However, it can be dangerous to suddenly stop taking your prescription medications. If you’re concerned about your usage, talk to your doctor about how to taper off safely. Once your CNS is back on track, you’ll need to address the source of the problem. If you have a condition that requires medication, you’ll need to follow your doctor’s instructions for care.
Alcohol-related shrinkage of the hippocampus has been documented in numerous studies, with findings showing that heavy drinkers are at a higher risk of developing persistent sadness, memory loss, and cognitive decline. Individuals with alcohol use disorder often show a reduction in the volume of their prefrontal cortex, which directly correlates with increased impulsivity and emotional instability. These impairments make it harder to break free from addiction, further perpetuating the link between alcoholism and depression.
If you’ve ever had a substance abuse problem, you should continue to avoid alcohol and mediations that depress the CNS. You may also be at higher risk if you have existing respiratory problems such as emphysema and sleep apnea. Some are safer than others, but all produce lower levels of awareness in the brain and cause the activity in the CNS to slow down. Depressants are commonly known as “downers,” as they typically reduce stimulation. John C. Umhau, MD, MPH, CPE is board-certified in addiction medicine and preventative medicine. For over 20 years Dr. Umhau was a senior clinical investigator at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Treatment
An overdose of a CNS depressant can happen by accident, but people sometimes choose to take more of the drug than a doctor recommends to get a more “intense” effect. People have also been known to overdose on these medications deliberately to end their lives. Examples of CNS depressants include tranquilizers, hypnotics, and sedatives. In recent years, doctors have prescribed opioid painkillers for many conditions, but overuse of these drugs can lead to problems. Even if you’re drinking the same alcoholic beverage at the same rate as someone else, your reactions will differ.
GHB is also occasionally used as a date-rape drug due to the drug’s ability to induce unconsciousness and amnesia. It is colorless and odorless and can be easily poured into a drink without notice. In the 1990s, GHB was marketed as a dietary supplement and found some use among athletes as a performance-enhancing drug, despite a lack of evidence for any performance-enhancing effects. It also gained a reputation among bodybuilders for increasing levels of growth hormone leading to increased muscle mass and reduced fat.
- No matter how severe your alcohol misuse, recovery from this type of depressant is possible.
- A person may need emergency care if they are unaware that they are experiencing a CNS depressant overdose, especially after accidentally misusing their medication or due to a medical problem.
- This can create a vicious cycle for those struggling with alcohol addiction; using alcohol to lessen the feelings of depression temporarily but causing worse long-term harm.
- It can be tempting to drink if you’re feeling unhappy, but there’s a better solution out there.
Symptoms of Central Nervous System Depression
In 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) strengthened their warning that benzodiazepine use can lead to addiction. Combined with alcohol, opiods, and other CNS depressants, they can be life-threatening. Both opiates and opioids work by interfering with the CNS and blocking pain signals to the brain. CNS depression does not only result from the use of medications and other substances. Many CNS depressants work by increasing the activity of the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a chemical that prevents or molly drug wiki slows the delivery of messages between cells.
Treatment for Alcohol Misuse
Therefore, we conducted this study to examine the effects of alcohol consumption on sleep quality and to provide recommendations for improving sleep quality. Men with higher AUDIT-KR scores tended to suffer from poor sleep quality. AUDIT-KR scores showed significant correlations with subjective sleep quality, sleep duration, and sleep disturbances in men. Patients should be advised that getting out of bed unassisted may result in falling and potential injury if undertaken within 8 hours of receiving lorazepam. Alcoholic beverages should not be consumed for at least 24 to 48 hours after receiving lorazepam injectable due to the additive effects on central nervous system depression seen with benzodiazepines in general. Elderly patients should be instructed that lorazepam injection may make them very sleepy for a period longer than 6 to 8 hours following surgery.
Because they are weak acids, barbiturates are readily absorbed after oral administration. Ultrashort-acting barbiturates are usually administered by IV, while long-acting anticonvulsant medications may also be taken by suppository. Recall from Chapter 4 that γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the brain’s main inhibitory neurotransmitter. This is because GABA targets GABA receptors, which promote hyperpolarization of the postsynaptic cell. This inhibits the postsynaptic cell from firing and releasing other neurotransmitters such as glutamate or norepinephrine. As a result, increasing GABA activity will, in general, reduce the activity of other neurons and transmitters.
Because of this, GHB is eliminated from the body faster than most drugs and can only be detected for 8-12 hours after its administration. This is part of the reason why the use of GHB as a date-rape drug is hard to track. A urine sample would need to be analyzed within a day of the suspected administration for there to be any chance of getting a positive result. GHB is both an endogenous neurochemical as well as an exogenous chemical compound. GHB was first studied in-depth in the 1960s for its potential use in treating narcolepsy and alcoholism. Although there was little support for its use in treating alcoholism, the salt form of GHB, sodium oxybate, is still used for the treatment of narcolepsy to this day under the brand name Xyrem®.
How Depressants Affect the Body
You can always ask your pharmacist if you can take your medicine with alcohol if you aren’t sure. And never abruptly stop taking an antidepressant unless directed to do so by your doctor, as you may experience uncomfortable or serious withdrawal symptoms. Antidepressants work by altering levels of neurotransmitters in the brain to cause an enhanced effect on depressed mood and symptoms such as anxiety, insomnia (sleep problems), and suicidal thoughts. Neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) targeted by antidepressants include serotonin, dopamine, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) or norepinephrine.