Opioids Is it Safe to Drink Alcohol While on Opiates?

[Eva 33]

I'm a chronic pain paitient and am taking Exalgo (long-acting dilaudid). I also take Dilaudid as my breakthrough med. Before going on Exalgo, I was taking 270 mg. per day of Avinza (oral morphine).

I know that opiates and large amounts of alcohol DO NOT mix.

I'm only asking if it would be okay for me to have ONE drink, for a special occasion.

I actually never really drink alcohol except on a very rare and special occasion.

On the warnings for Avinza, it says NO ALCOHOL, but I went ahead and had ONE drink anyway. My doctor never said anything about not drinking EVER. Other opiates like Oxycontin and Exalgo don't have the "NO ALCOHOL" warning, so it's confusing. Of course I'm only asking about ONE drink.

I've been on strong opiates for pain management continuously for about 4 years and have a high tolerance. In those 4 years, I think I've only had 2 drinks. One was a glass of wine at a restaurant, and the other was a glass of champagne at a party. NEVER more than ONE drink----I'm not stupid.

My dream vacation is to go to Hawaii someday. I was there once and had a Mai Tai.

I've never had a MIXED DRINK while on opiates. I'm fairly sure that mixed drinks contain MORE alcohol than a glass on wine?

I just thought I'd ask opinions about the safety of ONE Mai Tai (or other mixed drink) while on strong opiates for pain management. Thanks for any advice.

Eva

 

[ErgicMergic]

Not only can it be very dangerous, either by increasing CNS depression to fatal levels or by destroying the ER mechanisms in the pain medications and "dose dumping" it all at once (as was the case with Palladone, a previously used Hydromorphone preparation), but it is simply not a good mix recreationally. It takes away from the nuances of the opioid high by clouding up the effects and dulls them down.

Since you have a very low tolerance, I would not recommend it at all, especially since you are on a new medication (another Hydromorphone er preparation that may or may not be subject to dose dumping as Palladone was), and especially because your tolerance to Ethanol (drinking alcohol) is almost zero. Yes, most mixed drinks contain more than 1 drink (1 unit of alcohol = 1.5 oz liquor = 12 oz standard ABV beer), so you don't want to be the victim (in terms of health) of a bartender who thought he was "hooking you up" with more booze than you paid for.

With CNS depressants, the potentiation is heavy and unexpectedly strong, almost exponential at times. In these cases, 1 + 1 =/= 2, instead, 1 + 1 = 4 in terms of how much your breathing and BP is slowed down.

 

[smokemctoke420]

You'll be good with a single glass of wine

My mom is a chronic pain patient and she to has the occasional glass of wine and I never notice impairment

 

[Leaping Gnome]

You'll be good with a single glass of wine

My mom is a chronic pain patient and she to has the occasional glass of wine and I never notice impairment

It will sound like it, but I'm really not trying to be an ass here.

Your mom is NOT Eva33. Just because your mom has done it and gotten away with it doesn't mean that someone else can! I have 2 IMO's here, 1) she should be fine 2) you can not be sure of it and in harm reduction I'd have to say not to do it.

Leaping Gnome

 

[dankhead88]

well, if you're quite tolerant, start small. maybe start with a 6th of a drink depending on ABV. Like 6th of a 16oz beer with moderate ABV like 5.5-6 percent. I do find that alcohol diminish my opiates. Personally I like pot with my opiates.

 

[tentram]

i would say one drink is fine and responsible. you shouldn't run into any problems apart from what ergic mentioned about dulling out some of the finer parts of the opioid high. if you go overboard on the alcohol you do risk a potential overdose or possibly just getting extreme nausea, possibly getting sick, ie spewing up and getting sick that way.

so, yeah, while mixing certain CNS depressants can be fatal, if you drink responsibly you should be fine like in the past.

good luck and take it easy!

 

[Eva 33]

I actually have a very HIGH tolerance to opiates. Since I rarely drink alcohol, I probably have a fairly low tolerance to it, but I tend to have a high tolerance to just about everything I've ever tried. (I used to drink a bit more before going on long-acting opiates, but nothing extreme). I've been taking opiates for pain management for years. I'm not taking the opiates to get high; I'm taking then because I'm in severe pain.

I probably should have entitled my thread: "Is it safe to have ONE drink while on opiates?"

As I said, my pain doctor never told me that I should NEVER have a drink while on opiates. He never said ANYTHING about alcohol.

And as I said in my post, I've already had ONE glass of wine on opiates, and on another occasion had ONE glass of champagne while on opiates. I had NO problems whatsoever.

