Every sane person is aware of the dangers of alcohol to the body, however, many do not want to deny themselves taking it even when they have serious health problems and the doctor has prescribed them a course of antibacterial therapy. Despite the fact that alcohol and antibiotics are absolutely incompatible, many still wonder how serious the consequences of such an interaction can be or how long after taking a course of antibiotics can you start drinking alcohol?
Interaction of alcohol and antibiotics in the body
Even in biology lessons from the school curriculum, we were told that all substances, when they enter the body, begin to break down into simpler parts. This chain of cleavage continues until only the original parts remain of the substance, that is, proteins, carbohydrates, fats and amino acids.
For example, if you take alcohol in combination with the drug Trichopolum, the body may perceive such a mixture as the substance Teturam. The fact is that these substances have a very similar chemical formula, and this can have a very negative effect on the human body. A person’s heart rate may increase, heart pain may appear, and the brain will begin to function worse, dulling sensations and feelings. Thus, the consequences can be very sad.
Such combinations can also lead to problems such as:
- increased load on the liver;
- nausea, dizziness, vomiting;
- severe headaches, mental confusion;
- development of an allergic reaction.
How long after a course of antibiotic treatment can you drink alcohol?
Naturally, we are all people with our little weaknesses, and there are occasions, important holidays, when the desire to drink alcohol prevails. However, if you are undergoing antibacterial therapy during this period, you should still avoid alcohol.
1. During a course of antibiotic treatment, the human body is very weakened. In addition to the infection suppressing the immune system, antibiotics also put a serious strain on the heart, liver and kidneys. In addition, they can seriously harm the gastrointestinal tract, in particular the intestinal microflora. And if you also “finish off” the body with alcohol, some organs, in particular the kidneys and liver, may simply not withstand the load. All this is subsequently fraught with such serious diseases as acute renal or liver failure. A person is not his own enemy to “ruin” his body so stupidly.
2. Drinking alcoholic beverages will reduce the effectiveness of antibacterial therapy by 100% to almost zero. The reason lies in the fact that bacteria affected by alcohol will become resistant, in other words, they will become completely immune to the drug. Thus, in order to get rid of the infection, a person will be forced to take stronger drugs of the new generation, which, in addition to even greater health problems, can also be a big hit on the pocket. In addition, there are far from isolated cases when, after several doses of alcohol, bacteria become resistant to all treatment, and the person ultimately dies from sepsis.
These are the main reasons why a person should stop drinking alcohol during and shortly after treatment. After all, some bacteria (their spores) remain in the source of infection for some time. In addition, there is no point in overloading your already weakened body.
How long after antibiotics can you drink alcohol: why can’t you combine it?
There are a huge number of antibacterial drugs on the pharmacological market, each of which has a different active substance, but their mechanism of action is the same - the destruction of pathogenic bacteria. Most people are extremely skeptical about antibacterial drugs, since taking them can seriously harm the human body, and even a single dose of alcohol can cause simply destructive force. The fact is that alcohol enhances the side effects of antibiotics, thereby significantly reducing their productivity. In addition, a mixture of alcohol and antibacterial drugs can seriously damage the liver, which simply cannot cope with two toxic substances at once.
An interesting fact: even most professional doctors and chemists cannot be 100% sure what reaction the body will have when mixing ethyl alcohol with the active ingredient of antibiotics. Pharmacological companies do not even do special tests, since they are completely confident that not a single person would risk combining these substances. In fact, it is true that most people do not risk combining these components, but there is also a type of people who believe that nothing bad will happen.
However, as we can see, alcoholic beverages have a serious impact on the functioning of the human body and can seriously disrupt the functioning of the body.
Also, a mixture of alcoholic drinks and antibacterial drugs can lead to allergies, and even if a person’s immune system copes with the load of drugs, drinking alcohol can completely disrupt its functions, which subsequently can lead to an allergic reaction. There are even cases of serious complications that even led to death. Drug intolerance can occur at any time, and taking such a risk is very dangerous.
