alcohol and drugs week 4

Online Reading

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To provide information about Benzodiazepines and Barbiturates

To assist students in understanding consequences of Benzodiazepines and Barbiturates use

To assist students in understanding drug interactions

To educate students about the symptoms of toxicity, overdose and withdrawal

To motivate students to make informed choices about Benzodiazepines and Barbiturates use


All benzodiazepines produce the following 5 actions: Anti- anxiety, anticonvulsant, muscle relaxant, sedative/hypnotic, and amnestic (producing forgetfulness

and disturbing memory).


Below are 3 of the effects of benzos/barbs. List 2 alternative ways you could achieve the same effect without prescription medication or alcohol:◦ Anti- anxiety◦ Muscle relaxant◦ Sedative/hypnotic


Barbiturates Benzodiazepines

◦ Benzodiazepine Overview Nonbenzo Axiolytics

◦ Zolpidem ◦ Buspar ◦ Beta Blockers ◦ SSRIs


More than 30 million Americans are taking a benzodiazepine

More women than men take these drugs


Do you think it is necessary for so many people take anti-anxiety medications and sleep aids?

What can people do without medication to help reduce anxiety and improve sleep?


General effects: Reduced anxiety; feeling of well-being; lowered inhibitions; slowed pulse and breathing; lowered blood pressure; poor concentration/fatigue; confusion; impaired coordination, memory, judgment; addiction; respiratory depression, nausea and arrest, death

Also, for barbiturates—sedation, drowsiness/depression, unusual excitement, fever, irritability, poor judgment, slurred speech, dizziness,


How do benzodiazepines work? When taken orally, benzodiazepines are

absorbed in the stomach and small intestine and metabolized by the liver.

Benzodiazepines are highly fat soluble and accumulate in fatty tissue.

Excretion is through sweating, saliva, urine, faeces and breast milk.


Benzodiazepines operate widely in the brain, affecting emotional reactions, memory, thinking, control of consciousness, muscle tone and coordination.

The benzodiazepines enhance the action of the neurotransmitter, GABA(Gamma Amino Butyric Acid). The function of GABA is to slow or calm things down. Benzodiazepines increase the efficiency of GABA, thus causing greater inhibition or calming.


Amount of food in your stomach Your hydration level Your expectations Any other medications you are taking Your body fat composition Your weight in general


Barbiturate overdose or combining barbiturates with alcohol or other central nervous system depressants can cause unconsciousness and even death. Signs include: ◦ Severe drowsiness ◦ Breathing problems ◦ Slurred speech ◦ Staggering ◦ Slow heartbeat ◦ Severe confusion


For the following pairs, identify who will feel the greatest effects from taking 5mg of valium and why◦ Sally is 120 pounds, 14% body fat vs. Joe who is 200 pounds and 9%

body fat◦ Susan drank 2 beers before taking it vs. Sandra who took a sleeping

pill◦ Tom who is 170 pounds vs. Ralph who is 165 pounds and took

Maximum Strength Sudafed◦ Sally who weighs 120 pounds but has had the flu and is dehydrated vs.

Sara who weighs 120 pounds but is well hydrated◦ John, a 240 pound lineman after a hard workout in the heat vs. Jack, his

coach, also about 210 pounds


Symptoms include anxiety, shakiness, head ache, dizziness, sleeplessness, loss of appetite, and in more severe cases, fever, seizures, and psychosis.


Because barbiturates work on the central nervous system, they may add to the effects of alcohol and other drugs that slow the central nervous system, such as antihistamines, cold medicine, allergy medicine, sleep aids, medicine for seizures, tranquilizers, some pain relievers, and muscle relaxants.

They may also add to the effects of anesthetics, including those used for dental procedures.


Many college females are combining short-acting benzos with alcohol to increase their “buzz” without having to drink as many calories.

This practice can lead to very unpredictable results including coma


Benzodiazepines: ◦ Fetal Exposure to Benzodiazepines Article ◦ The baby may become dependent and experience

withdrawal after birth. ◦ Use in the last trimester may cause fetal body

temperature problems, breathing problems, difficulty in feeding, drowsiness, or muscle weakness in the newborn infant.


Benzodiazepines cont…◦ Given just before or during labor may cause weakness,

breathing problems, muscle weakness, difficulty in feeding, and body temperature problems in the newborn infant.

◦ Benzodiazepines may pass into the breast milk and cause drowsiness, difficulty in feeding, and weight loss

Barbiturates: ◦ Taking barbiturates during pregnancy increases the

chance of birth defects and may cause other problems such as prolonged labor and withdrawal effects in the baby


Many athletes who abuse sports-enhancing drugs self-medicate with depressive medication including benzodiazepines, combined with prescription opioids, including Vicodin, and alcohol.

Sometimes these medications are prescribed after an injury to help the person relax

Benzodiazepines have a marked effect on coordination


Do some research to identify how long it would take for the effects of benzodiazepines to wear off sufficiently so that your athletic and/or driving abilities would not be impaired.◦ Valium◦ Xanax◦ Librium


"Drinking alcohol with benzodiazepines is safe" ◦ Benzodiazepines are CNS depressants, just

like alcohol. When the two substances are mixed together, it can result in blacking out or death. It is recommened to never add these two drugs together. The main cause of death from this combination is most likely from the person choking on their own vomit when passed out from the drug.


"I can easily remember everything when taking any type of benzodiazepine such as xanax, klonopin, or valium" ◦ It is very easy to forget any entire night from

doing any type of benzodiazepine. In my opinion, xanax is the leading pharmaceutical in black outs. A black out is where one would appear to be conscious, but the person has absolutely no recollection of any event from the next day.


“Driving off of benzodiazepines are like driving off any other drug"◦ Driving off any type of benzodiazepine can be

extremely dangerous. This pills are much like alcohol, and severely affects your coordination. There is a very high risk of crashing your vehicle if driving under the influence of xanax, klonopin, of valium.


Strategies for Responsible Use◦ If you are prescribed benzos or barbiturates, take

them as prescribed and ask your doctor before mixing them with other drugs, especially other depressant type drugs

◦ If you are pregnant, be sure your doctor knows that in advance of prescribing

◦ Do not take these medications before working out as they will impair your coordination and judgment


Identify 5 concepts or pieces of information you gained from this lesson and why you believe they will be useful.


alcohol and drugs week 4

Health & Medicine