Since I already know that ONE glass of wine every once in a blue moon is fine, I wanted to ask if having ONE mixed drink would be okay for a special occasion. I take my meds really responsibly and have always been a very cautious person.

A pain doctor used to post on a forum I used and someone asked this very question re: alcohol. The pain doc's reply was "all things in moderation. One drink should be fine". I've read about many other chronic pain patients having ONE drink on New Year's Eve while on opiates, so I really do think it's okay. Anything more than one drink would probably be dangerous, but I highly doubt that one drink is going to kill me, especially since neither my pain doc nor my pharmacist EVER told me to avoid alcohol. And I've done it in the past with no ill effects, so I must have the constitution to handle it.



Eva

 

[tentram]

i'm pain patient as well, have been for close to 10 years now, and only 26 y.o. i've never ran into any undoings while only having a drink or two, sometimes going a little overboard on many occasions, though however have ended up sick with hot and cold flushes and sweating profusely which lead to spewing my ring up for hours on end - too high dose of opioids and alcohol combined.

like your doc said, everything in moderation. and seeing as you don't abuse your meds and haven't had any troubles in the past from a single drink i think it's reasonable and safe enough to assume/say you'll be fine just as you have been in the past

enjoy yourself and stay safe!

 

[Permanent Jones]

Eva,
Correct me if I' m wrong, but isn' t Exalgo a time release med? If so, then no, one drink (mixed or not) would not be safe. Most pain meds, ie Percocet,Vicodin, etc. are not going to kill you if you have one drink while taking them, but time release meds like Exalgo or Opana ER can be deadly when just one drink is added. You might be able to get away with it if you wait until the Exalgo is a couple of hours away from wearing off, and then have one drink, but then you should also wait three or four hours after that one drink before redosing on Exalgo, to make sure the booze has cleared your system. And if you' re in a lot of pain and need your meds, it' s probably not worth the hassle of waiting around to take them because you had one drink. Time released narcotics are an entirely different ballgame than regular pain meds, so you have to be much more careful. I would suggest you call the pharmacist who fills your scripts when you have important questions like this, because they are aware of everything you' re taking and will give you much more accurate advice. You don' t want to make a mistake that could kill you.

 

[smokemctoke420]

I wanna write something. I know it won't come out right so I'm just gonna be quiet lol

 

[Mr.Scagnattie]

Is it a good idea? No.. but, having one or two drinks is not going to kill you. Many people drink while on opiates and though the mix of two CNS depressants is a dangerous one... provided you don't start guzzling vodka or something.. you'll probably be fine.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Honestly i think you would be fine. Considering you have been able to have one drink with your medication in the past, it should not be a real problem. if you're really concerned you could try reducing your morphine dose slightly before you drink - and make sure to only have one.

many patients in chronic pain enjoy alcohol responsibly if they don't over do it and only have one drink.

from personal experience (although i am relatively young, 20) i had dosed 300mg of oxycodone and had a drink and survived. it wasn't very pleasant though.

 

[shreddedlettuce]

I just thought I'd ask opinions about the safety of ONE Mai Tai (or other mixed drink) while on strong opiates for pain management. Thanks for any advice. Eva

As you said, "I've never had a MIXED DRINK while on opiates. I'm fairly sure that mixed drinks contain MORE alcohol than a glass on (of) wine?", which is true.
I wouldn't go so far as to say it is safe.
Personally I don't enjoy alcohol, and from reading your post it sounds like it isn't a necessity for you either (but would be nice on special occasions) - I get what you are saying.

So the risk/reward factor suggests it would not be a good idea (the harder/mixed alcohol).

A glass of champagne or wine might be ok, but I'm just giving you my thoughts so you can make the right decision and still have a good time.

 

[BeachBum4u]

I honestly think this is a situation where you have to "know your body" and be safe. Personally, I've been on as much as 400mg of Oxycontin a day and always drank regularly but I know my limits and don't exceed them. I seriously doubt that anyone who knows me has ever seen me "drunk" although I can drink as many as 6-8 beers in an evening. The funny thing is that if I go out with my wife and have a frozen mixed drink or two, I really really feel it and usually stop right there whereas others may just keep going. So, I do think it's safe to drink one drink but see how you feel afterwards and adjust accordingly. BTW, when I used to get Oxy Rx's they ALWAYS ALWAYS had warnings about alcohol, read me: ALWAYS. I don't know where a previous poster got his from but I find it very hard to believe it had no warnings on the bottle. Good Luck with that drink!

 

[SaosinEngaged]

I've done it. It's not smart at all, especially with ER meds as stated above. With oxymorphone, I believe, it actually can significantly increase absorption leading to a massive overdose (again, ER formula). Please correct me if I'm slightly off, but I know for a fact alcohol and, specifically, oxymorphone can be a fatal mistake but I'm less certain of the exact mechanism.

