Drinking On Muscle Relaxers: What Are The Risks?

What Are Muscle Relaxers?

Muscle relaxers are prescription medications that treat muscle spasms and musculoskeletal pain.[1]  Muscle relaxants are commonly prescribed for acute and chronic back pain. Muscle relaxants are central nervous system depressants. They work by sedating nerves, preventing them from sending pain signals to the brain.

There are two different types of muscle relaxant classifications:[2]

Antispastic: These work on the skeletal muscles or the spinal cord to reduce muscle contractions and involuntary spasms linked to spasticity.  Spasticity is a pattern of muscle movements that causes muscle stiffness and uncontrolled movements.

Spasticity is usually caused by damage to the nerve pathways in the brain and spinal cord injuries. These treatments work directly on the skeletal muscle and spinal cord to improve muscle tightness and stop involuntary spasms. Medical conditions that cause spasticity include cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, stroke, brain injury, and Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS).

Antispasmodic: These work to reduce muscle spasms by changing the nerve conductions in the central nervous system. They are prescribed for musculoskeletal and myofascial pain, usually for muscle spasms and lower back pain.  Medications that fall in this category of muscle relaxers are usually only prescribed after other medications haven’t worked and only prescribed for a short period as they have a high risk for misuse and abuse.

Common muscle relaxant medications drug names and brand names include: [3]

Antispastic muscle relaxants:

• Baclofen (Lioresal)
• Dantrolene (Dantrium)

Antispasmodic muscle relaxants:

• Carisoprodol (Soma, Vanadom)
• Chlorzoxazone (Lorzone, Parafon Forte DSC, Relax-DS, Remular S)
• Cyclobenzaprine (Fexmid, Flexeril)
• Metaxalone (Metaxall, Skelaxin)
• Methocarbamol (Robaxin)
• Orphenadrine (Norflex)

Combination antispastic and antispasmodic muscle relaxants:

• Tizanidine (Zanaflex)
• Diazepam (Valium)

Muscle Relaxant Side Effects

Common side effects of many muscle relaxants include:[4]

• Drowsiness and fatigue
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Headache
• Dry mouth

Serious side effects of many muscle relaxants include:[5]

• Fainting
• Blurred Vision
• Seizures
• Sedation that prevents the completion of daily tasks

Alcohol Side Effects

Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant. [6] It slows down brain activity and can change a person’s mood, behavior, and self-control. Alcohol can make it difficult to think, cause memory problems, and coordination and physical control problems.

Alcohol’s effects vary from person to person, depending on numerous factors such as the amount drunk, frequency of drinking, age, gender, health, and family history.

Short-term side effects from alcohol include:[7]

• Reduced inhibitions
• Slurred speech
• Motor impairment
• Confusion
• Memory problems
• Concentration problems
• Breathing problems
• Coma
• Death

Long-term side effects from alcohol include:[8]

• Brain Problems: Memory and cognitive changes and difficulties, alcohol induced-dementia
• Cardiovascular problems: cardiomyopathy, arrhythmias, stroke, high blood pressure
• Liver Problems: fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, fibrosis, cirrhosis
• Pancreatitis: inflammation and impairment of the pancreas
• Cancer: Certain types of cancer have a higher risk with alcohol use, including head and neck cancers, esophageal cancer, liver cancer, breast cancer, and colorectal cancer.
• Immune System Problems: Alcohol weakens the immune system, and chronic drinkers are at a higher risk of contracting pneumonia, tuberculosis, and other diseases.

Risks Of Drinking On Muscle Relaxers

You should not consume alcohol if you have been prescribed muscle relaxers. Both muscle relaxers and alcohol are depressants, slowing down your central nervous system. Consuming them both at the same time can worsen the side effects and increase the risk of overdose. Driving and other potentially risky activities should be avoided as they can become more dangerous when combining alcohol and muscle relaxers.

Possible symptoms of combining alcohol and muscle relaxants include:[9]

• Extreme dizziness
• Extreme drowsiness
• Blurred vision
• Low blood pressure
• Fainting
• Memory problems
• Confusion
• Liver damage
• Increased risk of overdose

Research from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) states that up to 18% of emergency department cases involving skeletal muscle relaxants also involved consuming alcohol.[10]

Overdose Risks

Mixing alcohol and muscle relaxers increases your risk of overdose as they are both central nervous system depressants. Taking them together can exacerbate their sedative effects and result in overdose.

If you or a loved one is experiencing any of the following muscle relaxant overdose symptoms, seek immediate medical attention. Overdose symptoms can be fatal.  Seek immediate medical attention by calling 911 or going to the nearest emergency department.

Symptoms of muscle relaxant overdose include [11]

• Hallucinations
• Seizures
• Changes in consciousness
• Respiratory depression
• Cardiac arrest
• Coma
• Death

How Can You Safely Consume Alcohol While On Muscle Relaxers?

There is no level of drinking alcohol while taking muscle relaxers that is considered safe. Muscle relaxants have too many side effects that are exacerbated with alcohol and can have life-threatening consequences.

While every person is different in how they respond to medications, even if you have heard others claim they have safely taken muscle relaxers while drinking, that does not mean it will also be your experience. The risk is too high to experiment and see if you can do this without too many adverse side effects.

Getting Help For Drinking On Muscle Relaxants

If you or a loved one have been prescribed a muscle relaxant and are finding it difficult to not drink, ask for help. There are many treatment programs available to help you lower your alcohol use so that you can safely take your muscle relaxant. If you are worried about your alcohol intake, alcohol rehab can help you assess your use and determine a plan that works with your lifestyle. This may include detox, inpatient treatment, outpatient treatment, or some combination with an aftercare recovery program. Many people struggle with alcohol use as it is so readily available and culturally acceptable. If you are finding alcohol is now controlling your life, seek help.

Frequently Asked Questions About Drinking On Muscle Relaxers