Mixing alcohol and phentermine is dangerous because one is a sedative and the other a stimulant, so their combined effect on the brain is unpredictable. Together they raise blood pressure, strain the heart and increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, while alcohol’s pull on appetite undoes phentermine’s weight loss.
Alcohol is a mind-altering substance that is present in considerable amounts in some of the commonly consumed beverages. Nevertheless, humans have long consumed alcohol to improve mood and social interaction. It may even be good for health in small amounts, though very few people are likely to stick to the recommended limits of a drink or two a day.
On the contrary, a significant number of people abuse alcohol regularly. Moreover, many people are dependent on alcohol. But not only that, it is not rare for some people to combine alcohol with various mind-altering substances.
How does alcohol affect the brain?
Alcohol is relatively safe and causes severe side effects only when consumed in large amounts and too frequently. However, mixing alcohol with some synthetic drugs is not a good idea. After all, humans might have traditionally consumed alcohol, but they have not mixed it with synthetic drugs.
One of the reasons why it is so dangerous to mix alcohol with other mind or mood-altering drugs is that they might have opposite and often unpredictable effects.
Alcohol is a sedative quite like other commonly used medications. But it does not cause sedation in small amounts because it tends to suppress inhibitory neurons first, which may ultimately cause hyperexcitation. Nevertheless, its sedative effect becomes quite evident when alcohol is consumed in more significant amounts.
How does phentermine affect the brain?
To begin with, phentermine works in quite the opposite way to alcohol, as it is a stimulant and not a suppressant. It is much like amphetamines. In small doses, it improves mood, focus and reduces sleep. However, more importantly, it reduces appetite.
Phentermine is a medical drug that is primarily approved to treat obesity. It is especially good for those living with severe obesity along with diabetes, hypertension, and other severe metabolic changes in the body.
When used alone, it is relatively safe but not free from side effects. It may cause agitation, glaucoma, and worsening heart disease in many people. It is also a bit addictive due to its impact on the mood.
However, its primary contraindications are the presence or risk of heart disease, poorly controlled blood pressure, glaucoma, agitation, and history of drug abuse.
What happens when you mix phentermine and alcohol?
As one can guess, these two substances work quite differently and influence different brain centers. Of the two, one is a suppressant and the other a stimulant. Thus, the final effect of combining them would remain unpredictable. Therefore, it is not a good idea to combine such diverse substances.
Of course, combining them at lower dosages may not cause significant issues as both may increase excitement and energy levels. However, with higher dosages of alcohol, things may become quite different, resulting in a very unpleasant experience.
But, it is not just about an unpleasant experience. Combining medications with alcohol is never a good idea. Alcohol is terrible for the liver, and it can alter the metabolism of the drugs, too.
At higher doses, both these substances try to neutralize the effect of each other, resulting in an unpredictable influence on the brain. Moreover, undoubtedly, it results in increased toxicity.
Besides, drinking alcohol when trying to lose weight is never a good idea. In many, alcohol increases appetite, and thus phentermine may fail to help them lose body weight. Additionally, some of the commonly consumed alcoholic drinks are high in sugar content. Alcohol addiction treatment can be essential for those who struggle with alcohol dependency, helping them achieve a healthier lifestyle and improve their chances of successful weight management.
Is mixing phentermine and alcohol bad for your heart?
However, the most significant reason not to mix them is their adverse effects on the heart. It is true that a small amount of alcohol is not harmful to the heart, but then it is a double-edged sword. Having more than two drinks is quite bad for heart health.
Thus, combining alcohol and phentermine may make blood pressure worse. It may also increase stress on heart muscles. All this considerably increases the risk of a heart attack. Moreover, obese individuals are less likely to have a healthy heart. Additionally, combining them also increases the risk of stroke1,2.
Does alcohol stop phentermine from working for weight loss?
Phentermine is mainly a weight loss remedy. Thus, it is quite likely that a person taking it regularly on a doctor’s prescription is using it for weight loss. However, alcohol has just the opposite effect. It may stimulate appetite. Thus, it inhibits phentermine’s action, making it almost ineffective.
Of course, there are other factors to be taken into consideration. For example, some people may like the effect of using these substances together. However, using phentermine and alcohol increases the risk of addiction to both these substances, thus the risk of side effects.
As a stimulant, phentermine can cause a high at higher doses. It may mix well with some amount of alcohol. However, mixing phentermine with high alcohol will cause an unpleasant sensation and prevent the high.
To conclude, phentermine is a weight loss remedy that is also a brain or mood stimulant. Thus, using it with alcohol may be addictive. However, combining the two is bad in every way due to their opposing actions at higher dosages. Moreover, such a combination considerably increases the risk of cardiovascular complications.
Frequently asked questions
Can you drink alcohol while taking phentermine?
It is a bad idea. Phentermine is a stimulant and alcohol is a sedative, so together their effect on the brain is unpredictable. With more alcohol, the two fight each other, toxicity goes up and the experience turns unpleasant. The combination also raises blood pressure, puts stress on the heart muscle and increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.
What should you not mix with phentermine?
Alcohol is the big one. Mixing any medication with alcohol is a bad idea, because alcohol is hard on the liver and changes how the body breaks drugs down. Phentermine also is not for everyone: its main contraindications are heart disease or a risk of it, poorly controlled blood pressure, glaucoma, agitation and a history of drug abuse.
Can you drink alcohol on weight loss medication?
Drinking works against weight loss. In many people alcohol increases appetite, which can leave phentermine almost ineffective, and many common alcoholic drinks are high in sugar. Using the two together also raises the risk of becoming addicted to both. For people who struggle to cut back, alcohol addiction treatment improves their chances of managing their weight.
References
1. Jordan J, Astrup A, Engeli S, Narkiewicz K, Day WW, Finer N. Cardiovascular effects of phentermine and topiramate: a new drug combination for the treatment of obesity. J Hypertens. 2014;32(6):1178-1188. doi:10.1097/HJH.0000000000000145
2. Kokkinos J, Levine SR. Possible association of ischemic stroke with phentermine. Stroke. 1993;24(2):310-313. doi:10.1161/01.STR.24.2.310