At the same time, the effect of alcohol during the period of taking antibacterial drugs increases, the person immediately gets drunk, but the hangover syndrome can last for more than one day. In addition, antibiotics are drugs of the narcotic group, and there is a possibility of addiction.
How long after taking antibiotics can you drink alcohol?
For each type of antibiotic, an individual course of sobriety is provided. In some cases, you can start drinking alcohol a day after finishing the course of treatment; in others, waiting at least ten days is recommended. In any case, experts play it safe and recommend abstaining from alcohol for at least 10–15 days to avoid possible undesirable consequences.
Most often, the duration in this case is always indicated on the packaging. For example, the antibiotic Trichopolum requires abstinence from alcoholic beverages for at least a week. All cases are individual, so it would be preferable to listen to the doctor’s advice. If the patient has problems with the kidneys or liver, the period of abstinence should be extended to avoid possible complications.
In any case, if you are looking after your health and are undergoing antibiotic treatment, you should give up alcohol altogether, otherwise the consequences could be disastrous.
All people get sick periodically, and many of them have to resort to taking antibiotics. There is a widespread belief in society that these drugs are incompatible with alcohol, but what to do if the treatment period coincides with the holidays? Where is the truth and where are the legends in our ideas about the interaction of antibiotics with alcoholic beverages?
Antibiotics and alcohol
Antibiotics are medications designed to fight bacteria. They penetrate pathogenic microorganisms or interfere with their metabolism, disrupting it completely or partially.
Doctors still have different views on the issue of the compatibility of antibiotics with alcohol and when you can drink after therapy. There are many doctors who strongly recommend that patients completely avoid alcoholic beverages during therapy in order to avoid. They explain this by saying that these drugs, together with ethanol, destroy the liver and negate the effectiveness of treatment.
To date, many studies have been carried out, the results of which allow us to confidently say: the pharmacological effect of most antibiotics under the influence of alcohol does not worsen, and the load on the liver does not increase.
However, alcohol itself causes intoxication and dehydration. If you take antibiotics with large doses of alcohol, the body will weaken, and in this case, the effectiveness of treatment will, of course, decrease.
There are also a number of antibiotics that react with ethanol in a disulfiram-like reaction. Their simultaneous use with alcohol is contraindicated, as this will cause intoxication, accompanied by nausea and vomiting, and convulsions. In very rare cases, death can occur.
Myths and reality
Historically, society has developed myths about complications after drinking alcohol during antibiotic treatment.
The main myths are as follows:
- Alcohol neutralizes the effect of antibiotics.
- Alcohol combined with antibiotics increases liver damage.
- Alcoholic drinks reduce the effectiveness of experimental therapy.
In fact, these theses are only partially true, which is confirmed by the results of numerous compatibility studies. In particular, the available data suggest that taking alcohol-containing drinks does not in any way affect the pharmacokinetics of most antibiotics.
At the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, a lot of research was carried out on the combined effects of antibacterial drugs and alcohol. The experiments involved people and laboratory animals. The results of antibiotic therapy were the same in the experimental and control groups, but no significant deviations were found in the absorption, distribution and excretion of the active substances of the drugs from the body. Data from these studies showed that it is possible to drink alcohol while taking antibiotics.
Back in 1982, Finnish scientists conducted a series of experiments among volunteers, the results of which showed that antibiotics of the penicillin group do not react in any way with ethanol; therefore, they can be consumed with alcohol. In 1988, Spanish researchers tested amoxicillin for compatibility with alcohol: a group of subjects showed only minor changes in the rate of absorption of the substance and the retention time.
In addition, at different times, scientists from different countries made similar conclusions about erythromycin, cefpirome, azithromycin and many other antibacterial drugs. It was also found that the pharmacokinetic parameters of some antibiotics, for example, the tetracycline group, are significantly reduced under the influence of alcohol. However, fewer drugs with this effect have been identified.
The common belief that drinking alcohol increases liver damage has also been refuted by scientists around the world. More precisely, alcohol can increase the hepatoxicity of antibacterial drugs, but only in very rare cases. This fact becomes rather an exception to the rule.
