So what?
Iodine is a medicine also but you probably shouldn't combine it with Xanax.
That's how I look at it.

I've had my share of trouble with alcohol and benzos...i must say Adivan is the worst tho. You can take it early in the day and still end up blacking out after a night of drinking.

Why cant you mix the 2?

If you are on xanax and cut your finger, whats wrong with putting iodine on it?

I've noticed a correlation between people who tend to be "angry" drunks, also tend to turn into major a-holes when they take too much xanax.

It kinda make sense considering both alcohol and xanax work on the same GABA receptor sites in the nervous system.

So therefore:

2(xanax)+ 3(Jameson shooters) = 6(A**hole)13

So what you ask MD?

What is an awareness of the 2 medicine's ability to interact in both a positive and negative way. It is not a game.

I still think that a bit of valium and a bit of wine is not a bad thing.

It's like when my chronic pain is over the top and I am low on pks, so I take 1/2 of 5/500 and have some wine. They potentiate each other. And so my pain fades into the background for another evening.

Sometimes MD your beliefs seem to be a tad black and white. Where's that grey area that is usually a sign of intelligence and of being open minded?

When you've seen as many people as I have who have either died or almost died from combining benzos and booze, you tend to think of this situation in black and white terms.
I can't tell you how many well-meaning individuals just like yourself who think they have everything under control turn around one night, forget that they took a pill earlier, have some wine, take some other pills to go to sleep and don't wake up or wake up in the hospital.
On this subject, being "open minded" equates to being dangerously naive in my opinion.
Combining Xanax and alcohol in any quantities is clearly not a sign of intelligence.

Its pretty black and white, and a known fact ( seen it happen ),that when you mix alcohol with benzos,barbs, or pain meds your rolling the dice. If you have a oujia board I can give you a name of a friend of mine you can ask...lol..

Be Careful....

Don't worry.

I do honestly believe that there is a line there and if one is extremely moderate in the amounts being mixed, it is not a risk.

Many people choose to go overboard but that does not mean everyone does.

Reminds me of when our parents/society used to tell us that pot use would lead to heroin use. It doesn't.

I can refer you to dozens of heroin addicts who will tell you that they wish they had listened to this parental advice.
But you are a good example of the "unique indiviual" mindset.
You have it all together and believe that you are much too clever to let something awful like this happen to you. It only happens to other people who somehow "choose" to go overboard.

Sorry, not to be a downer (so to speak) but mixing benzos and alcohol is like playing with fire.

They are both CNS suppressants/depressants. Other situations happen in our bodies (unknown to us) that can increase the likelihood that the benzo/booze mix could be fatal. Even if it happened been before (successfully taking benzos and drinking that is).

You never know when one more benzo or one more drink is going to be too many. martind is totally right on this one. Each time you mix benzos and booze, you are taking a chance at ending your life or putting yourself in a coma.

I wouldn't do it and I have a death wish half the time. lol

Not a good idea. Do one or the other, but not both. It's quite dangerous and never a known result when you do mix the two. And unfortunately, it often ends badly.

Lisa
and believe me, I am the last one who usually offers drug advice! But this (benzo and booze) is NOT one to fool around with.

MD, you always seem to make the arguments personal. It's kind of odd.

I think the safety issue only exists if one drinks to excess or takes more than a small amount of CNS depressants w/the alchohol.

Otherwise, a little bit of either together is ok. Basically, don't take that 2nd pill or have that 3rd drink. But everyone is different and perhaps I have just been lucky.

To be honest, I have not done it often as zanax is not one of my regular medicines. But I have done it w/hydro. Now I don't take high levels of pain meds like some do and that is probably why it has been ok.

See, I must insist it's all about how much you take.

Of course, according to Lisa's post, that is a line noone can draw accurately and therefore the whole practice of mixing drugs w/alchohol is a [censored] shoot. I won't disagree w/that.

meon

Good luck my friend. may the sun never blind your eyes. I am sure you know what you are doing and talking about, as each one of us is an expert in our own experiences. Just be careful and keep everyones advise in mind.

I will.

