DrugBuyers.Com: Benzodiazepine + Alcohol

Please take seriously what has been posted above by Cheska and others! I know the potential danger from personal experience.

I do not sleep well on long plane flights. Back in the 80's my doctor prescribed some lorazepam (Ativan) so that I could sleep on a long (something like 14 hours) flight that included a stop over. He had previously prescribed limited amounts Atvian for anxiety/sleep on a couple of occasions; thus, it was not as though I'd never taken this medication before and had no idea what to expect from it.

I did, however, exceed his instructions: I took two of the 1 mg tablets shortly after take off. About 10-15 minutes later, it occured to me that I might sleep even better if I drank a small amount of the Johnny Walker Black that was being offered by the flight attendant. In all honesty, I consumed a fairly small amount of the scotch whiskey I was offered: it was more than a swallow, but it was much less than the full plastic cup offered. (The airline I was using offered this drink without charge even outside of first class.)

I fell asleep quickly. However, my flight was not a nonstop flight: it included a stop over where passengers could take advantage of duty free shopping. Apparently, I had no trouble getting off the plane. No one remarked that I appeared intoxicated. Apparently, I had no difficulties with anyone from whom I purchased a few gift items in the duty free shop. Apparently, I had no problems reboarding the flight. I certainly had no difficulty falling back to sleep. When my flight was close to landing at the final destination, I recall waking and feeling quite refreshed after such a long flight. However, when I reached my residence and unpacked my briefcase, I was very surprised to notice that it contained these items I'd purchased at the duty free shop. To this day I have only the vaguest memory of deplaning at the stop over, and I have absolutely NO memory of making any of my purchases. Moreover, sober/unmedicated, I could not think of any reason for buying a couple of the items I found in briefcase. I guess I'm very fortunate that I my purchases totaled under $100: all of them were made using a credit card that had a limit well over that amount!

Depending on dosage and route of administration, benzodiazepines affect memory processing to some extent. In hospital settings, diazepam (Valium) and especially midazolam (Versed) may be given intramuscularly or intravenously not only for "sedation and relief of apprehension" but also "to impair memory of perioperative events." (These drugs may be given with an appropriate amount of a painkiller too.) IMHO that is something good: if--in the appropriate hospital or office setting--I needed to undergo some uncomfortable procedure during which the doctor wanted me conscious, I would prefer that I felt as little pain and stress as possible. Moreover, I would just as soon remember very little if anything about the details of procedure itself.

Product information published by the pharmaceutical companies making the various benzodiazepines is available on the Internet. Use a search engine, and type in the name of the medication you are taking plus product information. You will find that alcohol--in particular--is mentioned under precautions/information for patients. Alcohol is known to substantially enhance memory impairment when taken with any of the benzodiazepines.

Clearly, we are all respond somewhat differently to the various medications on the market. I've read posts stating that he/she gets better pain relief taking Lortab as opposed to taking Percodan. Another writes that Klonopin does not help relieve anxiety as well as Xanax. Etc., etc. Bottom line: some may be not have experienced what I did, but (IMHO) taking any benzodiazine and consuming alcohol at the same time is playing with fire. Moreover--and again it's only my opinion--drinking even 50 cL of beer one hour after taking 1 mg of Xanax is pretty much taking them at the same time.

--------------------
"... A little learning is a dangerous thing; drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring...."