Often, patients turn to their doctor with the question, is it possible to combine alcohol and antibiotics?
Everyone has to face a disease that can be defeated only with the help of special antimicrobial drugs. The latter, as you know, is a fairly aggressive drug, therefore, antibiotic therapy is associated with certain restrictions, including alcohol use.
The question of whether alcohol intake while taking antibiotics is debatable - you can get opposing opinions in the media. Previously, during parties, invited guests could easily refuse other liquor, on the grounds of antibiotic treatment. They sympathize with such a person and do not persuade him to drink. Now they can refute it, referring to articles in various publications, stating that alcoholic beverages do not interfere with the recovery process. Where is the truth?
Combining alcohol and antibiotics is a major risk
To justify a ban on the simultaneous use of antimicrobial agents and intoxicating beverages, doctors usually explain the restrictions on the following grounds:
- Alcohol blocks (reduces) the therapeutic effects of antibiotics and / or causes unwanted reactions. The effectiveness of therapy decreases.
- With the simultaneous use of alcohol and antibacterial agents, severe toxic damage to the liver and other organs occurs.
To what extent is this statement true?
Indeed, the consumption of intoxicating beverages can reduce the therapeutic effects of medications. In particular, this is due to the fact that alcohol damages the active ingredient itself, or makes it difficult for antibiotics to bind pathogenic proteins. In addition, drinking alcohol can cause the elimination of the drug from the body more quickly, which reduces its effectiveness, or, conversely, slows down the elimination of drug residues, as a result of which unwanted symptoms occur.
Medical research and practice confirm that alcohol and antibiotics have a depressant effect on the liver.
It is no coincidence that the instructions for antibacterial drugs show its negative effects on this important organ (some drugs are completely contraindicated for people with severe liver disease). If you combine alcohol and antibiotics, the liver suffers twice as much, so the doctor’s fears are fully justified. By the way, not only the liver is attacked: alcohol "cocktails" with antimicrobial drugs have a negative impact on the work of the cardiovascular system, but are also harmful to the pancreas and central nervous system.
Once in the body, alcohol is gradually broken down into carbon dioxide and water. The faster the processing of alcohol takes place, the less harmful effects on the body. But with the simultaneous use of alcohol and antibiotics, alcohol consumption slows down, because antibiotics block the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase, which is needed for breakdown. As a result, toxic alcohol metabolites accumulate in the blood, which poisons the body.
What is the basis of the assertion of experts who believe that alcohol in no way affects the action of commonly used antibiotics?
Is it possible to prove the negative effects of alcohol on antibiotics?
To provide a reasoned answer to the question of whether it is possible to drink alcohol while taking antibiotics, appropriate studies were conducted.
The scientists performed laboratory experiments on the animals, and then invited volunteers to participate in the research. They are offered to undergo treatment with antibacterial agents, where they can drink alcohol. The main goal set by the organizers of the experiment was to determine how alcohol (ethanol) affected antibiotics.
Studies show that most antibacterial agents are unlikely to interact with alcohol. In other words, it had no significant effect on the drug.
They came to this conclusion on the grounds that the effects of antibiotic therapy on the group of patients in which alcohol was prohibited and on the group in which the patient drank alcohol were similar. The indications of absorption, distribution and withdrawal of the drug are almost the same, with small deviations.
But don’t come to the conclusion that the combination of alcohol and antibiotics poses no threat. Experts note the following nuances:
- The study was sporadic, so it is impossible to speak with 100% certainty about the safety of the combination.
- In those experiments, small doses of alcohol were used (there was no discussion of uncontrolled and excessive intoxication consumption).
- The studies conducted only related to drug interactions with ethyl alcohol. There is no denying the negative effects of antibiotic + alcohol symbiosis on the liver and the whole body as a whole.
5 reasons why antibioticsit is impossiblenot desirable to be combined with alcohol
- Alcohol interferes with normal metabolism (the process of nutrient absorption declines).
- Alcohol increases the concentration of sugar in the blood.
- Alcohol drains the body, and the immune system deteriorates.
- This combination can cause allergic reactions.
- It is impossible to predict the outcome of alcohol and antibiotic interactions in each particular case due to the individual characteristics of the organism.
When and why is the use of antibiotics and alcohol banned altogether?
Therefore, according to available data, when consuming beverages containing ethyl alcohol, most antibiotics do not change their pharmacological properties and have no significant side effects. But there are among the antimicrobial drugs and drugs that can not be combined with intoxicating drinks, because such a kind leads to dangerous consequences.
