as your genetics, how long after taking a muscle relaxer can you drink alcohol age, and liver function. The elderly and folks with impaired liver function tend to metabolize it slower. If we assume that you metabolize cyclobenzaprine quickly, even 24 hours after a single 10mg dose, at least 1.25mg of cyclobenzaprine would still be in your system.
This is especially true when it comes to mental health conditions like anxiety or insomnia. Muscle relaxers may be prescribed for a variety of conditions, including back pain and injury. However, before taking a muscle relaxant, it’s important to speak to your healthcare provider about the risks and side effects. Most muscle relaxants last around four to six hours, so even if a person begins drinking several hours after they take their dose the medication will still be in their system. Muscle relaxants can be extremely potent; even having one drink while on one can cause uncomfortable, debilitating, and dangerous side effects.
This means that the side effects of muscle relaxers, such as drowsiness or dizziness, can be intensified when you drink alcohol. Although skeletal muscle relaxants are occasionally the primary drug of abuse, they are often used along with other depressants, such as alcohol or narcotics. The toxic effects are respiratory depression (slow and ineffective breathing) and coma. In contrast, other drugs such as meth and heroin get much attention regarding abuse and addiction. However, the potential for muscle relaxers to become part of a user’s cocktail of preferred substance, if not the outright drug of choice, can’t be ignored. Keep in mind that alcohol and muscle relaxers should not be taken at the same time.
