It is not uncommon for patients to ask their doctor whether it is possible to combine alcohol and antibiotics?
Everyone struggles with 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 comes with certain restrictions, including the consumption of alcohol.
The question of whether it is possible to consume alcohol while taking antibiotics is controversial - there are conflicting opinions in the media. Previously, an invited guest could easily refuse another serving of schnapps during a celebratory meal, citing antibiotic treatment. They sympathized with such a person and did not persuade him to drink. Now they can contradict him by referring to articles in various publications and 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
To justify the ban on the simultaneous use of antimicrobial agents and intoxicating beverages, doctors usually explain the restrictions with the following reasons:
- Alcohol blocks (reduces) the therapeutic effects of antibiotics and / or causes undesirable reactions. The effectiveness of the therapy diminishes.
- 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, consuming intoxicated beverages can reduce the therapeutic effects of drugs. This is mainly due to the fact that alcohol either destroys the active ingredient itself or makes it difficult for the antibiotic to bind to the proteins of pathogens. In addition, drinking alcohol can lead to faster excretion of the drug from the body, reducing its effectiveness or, conversely, slowing down the excretion of drug residues, causing undesirable symptoms.
Research and medical practice confirm that both alcohol and antibiotics have depressant effects on the liver.
It is no accident that the instructions for antibacterial drugs indicate their negative effect on this important organ (some drugs are completely contraindicated for people with severe liver diseases). If you combine alcohol and an antibiotic, the liver suffers twice, so the fears of the doctors are fully justified. By the way, not only the liver is attacked: the "cocktail" of alcohol with antimicrobial drugs has a negative effect on the work of the cardiovascular system, it is also dangerous for the pancreas and the central nervous system.
Once in the body, alcohol is gradually broken down into carbon dioxide and water. The faster the processing of alcohol, the less harmful effect it has on the body. But when alcohol and antibiotics are taken at the same time, alcohol consumption slows down because the antibiotic blocks the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase, which is necessary for breakdown. Because of this, a toxic metabolite of alcohol accumulates in the blood, which poisons the body.
What is the basis of the claims made by experts who believe that alcohol in no way affects the effects of common antibiotics?
Has the negative effect of alcohol on antibiotics been proven?
In order to provide a reasoned answer to the question of whether it is possible to drink alcohol while taking antibiotics, appropriate studies were carried out.
Scientists conducted laboratory tests on animals and then invited volunteers to take part in the research. They were offered to undergo antibacterial treatment while drinking alcohol. The main goal that the organizers of the experiments set for themselves was to find out how alcohol (ethanol) affects antibiotics.
Studies have shown that most antibacterial agents are unlikely to interact with alcohol. In other words, it doesn't have a significant impact on medication.
They came to this conclusion that the effects of antibiotic therapy were identical in the group of patients with a ban on alcohol and in the group in which the patients drank intoxicated beverages. The indicators for the uptake, distribution and withdrawal of drugs were almost the same with minor deviations.
But don't rush to jump to the conclusion that the combination of alcohol and antibiotics poses no danger. Experts pay attention to the following nuances:
- The studies have been sporadic, making it impossible to speak with 100% confidence about the safety of the combination.
- Small doses of alcohol were consumed in the experiments (there is no question of uncontrolled, excessive consumption of intoxicating drinks).
- The studies carried out only concerned the interaction of the drug with ethyl alcohol. Nobody has denied the negative effects of the antibiotic + alcohol symbiosis on the liver and the entire body.
5 reasons why antibioticsit is impossibleundesirable in combination with alcohol
- Alcohol disrupts normal metabolism (the processes of nutrient absorption deteriorate).
- Alcohol increases the amount of sugar in the blood.
- Alcohol depletes the body and the immune system deteriorates.
- This combination can lead to allergic reactions.
- Due to the individual characteristics of the organism, it is impossible to predict the outcome of the interaction of alcohol and antibiotics in each individual case.
When and why is the use of antibiotics and alcohol completely banned?
