Drinking Energy Drinks with Alcohol: Is it Safe?

Drinking energy drinks with alcohol, also known as AmED, is a relatively recent consumption trend, particularly for college-age drinkers. However, the dangers of mixing energy drinks with alcohol involve a dangerous combination that can mask the depressant effects of alcohol while adding the stimulant effects of caffeine.

This deceptive combination can lead individuals to underestimate their level of intoxication, potentially resulting in increased alcohol consumption and higher blood alcohol concentrations.

The caffeine in energy drinks keeps people feeling alert even when significantly impaired, increasing the likelihood of poor decision-making, including driving while intoxicated or engaging in risky behaviors that wouldn’t occur if the sedative effects of alcohol were more apparent. The health impact of this combination is also concerning, as it places significant stress on the cardiovascular system.

The stimulants in energy drinks increase heart rate and blood pressure, while alcohol can disrupt normal heart rhythms. Together, they can cause heart palpitations, arrhythmias, and in extreme cases, cardiac arrest, particularly in those with underlying health conditions.
This article will further delve into the effects of both substances and the potential long-term health effects.

Is It Bad to Drink Alcohol With Energy Drinks?

Yes, drinking alcohol with energy drinks is generally considered unsafe. The several significant health risks of mixing alcohol and drugs to be aware of include the following:

• The caffeine in energy drinks can mask alcohol’s depressant effects, making you feel more alert than you actually are. This often leads people to underestimate how intoxicated they are, potentially resulting in higher alcohol consumption and increased risk-taking behaviors.
• The combination puts considerable strain on your cardiovascular system. Energy drinks raise your heart rate and blood pressure, while alcohol can disrupt heart rhythms. Together, they can cause heart palpitations and arrhythmias and increase the risk of cardiovascular events, especially in people with underlying conditions.
• Both substances are diuretics, significantly increasing your risk of dehydration. This contributes to worse hangovers and can stress your kidneys.
• Research has shown that people who mix alcohol with energy drinks are about twice as likely to report unwanted or unprotected sexual encounters, driving while intoxicated, or sustaining alcohol-related injuries compared to those who drink alcohol alone.

How Long Should I Wait to Drink Alcohol After an Energy Drink?

If you’re planning to consume alcohol after having an energy drink, it’s best to wait until the caffeine has mostly cleared from your system—typically about 4–6 hours after consuming the energy drink.

The primary concern is that caffeine from energy drinks has a half-life of approximately 5–6 hours in most adults, meaning it takes this long for your body to eliminate half of the caffeine consumed. During this time, the caffeine remains active in your system and can still mask alcohol’s effects if you start drinking.

Several factors can affect how quickly your body processes caffeine, including:

• Your body weight and metabolism
• Your caffeine tolerance
• The amount of caffeine consumed
• Individual factors like genetics, medications, and liver function

Waiting the entire 4–6 hours helps ensure that the masking effect of caffeine is minimized, allowing you to gauge your level of intoxication better if you choose to drink alcohol. This reduces the risk of overconsumption and the associated dangers of the caffeine-alcohol combination.

If possible, it’s generally safest to avoid mixing these substances altogether or to consume them on completely different days.

How Does Caffeine in Energy Drinks Impact Alcohol’s Effects?

Caffeine in energy drinks significantly alters how you experience alcohol’s effects, creating a potentially dangerous interaction. The primary concern is the “wide-awake drunk” phenomenon.

While alcohol is a depressant that slows down your central nervous system, caffeine is a stimulant that masks these sedative effects. This means you feel more alert and less drunk than you actually are, even though your coordination, judgment, and reaction time remain impaired.

Research shows this false sense of sobriety often leads to drinking more alcohol and taking greater risks than you otherwise would.

Physiologically, these substances work against each other. Alcohol triggers the release of adenosine, which slows neural activity and makes you feel tired. Caffeine blocks adenosine receptors, preventing this slowdown signal from being received.

However, caffeine doesn’t actually reduce your blood alcohol concentration or improve cognitive function while intoxicated—it simply masks the fatigue that would usually signal you to stop drinking.

This masking effect is particularly dangerous because it can lead to:

• Higher blood alcohol concentrations
• Increased risk-taking behaviors
• Greater likelihood of alcohol poisoning
• Delayed recognition of intoxication levels
• More severe impairment of driving ability

The combination also places significant stress on your cardiovascular system, as caffeine raises heart rate and blood pressure while alcohol disrupts normal heart rhythms.

What Are Dangerous Reactions When Mixing Alcohol and Energy Drinks?

Mixing alcohol and energy drinks can lead to several dangerous reactions and health risks:

• Cardiovascular stress is one of the most immediate concerns. Alcohol and caffeine affect your heart in opposing ways—caffeine increases heart rate and blood pressure, while alcohol can cause vasodilation (widening of blood vessels). This combination can lead to heart palpitations.
• Severe dehydration is common because both substances are potent diuretics. This increased fluid loss can cause electrolyte imbalances, headaches, dizziness, and in extreme cases, can contribute to heat stroke during physical activity or in hot environments.
• The risk of alcohol poisoning increases significantly. Since caffeine masks alcohol’s depressant effects, people often drink more than they normally would. This can lead to dangerously high blood alcohol levels, resulting in vomiting, seizures, respiratory depression, loss of consciousness, and in severe cases, death.
• Neurological effects can be concerning as well. The combination can cause increased anxiety, panic attacks, and insomnia. Some people experience a more severe “crash” when the stimulant effects wear off, leading to extreme fatigue, irritability, and depressed mood.
• Long-term health impacts include a greater risk of developing alcohol dependence, as the combination can reinforce drinking patterns through intensified reward pathways in the brain. Regular consumption has also been associated with liver damage, as both substances require liver processing, creating a compound strain on this vital organ.

Overcome the Addiction of Drinking Energy Drinks With Alcohol

The combination of drinking energy drinks with alcohol creates a particularly dangerous form of addiction that can be more difficult to overcome than either substance alone. This dangerous pairing triggers multiple dependency pathways in the brain simultaneously, creating a complex addiction that often requires professional intervention at a Los Angeles alcohol rehab center.

Attempting to overcome this dual addiction without professional help presents several significant challenges and dangers. Withdrawing from both alcohol and caffeine simultaneously can produce severe and potentially dangerous symptoms.

Muse Treatment in Los Angeles offers professional rehab programs focusing on achieving initial sobriety and teaching crucial skills for maintaining long-term recovery. We offer structured, evidence-based treatment that addresses the complex nature of this dependency while providing the tools needed for sustainable addiction recovery.

For help breaking free from this particularly dangerous substance use pattern, call Muse Treatment in Los Angeles at 800-426-1818 today.

External Sources

• National Library of Medicine – Energy drink consumption and increased risk for alcohol dependence
• MDPI – Alcohol Mixed with Energy Drinks: Consumption Patterns and Motivations for Use in U.S. College Students
• National Library of Medicine – Alcohol Mixed with Energy Drinks (AmED) Use among University Students: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis