Is Alcohol A Pain Reliever? What Precautions Should Be Taken?

Some people think that drinking alcohol reduces the pain they are suffering from, But others are totally against this interpretation. Come, let’s have a look at it.

Alcohol is an analgesic. The analgesic drug is nothing but which helps you reduce pain. It is also an anesthetic which means that it reduces your general loss of sensation. Both analgesics and anesthetics combined help you reduce your physical and emotional pain.

Alcohol – Does Alcohol Make Pain Go Away?

Studies have also confirmed that alcohol allays pain and about 28 percent of people rely on alcohol to take the edge off the pain.

Around 18 different experiments were conducted on 400 people. Their response was noted on drinking alcohol and without drinking alcohol. Results showed that alcohol as a matter of fact is truly an analgesic.

But still, scientists doubt how alcohol becomes an analgesic.

Some say that drinking alcohol can reduce the stress and anxiety in people thereby helping them forget the pain. Some others say that it may inhibit the pain-causing signals to reach the brain.

The higher the blood alcohol content, the more you will have relief from pain but this is not a healthier option. 

What Are The Side Effects Of Using Alcohol As A Pain Reliever?

On the contrary, drinking alcohol has a lot more side effects. When taken in a huge amount can cause severe damage to your liver.

Some people have seen mixing opioids with alcohol thinking of fast relief from pain. But it is more dangerous than you can imagine. It can even affect your brain leading to memory loss.

In most pain-relieving drugs or tranquilizers, a warning note will be written which you have to check before consuming it. Most medicines won’t go well with alcohol.

Now we’ll discuss certain medicines that you should not mix with alcohol.

• Angina medicines
• Cold and flu medicines
• Antidepressant tablets
• ADD an ADHD Medicine
• Antibiotics
• Diabetes medicines
• High blood pressure medicines
• Cholesterol medicines
• Pain killers, are both prescribed as well as “over the counter” medicines.
• Sleep medicines
• Seizure medicines

What Are The Effects Of Combining Alcohol With Other Medicines?

Combining alcohol with the above-mentioned medicines may cause problems such as,

• Drowsiness
• Dizziness
• Fainting
• Nausea 
• Vomiting
• Changes in the blood pressure
• Headache

The other severe problems that may be even life-threatening are,

• Heart failure, which may lead to a stroke or heart attack
• Liver damage, which may lead to Liver cirrhosis
• Difficulty in breathing
• Depression

Final Thoughts

Other than heavy drinkers and non-drinkers, those who drink moderate amounts of alcohol have considerably noticed reduced inflammation throughout their bodies. Moderate drinking for men is having 2 drinks a day whereas for women it is just 1 drink a day.

More than the above-mentioned dose may pave the way for severe other health problems.

Old age people are at a greater risk of facing difficulty because their body does not break down alcohol and it stays as such in their body for quite a long time. Restrain yourself from having more.

Have a talk with your doctor if you are a heavy drinker to manage pain or if you have any difficulty in managing alcohol consumption. Possible side effects should also be studied thoroughly before taking alcohol as a pain reliever.