Alcohol and carbamazepine: compatibility and effects of mixing

Do not have to graduate from medical school, to be sure – all pharmaceutical drugs with alcohol. Even an experienced doctor will be able to predict the results of such combination. Especially dangerous is the use of alcohol in the treatment of pathologies of the Central nervous system. Therefore, the alcohol and carbamazepine is absolutely not combined with each other, and in their simultaneous intake in humans, will happen severe intoxication.

Features of the drug

Carbamazepine – pharmacological drug that is used in the treatment and prevention of epileptic seizures and affective disorders. The drug is produced in form of tablets with a certain concentration of active substance and auxiliary components. When you assign an anticonvulsant drug, the doctor carefully selects the individual dose, as even a slight excess will provoke acute toxicity.

Carbamazepine is widely used for the treatment of drug and alcohol addiction. In patients with withdrawal syndrome almost always appear cramps on the background of the abolition of their usual toxic compounds. Sometimes in the treatment of chronic alcoholism, the psychiatrist appointed by the carbamazepine to prevent epileptic seizures.

Poisoning drug in combination with alcohol is due to the slow absorption of pills in the gastrointestinal tract. Once inside the bloodstream, carbamazepine biological fluid is transferred to the liver. Hepatocytes (liver cells) using the enzymes for a few hours metaboliziruet active substance, forming large conglomerates. This type of processing of carbamazepine is based its therapeutic effectiveness.

Anticonvulsant drug used to treat seizures posttraumatic and postencephalitic origin. Carbamazepine is also used in the treatment of such diseases:

• the emergence of phantom pain after surgical operations;
• dysfunction of the bladder or urinary tract neurogenic etiology;
• manic-depressive psychosis, including in the treatment of alcoholism;
• diabetes insipidus;
• diabetic neuropathy on the background of occurrence of painful spasms;
• trigeminal neuralgia.

With alcohol the drug is used only in one case – for the removal of citizens from dependence on ethyl alcohol from a long binge. This condition is often accompanied by tremor of the limbs, convulsions or epileptic seizures. But the use of carbamazepine in the treatment of alcoholism is possible only in stationary conditions under the supervision of a psychiatrist.

What happens when taking carbamazepine with ethyl alcohol

Carbamazepine with alcohol provokes the poisoning due to the pharmacokinetics of the active substance tablets. The drug to effectively prevent epileptic seizures, it will require a gradual release over several hours. In the use of carbamazepine with ethanol not is a complete metabolism of these compounds. Alcohol can significantly speed up the processing of the drug, resulting in the emergence of numerous side effects, in the absence of a full therapeutic action.

In turn, carbamazepine can speed up the breakdown of ethyl alcohol to a highly toxic chemical compound acetaldehyde. It arrives in the bloodstream in high concentrations and spreads throughout the body. People in 20-30 minutes you will feel all the symptoms of severe poisoning.

Carbamazepine with alcohol strictly forbidden to take people with severe disabilities liver or gallbladder. The hepatocytes are unable to metabolize the active ingredient to a secure connection. The drug begins to accumulate in the liver, destroying and damaging its cells and tissues.

Even in a healthy person the combination of carbamazepine with alcohol can provoke death. Combining the same highly toxic substances in the presence of any disease in history – to consciously risk their lives. Such pathologies include:

1. Hyperplasia of the prostate.
2. Malignant and benign disease.
3. Diseases that suppress hematopoiesis.
4. Predisposition to development of allergic reactions.
5. Disruption of the endocrine system, hormonal changes.
6. Elevated intraocular pressure.
7. Pyelonephritis, glomerulonephritis, urolithiasis, acute and chronic renal failure.

