Could Several Months of Using Alcohol and Benzodiazepines Together Daily Have Hurt My Body?
Question by mycophagist: Could several months of using alcohol and benzodiazepines together daily have hurt my body?
Yeah, so last summer I got into the habit of getting drunk and taking benzos practically every day. Usually xanax or klonopin, but sometimes valium and ativan. imovane sometimes, too, but that’s not a benzo. I don’t think that I feel any weaker than I used to, but I’m wondering if about five months of abuse could have some detrimental effect on my heart or brain.
Best answer:
Answer by B
Yea, don’t forget about the liver. My hubby’s grandma passed away on Nov. 8 of ’09 due to Cirrhosis of the liver: caused by drinking. She also took Xanex to be able to tolerate her husband, I’m sure that contributed to her demise just not positive how. My dad was just diagnosed with Cirrhosis as well…he doesn’t do drugs though. Why are you doing them??
Answer by Sandra
It is not uncommon:
“Studies indicate that 3 to 41 percent of alcoholic persons report that they abused benzodiazepines at some time, often to modulate intoxication or withdrawal effects.4 The contemporary alcoholic is usually a multiple-drug user. As many as 80 percent of alcoholics under the age of 30 have been addicted to or use at least one other drug.”
http://www.aafp.org/afp/20000401/2121.html
Strangely enough, these drugs are also used in rehab of alcoholics, because they reduce the stress of alcohol withdrawal.
“The short-term use of benzodiazepines adversely affects multiple areas of cognition; most notably, it interferes with the formation and consolidation of memories of new material and may induce complete anterograde amnesia.” That is, it affects your brain. Alcohol does also. Your brains are being fried.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benzodiazepine
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