Possible Interaction: Ethanol and Oxycodone

“Conclusions: Ethanol together with oxycodone causes greater ventilatory depression than either alone, the magnitude of which is clinically relevant.”

“Ethanol caused a further decrease of oxycodone-induced respiratory depression by another 19% at 1 g/l ethanol plus oxycodone (P < 0.01 vs. oxycodone).”

“ Ethanol combined with oxycodone caused a significant increase in the number of apneic events measured in a 6-min window with a median (range) increase from 1 (0 to 3) at 0 g/l ethanol to 1 (0 to 11) at 1 g/l ethanol (P < 0.01).”

“Mean (95% CI) VE55 decreased from 33.4 (27.9 to 39.0) l/min (control) to 18.6 (15.6 ….6) l/min (oxycodone, P < 0.01 vs. control) and to 15.7 (12.7 to 18.6) l/min oxycodone … ethanol , 1 g/l; ….01 vs. oxycodone).”

“Absorption of ethanol was decreased by oxycodone.”

“ConclusionsIn this study, 10 mg of oral oxycodone combined with a low dose of ethanol generated abuse liability-related effects, but when tested separately, they did not.”

“Deaths attributable to oxycodone are usually associated with polysubstance abuse in which oxycodone is combined with psychostimulants, other opioids, benzodiazepines or alcohol.”

“ Oxycodone tolerance was reversed in isolated DRG neurons by the acute application of either ethanol (20 mM) or the PKC inhibitor, bisindolylmaleimide XI hydrochloride (Bis XI), when a challenge of 3 µM oxycodone significantly reduced neuronal excitability following prolonged exposure.”

“It took twice as much ethanol , when given orally, to reverse the tolerance to oxycodone.”

“ Oral ethanol (2 g/kg) reversed the tolerance to chronic oxycodone , but did not alter brain concentrations of either acute or chronic oxycodone.”