Many times, patients will ask their doctors, can alcohol and antibiotics be used in combination?
Everyone must deal with diseases that can only be overcome with special antibacterial drugs. As you know, the latter is a very aggressive drug, so antibiotic treatment is related to certain restrictions, including drinking alcohol.
The question of whether you can drink alcohol while taking antibiotics is controversial-you can find conflicting opinions in the media. In the past, during a banquet, an invited guest could easily refuse another drink on the grounds of antibiotic treatment. They sympathized with such a person and did not persuade him to drink. Now they can oppose him and refer to articles in various publications, claiming that alcoholic beverages will not interfere with the recovery process. Where is the truth?
Combining alcohol and antibiotics is the main risk
To justify the ban on the simultaneous use of antimicrobial agents and intoxicating beverages, doctors usually explain these restrictions for the following reasons:
- Alcohol can prevent (reduce) the therapeutic effects of antibiotics and/or cause unwanted reactions. The treatment effect is reduced.
- Simultaneous use of alcohol and antibacterial agents can cause severe toxic damage to the liver and other organs.
How true are these statements?
In fact, ingestion of drunken alcohol can reduce the therapeutic effect of the drug. In particular, this is because alcohol either destroys the active substance itself or makes it difficult for antibiotics to bind to pathogen proteins. In addition, drinking alcohol can cause the drug to be cleared from the body more quickly, thereby reducing its effectiveness, or on the contrary, it can slow down the removal of drug residues, resulting in unwanted symptoms.
Research and medical practice have confirmed that alcohol and antibiotics have inhibitory effects on the liver.
It is no coincidence that the description of antibacterial drugs indicates that they have a negative effect on this vital organ (some drugs are completely contraindicated in people with severe liver disease). If you use a combination of alcohol and antibiotics, the liver will be double-damaged, so the doctor’s concern is completely justified. By the way, not only the liver is attacked: the "cocktail" of alcohol and antibacterial drugs negatively affects the work of the cardiovascular system, and it is also dangerous to the pancreas and central nervous system.
Once in the body, alcohol will gradually decompose into carbon dioxide and water. The faster the alcohol is processed, the less harmful it is to the body. However, with the simultaneous use of alcohol and antibiotics, the use of alcohol will slow down because antibiotics block the alcohol dehydrogenase required for decomposition. Therefore, toxic metabolites of alcohol will accumulate in the blood, thereby poisoning the body.
What is the basis for the assertion of experts who believe that alcohol will not affect the effects of commonly used antibiotics in any way?
Is it possible to prove the negative effects of alcohol on antibiotics?
In order to give a reasonable answer to the question of whether alcohol can be consumed while taking antibiotics, appropriate research has been conducted.
The scientists conducted laboratory experiments on animals and then invited volunteers to participate in the research. They are required to receive antimicrobial treatment, during which time they can drink alcohol. The main goal set by the experiment organizers themselves is to determine how alcohol (ethanol) affects antibiotics.
Studies have shown that most antibacterial agents are unlikely to interact with alcohol. In other words, it has no significant effect on the drug.
They came to this conclusion based on the fact that antibiotic treatment had the same effect in the alcohol-prohibited group and the drunken group. The indexes of drug absorption, distribution, and drug withdrawal were basically the same, with slight deviations.
But don't jump to the conclusion that the combination of alcohol and antibiotics does not pose any threat. Experts note the following nuances:
- These studies are sporadic, so it is impossible to talk about the safety of the combination with 100% certainty.
- During the experiment, a small dose of alcohol was used (no talk about uncontrolled, excessive intake of intoxicating drinks).
- The research conducted only involves the interaction of drugs with ethanol. No one denies the negative effects of antibiotics and alcohol symbiosis on the liver and the whole body.
5 reasons why antibiotics are usedIs impossibleNot suitable for combining with alcohol
- Alcohol disrupts normal metabolism (the absorption process of nutrients will deteriorate).
- Alcohol increases the concentration of sugar in the blood.
- Alcohol consumes the body and the immune system deteriorates.
- This combination can cause allergic reactions.
- Due to the individual characteristics of the organism, it is impossible to predict the outcome of the interaction between alcohol and antibiotics in each specific case.
When and why is the use of antibiotics and alcohol completely banned?
Therefore, according to the available information, most antibiotics will not change their pharmacological properties when drinking alcoholic beverages, nor will they produce obvious side effects. But there are some antibacterial drugs and those that cannot be used in combination with intoxicating beverages, because this cascade can lead to dangerous consequences.
