National Institutes of Health. Drug Topics. More Drug Topics. Quick Links. About NIDA. Both drugs are central nervous system depressants that act by reducing brain activity and other vital functions, such as respiration rates. Most medical professionals are extremely cautious about prescribing the two drugs simultaneously, but many individuals disregard the warnings and misuse these drugs anyway.
Opioids and benzodiazepines have overlapping side effects. Some side effects that may occur as a result of either class of drugs include drowsiness, lethargy, confusion, and respiratory depression.
If these substances are abused together, these side effects can be exacerbated. If a person is addicted to opioids, their tolerance will begin to increase, causing their body to crave more and more of the drug to produce the effects they want. Benzodiazepines are known to enhance the effects of opioids, making this a favorable drug combination for those suffering from opioid addiction.
When a person ingests an opioid, the brain releases an overflow of dopamine. This produces a numbing, euphoric effect while breathing is also suppressed. When drugs like oxycodone and Xanax are used in unison, cognitive function is affected greatly because there is a reduction in blood flow to the brain and respiratory rates can drop to severely low levels. Both benzos and opioids carry a high potential for abuse separately, so when combined, the potential for abuse and health risks is greatly increased.
This can be a dangerous combination, even with a small amount of each drug. The predicament is actually getting worse. That translates to an increase of more than 2. We can help you explore treatment options, find the right rehab center, and design a plan that meets your needs. Mixing opioids and benzodiazepines is incredibly dangerous, so much that the Food and Drug Administration FDA has cautioned physicians and patients about mixing the two.
In other words, mixing benzodiazepines and opioids increases this risk of overdose, and death. In , there were 6, overdose deaths from benzodiazepines, and 5, of those deaths involved opioids. Not only can abusing prescription drugs result in overdose, it can cause a mental addiction, or physical dependence as well. Mixing benzos and opioids can also lead to serious health problems with the liver, heart, brain, and stomach. Nearly half of all opioid overdose deaths involve a prescription opioid.
This essentially means that when a person stops taking the drugs, their body continues craving the active chemical. Because opioids and benzodiazepines are both mentally and physically addictive, most people will experience physical and mental withdrawal symptoms when they stop. When opioids and benzos are mixed, the results are often unpredictable.
When a person quits using oxycodone , they may experience withdrawal that has the potential to cause them to relapse. These withdrawal symptoms, according to the U. National Library of Medicine , may include:. Stopping benzodiazepines cold-turkey can be very dangerous as well, and often intensifies withdrawal.
It is for this reason that a physician will gradually decrease dosage.
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