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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Is Taking Wine/liquor While On Ambien Serious?

Yes.........My daughter takes Ambien for her insomnia....she also drinks wine and liquior with it, more than just rarely. I am afraid of the reaction she could have with the combination could be serious to deadly.........I need to be able to show her in writing how serious this is.........she believes she has it under control, of course. Can you direct me to a resource that will explain the danger in combining this.......She is also a white knuckle girl and has a very stressful job........She is 49, married, no children and has had very serious intestinal issues and IBS most of her adult life...........any information you can give me or direct me to would be appreciated.........
Fri, 26 Sep 2014
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Internal Medicine Specialist,  's  Response
Combining alcohol with drugs like Ambien can cause serious problems. The combination can really knock a person out. I had a patient once who combined alcohol with an Ambien-like drug. It knocked him out so bad he laid in the same position for many hours. This caused the muscles he was lying on to deteriorate which caused kidney failure. It sounds like she has a severe anxiety problem, and she might benefit by treatment for that. IBS is often associated with anxiety. A family doctor may be able to prescribe treatment for the anxiety, but it might be better if she sees a psychiatrist, especially if there is a concern about alcohol abuse. Many people self-treat their anxiety with alcohol. Hope this helps.
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Is Taking Wine/liquor While On Ambien Serious?

Combining alcohol with drugs like Ambien can cause serious problems. The combination can really knock a person out. I had a patient once who combined alcohol with an Ambien-like drug. It knocked him out so bad he laid in the same position for many hours. This caused the muscles he was lying on to deteriorate which caused kidney failure. It sounds like she has a severe anxiety problem, and she might benefit by treatment for that. IBS is often associated with anxiety. A family doctor may be able to prescribe treatment for the anxiety, but it might be better if she sees a psychiatrist, especially if there is a concern about alcohol abuse. Many people self-treat their anxiety with alcohol. Hope this helps.