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Concurrent Alcohol and Oxycodone Abuse

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If you are concerned about yourself or someone else who has been combining alcohol and oxycodone, it is no surprise. These two substances should never be combined, as doing so heightens the dangers inherent to the use of each individual substance.

Alcohol and Oxycodone Facts

Here are some alcohol and oxycodone facts to be aware of:

  • Each substance leads to abuse and addiction. You can have separate addictions to each, as well as an addiction to using the substances together for the desired effect.
  • There are dangerous consequences of concurrent alcohol and oxycodone use, including potential overdose or death.
  • Using both of these substances alters your mental capacity for making decisions, your alertness and your reaction time.
  • Operating machinery while using these substances, including a vehicle, is extremely dangerous.
  • You may experience short-term and long-term effects of combining these substances.

Signs and Symptoms

The signs and symptoms of someone using alcohol and oxycodone are similar to those of someone using these substances alone. Common symptoms of being under the influence of oxycodone and alcohol include:


Combined Effects of Oxycodone and Alcohol

The problem with using alcohol and oxycodone concurrently is that it is extremely dangerous to combine these substances; not just due to the risk of abuse and addiction, but because of what it does to your body and your mind. Your tolerance and sensitivity to alcohol is lower when you are taking oxycodone, but you might not realize it, so you may drink more than your body can handle. In combination with oxycodone, another depressant, you can do serious harm to your body and may experience:woman-feeling-depressed-from-oxy-and-alcohol-abuse

  • Respiratory depression.
  • Loss of consciousness.
  • Confusion.
  • Impaired motor control.
  • Dizziness.
  • Overdose.
  • Death.

Find out more about the harmful effects of oxycodone use and how to help an oxycodone addict when you call our helpline free at .


Treatment for Co-occurring Alcohol and Oxycodone Addiction

When you are ready to overcome your addiction to alcohol and oxycodone, you should find a rehab program that deals with both conditions concurrently. Both substances are highly addictive and hard to quit without help, so care in a specialized rehab facility that can deal with co-occurring addictions is essential.

You will also want to make sure you enter a facility where you can undergo supervised medical detox, as withdrawal from alcohol can be dangerous and may induce life-threatening symptoms such as seizures. Oxycodone withdrawal is not usually dangerous but can be so uncomfortable that it sends many running back to the drug and into a relapse.

Rehab facilities are varied, allowing you to choose the one that fits you best. You may wish to choose to attend a private or luxury treatment center, an executive treatment center where you can continue working as you get care, or even a center that provides holistic treatment.

Outpatient care is also an option and benefits those who need treatment but are unable to attend a residential rehab facility due to cost, time constraints, or other responsibilities. These programs are best suited to those who have a supportive home environment which will foster recovery efforts. Many people struggling with co-occurring addictions will prefer to get treatment in an inpatient facility for focused care and minimized exposure to triggers during treatment.

Call for free at to learn more about your addiction treatment options.


Statistics for Alcohol and Oxycodone Misuse

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse:

teen-with-oxy-abuse-alcohol

  • Prescriptions for opioid pain relievers like OxyContin has risen from approximately 76 million in the US in 2007 to almost 207 million in 2013.
  • The US is the world’s biggest consumer of hydrocodone and oxycodone.
  • Opioids are to blame for the biggest proportion of the prescription drug problem in the US.
  • More than 2 million people in the US have a substance use disorder involving prescription opioids.

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism:

  • In 2013, more than 16 million adults aged 18 years old and older had an alcohol use disorder.
  • Nearly 700,000 adolescents (12-17 years old) had an alcohol use disorder in 2013.

Concurrent Use Among Teens

Oxycodone is highly addictive and is abused frequently by teens between the ages of 12 and 18. This is a scary fact, since they are starting so young. Prescription medications are all too easy for teens to obtain, as pills are given to them by friends, taken from relatives or friends with prescriptions, or bought with little effort.

It is important that you become familiar with the common signs and symptoms of not just oxycodone abuse, but of when oxycodone use is combined with drinking, so that you know the warning signs to look for in your own teen.

Learn more about teen alcohol and drug misuse.


Resources, Articles and More Information

The following articles can provide you with more information about oxycodone, alcohol, abuse of the two and the dangers of combining these substances.

To learn more about rehab programs and treatment options, contact a caring admissions navigator with American Addiction Centers (AAC) free at .

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