There are different kinds of depressants in both drug and alcohol form. You can use legal depressant medications to control pain or anxiety or to induce sleep. Depressants can have various impacts on your life, especially when you mix medications and alcohol together. Depressant medications can provide pain relief; however, medications and alcohol can also cause drowsiness, dizziness and confusion, and can reduce blood pressure, breathing and pulse rates.
Vital Signs
Depressants directly affect your central nervous system by suppressing it. As a result, Washington State University reports that the heart rate slows, blood pressure lowers and breathing slows down. According to the University of Wisconsin, tolerance can develop in people who frequently depend on these drugs. In addition, if you take depressant medications with alcohol, these effects can be intensified. If you take too many depressants or mix them with alcohol, this can cause you to become unconscious and coma or death may result.
Drowsiness and Dizziness
According to Washington State University, drowsiness and dizziness can also occur when you take depressant medications. This same effect may also occur when drinking alcohol. This drowsiness and dizziness can make it difficult for you to think or ambulate properly. You may become so drowsy that sleeping is all you can think about. You may sleep for hours on end and be difficult to wake if the medications were too strong or mixed with alcohol. This drowsiness and dizziness make it difficult to lead a normal, functional life.
In a medical situation, a health professional may administer depressants to induce sedation so that a medical test can be performed.
Fatigue and Confusion
According to Washington State University, fatigue and confusion can occur when taking certain depressant medications such as barbiturates. This fatigue and confusion can lead to a loss of memory and inability to perform normal daily activities. You may not feel like joining in on other family functions and may choose to stay at home to rest. If the depressants are too strong or mixed with alcohol, confusion may become so severe that you may become incoherent.