Scientists have also proven that ethanol has no effect on the antibiotics azithromycin, travofloxacin and ceftriaxone, used in the treatment of experimental pneumococcal infection among experimental rats. Interesting results were obtained during experiments with moxifloxacin: it turned out that rats that received small doses of alcohol while taking the drug were cured faster.
Why is it common to say that alcohol and antibiotics are incompatible:
Reasons for incompatibility
Despite the fact that the safety of simultaneous use of most antibiotics with alcohol has been proven, there are a number of them. These are drugs whose active substances enter into a disulfiram-like reaction with ethyl alcohol - primarily nitroimidazoles and cephalosporins.
The reason why you can’t take both antibiotics and alcohol at the same time is that the above mentioned drugs contain specific molecules that can change ethanol metabolism. As a result, there is a delay in the excretion of acetaldehyde, which accumulates in the body and leads to intoxication.
The process is accompanied by characteristic symptoms:
- intense headache;
- rapid heartbeat;
- nausea with vomiting;
- heat in the areas of the face, neck, chest;
- difficulty breathing;
- convulsions.
A disulfiram-like reaction is used in coding for alcoholism, but this method should only be used under the strict supervision of a specialist. Poisoning during treatment with nitroimidazoles and cephalosporins can be caused by even a small dose of alcohol. Alcohol abuse in this case can result in death.
Doctors allow small amounts of alcohol during treatment with penicillins, antifungal drugs, and some broad-spectrum antibiotics. A serving of fortified drink while taking these medications will not affect the effectiveness of therapy and will not cause negative health consequences.
When is it possible
Although it is okay to drink alcohol while taking most antibiotics, it is not okay to take them at the same time. The best way to take such medications is indicated in the instructions. For example, the effectiveness of erythromycin and tetracyclines is increased by drinking alkaline mineral water, and drinking sulfonamides, indomethacin and reserpine with milk.
If the antibiotic does not enter into a disulfiram-like reaction with ethanol, you can drink alcohol, but not earlier than 4 hours after the drug. This is the minimum time that antibiotics circulate in the blood, and accordingly is the answer to the question of how long you can drink after taking the drug. In any case, during the treatment period you are allowed to take only a small dose of alcohol, otherwise the body will begin to dehydrate, and the antibacterial drug will simply be excreted in the urine.
conclusions
The myth about the incompatibility of antibiotics and alcohol appeared in the last century, and there are several hypotheses about the reasons for its occurrence. According to one of them, the authorship of the legend belongs to venereologists who wanted to warn their patients against drunkenness.
There is also an assumption that the myth was invented by European doctors. Penicillin was a scarce drug in the 1940s, and soldiers liked to drink beer, which has a diuretic effect and removes the drug from the body.
It has now been proven that alcohol in most cases does not affect the effectiveness of antibiotics and does not increase liver damage. If the active substances of the drug do not enter into a disulfiram-like reaction with ethanol, you can drink alcohol during treatment. However, you should follow 2 main rules: do not abuse alcohol and do not take antibiotics with it.
Hello readers! There is an opinion that taking antibiotics excludes drinking alcohol. Today I decided to find out: is it possible to drink alcohol while taking antibiotics? Let's clarify the situation and determine which drugs and how long after drinking alcohol can be taken without consequences for health.
The compatibility of the medication with alcohol depends on the type of antibacterial agent. Some antibiotics (metronidazole, nitrofuran derivatives, tinidazole) block the enzyme that breaks down alcohol. Therefore, toxic substances accumulate in the blood. After taking these drugs, as a consequence, peripheral blood vessels dilate, causing redness of the face.
Toxic substances that accumulate in the blood lead to nausea and vomiting. The response to poisoning is accompanied by arrhythmia and dizziness. Of course, drinking alcohol without antibiotics can cause similar symptoms.
