Very often, patients come to their doctor with the question: is it possible to combine alcohol and antibiotics?
Each person has to deal with diseases that can only be overcome with the help of special antimicrobial drugs. The latter, as you know, are quite aggressive drugs, therefore antibiotic therapy is associated with certain restrictions, including the use of alcohol.
The question of whether it is possible to drink alcohol while taking antibiotics is moot - you may find conflicting opinions in the media. Previously, during a banquet, a guest could easily decline another serving of alcohol, citing a course of antibiotics. They sympathized with that person and did not persuade him to drink. Now they can oppose him, referring to articles in various publications, claiming that alcoholic beverages do not interfere with the recovery process. Where is the truth?
The combination of alcohol and antibiotics are the main risks.
In justifying the prohibition of the simultaneous use of antimicrobial agents and intoxicating beverages, doctors often explain the restrictions for the following reasons:
- Alcohol blocks (reduces) the therapeutic effect of antibiotics and / or causes unwanted reactions. The effectiveness of the therapy decreases.
- With the simultaneous use of alcohol and antibacterial agents, severe toxic damage occurs to the liver and other organs.
How true are these statements?
In fact, the ingestion of intoxicated beverages can reduce the therapeutic effect of pharmaceutical products. In particular, this is due to the fact that alcohol destroys the active substance itself or makes it difficult for the antibiotic to bind to the proteins of pathogens. Also, drinking alcohol can lead to faster removal of the drug from the body, reducing its effectiveness or, conversely, slowing down the removal of drug residues, as a result of which unwanted symptoms occur.
Research and medical practice confirm that both alcohol and antibiotics have a depressant effect on the liver.
It is not a coincidence that the instructions for antibacterial drugs indicate their negative effect on this important organ (some drugs are completely contraindicated for people with severe liver disease). If you combine alcohol and an antibiotic, the liver suffers doubly, so the fears of the doctors are fully justified. By the way, not only the liver is under attack: the "cocktail" of alcohol with antimicrobial drugs adversely affects the work of the cardiovascular system, it is also dangerous for the pancreas and central nervous system.
Once in the body, alcohol gradually breaks down into carbon dioxide and water. The faster alcohol is processed, the less damaging effect on the body. But with the simultaneous use of alcohol and antibiotics, the use of alcohol slows down, since the antibiotic blocks the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase, which is necessary for degradation. Because of this, a poisonous metabolite of alcohol accumulates in the blood, which poisons the body.
What is the basis for the claims of experts who believe that alcohol does not affect in any way the action of commonly used antibiotics?
Has the negative effect of alcohol on antibiotics been proven?
To give a reasoned answer to the question whether it is possible to drink alcohol while taking antibiotics, the appropriate studies were carried out.
The scientists conducted laboratory experiments on animals and then invited volunteers to participate in the research. They were offered to undergo a course of treatment with antibacterial agents, during which they could drink alcohol. The main objective set by the organizers of the experiments was to establish how alcohol (ethanol) affects antibiotics.
Studies have shown that most antibacterial agents are unlikely to interact with alcohol. In other words, it does not have a significant effect on drugs.
They came to this conclusion on the basis that the effect of antibiotic therapy in the group of patients where alcohol was prohibited and in the group where the patients drank alcoholic beverages was identical. The drug absorption, distribution and withdrawal indicators were almost the same, with small deviations.
But don't jump to the conclusion that the combination of alcohol and antibiotics poses no threat. Experts pay attention to the following nuances:
- The studies were sporadic, so it is impossible to speak with 100% certainty about the safety of the combination.
- During the experiments, small doses of alcohol were used (there is no mention of excessive and uncontrolled intake of intoxicating beverages).
- The studies carried out refer exclusively to the interaction of the drug with ethyl alcohol. No one denied the negative effect of the antibiotic + alcohol symbiosis on the liver and throughout the body.
5 reasons why antibioticsIt is impossibleundesirable to combine with alcohol
- Alcohol alters normal metabolism (nutrient absorption processes deteriorate).
- Alcohol increases blood sugar levels.
- Alcohol depletes the body and the immune system deteriorates.
- This combination can cause allergic reactions.
- It is impossible to predict the outcome of the interaction of alcohol and antibiotics in each specific case due to the individual characteristics of the organism.
When and why is the use of antibiotics and alcohol completely prohibited?
So, based on available data, when drinking beverages containing ethyl alcohol, most antibiotics do not change their pharmacological properties and do not have significant side effects. But they exist between antimicrobial drugs and those that cannot be combined with intoxicating drinks, since such a tandem leads to dangerous consequences.