What antibiotics are not compatible with alcohol? This drug category includes funds that:
- When consumed simultaneously with products containing alcohol, it causes serious metabolic disorders (metabolism). We have written above that special enzymes are needed to break down ethyl alcohol into safe components. For the processing of some antibiotics, these enzymes are also needed, but the amount in the body may not be enough to break down alcohol and drugs, which leads to the accumulation of harmful substances (body intoxication). To prevent intoxication of the body, it is forbidden to drink alcohol at the same time as antimicrobial drugs.
- They cause a disulfiram -like reaction. These are antibiotics that inhibit the decomposition of ethyl alcohol, and thus contribute to the accumulation of toxic substances - acetaldehyde. This, combined with alcohol, results in nausea and vomiting. A similar reaction occurs when antibacterial agents are taken concomitantly with alcohol.
The term "disulfiram -like reaction" (aka rinsing reaction) is associated with the drug of the same name, disulfiram, which is used in the treatment of alcohol dependence. The therapy is as follows: the patient is implanted disulfiram tablets through an incision into the subcutaneous tissue, which blocks the breakdown of alcohol. If such a person drinks alcohol, he experiences painful and unpleasant symptoms: palpitations, nausea, vomiting, etc.
When combined with alcohol, it has a depressing effect on the central nervous system. For example, people treated with antimicrobial medications complain of dizziness, weakness, drowsiness, and seizures. This situation is especially dangerous if the person is out of the house.
Doctors drew attention to the fact that the ban on consuming products containing alcohol is not limited to a glass of vodka or brandy (while taking antibiotics, it is recommended to forget about wine and beer for a while). Ethyl alcohol can be found in other foods and medications, so if you need to take more than one medication, you should make sure there is no alcohol in it. Similarly, it is necessary to comply with restrictions regardless of the dosage form of the drug used - in the form of tablets, syrups or external ointments.
What happens if you take antibiotics and alcohol: unintended consequences
You can often hear that some acquaintances practice drinking alcohol and taking antibiotics, and he has nothing bad from a dubious combination. But no one knows what is going on in this person’s body, and how his condition is going healthy. But in medical practice, there are many cases recorded when the combination of intoxicating ingredients with drugs causes:
- violations in the liver;
- serious brain and central nervous system damage (headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, seizures);
- sleep problems;
- the development of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
- painful sensation in the abdomen;
- negative skin reactions (redness, rash);
- blood pressure spikes, decreased cardiac activity;
- anaphylactic shock.
There is one more important thing to note: when can you start drinking alcohol after taking antibiotics. At the end of therapy, it is recommended to stand for a few more days before opening a bottle of wine or your favorite brandy. This is due to the fact that it takes some time to remove the decomposition products of the drug from the body (for different drugs, this period is different, detailed information can be obtained from your doctor or from instructions).
Why is there a strong belief that alcohol and antibiotics should not be mixed?
Alcohol is not desirable to be used in conjunction with many medications, and not just with antimicrobial medications. Yet, why exactly is the combination with antibiotics always banned?
There are two historical theories that explain why physicians have always advocated complete rejection of alcohol during antibiotic therapy.
| Prevention of venereal diseases | Penicillin deficiency during the war |
There is an opinion that venereologists were the first to introduce a categorical ban on alcohol consumption during antibiotic treatment. During treatment, the loving patient drank and, intoxicated, again went to the love pastor. To prevent patients from being re -infected, doctors scare their wards that, by using alcohol along with antibiotics, they are at risk of dying. |
During the war, penicillin was needed in large quantities and in short supply. Therefore, the valuable drug should be taken from the urine of soldiers undergoing antibiotic therapy. Urine is taken from the patient, from which antibiotics are re -isolated. Due to alcohol consumption (recovering soldiers are allowed to drink beer), penicillin production is difficult. Therefore, a complete drinking ban was introduced for anyone given antibiotics. |
Summary for those wondering whether to drink alcohol while taking antibiotics or not
- Studies show that alcohol does not significantly affect the effectiveness of modern antibacterial drugs. However, there is a list of drugs that are strictly forbidden to be taken with alcohol.
- Although expert opinions on the compatibility of alcoholic beverages and antibacterial agents are divided (except for drugs whose prohibition can be categorized), most of them tend to believe that it is better for patients to refuse alcohol during treatment. At the same time, you should know: if during therapy you still drink a glass of wine, you can not refuse to take the next antibiotic (again, if this is a drug for which there are no obvious contraindications to alcohol).
To make sure that your antibiotics are not included in the group of medications that should not be combined with alcoholic beverages, ask your doctor and read his instructions carefully.