In the medical literature described the occurrence of individual sensitivity to the active ingredient of pills on the background of alcohol consumption. Doctors had to urgently find a replacement carbamazepine to continue treatment. The lack of compatibility of the drug and alcohol leads to the mutual reinforcement of side effects:

• loss of coordination in space, headaches, fainting, apathy;
• nystagmus (tremor of the eyeball), the diction, the twitching of the upper and lower eyelids, tremor of the limbs;
• nervous excitement, restlessness, anxiety, insomnia;
• reductionperistalsis of the bowel, pain in the epigastric region;
• skin rash, swelling of all epidermal layers;
• changes in the composition of urine, the appearance in it of blood, pus, flakes;
• fever, chills, fever, profuse sweating, the perspiration on his forehead.

In addition to the development of intoxication, the combination of carbamazepine and alcoholic beverages provokes an overdose of the drug. Ethanol has the properties of antidepressant, and the drug is able to enhance nerve excitability. Ethanol causes euphoria, increases the production of adrenaline, which raises your heart rate. As a result of sharply increased blood pressure – the main cause hypertensive crisis and death of the alcoholic.

Carbamazepine in the treatment of alcoholism

Several decades ago, a pharmacological product used only to eliminate epileptic seizures in the development of delirium tremens or manic-depressive syndrome. Small doses of pills used to prevent dangerous for human seizuresthat could cause breathing disorders.

After the conducted research it was found that carbamazepine not only relieves symptoms, but can be used as a tool for the treatment of alcoholism. Its regular use in individual doses leads to a decrease in physical and psychological dependence on ethanol.

Practicing narcologists noted that the interaction of carbamazepine with alcohol and started applying the medication to relieve withdrawal symptoms. Regular intake of the pills allows you to:

1. To eliminate vegetative disorders.
2. To prevent the development of epileptic.
3. To prevent the symptoms of epilepsy.
4. To reduce the severity of alcoholic psychosis.
5. Reduce anxiety and nervous irritability.

In the treatment of alcoholism used a normal therapeutic dose, and to prevent the development of neurological disorders significantly reduces. In most cases, the patient is emotionally labile and quickly falls asleep. But possible quite the opposite the reaction of the alcoholic – he gets angry, shows unmotivated aggression. Just a quick introduction of soothing medicines by medical personnel to prevent dangerous for the patient and the people around him the situation.

The clinical picture of poisoning

Is it possible to predict the consequences of use of carbamazepine together with alcoholic beverages? Even an experienced psychiatrist will not tell you what processes will begin to occur in the human body. Symptoms of poisoning are nothing like the side effects of two toxic compounds, only amplified several times.

The characteristic symptom of overdose is the development of the human auditory and visual hallucinations. The alcoholic begins to conduct with himself a long intimate conversation, occasionally falling into a rage. This constitutes a serious danger to others and himself.

Signs of alcohol poisoning and anticonvulsant medication depends on the quantity of toxic compounds, health and presence of diseases in history. The symptoms of overdose include:

• the decrease in functional activity of the urinary system: dysuria, change in color of urine;
• digestive disorders: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, bloating, lack of appetite;
• drowsiness, unsteadiness of gait, falling, double vision in the eyes;
• hypertension, often changing to a sharp pressure drop;
• the squeezing sensation in the heart region;
• respiratory failure;
• emotional instability.

High load is subjected to the Central nervous system, kidneys and liver. Alcohol refers to chemical compounds that cause the death of brain cells. And in combination with carbamazepine destructive effect is amplified.

Long-term use of this combination the alcoholic begins to develop pancreatitis. Ethyl alcohol is poorly cleaved by digestive enzymes of the gastrointestinal tract, besides, it have the ability to narrow the bile ducts. The result is a digesting enzymes pancreas.

Under the influence of carbamazepine are enhanced hepatotoxic properties of alcohol. In liver cells is distorted lipid metabolism, provoke the penetration of fat droplets in hepatocytes and disrupting their internal balance. The alcoholic is diagnosed with fatty degeneration, hepatitis, cirrhosis.

Even a small amount of alcohol causes intoxication. If the person must undergo a course of treatment with carbamazepine should avoid drinking any alcohol. During therapy you need to lead a healthy lifestyle, to resolve the pathological condition forever.