What are antibiotics that are incompatible with alcohol? Such drugs include the following funds:
- When consumed with alcohol-containing products, they can cause severe metabolic disorders (metabolism). We have already written above that a special enzyme is needed to break down ethanol into safe components. For the processing of certain antibiotics, this enzyme is also needed, but its amount in the body may not be enough to break down alcohol and drugs, which leads to the accumulation of harmful substances (body poisoning). In order to avoid poisoning the body, it is strictly forbidden to drink alcohol at the same time with such antibacterial drugs.
- They cause disulfiram-like reactions. These are antibiotics that prevent the breakdown of ethanol, which leads to the accumulation of a toxic substance-acetaldehyde. This combined with alcohol can cause nausea and vomiting. A similar reaction occurs when antibacterial agents are taken at the same time as alcohol.
The term "disulfiram-like reaction" (also known as flushing reaction) is related to the drug disulfiram of the same name, which is used to treat alcohol dependence. The treatment method is as follows: The patient implants disulfiram tablets through a subcutaneous tissue incision to prevent the decomposition of alcohol. If such a person drinks alcohol, he will have painful and unpleasant symptoms: palpitations, nausea, vomiting, etc.
When combined with strong drinks, they can have a depressive effect on the central nervous system. For example, people who are being treated with antibacterial drugs will complain of dizziness, weakness, drowsiness, and seizures. This situation is especially dangerous if the person is outside the home.
The doctor drew attention to the fact that the ban on alcohol-containing products is not limited to a glass of vodka or brandy (when taking antibiotics, it is recommended to temporarily forget wine and beer). Ethanol can be found in other foods and medicines, so if you need to take more than one medicine, you should make sure it does not contain alcohol. Likewise, regardless of the dosage form used in the form of tablets, syrups or topical ointments, these restrictions must be observed.
What happens if you drink antibiotics and alcohol: adverse consequences
It is often heard that acquaintances are drinking and taking antibiotics. This suspicious combination is not harmful. But no one knows what happened to this person's body and how his health is. However, in medical practice, there are many recorded cases where the combination of intoxicating potions and medicines resulted in:
- Liver invasion;
- Severe dysfunction of the brain and central nervous system (headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, convulsions);
- Sleep problems;
- The development of gastrointestinal diseases;
- abdominal pain;
- Negative skin reactions (redness, rash);
- Increased blood pressure and decreased cardiac activity;
- Anaphylactic shock.
One more thing to note: When can I start drinking after taking antibiotics. At the end of the treatment process, it is recommended to stand for a few more days before opening a bottle of your favorite wine or brandy. This is because it takes a certain amount of time for the decayed products of the medicine to be discharged from the body (different medicines have different time periods. For more information, please consult a doctor or refer to the instructions).
Why do people strongly believe that alcohol and antibiotics should not be mixed?
Alcohol is not suitable for use in combination with many drugs, not just in combination with antibacterial drugs. However, why has the combination with antibiotics been strictly prohibited?
There are two historical theories that explain why doctors always advocate the complete rejection of anesthetics during antibiotic treatment.
| Prevent sexually transmitted diseases | Penicillin deficiency during the war |
There is a view that venerologists are the first to explicitly prohibit drinking alcohol during antibiotic treatment. During the treatment, the caring patient drank alcohol, got drunk, and went to find the priestess of love. In order to prevent patients from reinfecting, doctors scared their wards, using alcohol and antibiotics at the same time, they are in danger of death. |
During the war, penicillin was in great demand and its supply exceeded demand. Therefore, valuable drugs must be extracted from the urine of soldiers receiving antibiotic treatment. The urine is taken from the patient, and antibiotics are re-isolated from it. The production of penicillin is difficult due to the use of alcohol (recovery soldiers can drink beer). Therefore, a total ban on alcohol consumption has been implemented for anyone who uses antibiotics. |
Summary of people considering whether to drink alcohol while taking antibiotics
- Studies have shown that alcohol does not significantly affect the effectiveness of most modern antibacterial drugs. However, there is a list of drugs that are strictly forbidden to be taken with any strong drink.
- Although experts have different opinions on the compatibility of alcoholic beverages and antibacterial agents (except for those drugs that are clearly restricted), most experts tend to believe that patients who refuse to take it are better for drinking during treatment. At the same time, you should know: if you still drink a glass of alcohol during treatment, you should not refuse to take the next antibiotic (again, if this is a drug with no clear alcohol contraindications).
To ensure that your antibiotics are not drugs that cannot be used in combination with alcoholic beverages, please consult your doctor and read the instructions carefully.