Mixing Cocaine And Valium: Dangers And Effects

People sometimes mix cocaine, an illegal stimulant, with Valium, a prescription sedative, thinking this combination will balance out the effects of each drug. Mixing these two substances is extremely dangerous and can lead to serious long-term heart problems, addiction, and even deadly overdoses.

Cocaine is a highly addictive drug that affects the brain’s reward system by increasing dopamine levels. This creates intense highs followed by “crash” periods where people feel depressed, tired, and anxious. To avoid these comedown effects, some people try to use other drugs like Valium to smooth out the experience or extend cocaine’s effects. Valium, also known as diazepam, is a medication that doctors use to treat panic disorders and anxiety. When taken, it produces feelings of calm, relaxation, and mild euphoria by slowing down brain activity.

Learn more about mixing benzodiazepines with cocaine

Why Do People Mix Cocaine And Valium?

People usually mix Valium with cocaine to reduce the uncomfortable feelings that happen when cocaine’s effects wear off. After using cocaine, people often experience anxiety, restlessness, and depression, so they take Valium to feel calm and relaxed. The soothing effects of Valium can also help people “come down” from long cocaine binges when they want to feel more balanced without the harsh aftereffects.

Mixing these drugs is extremely dangerous because they work in opposite ways in the body. Since cocaine speeds up the nervous system while Valium slows it down, one drug can hide the effects of the other, making it easy to accidentally take too much of either substance. This masking effect significantly increases the risk of overdose because people can’t tell how much of each drug is actually affecting their body.

Combined Effects Of Cocaine And Valium

Because cocaine is an illegal drug, there is never an assurance of quality or purity with this drug. Combined with a sedative like Valium, this mixture can create unpredictable results.

Valium generally causes effects like:

• drowsiness
• decreased energy
• lowered anxiety
• lowered heart rate

A cocaine high gives a person effects like:

• euphoria
• paranoia
• anxiety
• high energy
• increased heart rate

These very different effects cannot be accurately predicted. However, most people that take cocaine with a benzodiazepine drug do it to ease anxiety resulting from cocaine use.

Risks Of Mixing Cocaine With Valium

When potent drugs are abused, they may create adverse reactions in both the short term and long term. The risks of abusing cocaine and Valium together involve a high possibility of addiction, permanent physical and psychological damage, and overdose death.

Risk Of Overdose Death

Both cocaine and Valium affect the central nervous system but in opposite ways. Valium slows down important body functions like heart rate, breathing, and brain activity. When someone takes too much Valium, they may experience confusion, slurred speech, weak heartbeat, low blood pressure, slow breathing, tremors, extreme tiredness, coma, or even death.

Cocaine overdose symptoms are very different and include seizures, dangerously high body temperature, chest pain, fast or difficult breathing, irregular heartbeat, and high blood pressure. When these two drugs are mixed together, the range of possible overdose symptoms becomes much more dangerous and unpredictable. This deadly combination can lead to heart attacks, strokes, coma, breathing problems, and death.

Long-Term Mental Health And Neurological Damage

Extended abuse of cocaine or Valium individually has damaging long-term effects on cognition and mental health.

This brain damage can result from the lack of oxygen that results from Valium overdose or from physiological changes in the brain due to cocaine abuse. Lasting neurological and psychological damage may include memory loss, lasting anxiety, depression, psychosis, and confusion.

Long-Term Physical Damage

Valium and cocaine place stress on the body’s vital systems in opposing ways. The cardiovascular system is especially affected by this type of polysubstance abuse.

Effects of cocaine and Valium abuse may include:

• seizures
• permanent heart damage
• stroke
• low blood pressure
• shortness of breath
• kidney failure
• tremors
• poor coordination

Developing A Cocaine Or Valium Addiction

The dopamine reaction that both drugs facilitate in the brain gives a strong reward reinforcement. Both drugs can be addictive, resulting in persistent drug cravings, and Valium can cause physical dependence. A person that is already addicted to cocaine and uses Valium to ease negative effects may become dependent on the benzodiazepine to feel “normal”. General feelings of anxiety, depression, sweating, discontent, and cravings may occur as a result of polydrug dependence.

Substance Use Disorder Treatment Options

If you or someone you know is facing substance abuse, professional help is available and recovery is possible. There are many different types of treatment programs including detox, counseling, support groups, inpatient rehab programs, and outpatient services that can help people overcome addiction and build healthier lives.

To find treatment options in your area, you can contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for free information and referrals. SAMHSA can connect you with local resources and help you understand what types of treatment programs might work best for your specific needs.

Written by the Addiction Resource Editorial Staff