But it is unlikely that after prescribing the drug, the doctor will tell you in detail how long after you can drink alcohol. Unfortunately, you won't hear a reasoned answer. The instructions always contain information about the compatibility of the drug with alcoholic beverages and other drugs.
Only after a detailed explanation can you draw a conclusion whether it is worth risking your health, and how long after taking it you can drink. It must be said that there are antibacterial drugs that do not interact with alcohols. A categorical contraindication exists only for metronidazole and drugs in this group.
Why you can't combine alcohol with antibiotics
Many call the ban on drinking alcohol during treatment a myth associated with the need for a correct lifestyle for a sick person. Perhaps there is some truth in this. But it has been absolutely established that the consequences of a teturam-like reaction lead to a life-threatening slowdown of the heart, suffocation and a drop in blood pressure.
It turns out that in order to process a toxic substance, enzymes are needed that break down the drug and promote its elimination. Alcohol blocks the production of dehydrogenase, so the amount of toxic acetaldehyde reaches a critical level.
This condition can manifest itself as a sudden loss of consciousness due to a drop in blood pressure. The condition may be accompanied by convulsions, fever, and suffocation.
The following antibiotics prevent the breakdown of alcohol:
- Streptomycin;
- Ketoconazole;
- Trichopolum (metronidazole), ornidazole, metrogil-gel,
- The group of cephalosporins – ceftriaxone, cefamandole, cefatotene;
- Levomycetin, biseptol.
All antibiotics of the tetracycline group (doxacycline, metacycline, vibramycin) are incompatible.
There is evidence that antibiotics of the nitromidazole group give a disulfiram-like (teturam) reaction. The cephalosporin molecule resembles the structure of disulfiram, and therefore also causes similar phenomena.
Another reason for unwanted alcohol intake is a decrease in antimicrobial effect and toxic effects on the liver. In addition, the likelihood of developing side effects after drinking alcohol increases.
The consequences are individual for everyone. Therefore, it is better to wait to drink alcohol until you recover and not experiment with your health.
The simultaneous use of medications with alcohol threatens the following consequences:
- Toxin poisoning;
- Impaired production of enzymes by the liver;
- Inactivation of the active substance of the drug;
- Treatment failure;
- Exacerbation of the disease;
- Allergic reactions;
- Kidney overload.
Antibiotics slow down the breakdown of alcohols. As a result, the next day you will experience a severe hangover.
Based on the above, I will say goodbye to alcohol until I fully recover from my illness. Otherwise, my recovery will be at risk, and the chance of catching a chronic form increases significantly. That's why.
The purpose of taking antibiotics is to destroy pathogens. In the stomach, the medicine tablet dissolves and is absorbed into the blood. Through the vessels, medications are carried throughout the body, penetrate into the source of inflammation, kill, and suppress the proliferation of bacteria.
After this, the liver begins to work actively. Its task is to process the decay products of bacteria and antibiotics, and then, using the excretory system, remove them from the body.
Is it possible to drink weak alcohol?
The active ingredient in alcoholic beverages, regardless of their strength, is ethanol. A small concentration of this substance is enough to trigger chemical reactions. Ethanol interacts with antibiotics, paralyzing their work.
Alcohol also affects enzymes that do not break down alcohol. Therefore, it circulates in the blood in the form of toxic substances, causing symptoms of poisoning. Bacterial breakdown products also form toxic complexes with alcohol.
How does ethanol interact with medications?
I won’t lie, I sometimes, if there is no direct prohibition in the instructions, took alcohol after taking antibiotics. I didn't notice any consequences. True, I always noted how much time had passed since taking the pill.
I learned that drug manufacturers do not test drugs on people who are intoxicated. Therefore, the instructions do not provide recommendations in this regard. But there is always a note: take strictly as prescribed by your doctor.
It should also be said that the disease depletes the body, and recovery requires the mobilization of all systems. Therefore, you should not weaken it further by drinking alcohol and creating obstacles to the work of the antibiotic. While taking antibiotics, even the most harmless infection leads to adverse consequences.
