Most often, patients turn to their doctor with the question, is it possible to combine alcohol and antibiotics?
Each person faces diseases that can only be defeated with the help of special antimicrobial drugs. The latter, as you know, are quite aggressive drugs, so antibiotic therapy is associated with certain restrictions, including the use of alcohol.
The question of whether it is possible to take alcohol while taking antibiotics is debatable: conflicting opinions can be found in the media. Previously, at a party, an invited guest could easily refuse another serving of alcohol, citing antibiotic treatment. They sympathized with such a person and did not persuade him to drink. Now they can oppose him, referring to articles in various publications, arguing that alcoholic beverages do not interfere with the recovery process. Where is the truth?
The combination of alcohol and antibiotics are the main risks
Justifying the ban on the simultaneous use of antimicrobial agents and intoxicating drinks, doctors usually explain the restrictions on the following grounds:
- 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 to the liver and other organs occurs.
How true are these claims?
Indeed, the ingestion of intoxicated drinks can reduce the therapeutic effect of drugs. In particular, this is due to the fact that alcohol destroys the active ingredient itself or makes it difficult for the antibiotic to bind to pathogen proteins. In addition, drinking alcohol can lead to faster elimination of the drug from the body, which reduces its effectiveness or, conversely, slows down the elimination 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 no 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 doctors' fears are fully justified. By the way, not only is the liver 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 is gradually broken down into carbon dioxide and water. The faster the alcohol processing, the less harmful the effect on the body. But with the simultaneous use of alcohol and antibiotics, the use of alcohol slows down, as the antibiotic blocks the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase, which is needed for breakdown. 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 in no way affects the action of commonly used antibiotics?
Was it possible to prove the negative effect of alcohol on antibiotics?
To give a reasoned answer to the question of whether it is possible to drink alcohol while taking antibiotics, appropriate studies have been conducted.
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 goal that the organizers of the experiments had set 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 has no significant effect on drugs.
They came to this conclusion on the basis that the effect of antibiotic therapy in the group of patients in which alcohol was prohibited and in the group in which patients drank intoxicated beverages was identical. The indicators of drug absorption, distribution and withdrawal were almost the same, with minor 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:
- 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 uncontrolled and excessive intake of intoxicating drinks).
- The studies carried out concerned exclusively the interaction of the drug with ethyl alcohol. No one denied the negative effect of the antibiotic + alcohol symbiosis on the liver and the whole body as a whole.
5 reasons why antibioticsit's impossibleundesirable to combine with alcohol
- Alcohol disrupts normal metabolism (nutrient absorption processes deteriorate).
- Alcohol increases the concentration of sugar in the blood.
- Alcohol depletes the body and the immune system deteriorates.
- This combination can lead to allergic reactions.
- It is impossible to predict the result 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 banned?
So, according to the available data, when taking drinks containing ethyl alcohol, most antibiotics do not change their pharmacological properties and have no significant side effects. But there are between antimicrobial drugs and those that cannot be combined with intoxicating drinks, since such a tandem leads to dangerous consequences.
What are the antibiotics incompatible with alcohol? This category of drugs includes funds that:
- When consumed simultaneously with alcohol-containing products, they lead to severe metabolic disorders (metabolism). We have already written above that a special enzyme is needed to break down ethyl alcohol into safe components. For the processing of some antibiotics, this enzyme is also needed, but its amount in the body may not be enough to break down both alcohol and medicine, which leads to the accumulation of harmful substances (intoxication of the body). To avoid poisoning the body, it is forbidden to drink alcohol at the same time as such antimicrobial drugs.
- They cause a disulfiram-like reaction. These are antibiotics that prevent the decomposition 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" (aka hot flash reaction) is associated with the drug of the same name, disulfiram, which is used in the treatment of alcohol addiction. Therapy is as follows: Disulfiram tablets are implanted in the patient through an incision in the subcutaneous tissue, which block 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 depressing effect on the central nervous system. For example, people being treated with antimicrobial drugs complain of dizziness, weakness, sleepiness, and seizures. This condition is particularly 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 both wine and beer for a while). Ethyl alcohol can be found in other foods and drugs, so if you have to take more than one drug, make sure it doesn't contain alcohol. Likewise, it is necessary to adhere to 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
It is often said that some acquaintances have practiced drinking alcohol and taking antibiotics, and had nothing wrong with such a dubious combination. But no one knows what was going on in this person's body, and how things were with his health. But in medical practice, there are many recorded cases where a combination of an intoxicating potion with drugs has led to:
- violations in the liver;
- severe malfunctions of the brain and central nervous system (headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, convulsions);
- sleep problems;
- the development of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
- painful sensations in the abdomen;
- negative skin reactions (redness, rash);
- spikes in blood pressure, decreased heart activity;
- anaphylactic shock.
There is another important point to watch out for: when you can start drinking alcohol after taking antibiotics. At the end of the therapy cycle, it is advisable to rest a few 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 decay products of the drug from the body (for different drugs, these periods differ, detailed information can be obtained from the doctor or from the instructions).
Why is there a strong belief that alcohol and antibiotics shouldn't be mixed?
Alcohol is undesirable to use in combination with many drugs and not just antimicrobial drugs. But why has the combination with antibiotics always been strictly prohibited?
There are two historical theories that explain why doctors have always advocated a complete 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. In the course of treatment, loving patients drank and, drunk, went again to the priestesses of love. To prevent patients from reinfecting, doctors frightened their wards who risked death by using alcohol along with antibiotics. |
During the war, penicillin was in demand in large quantities and was in short supply. Therefore, the precious medicine had to be extracted from the urine of soldiers undergoing antibiotic therapy. Urine was withdrawn from patients, from whom the antibiotic was re-isolated. Due to the use of alcohol (recovering soldiers could drink beer), penicillin production was difficult. Therefore, a total ban on drinking was introduced for anyone who was shown an antibiotic. |
Summary for those considering whether or not 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 take with strong drinks.
- Despite the fact that the opinion of experts on the compatibility of alcoholic beverages and antibacterial agents was divided (except for those drugs for which the restrictions are categorical), most of them are inclined to believe that it is better for the patient refuse alcohol during treatment. At the same time, you should know: if during therapy you still drank a glass of wine, you should not refuse to take the next antibiotic (again, if this is a drug for which there is no clear contraindication for alcohol).
To be sure that your antibiotic is not included in the group of drugs that cannot be combined with alcoholic beverages, consult your doctor and read the instructions carefully.