Kudos to Lisa for her persuasive contribution to the discussion.
And, when discussing this particular subject, I do regard it as personal. Nothing odd about it.
Have you ever personally witnessed an accidental fatal overdose involving this combination?
Or lost someone close to you who just wouldn't heed the warnings about the dangers?
Personally, I would like to convince everyone to understand the risks and avoid them entirely.

Yes. I have witnessed a fatal overdose. Unfortunatley, after the fact. He was dead for a few hours when I found him. I woke up just a few feet away (the next room) from a dead ( and very blue ) friend. Choked on his vomit in his sleep.

Word to the wise: becareful mixing things..... I BS you not...

93!

Mixing benzo's and alcohol, which I am ashamed to say I have been guilty of, has always turned out bad for me. Blackout, then my wife explaining to me the extremely weird and embarrasing behavior that ensued. The scariest thing is finding out that you were awake and active and have absolutely no recollection of what you did. Not the usual drinking too much and remembering making an [censored] of yourself but acting like you don't to save face, actually NOT remembering. Makes me shudder to think about what could have happened to me had I not been in the company of good people. Not to mention the possible deadly side effects.

My father lost a very good, lifelong friend because he took too much xanax and drank, aspirated on his own vomit for his wife to find the next morning. The hurt that endures from these mistakes is what your loved ones have to deal with after you are gone. No one should put their loved ones through this. Be safe guys, too many great ppl dead and gone from mixing stuff. Benzo's and opiates are the same. I have personally lost multiple friends to this. You depress your CNS too much and your body forgets to breathe.

Very good post.

yea- not the smartest thing to mix together. OK in moderation - but wouldn't over do it ....or you won't remember.

Incredibly mis-informed.
Everyone has a different reaction to drugs and booze.
One person may be able to take 3 xanax bars and a bottle of Jack Daniels
while another person after a glass of wine and .25mg xanax pass out.
The problem is (and Nephro will back this up) is you could stop breathing in your sleep.
Not a good thing to do. IMHO.

Never do this. It can be/is a lethal combo. Moreover, Never forget that there are many lethal combos with many prescription drugs and alcohol.

yes, not a good idea, NEVER. Know your limit, this does not mean go and experiment. Learn from past mistakes and go from there. Also, never take your medication with you. I once took my dose of medication and went out with some friends. I think(this is my conclusion) I forgot that I took that dose and every dose after the other one and just kept on taking more; Next thing I know I am waking up in the county jail not knowing what had happened. Still bring back anxiety thinking of that day. Not to mention I still have that case pending.

if one has bad panic attacks and only takes alprazolam for which it is intended. they should always have it on them IMHO.

I agree. I think the trick is to just bring a small amount so one does not OD by mistake. And bring the insurance receipt you get from the pharmacy. It can be used to prove you have a script for the meds, if need be.

yes of course that is what i meant only biring a small amount or what you will need. In my case I had just gotten my prescription and had the whole bottle full.

There was some post on here about how some women was at home and took 13 tranqs in one evening coz she kept forgetting she had taken one! That was crazy. She was lucky to have survived.

Don't think it was this thread but it could be.

have i done it? yes, absolutely i have.

is it wise? NO.

you can take a hell of a lot of benzos - but NOTHING else, and i mean NOTHING - and you have an extremely good chance of not killing yourself.

mix a benzo with *any other* CNS depressant - you're asking for trouble.

Sorry Winter, was that you who took all the extra benzos by mistake? Did not mean to judge.

Hey, I posted earlier in this thread how I have taken 5gms of valium and had some wine. Martin and others finally wore me down and I promised never to do it again.

You know, when I was first scripted flexeril, I asked the pharmacist if I could drink on it and he said yes. But technically, that is dangerous too I guess.

I think she'd say so to give advice to others if it was her.

JMO

no, i wasn't the one who took 13 benzos. no worries.

i know how dangerous mixing CNS depressants can be. i'm careful about that...i've never accidentally overshot what i was taking (as far as i can remember, LOL)

I think I remember that post. I thought it was Ambien. I recall a couple posters saying this had happened to them. Waking up with the bottle nearly gone because they kept forgetting they had already taken a pill and took another one all night long. Scary stuff.