Therefore, any treatment involves abstaining from alcohol during the course of therapy. In addition to the antibiotic, as a rule, other drugs are prescribed, which together create a lot of work for the liver to process decay products.
Additional stress on liver cells can lead to their death. How long does it take to remove an antibiotic from the body? It is recommended to abstain from alcoholic beverages for another three days after treatment in order to completely clear the medication.
The most common signs of increasing intoxication when combining antibiotics with alcohol are vomiting and stomach pain. Sometimes medications under the influence of ethanol completely neutralize their effect, this is wasted money, time, and most importantly, health.
In this case, I always choose the opportunity to be cured rather than let my disease progress or contract a complication in the form of liver cirrhosis.
Tell me what you think about this? Share your life situations. Subscribe to the blog. All the best.
Best regards, Pavel Dorofeev.
As is known, many drugs react with alcohol to form dangerous compounds. Therefore, before mixing medications with alcohol, it is advisable to find out the likely consequences.
Separately, it is necessary to stop drinking alcohol during a course of antibiotics. The current opinion that alcohol neutralizes antibiotics is not entirely true, but in most cases it is quite close to reality. The disease begins to develop as if there was no treatment.
We will consider in more detail the situation of how alcohol affects antibiotics in the main part of this article.
Is it okay to drink alcohol while taking antibiotics?
To the question whether alcohol can be taken with antibiotics, there is a clearly negative answer. Regardless of the type of drugs used and the amount of alcohol taken, the consequences of such actions will only have negative consequences for the body.
The effect of alcohol on the body generally has few positive aspects, and even more so in the presence of any disease. Therefore, taking both antibiotics and alcohol at the same time means reducing the effectiveness of the treatment to zero.
Read also:
Myths about the compatibility of alcohol and antibiotics
There are quite a large number of misconceptions regarding the consequences of drinking alcohol while taking antibiotics, caused by an insufficient level of knowledge in the field of pharmacology and physiology.
- Taking antibiotics and alcohol at the same time does not affect the liver
This myth does not stand up to criticism at all. The toxic effects of ethanol and its metabolites on liver tissue have long been known to everyone. Also, most types of antibiotics undergo breakdown in the liver, which in any case creates a certain burden on this organ.
Thus, combining medications and drinking puts significant stress on the liver. The results of studies, according to which the interaction of alcohol and antibiotics does not affect the liver, interpret the situation one-sidedly.
Most types of these drugs really do not form any dangerous substances when combined with ethanol. But this does not negate the fact of increased load on the liver as a result of the combined use of medications and strong drinks.
- When taking antibiotics, drinking alcohol does not react with them
Studies have shown that there is no reaction between most types of antibiotics and ethanol.
It is worth noting that drinking high-quality alcohol is quite rare these days. In practice, very often the alcohol consumed contains a huge amount of various impurities, including fusel oils and toxic alcohols. A reaction between such substances and antibiotics can have the most dire consequences.
- Alcohol consumption does not affect the effectiveness of treatment
And again, one-sidedly interpreted results of medical research come to the aid of alcohol lovers. Indeed, most types of antibacterial drugs do not lose their properties when combined with alcohol. In addition, if you take a small amount of alcohol, there is no reaction at all.
But amid the joy from the received evidence of the compatibility of drugs and alcohol, everyone somehow forgets about the practical aspects of this situation.
The effectiveness of the use of any antibiotics is achieved only if they are sufficiently concentrated in the body. Since it is unlikely that anyone will stop at 50 grams of alcohol with antibiotics, the alcohol consumed will in any case have a diuretic effect. Along with the rest of the fluid, incoming antibiotics will also be removed from the body, which will not allow them to achieve the required saturation and ensure the effectiveness of treatment.
- If you take a break between taking medications and alcohol, negative effects will not occur
It is important to know
All types of antibiotics remain in the body for quite a long time after administration, some types up to a week, and macrolides up to 10 days. Therefore, if you drink an antibiotic in the morning and alcohol in the evening, the effect of such treatment will be, at best, zero, and in the worst case, serious negative consequences may occur.
