Why not take alcohol with antibiotics?

Often patients turn to their doctor with the question of whether it is possible to combine alcohol and antibiotics?

Every person must face diseases that can be defeated only with the help of special antimicrobial drugs. The latter are, as you know, quite aggressive drugs, so antibiotic therapy is associated with certain restrictions, including alcohol use.

The question of whether it is possible to take alcohol with antibiotics is debatable - you can find conflicting opinions in the media. Prior to that, during the feast, the invited guest could easily refuse another portion of the drink, citing antibiotic treatment. They sympathized with such a person and did not persuade her to drink. I can now object to it, referring to articles in various publications, claiming that alcoholic beverages do not interfere with the recovery process. Where is the truth?

Combining alcohol and antibiotics are the main risks

Justifying the ban on the simultaneous use of antimicrobials and intoxicants, doctors usually explain the restrictions for the following reasons:

• Alcohol blocks (reduces) the therapeutic effect of antibiotics and / or causes side effects. The effectiveness of the therapy decreases.
• With the simultaneous use of alcohol and antibacterial agents, serious toxic damage to the liver and other organs occurs.

How true are these statements?

In fact, ingestion of alcoholic beverages can reduce the therapeutic effect of pharmaceutical products. This is especially due to the fact that alcohol either destroys the active substance itself or makes it difficult for antibiotics to bind to pathogen proteins. In addition, drinking alcohol can lead to faster removal of the drug from the body, which reduces its effectiveness or, conversely, slows down the removal of drug residues, resulting in unwanted symptoms.

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 antibiotics, the liver suffers twice as much, so the doctor’s fears are completely justified. By the way, it is not only the liver that is affected: the "cocktail" of alcohol with antimicrobial drugs negatively affects the work of the cardiovascular system, it is dangerous for both the pancreas and the central nervous system.

Upon entering the body, alcohol is gradually broken down to carbon dioxide and water. The faster the alcohol is processed, the less harmful it is to the body. But with the simultaneous use of alcohol and antibiotics, the use of alcohol slows down, because the antibiotic blocks the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase, which is necessary for decomposition. As a result, a toxic metabolite of alcohol accumulates in the blood, poisoning the body.

What is the basis for the claims of experts who believe that alcohol in no way affects the action of common antibiotics?

Was it possible to prove the negative effect of alcohol on antibiotics?

In order to give a reasoned answer to the question of whether it is possible to drink alcohol while taking antibiotics, appropriate studies have been conducted.

The scientists conducted laboratory experiments on the 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 set by the organizers of the experiments was to determine how alcohol (ethanol) affects antibiotics.

Studies have shown that it is unlikely that most antibacterial agents will interact with alcohol. In other words, there is no significant effect on medications.

They came to this conclusion on the basis that the effect of antibiotic therapy in the group of patients in whom alcohol was prohibited and in the group in which patients drank alcoholic beverages was identical. Indicators of drug absorption, distribution, and withdrawal were almost the same, with minor deviations.

But don’t conclude too quickly 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.
• Small doses of alcohol were used during the experiments (there is no talk of uncontrolled, excessive intake of intoxicants).
• The studies performed concerned exclusively the interaction of the drug with ethyl alcohol. No one denied the negative effect of the symbiosis of antibiotic + alcohol on the liver and the whole body.

5 reasons why antibioticsit is 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?

Thus, according to available data, when taking beverages containing ethyl alcohol, most antibiotics do not change their pharmacological properties and have no significant side effects. But there are antimicrobial drugs and those that can not be combined with intoxicants, because such a tandem leads to dangerous consequences.

What antibiotics are incompatible with alcohol? This category of drugs includes agents that:

1. When consumed simultaneously with products that contain alcohol, they lead to serious metabolic disorders (metabolism). We have already written above that a special enzyme is needed to break down ethyl alcohol into safe components. Some antibiotics are also needed to treat some antibiotics, but its amount in the body may not be enough to break down alcohol and drugs, leading 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 antimicrobial drugs.
2. They cause a disulfiram-like reaction. These are antibiotics that prevent the decomposition of ethyl alcohol and thus contribute to the accumulation of a toxic substance - acetaldehyde. This, combined with alcohol, results in nausea and vomiting. A similar reaction occurs when antibacterial agents are taken at the same time as alcohol.

The term "disulfiram-like reaction" (aka flushing reaction) is associated with the eponymous drug disulfiram used in the treatment of alcohol dependence. The therapy is as follows: the patient is injected with disulfiram tablets through an incision in the subcutaneous tissue that blocks the breakdown of alcohol. If such a person drinks alcohol, he develops painful and unpleasant symptoms: palpitations, nausea, vomiting, etc.

In combination with strong drinks, they have a depressing effect on the central nervous system. For example, people 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 products containing alcohol 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 medications, make sure there is no alcohol in it. Similarly, it is necessary to adhere to the 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: side effects

You can often hear that an acquaintance practiced drinking alcohol and taking antibiotics, and there was nothing wrong with such a suspicious combination. But no one knows what was going on in this person’s body and how things were going with her health. But in medical practice there are many recorded cases when the combination of an intoxicating drink with drugs has led to:

• liver violations;
• serious disorders of the brain and central nervous system (headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, convulsions);
• sleep problems;
• development of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
• painful sensations in the abdomen;
• adverse skin reactions (redness, rash);
• jumps in blood pressure, decreased heart activity;
• anaphylactic shock.

You should pay attention to another important thing: when you can start drinking alcohol after taking antibiotics. At the end of the therapy, it is advisable to stand for a few more days before opening the 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, you can get detailed information from your doctor or from the instructions).

Why is there a firm belief that alcohol and antibiotics should not be mixed?

Alcohol is undesirable to use in combination with many drugs, not just antimicrobial drugs. However, why exactly was the combination with antibiotics always strictly forbidden?

There are two historical theories that explain why physicians have always advocated for the complete rejection of narcotics during antibiotic therapy.

Prevention of fully communicable diseases

Penicillin deficiency during the war

It is believed that venereologists were the first to introduce a categorical ban on alcohol consumption during the period of antibiotic treatment. During the treatment, the patients who loved drank and, drunk, went to the priestesses of love again. To keep patients from becoming infected again, doctors scared their wards that, by using alcohol along with antibiotics, they risked death.

During the war, penicillin was needed in huge quantities and was in short supply. Because of this, the precious medicine 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. Due to alcohol use (recovering soldiers were allowed to drink beer), penicillin production was hampered. Therefore, a complete ban on drinking was introduced for everyone who was shown an antibiotic.

A summary for those who are considering whether to drink alcohol or not 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 medications 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 is divided (with the exception of those drugs for which restrictions are categorical), most of them are inclined to believe that it is better for the patient to refuse alcohol during treatment. At the same time, you should know: if you did drink a glass of wine during therapy, you should not refuse to take the next antibiotic (again, if this 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 medicines that cannot be combined with alcoholic beverages, consult your doctor and read the instructions carefully.