According to the available data, most antibiotics do not change their pharmacological properties and do not have significant side effects when taking drinks containing ethyl alcohol. But there are among the antimicrobial drugs and those that cannot be combined with intoxicating drinks, since such a tandem leads to dangerous consequences.
What are antibiotics incompatible with alcohol? This category of medicines includes funds that:
- If consumed at the same time as products containing alcohol, 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. This enzyme is also needed to process some antibiotics, but the amount of it in the body may not be enough to break down both alcohol and drugs, which leads to the accumulation of pollutants (poisoning 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 disulfiram-like reaction. These are antibiotics that prevent ethyl alcohol from decomposing, thereby contributing to the build-up of a toxic substance - acetaldehyde. In combination with alcohol, this leads to nausea and vomiting. A similar reaction occurs when antibacterial agents are taken at the same time as alcohol.
The term "disulfiram-like reaction" (also called flush reaction) is associated with the drug of the same name, disulfiram, which is used to treat alcohol addiction. The therapy is as follows: Disulfiram tablets are implanted into the patient's subcutaneous tissue through an incision, which block the breakdown of alcohol. When such a person drinks alcohol, they develop painful and unpleasant symptoms: palpitations, nausea, vomiting, etc.
In combination with strong drinks, they have a depressant effect on the central nervous system. For example, people treated with antimicrobial drugs complain of dizziness, weakness, lightheadedness, and seizures. This condition is especially dangerous when the person is outside the home.
Doctors note that the ban on consuming alcoholic 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 is found in other foods and medicines. So if you have to take more than one medicine, you should make sure that it does not contain alcohol. Likewise, the restrictions must be complied with, 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 often hear that someone you know drinks alcohol and takes antibiotics and that there was nothing wrong with such a questionable combination. But nobody knows what went on in this person's body and how his health went on. However, in medical practice, there are many documented cases where combining an intoxicating drink with medication resulted in the following:
- injuries in the liver;
- severe disorders of the brain and central nervous system (headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, convulsions);
- Sleep disorder;
- the development of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
- painful sensations in the abdomen;
- negative skin reactions (redness, rash);
- Increases in blood pressure, decreased heart activity;
- anaphylactic shock.
Another important point to note: When can you start consuming alcohol after taking antibiotics? At the end of therapy, it is advisable to stand for a few more days before opening a bottle of your favorite wine or brandy. This is because it takes some time to remove the drug's decomposition products from the body (these times are different for different drugs, please consult your doctor or the instructions for detailed information).
Why is it that there is a firm belief that alcohol and antibiotics should not be mixed?
The use of alcohol in combination with many drugs, rather than just antimicrobial drugs, is undesirable. But why exactly has the combination with antibiotics always been strictly forbidden?
There are two historical theories that explain why doctors have always advocated total rejection of intoxicants during antibiotic therapy.
| Prevention of Sexually Transmitted Diseases | Penicillin deficiency during the war |
It is believed that venereologists were the first to introduce a categorical ban on alcohol consumption during antibiotic treatment. During the treatment, the loving patients drank and, tipsy, went back to the priestesses of love. To prevent re-infection of the patients, the doctors scared their wards that they would risk death by taking alcohol with antibiotics. |
During the war, penicillin was needed in large quantities and was scarce. This is why the valuable drug had to be extracted from the urine of soldiers undergoing antibiotic therapy. Urine was taken from the patients, from which the antibiotic was isolated again. The production of penicillin was difficult due to the consumption of alcohol (soldiers recovering were allowed to drink beer). Therefore, a complete ban on drinking has been introduced for anyone shown an antibiotic. |
Summary for those who are thinking about 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 forbidden to use with strong drinks.
- Despite the divided opinion of experts on the tolerability of alcoholic beverages and antibacterial agents (with the exception of drugs, for which the restrictions are categorical), most of them tend to believe that it is better for the patient to refuse alcohol during theTreatment. At the same time, you should know: if you had another glass of wine during therapy, you should not refuse to take the next antibiotic (even if it is a drug for which there is no clear contraindication to alcohol).
To make sure that your antibiotic does not belong to the group of drugs that cannot be combined with alcoholic beverages, consult your doctor and read the instructions carefully.