What antibiotics are incompatible with alcohol? This category of drugs includes funds that:
- When consumed simultaneously with products containing alcohol, they cause serious metabolic (metabolism) disorders. We wrote earlier that a special enzyme is needed to break down ethyl alcohol into safe components. For the processing of some antibiotics, this enzyme is also necessary, but its amount in the body may not be enough to break down both alcohol and drugs, which leads to the accumulation of harmful substances (intoxication of the body). In order to avoid poisoning the body, it is forbidden to drink alcohol at the same time as such antimicrobial drugs.
- They cause a reaction similar to disulfiram. These are antibiotics that prevent the breakdown of ethyl alcohol and thus contribute to the accumulation of a poisonous substance - acetaldehyde. This, combined with alcohol, causes nausea and vomiting. A similar reaction occurs when antibacterial agents are taken simultaneously with alcohol.
The term "disulfiram-like reaction" (also known as a flushing 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 in the subcutaneous tissue, which blocks the breakdown of alcohol. If such a person drinks alcohol, he develops painful and unpleasant symptoms: heart palpitations, nausea, vomiting, etc.
When combined with strong drinks, they have a depressant effect on the central nervous system. For example, people who are treated with antimicrobial drugs complain of dizziness, weakness, drowsiness, and seizures. This condition is especially dangerous if the person is away from home.
Doctors draw attention to the fact that the ban on taking alcohol-containing products is not limited to a glass of vodka or brandy (when taking antibiotics, it is recommended to forget about wine and beer for a while). Ethyl alcohol can be found in other foods and drugs, so if you need to take more than one drug, you need to make sure that it does not contain alcohol. Similarly, it is necessary to comply with the restrictions regardless of the dosage form in which the drug is used, in the form of tablets, syrup or external ointment.
What happens if you drink antibiotics and alcohol: undesirable consequences
You can often hear that someone you know practiced drinking alcohol and taking antibiotics, and had nothing wrong with such a dubious combination. But no one knows what was happening in this person's body and how he fared to health. But in medical practice, there are many recorded cases in which a combination of an intoxicating potion with drugs led to:
- violations in the liver;
- severe dysfunctions of the brain and central nervous system (headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, seizures);
- trouble sleeping;
- the development of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
- painful sensations in the abdomen;
- negative skin reactions (redness, rashes);
- sudden increases in blood pressure, decreased heart activity;
- Anaphylactic shock.
There is one more important point to pay attention to: when can you start drinking alcohol after taking antibiotics. At the end of the course of therapy, it is advisable to stand for a few more days before opening a bottle of your favorite wine or brandy. This is due to the fact that it takes some time to remove the breakdown products of the drug from the body (for different drugs, these periods differ, detailed information can be obtained from your doctor or instructions).
Why is there a strong belief that alcohol and antibiotics should not mix?
It is undesirable to use alcohol in combination with many drugs, and not only with antimicrobial drugs. However, why exactly has the combination with antibiotics always been strictly prohibited?
There are two historical theories that explain why doctors have always advocated a total rejection of intoxicants during antibiotic therapy.
| Prevention of sexually transmitted diseases. | Penicillin deficiency during the war |
There is an opinion that venereologists were the first to introduce a categorical ban on alcohol consumption during the period of antibiotic treatment. During the course of treatment, the loving patients drank and, drunk, went again to the priestesses of love. To prevent patients from being reinfected, doctors scared their wards because, by consuming alcohol along with antibiotics, they risked death. |
During the war, penicillin was needed in large quantities and in short supply. Therefore, the valuable medicine had to be extracted from the urine of soldiers undergoing antibiotic therapy. Urine was collected from the patients, from which the antibiotic was re-isolated. Due to alcohol use (recovering soldiers were allowed to drink beer), penicillin production was difficult. Therefore, a complete ban on drinking was introduced for anyone shown an antibiotic. |
Summary for those considering drinking or not drinking 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 prohibited to take with strong drinks.
- Although the opinion of the experts regarding the compatibility of alcoholic beverages and antibacterial agents was divided (with the exception of those drugs for which the restrictions are categorical), most of them are inclined to believe that it is better for the patient to refuse alcohol during the course of treatment. At the same time, you need to know: if during therapy you still drank a glass of wine, you should not refuse to take the next antibiotic (again, if it is a drug for which there is no clear contraindication to alcohol).
To make sure that your antibiotic is not included in the group of drugs that cannot be combined with alcoholic beverages, check with your doctor and read the instructions carefully.