An introductory text reads, taking multiple drugs simultaneously can have unintended and potential fatal consequences because of how they work in the brain. Drugs can modify neurotransmission by increasing or decreasing the chemical activity. When two drugs work on the same system, their effects can be additive, greatly increasing the risk of overdose. For example, alcohol and barbiturates both bind to G A B A receptors. G A B A’s inhibitory action has a sedating effect, which is a good thing when you need to relax. But too much G A B A will relax physiological processes to the point where unconscious, life-sustaining activities shut down, causing you to stop breathing and die.
In the United States, alcohol use leads to nearly 5 million emergency room visits per year. Combined use of alcohol and other drugs is more likely to result in hospital admissions (White, Slater, Ng, Hingson, and Breslow, 2018).
A three-part illustration shows normal G A B A activity, Alcohol, and Alcohol plus Barbiturate.
Normal G A B A activity: The illustration shows how the action potential in the sending neurons provide a thrust to the G A B A which then passes through the G A B A receptor of the receiving neurons to the Chlorine which is negatively charged and is labeled G A B A message communicated. Text below reads, G A B A activation, which calms nervous system activity, is essential for proper functioning of the central nervous system. Without G A B A, nerve cells fire too frequently. Another illustration below depicts human brain within a schematic of human head. To the left of the head a dashed arrow leads to bright pink lungs and towards the right of the head a dashed arrow leads to a bright red heart. The brain to lung pathway is excitatory plus and the brain to heart pathway is labeled inhibitory minus. Accompanying text below reads, when systems are functioning normally, G A B A’s inhibitory signals perfectly balanced excitatory signals in the central nervous system (C N S). This results in regular breathing and heart rate.
Alcohol: The illustration shows how the action potential in the sending neurons provide a thrust to the G A B A which then passes through the G A B A receptor along with the alcohol of the receiving neurons to two chlorines which are negatively charged. Text below reads, alcohol activates the same receptors, increasing G A B A’s activity. Another illustration below depicts human brain within a schematic of human head. To the left of the head a dashed arrow leads to dull colored lungs and towards the right of the head a dashed arrow leads to a dully colored heart. The brain to lung pathway is excitatory plus and the brain to heart pathway is labeled inhibitory minus. The excitatory label, lungs, and heart are smaller than normal and the inhibitory label is larger. Text below reads, when alcohol increases G A B A’s inhibitory signals, excitatory and inhibitory signals in the C N S are out of balance. Along with increased relaxation, heart and breathing rates decrease. Increasing levels of alcohol could eventually lead to stupor and coma.
Alcohol plus Barbiturate: The illustration shows how the action potential in the sending neurons provide a thrust to the G A B A which then passes through the G A B A receptor along with the alcohol and barbiturate of the receiving neurons to three chlorines which are negatively charged. Text below reads, barbiturates bind to and activate G A B A receptors too, creating even more G A B A-related inhibition. Another illustration below depicts human brain within a schematic of human head. To the left of the head a dashed arrow leads to darkly colored lungs and towards the right of the head a dashed arrow leads to darkly colored heart. The brain to lung pathway is labeled excitatory plus and the brain to heart pathway is labeled inhibitory minus. The excitatory label, lungs, and heart are tiny and the inhibitory label is very large. Text below reads, together, alcohol and barbiturates further unbalance excitatory and inhibitory signals, suppressing heart rate and the impulse to breathe.