If you are taking hydrocodone and alcohol, you have just put yourself in a potentially deadly situation. Hydrocodone is an opiate analgesic that can be used for chronic pain management. However, misuse and addiction to hydrocodone can result in severe side effects ranging from lack of movement or coordination to coma and even death. It is important to realize that hydrocodone and alcohol do not belong in your personal cocktail. These substances simply should not be combined at all.

When taking hydrocodone and alcohol, the combination is highly dangerous. Combining hydrocodone with alcohol results in a laundry list of possible side effects that could put your life at risk. Among them include: respiratory depression, hallucinations, slowed breathing, coma, seizures, liver damage, coma, liver failure, and death. These are just some of the more common side effects. More severe side effects such as death, liver failure, and respiratory depression may also occur.

Alcohol is a powerful central nervous system depressant that can affect the body in many ways. Although the alcohol depressant effects can be mitigated by drinking, taking it on a regular basis is still extremely dangerous. Alcohol will convert into hydrocodone and it will then enter the blood stream through the lungs and enter the central nervous system. The two drugs work together to produce a highly euphoric state as well as increased feelings of relaxation and stimulation.

In a sense, hydrocodone and opioids act together in what is called “cock-up” or rapid-effect delivery. This means that the dosage of the depressants is doubled when the medication is injected into the body. This method of delivery produces fast acting effects that often times do not last long enough for the user to feel the effects. This is why many people are able to hold on to their jobs and socialize throughout the day while under the influence of this drug.

effects of combining Hydrocodone And Alcohol

One of the worst effects of combining hydrocodone and alcohol is respiratory depression. Since hydrocodone and opioids work together to reduce oxygen from reaching the brain, the body will begin to shut down due to lack of oxygen. Some people have died from this condition after accidentally injecting themselves with large doses of alcohol. Also, alcohol has been known to increase the amount of time it takes for someone with this condition to succumb to respiratory depression. This makes this combination particularly risky.

When combined with other substances, both hydrocodone and alcohol become even more dangerous because it becomes much easier for someone who is suffering from one condition to become addicted to another. The most common addiction is methamphetamines, but it can also happen with oxycodone, alprazolam, hydrocodone, and even codeine. By combining these substances, you put yourself at risk for an accidental overdose, which can prove to be fatal.

Related: Hydrocodone Withdrawal