Posted by Quintal on May 16, 2008, at 13:44:38
In reply to Re: » Phillipa, posted by Glydin on May 16, 2008, at 6:38:01
There is a small risk of respiratory depression when benzos and alcohol are mixed in extreme quantities. In someone who has been taking Valium for over 30 years and has tolerance to the drug, the risk is pretty close to nil, even if they were to get paralytic. A small dose of Valium probably has the depressant effect of half a glass of wine or so, another glass or two on top of that hardly makes any difference. This is a topic that resurfaces from time to time, and usually attracts borderline hysterical responses. The CNS depressants that really do carry a significant risk of lethality when mixed with alcohol are barbiturates and Heroin. The relative lack of respiratory depression was one of the reasons benzos supplanted barbs in the first place. The risk of combining typical doses of benzos with moderate amounts of alcohol in a healthy person is minimal.
Q
(Who is sipping a glass of wine as he types, and will be downing the whole bottle with zopiclone before the night is out [gasp!]).
poster:Quintal
thread:829259
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20080510/msgs/829482.html