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Chlordiazepoxide is a benzodiazepine most commonly known as Librium. It’s a sedative drug that is generally mild, but also formulated to be long-lasting. Likely in part due to the drugs mild nature, users have been known to double-up their doses and to take more before the recommended time. Users also sometimes decide to drink while Librium is still active in their system.

Mixing drugs like alcohol and Chlordiazepoxide is a dubious proposition. They are both potential drugs of abuse and each has potential for addiction. When users combine the two, their psychoactive effects are multiplied, as is the risk of physical and psychological danger. When the drugs are mixed, patients risk overdose and an addiction that is complicated by the presence of two drugs.

What is Chlordiazepoxide?

Chlordiazepoxide is a prescription drug that is classed as a benzodiazepine. These drugs include Xanax, Valium, and Klonopin, and many others. It is primarily prescribed for patients who experience high anxiety. Doctors use it for its sedative effects, as well as appetite stimulation, and mild analgesic properties. When alcoholics undergo detoxification, Chlordiazepoxide may be used to help them manage the high anxiety that comes after a day or so without alcohol. That anxiety can, untreated, cause cardiac arrest and death. Doctors can also prescribe the drug prior to surgery to help alleviate anxiety.

Often known as Librium, Chlordiazepoxide has only been proven effective for short-term use. That is, for patients who must face an especially stress-inducing event such as surgery, air travel, or even public speaking. Since there are no long-term studies that prove the drug effective over the long term, patients should reconsider any use beyond the short-term dose they are prescribed. Furthermore, benzodiazepines are known to be addictive and pose an overdose risk, so caution is recommended.

Common Side Effects of Chlordiazepoxide

Chlordiazepoxide is known to have many side effects that impact physical mobility, cognition, and other biological changes. Users may find that they feel off-balance when using the drug and may even have difficulty keeping their movements under control. Patients who experience difficulty should consult with their doctor to determine whether or not it's a good idea to drive while using this drug.

Patients can also feel confused, nervous, and excitable. If the drug is prescribed for anxiety, doctors need to know when patients have these counter-intuitive responses. The drug also impacts the liver, which might result in dark urine, fatigue, lack of appetite, light-colored stool, and yellow skin and/or eyes.

One of the most common and problematic side effects of Chlordiazepoxide is addiction. Since the drug is one of the weakest in its class, addiction is not very common. In fact, the slow onset of effects means that it is not often found being used with other recreational drugs. Nevertheless, the drug is habit-forming and may become relied upon to manage anxiety rather than non-pharmacological solutions.

Interactions of Alcohol and Chlordiazepoxide

Chlordiazepoxide should never be used in conjunction with alcohol. Since both drugs depress the central nervous system, that effect tends to be heightened when they are used simultaneously. Users who mix these drugs also increase their chances of addiction to one or both substances. Once users experience the heightened effects, they are more likely to mix the two again. They may even graduate to stronger drugs that deliver a similar, stronger impact to the nervous system.

When taken together, alcohol and Chlordiazepoxide can induce heart palpitations, dizzy spells, memory dysfunction, sleepiness, strange speech or behavior, and poor coordination. Users can also take a toxic and even fatal dose. Mis-dosing can easily occur since Chlordiazepoxide takes several hours to reach its full effect. Thus, users may forget that they've taken the drug or may take more in hopes of enhancing their high. By the time the drug reaches its maximum effect, it may be too late to avoid overdose.

Alcohol Poisoning and Chlordiazepoxide Overdose

Addiction usually involves the compulsive use, and over-use, of drugs, including alcohol. When users become accustomed to mixing Chlordiazepoxide with alcohol, trouble is sure to arise. That’s because users begin to expect an enhanced experience. This can lead to a slippery slope of ever-increasing use. Thus, every time a person uses, they run a risk of Chlordiazepoxide overdose and/or alcohol poisoning.

The symptoms for Chlordiazepoxide overdose include:

  • Breathing problems, including shallow breaths
  • Blurry vision
  • Eyes that rapidly shift from side-to-side
  • Irregular or rapid heartbeat
  • Low blood pressure
  • Yellow skin, blue lips, and possible rash
  • Extreme drowsiness, stupor, and coma risk
  • Lightheadedness, imbalance
  • Tremor and Seizure

Symptoms of Alcohol Poisoning Include:

  • Lack of short-term memory, blackout
  • Slurred speech
  • Nausea
  • Disorientation
  • Aggression
  • Unconscious / unresponsive
  • Confused

Withdrawal

Withdrawal from alcohol and Chlordiazepoxide is an uncomfortable process which only worsens with higher tolerance levels. In fact, withdrawal from alcohol can be quite deadly because patients often experience high blood pressure that can result in heart attack. Alcoholics also experience delusions, shakes, and tremors when they stop drinking. Given the fatal nature of alcohol withdrawal, drinkers should always consult medical professionals or check into a detoxification center.

Chlordiazepoxide withdrawal can also be quite ugly. The drug is often prescribed to suppress anxiety, but since the drug mostly masks the anxiety rather than getting rid of it, patients often experience a rebound effect. And all of their anxiety returns at once. Add to this the fact that alcohol withdrawal often causes anxiety, and you’ll begin to see why you should undergo withdrawal only with the aid of a doctor or nurse. Addicts can also experience sleeplessness and irritability when their drug is suddenly restricted.

Treatment

Treatment for Chlordiazepoxide and Alcohol addiction should proceed under the care of a medical team trained for this process. Both of these substances are fatal at very high doses, so users are cautioned to monitor their use. The makers of Chlordiazepoxide also advise that patients should consult with their doctors if they wish to discontinue use of the medication.

In fact, Chlordiazepoxide and many other benzodiazepines are highly addictive, and users have reported withdrawal symptoms after using the drug for a few days. Alcohol is also habit-forming, but addiction often comes over a longer period of time. All users should consider their family history of drug abuse before using either of these substances.

After patients successfully withdraw from the drug, the real work of treatment and achieving lasting sobriety can commence. Patients can consult with their doctor for a treatment center that meets their personal and financial needs. It's advised that patients have their family retrieve a bag of clothes and toiletries and deliver the package to the treatment center.

Once in a rehabilitation center, patients can address the causes and conditions of their addictive problem. Counselors can discuss they physical and psychological nature of their addiction. The center may also have specialized therapies. Other centers are structured as halfway houses where patients live and a central office space that houses group and individual counseling.

Sources:

  • https://www.drugs.com/

  • https://www.webmd.com/

  • https://www.rxlist.com/