The minimum interval after which you can drink alcohol after taking antibiotics is a period of four hours. Basically, after treatment with antibiotics, alcohol can only be taken after how many days.
The answer to the question of what to do if you feel unwell after taking alcohol along with antibiotics will depend on the type of medicine used. It is impossible to provide universal recommendations in this case, so if your health worsens, you will need to consult a doctor.
Why you shouldn't drink alcohol with antibiotics
There are a fairly large number of reasons why antibiotics and alcohol should not be combined.
Let's list the most common ones.
- Occurrence of disulfiram-like reaction
This substance is used in the complex treatment of alcoholism as a means for developing aversion to alcohol. By itself, it does not have any effect on the body, but when mixed with alcohol, a number of negative effects appear.
In this case, alcohol is contraindicated for the reason that the metabolites formed during the absorption of antibiotics complicate the process of decomposition of alcohol. In particular, the result of this process is an increased content of acetic aldehyde in the body, which can cause a number of negative reactions:
- Strong headache;
- tachycardia;
- nausea;
- vomit;
- heat in the face, neck and chest;
- difficulty breathing;
- convulsions.
At high dosages of both substances, there is a risk of death.
For this reason, antibiotics of the nitroimidazole and cephalosporin groups are incompatible with alcohol.
Moreover, the effect of a mixture of alcohol and antibiotics on the body will not depend on the form of their release. Identical symptoms will be observed both when injected and when taken in another form - for example, drops, tablets, capsules, suspensions, etc.
- Toxic effects on the liver of the metabolites formed
A number of types of antibiotics (in particular, from the group of tetracyclines) when mixed with alcohol form compounds that are toxic to the liver, and in high dosages can cause the onset of drug-induced hepatitis.
- Metabolic disorder
Some antibiotics (for example, erythromycin, cimetidine, antifungal drugs voriconazole, itraconazole, ketoconazole and others) require the same enzymes as alcohol for absorption. For a number of reasons, in the case of simultaneous use of alcohol and medications, it is the medications that lack this enzyme. As a result, there is an increased accumulation of the drug in the body, which threatens intoxication.
- Depressant effect on the nervous system
Another manifestation of what will happen if you take antibiotics with alcohol is excessive inhibition of psychomotor skills. It is known that some antibiotics have a depressant effect on consciousness. These include cycloserine, ethionamide, thalidomide and some others. Alcohol has a similar effect. Therefore, the simultaneous use of such medications and alcohol can cause severe mental retardation.
Thus, the statement that you can drink alcohol while taking antibiotics is completely false.
Indeed, modern research confirms the absence of side effects in most cases, but taking into account the totality of the negative effects of alcohol and antibiotics on the body, it is better to avoid such a combination. In addition, due to insufficient knowledge regarding the classification of the drug used, you can get a clearly expressed negative reaction from the body. Such a risk is unfounded.
It is worth knowing that there is a compatibility table for various types of antibiotics and alcohol. To reduce the risk of negative effects, it is advisable to study this information.
First of all, we will list which antibiotics can be taken with alcohol.
- Penicillins: Amoxiclav, Amoxicillin (Flemoxin), Ampicillin, Oxacillin, Carbenicillin, Ticarcillin, Azlocillin, Piperacillin.
- Antifungal drugs: Nystatin, Clotrimazole, Afobazole.
- Broad spectrum antibiotics: Heliomycin, Unidox Solutab, Levofloxacin, Moxifloxacin, Trovafloxacin, Cefpirom, Ceftriaxone, Azithromycin, Augmentin, Flemoxin Solutab.
You also need to know which antibiotics should not be taken with alcohol.
- Nitroimidazoles: Metronidazole, Tinidazole, Trichopolum, Tiniba, Fazizhin, Klion, Flagyl, Metrogyl.
- Cephalosporins: Suprax, Cefamandole, Cefotetan, Moxalactam, Cephobid, Cefoperazone.
- Other antibiotics: Levomycetin, Bactrim, Ketoconazole, Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, Co-trimoxazole, Biseptol, Nizoral, Doxycycline (another name is the antibiotic Unidox).
