Oxycodone and alcohol are both central nervous system (CNS) depressants, which means they slow the brain and body’s activity, including breathing and heart rate.
Mixing alcohol and oxycodone (OxyContin) can increase the risk of dangerous respiratory depression and life-threatening overdose. In fact, polysubstance use of prescription opioids like oxycodone and alcohol is common among overdose deaths—by some estimates, over 30% of opioid overdose deaths also involved alcohol.[1]
In addition to increasing overdose risk, combining oxycodone and alcohol can severely harm your liver, heart, brain and more.
Mixing OxyContin and alcohol is referred to as polysubstance use. Some people may misuse both substances in order to enhance their high; however, this is even more dangerous than using either substance on its own.
Research shows that about 35% of people with a prescription opioid use disorder also have a comorbid alcohol use disorder.[2]
Using alcohol and oxycodone can cause many serious effects on your mental and physical health and greatly increase the likelihood of a fatal overdose.
Because both alcohol and oxycodone cause sedation and respiratory depression, using them together can cause your heart and breathing to slow or stop—this is known as an overdose.
If you suspect you or someone else has overdosed, call 911 immediately. Perform CPR in the event the person stops breathing. And if you have it on you, administer naloxone (Narcan) to reverse the effects of the oxycodone overdose. Narcan won’t work on the alcohol, but it will reverse some of the respiratory depression caused by the opioid and buy the person some time while waiting for first responders.[3]
Mixing alcohol and oxycodone increases the risk of experiencing side effects from oxycodone, such as:[4]
Moreover, other risks of combining these sedatives include:[5],[6]
Chronic alcohol misuse on its own can cause severe liver disease and damage. Mixing alcohol and oxycodone, either alone or with acetaminophen, can greatly increase the risk of liver injury, such as:[7],[8]
In the case of an overdose on oxycodone with acetaminophen, someone can experience acute liver damage since acetaminophen is particularly toxic in large doses. Additionally, liver damage can occur due to anoxia, or dangerously low oxygen, caused by an overdose.[8]
Heavy and long-term drinking can cause brain damage, such as hippocampus shrinkage, leading to memory and reasoning problems.[9] Alcohol can also cause Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, a severe condition affecting many areas of the brain and impairing functions like motivation, memory, sleep, language, movement and vision.[10]
Some consequences of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome include:[10]
The main cause of brain damage in people misusing oxycodone occurs in the event of non-fatal opioid overdose. Non-fatal opioid overdoses can cause brain injuries caused by lack of oxygen. These brain injuries can cause:[11]
Research has shown that multiple non-fatal opioid overdoses severely increase the risk for hypoxia (low oxygen levels) and related brain damage.[11]
On their own, heavy drinking and oxycodone misuse can cause severe heart damage and complications, and mixing these two depressants can greatly increase the likelihood of adverse cardiovascular effects, such as:[12],[13]
Also, injecting oxycodone or other drugs increases your risk of developing endocarditis, a bacterial infection of the heart lining, which can be life-threatening.[14]
Mixing oxycodone and alcohol in the long term can lead to physiological dependence and addiction—also known as substance use disorder. An addiction to OxyContin and alcohol is characterized by compulsive use regardless of negative consequences.
Signs of a polysubstance addiction include:[14]
Two or more of these symptoms may indicate a polysubstance addiction to OxyContin and alcohol—and the more symptoms present, the more severe the addiction.[14]
When you use oxycodone and alcohol chronically, you may develop a physiological dependence on them, which means your body and brain have adapted to the presence of these sedatives and require them to function properly. If you suddenly stop taking one or both of these substances, you’ll experience distressing and even dangerous alcohol and opioid withdrawal symptoms, such as:[14]
Seizures, which are associated with alcohol withdrawal specifically, can be fatal, which is why it’s important to seek out medical detox services. Medical detox services can keep you safe and prevent and address any medical complications that occur during withdrawal.
Treatment for alcohol and oxycodone addiction requires a comprehensive, integrated and individualized approach to care. Polysubstance addiction is typically best treated in an inpatient setting due to its complications and severity.
Inpatient rehab involves living at the facility for the duration of the treatment program, which may last from 30 to 90 days, sometimes longer. In this highly-structured environment, away from your everyday using environment, you are able to focus solely on your recovery. This is especially helpful in the early stages of recovery when you are first beginning to abstain from oxycodone and alcohol.
During an inpatient treatment program, your treatment plan will be tailored to meet your unique needs and may include therapeutic interventions, such as:[15],[16]
If you are unable to attend an inpatient program due to commitments, responsibilities, or costs, other options are available. You could attend a partial hospitalization or intensive outpatient program, both of which allow you to return home in the evenings and during non-treatment hours. And if you have a high motivation to change and quit drugs, you could also try out a virtual treatment program, such as Bicycle Health, where you receive a high frequency of care from the comfort of your own home.
Peter Manza, PhD received his BA in Psychology and Biology from the University of Rochester and his PhD in Integrative Neuroscience at Stony Brook University. He is currently working as a research scientist in Washington, DC. His research focuses on the role of the brain dopamine system in substance use disorders and in aging. He also studies brain function in obesity and eating disorders.
