Drinking can be fun, let’s be honest. But too much alcohol can lead to injury, accidents, serious embarrassment and long-term health problems. If you’re planning on partying any time soon, you might be planning what sort of drinks to have. And one popular choice over the last several years has been to mix alcohol with different other forms of liquid and herbs. And while the risks associated with moderate drinking are low, heavy consumption or the mixing of alcohol with other substances, such as prescription pills, can be dangerous and life-threatening.

In this article, we’ll be discussing some things you should not mix with alcohol to avoid health complications. Note that all findings in this article are gotten from a reputable health site Mayoclinic.

Things you shouldn’t mix with alcohol to avoid severe health complications

Energy drinks

Energy drinks are a twofold danger, when it comes to mixing with alcohol. For starters, caffeine isn’t the best thing to mix with liquor; it’ll perk you up, and dull the effects of alcohol, causing you to drink more than you perhaps need to. But, additionally, according to the Centers for Disease Control, those who mix energy drinks with alcohol tend to binge-drink more often and engage in other reckless activities like driving under the influence, having unprotected intercourse, and getting into fights that result in serious injuries.

Cough syrups

According to Healthline, if you mix cough syrups with alcohol, you can suffer serious–sometimes life-threatening–effects. The active ingredients in cough syrups can interact with the alcohol to dangerously depress your respiratory system. This can lead to slow or shallow breathing. Remember that mixing alcohol with other drugs is not a good idea, even if the medications seem harmless.

Sleeping pills

Though you’re already aware of the fact that you shouldn’t be driving or operating large machinery after taking sleep aids like Ambien, Lunesta, Prosom, Sominex, and Restoril (thanks in no small part to late-night infomercials), it’s important that you also realize what mixing these medications with alcohol can do to your body. According to Ashwood Recovery, in the short-term, mixing these two substances will likely result in drowsiness, dizziness, breathing difficulties, impaired motor skills, and memory trouble. In the long-term, however, you can expect excessive damage to the liver and, in some cases, even an onset of addiction (to the sleeping pills).