How long after antibiotics can you drink alcohol?
As you know, alcohol is not allowed after antibiotics. If a person has taken antibiotics, a certain interval must be maintained before drinking alcohol, otherwise the likelihood of negative effects increases significantly.
The moment when you can start drinking alcohol depends on the period of removal of antibiotics from the body. In any case, if the patient took antibiotics in the morning, then it is better to refrain from evening gatherings with alcohol. Even short-acting drugs will not be eliminated over a short period, which will create unnecessary stress on the organs and systems of an organism weakened by the disease.
Important fact
How long you need to wait after a course of antibiotics will primarily depend on whether the drugs used are compatible with alcohol, as well as the time it takes for the drug to leave the body. The greater the health hazard that a combination of this medicine with ethanol poses, the longer the interval between the end of drug withdrawal and the moment of safe drinking will be.
The elimination period, as well as the level of toxicity to the body if mixed with alcohol, will depend on the type of antibiotic used.
- Nitroimidazoles
These include drugs such as metronidazole, tinidazole and secnidazole. If you use them, you can drink alcohol no earlier than 48 hours after you finish taking it, since these medications give a disulfiram-like reaction.
- Cephalosporins
The molecular structure of this drug is somewhat similar to disulfiram, so when mixed with ethanol, this drug gives a disulfiram-like reaction. The minimum period after which you can drink alcohol is 24 hours. In the case of diseases of the urinary system, the interval increases.
- Fluoroquinolones
This type of antibiotic has a depressant effect on the nervous system and, when mixed with high doses of alcohol, can cause coma. Alcohol can be consumed no earlier than after 36 hours.
- Tetracyclines
This type of antibiotic, when mixed with alcohol, has a pronounced toxic effect on the liver and has a fairly long elimination period. You can drink alcohol after at least 72 hours.
- Levomycetin
Mixing with alcohol may cause vomiting, seizures, and a disulfiram-like reaction. You can drink alcohol no earlier than 24 hours after the last time you took this medicine;
- Aminoglycosides
When mixed with alcohol, they have a pronounced toxic effect on the hearing and urinary system. After completing the course of such drugs, you can take alcohol no earlier than two weeks.
- Lincosamides
Mixing this medication with ethanol may cause damage to the central nervous system and liver and may cause a disulfiram-like reaction. You can drink strong drinks no earlier than 4 days after the end of treatment.
- Macrolides
If you drink alcohol before the drug is completely removed from the body, the risk of developing liver cirrhosis increases, especially when taking erythromycin. It differs from most other drugs in its slow elimination from the body. You can drink alcohol no earlier than after 7 days.
- Antituberculosis drug Isoniazid.
If mixed with alcohol, it can cause drug-induced hepatitis with a fulminant course. After treatment with this drug, any alcoholic beverages should not be consumed for a month after the end of treatment.
It's no secret that you can't drink alcohol and at the same time take antibiotics.
When can you drink alcohol after taking antibiotics?
No medical professional can confidently answer this question. The effects of drugs in this group vary greatly. It is not realistic to predict how long it will take to drink alcohol.
Since each person perceives antibiotics and alcohol differently. In addition, most ailments that require the use of these medications prohibit the consumption of alcohol.
Indications for use
It’s not for nothing that people say: “One thing heals, another cripples.” The same can be said about antibiotics. These drugs are effective in combating pathogenic microbes, but at the same time they can cause serious harm to the human body. Under no circumstances should you take medications without consulting your doctor and for essential reasons.
Indications for use, as a rule, are the penetration of pathogenic bacteria into the patient’s body.
If the patient’s immune system is weakened and is not able to fight the infection itself, then a course of medication is necessary.
The action of medications destroys the structure of pathogenic microbes, thereby helping to fight infection.
