Many people decide to use drugs at certain times in their lives, and some even do so habitually. The reasons can vary: obtaining momentary pleasurable effects, escaping reality, avoiding confronting problems, etc. The use of any drug carries a series of risks that can greatly harm the health of the user. However, even more dangerous than using one drug is taking several of these substances. This is what we know as polydrug use. Some people use more than one drug to enhance their effects. However, what they also achieve is an increase in the risks of suffering serious health problems.
What is polydrug use?
Polydrug use is the consumption of two or more types of substances that are ingested simultaneously or alternately and that seek to counteract, enhance, or combine their different effects. The drugs most commonly combined are cocaine, alcohol, cannabis, anxiolytics, and antidepressants. Even so, this combination is not limited only to substances, but we also find behavioral addictions that are combined with drug use.
As we mentioned in the introduction, one of the reasons people take two or more substances at once is to enhance the effects of the drugs. Another reason may be, conversely, to eliminate unwanted effects by counteracting the effects caused by two or more substances. For example, to counteract the nervousness and state of alertness caused by cocaine, a person may drink alcohol or smoke marijuana to reduce those effects. Or conversely, to become activated, they may take cocaine after having drunk or smoked.
In the case of non-substance addictions, the combination with drugs also exists. An example is found in gambling addiction. The addict typically gambles while smoking or drinking, and may even use cocaine to stay awake and continue gambling. Another example may be sex addiction. In this case, the person typically combines their addiction with medications that help maintain their performance and prolong pleasure. These behavioral disorders are just a few examples, as the possibilities when combining drugs and addictive behaviors are almost infinite.
Risks Associated with Polydrug Use
Having an addiction, whether from drug use or not, carries a series of dangerous health risks. It is not surprising to think, therefore, that if the addiction includes more than one substance, those risks are even greater. Furthermore, the consequences are not limited solely to the physical realm. The damage caused by polydrug use affects many areas of people’s lives, including mental, emotional, economic, family, social, and professional aspects.
The example of gambling addiction is paradigmatic. A person with this disorder already generates a number of very negative consequences in all areas. The lack of interest in anything other than gambling, sudden mood swings, prolonged absences, or erratic behavior. But if substance use such as those we mentioned earlier is added to all this, the result is catastrophic. A gambling addict will not only spend entire days gambling, but will also spend that time using other drugs.
Most Common Substance Combinations
The mixture between drugs can be practically infinite. However, some are repeated more frequently than others. Alcohol is the substance most commonly combined with other drugs. The most common combinations are:
- Cocaine and alcohol. The purpose of combining these two substances is to mitigate the anxious effects of cocaine. The result of this mixture is a highly toxic substance known as cocaethylene. The main effect it produces is a sensation of euphoria due to increased endorphin levels and reward levels to a greater degree than those achieved by using cocaine alone. However, cocaethylene weakens the heart muscles, increasing the risk of arrhythmias and sudden death.
- Anxiolytics and alcohol. As a result of combining these substances, the sensation of relaxation increases. However, after some time, anxiety multiplies. Furthermore, it is a very harmful mixture for the brain due to its high toxicity.
- Heroin and alcohol. Both drugs are central nervous system depressants, so their combination can cause respiratory failure and lack of oxygen to the brain. Therefore, brain damage can be permanent.
- Sedatives and sleeping pills with alcohol. The mixture of these substances causes sedative effects to skyrocket, considerably increasing the risk of entering a coma and, in the worst case, death.
- Prescription medications and alcohol. The effects produced are similar to those of cocaine. Heart rate increases and heart problems occur.
- Painkillers and alcohol. The damage caused by this mixture is varied and serious. We find stomach bleeding, liver damage, decreased blood pressure, as well as respiratory problems.
Apart from the substances commonly mixed with alcohol, there are also other very common combinations among polydrug users:
- Cocaine and heroin. In this case, we are talking about a stimulant drug and a depressant drug. Therefore, their effects are opposed and it is used to cancel out the effects of both. The result is a false sense of control that can cause an overdose more easily, in addition to the physical damage it produces.
- Ecstasy and cocaine. Both substances are stimulants, so they produce a higher heart rate and a greater risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke.
- Multiple prescription medications. One of the most dangerous combinations, as it involves the mixture of medications in people who self-medicate without medical advice. The risk of intoxication is very high.
CCAdicciones is an addiction treatment centre where we have the best professionals to help you if you are addicted to any drug or have any other addiction. Get in touch with us if you think you need help to regain control of your life.
