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Is It Safe To Take Xanax Together With Alcohol?
Question: I took a .125 mg dose of xanax at 7:00 am this morning, would it be safe for me to drink 1 beer 8 hours or so after this dose? I will be going to a social event shortly and would limit myself to just the one beer.
Brief Answer:
detailed below.
Detailed Answer:
Hello.
Welcome to Healthcare Magic.
Taking Xanax (Alprazolam ) together with alcohol can increase the risk of having side effects like drowsiness ,dizziness,difficulty concentrating.So the best thing to do is to avoid any alcohol while taking Xanax but since Alprazolam is a short acting benzodiazepine, it does not last long in the system so drinking a small amount of alcohol (1 beer) 8 hours after ,won't cause any major problem.
Also the dose of Xanax you are taking is very small so I don't think you are going to have any problem with that.
I would just suggest to avoid driving because the risk of becoming drowsy is low but still present and everyone can have different effects for the same dose and the same amount of alcohol.
Hope it helps.
Let me know if you have any question or need any clarification.
Take care,
Dr.Rovena Murati
detailed below.
Detailed Answer:
Hello.
Welcome to Healthcare Magic.
Taking Xanax (Alprazolam ) together with alcohol can increase the risk of having side effects like drowsiness ,dizziness,difficulty concentrating.So the best thing to do is to avoid any alcohol while taking Xanax but since Alprazolam is a short acting benzodiazepine, it does not last long in the system so drinking a small amount of alcohol (1 beer) 8 hours after ,won't cause any major problem.
Also the dose of Xanax you are taking is very small so I don't think you are going to have any problem with that.
I would just suggest to avoid driving because the risk of becoming drowsy is low but still present and everyone can have different effects for the same dose and the same amount of alcohol.
Hope it helps.
Let me know if you have any question or need any clarification.
Take care,
Dr.Rovena Murati
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you for the answer. I typically only take the .125 mg dose if I know I will be in a trigger situation. My husband and I drove 14 hours to visit family. With the answer you gave above, I was hoping you could clarify if I don't have a trigger situation and do not take another dose in the next 24 hours is it safe to assume that I can again have a beer or 2 (or single cocktail) as we are on vacation? I do not typically drink often, but on vacation I would like to know if the situation arises and I do not take another dose that I should be safe with this as well. Thank you again for your help.
Brief Answer:
detailed below.
Detailed Answer:
Hello again.
I can understand your situation.
You can drink a moderate amount of alcohol (1-2 beers) but always make sure to live a gap of 5-8 hours between the beer and xanax because it takes 2-3 hours for a beer to metabolize.
So if you drink 1-2 beers and you need to take Xanax make sure to take it at least after 8 hours but if you take Xanax first ,than you need to wait at least 1 day before drinking a small amount of alcohol because the average half life of Xanax is around 11 hours.
The only problem of mixing alcohol with xanax is becoming sedated ,so if you avoid driving or other dangerous activities that require mental alertness ,there is no great risk involved.
Hope it is clear for you.
Feel free to ask for any clarification.
Take care.
Dr.Rovena
detailed below.
Detailed Answer:
Hello again.
I can understand your situation.
You can drink a moderate amount of alcohol (1-2 beers) but always make sure to live a gap of 5-8 hours between the beer and xanax because it takes 2-3 hours for a beer to metabolize.
So if you drink 1-2 beers and you need to take Xanax make sure to take it at least after 8 hours but if you take Xanax first ,than you need to wait at least 1 day before drinking a small amount of alcohol because the average half life of Xanax is around 11 hours.
The only problem of mixing alcohol with xanax is becoming sedated ,so if you avoid driving or other dangerous activities that require mental alertness ,there is no great risk involved.
Hope it is clear for you.
Feel free to ask for any clarification.
Take care.
Dr.Rovena
Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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