If your doctor has prescribed you antibiotics, you should use them as follows:
- be sure to follow the dosage and time of administration;
- The duration of the course of antibiotics is prescribed by the attending physician. As a rule, the duration of treatment lasts 5-14 days. Some medications can be taken for 1 day;
- You can take this medication only with purified water. The liquid must not contain gases;
- When taking medications, you should not drink alcohol or eat fatty foods.
Why you shouldn’t eat “green snake” while taking antibiotics
Any doctor will tell you that alcohol and antibiotics do not mix. Such antibiotics can cause significant harm after drinking alcohol. Experts also do not recommend drinking alcohol after taking medications.
Drinking alcohol while taking medication is prohibited for the following reasons:
- When the components of the “green snake” enter the human body, they break down into molecules. By entering into chemical interactions with drug molecules, they create substances that are toxic to the human body.
- If you drink alcohol while taking medications, the medications will be less effective.
- The tandem of drugs and alcohol negatively affects the liver and other important organs.
- You can never predict for sure how your body will react to a mixture of alcohol and medications.
It has been scientifically proven that the effectiveness of medications is much higher in those who did not drink alcohol during the course. When mixing intoxicating products and medications, the absorption of ethanol by the body is blocked.
Because of this, acetaldehyde accumulates in the internal organs and tissues of the human body. Which is extremely difficult to remove even after some time.
If you use drugs together with alcohol, how dangerous can it be?
If you mix drugs from this group and intoxicating products, liver function may be disrupted. Instead of cleansing the body, the liver, on the contrary, accumulates toxic substances.
If you want to drink after taking medications, be aware that you may experience severe allergic reactions within a few hours. You will experience sweating and redness.
If you mix medications and alcohol, it can cause severe poisoning. You will experience symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, terrible migraines, and dizziness. A hangover while taking medication can lead to psychological disturbances and loss of sanity. Drinking beer is also not advisable.
With the simultaneous use of drugs and alcohol, jumps in blood pressure are observed. It can decrease or increase from a large amount of alcohol.
Drugs incompatible with alcohol
To avoid disastrous consequences when taking medications, it is not allowed to drink alcohol.
How long after taking antibiotics can you still drink alcohol?
Under no circumstances should alcohol be consumed the day after the end of the course. After antibiotics, you can take strong drinks for at least five days.
The group of antibiotics that are incompatible with alcohol include: aminoglycosides; chloramphenicol (complex side effects are possible).
How long after taking this medicine will drinking alcohol be harmful?
Those who drink alcohol and chloramphenicol should be prepared for side effects.
Nitromidazoles. Is it possible to drink alcohol before the end of the medication period? Only on the seventh day can you drink alcohol after taking antibiotics of this type.
Cephalosporins. How long should you wait before drinking alcohol? The permit period is at least three days. During this time, the antibiotic is usually eliminated from the human body. If you drink strong drinks the next day, it can lead to tachycardia and other serious consequences.
Macrolides. The negative impact on the human liver and brain doubles from the medications and alcohol taken. After how many days can you drink? Allow as much time as possible to pass before drinking alcohol.
Lincosamides. When can you drink alcohol? When using this drug, strong drinks are prohibited. Alcohol is allowed only on the fourth day.
Drugs that can be taken with alcohol
Medicines that do not interact adversely with alcohol:
- Penicillins - this group has a wide range of effects.
- Vancomycin. It blocks the renewal of microbial cells.
- Rifomycin. It is used to treat most ailments.
- Heliomycin - The antibiotic is used in the treatment of diseases of the ENT organs, as well as infectious dermatitis.
Let's sum it up
All doctors believe that the withdrawal of medications from the human body occurs three days after the end of the course of treatment. Long-acting medications take much longer to eliminate. They disintegrate in approximately 10-24 days.
It is very important to consult with a specialist before starting to take medications. If for some reason this is not possible, carefully read the instructions for use.
It is necessary to pay attention to the duration of the course of administration, the compatibility of the drug with ethanol, the dosage and the time period during which strong drinks should not be consumed.
If the annotation does not contain any information, this does not mean that the medicine and addiction are compatible. Wait at least three days for the medication to leave your body.