It's not smart, ever. I don't care what someone's mom does.

One of the few times I drank on my usual dose of Oxy, I came the closest I've ever come to going to the ER for an overdose. Could have ended poorly, and I was lucky.

 

[Kayla Crystal <3]

Lololol, is this a joke.?​

Ugh, sorry, I'm not making such a great impression.. But most of these questions just make me question the intelligence of humanity.

Anyways, Eva, let me help you out here.. It's always fun when we can answer a question with a question.. So let me ask you, if you don't mind..

Is this one mixed drink worth possibly losing your life?​

However you decided to answer that question, I'm gonna go ahead & say that's the answer to the original question you had asked.

People, people, people.. If you value your life, please do not mix drugs with alcohol.. Especially opiates as strong as dilaudid.

Hope I did not offend you, if for any reason you decide to do it anyways, please keep 911 on speed dial & stay close to a hospital..

Xoxo,
Kayla. 8)

 

[Kayla Crystal <3]

Oh, by the way..

You have mentioned continuously that you feel this will be "okay", then why in the world did you ask this question? Because, sweetheart, you know it's not okay & you're just looking for some reassurance because you want to do it anyways.

Also, the reason a doctor or pharmacist probably failed to ever mention this to you is because its usually considered common sense, especially with ER meds.

Xoxo,
Kayla. 8)

 

[tentram]

Lololol, is this a joke.?​

Ugh, sorry, I'm not making such a great impression.. But most of these questions just make me question the intelligence of humanity.

Anyways, Eva, let me help you out here.. It's always fun when we can answer a question with a question.. So let me ask you, if you don't mind..

Is this one mixed drink worth possibly losing your life?​

However you decided to answer that question, I'm gonna go ahead & say that's the answer to the original question you had asked.

People, people, people.. If you value your life, please do not mix drugs with alcohol.. Especially opiates as strong as dilaudid.

Hope I did not offend you, if for any reason you decide to do it anyways, please keep 911 on speed dial & stay close to a hospital..

Xoxo,
Kayla. 8)

responsible and informed users, you know, can actually afford to have a drink or two with this combination. it's about knowing your limits and having self control. we don't all need to be lumped into a group which deems all users who combine (poly drug use) drugs as irresponsible idiots. thank you very much.

people combine opioids and alcohol all the time and are just fine. it's not an assured way to die by any stretch of the mind.

You have mentioned continuously that you feel this will be "okay", then why in the world did you ask this question? Because, sweetheart, you know it's not okay & you're just looking for some reassurance because you want to do it anyways.

for reassurance, perhaps? to get other peoples opinions, perhaps? to gain more knowledge, perhaps. that's what these HR forums are all about, love.

better safe than sorry, yeah?

 

[Permanent Jones]

I find myself wondering how young you are?? These kinds of issues are probably one reason why it' s much harder for patients who are young to get opioids prescribed to them. I would encourage you to check out exalgo.com and see what the manufacturers of your particular med have to say about mixing alcohol with it. That info will be much more accurate than anything we can tell you on BL. I suspect, however, like Kayla intimated above, that you' re looking for others to tell you it' s okay to do this even though you have to know it' s not.

 

[Kayla Crystal <3]

You really wannna tango hunny?​

I'm sorry, but no, I am no going to give someone reassurance about doing something that could result in death. & for your information, I am a chronic pain patient on the fentanyl patch, oxycontin & oxycodone.

Now, sure, a drink with Vicodin or codiene is probably not going to cause much harm yet I still don't condone it, but sweetheart, this young lady is taking Extended Release Dilaudid. There have been many deaths resulting in the mixture of dilaudid & alcohol! Especially people coming into the ER after an accident occurring while drinking & then being given dilaudid for the pain, dead that same day!

I don't understand how you could condone such activity of someone take ER dilaudid. Even just one, yes ONE drink, could end up in her death. ER Dilaudid has a much higher dose of the medication in it, & when paired with alcohol, it could cause the pill to release all the medication at once causing an OD. Also, alcohol can potentate this medication also resulting in overdose!

If she wants reassurance and opinions, maybe she needs to talk to her doctor. I've been researching this since I had posted off just my own knowledge to find its more deadly than I imagined.

So Tentram, I hope you realize now how deadly your suggestion could end up being.. So why don't you go & take your horrible advice and shove it up your ass!

Don't you ever assure someone it's okay to do something that you know jack-shit about, go ask any doctor or at least someone with some common sense, they'll tell you the same thing I just did.


Praying that you never endanger someone's life like this again..
~Kayla