Quite often patients turn to their doctor with the question, is it possible to combine alcohol and antibiotics?
Everyone must deal with diseases that can be defeated only 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 alcohol use.
The question of whether it is possible to drink alcohol while taking antibiotics is debatable - you can find conflicting opinions in the media. Previously, during a feast, an invited guest could easily refuse another serving of alcohol, citing antibiotic treatment. They sympathized with such a man and did not persuade him to drink. Now they can object to it, citing articles in various publications, claiming that alcohol does 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 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.
- Severe toxic damage to the liver and other organs occurs with the simultaneous use of alcohol and antibacterial agents.
How true are these statements?
In fact, the ingestion of alcoholic beverages may reduce the therapeutic effect of pharmaceutical products. In particular, this is due to the fact that alcohol either destroys the active substance itself or makes it difficult for the antibiotic to bind to the proteins of the pathogens. 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, 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 show 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 doubly, so the fears of doctors are completely justified. By the way, not only the liver is attacked: 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 processing of alcohol, the less harmful effects on 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 needed for breakdown. As a result, a toxic metabolite of alcohol accumulates in the blood, which poisons the body.
What are the claims of experts who believe that alcohol in no way affects the action of commonly used antibiotics?
Is it possible to prove the negative effects of alcohol on antibiotics?
Appropriate studies have been performed to provide a reasonable answer to the question of whether it is possible to drink alcohol while taking antibiotics.
The researchers conducted laboratory experiments on animals and then invited volunteers to participate in the study. They were offered a course of antibacterial treatment during which they could drink alcohol. The main goal of the organizers of the experiments is to find out how alcohol (ethanol) affects antibiotics.
Studies show 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 based on the fact that the effect of antibiotic therapy in the group of patients in whom alcohol is prohibited and in the group in which patients drink alcoholic beverages is identical. The rates of absorption, distribution and withdrawal of drugs are almost the same, with small deviations.
But do not conclude that the combination of alcohol and antibiotics does not pose a threat. Experts pay attention to the following nuances:
- Studies are sporadic, so it is impossible to speak with 100% certainty about the safety of the combination.
- Small doses of alcohol were used in the experiments (not talking about uncontrolled, excessive intoxication).
- The studies performed relate exclusively to the interaction of the drug with ethyl alcohol. No one denies the negative effect of antibiotic + alcohol symbiosis on the liver and the body as a whole.
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 cause allergic reactions.
- It is impossible to predict the outcome of the interaction of alcohol and antibiotics in each case due to the individual characteristics of the organism.
When and why is the use of antibiotics and alcohol completely banned?
Thus, according to the available data, when drinks containing ethyl alcohol are taken, most antibiotics do not change their pharmacological properties and do not have significant side effects. But there are among the antimicrobial drugs and those that can not be combined with intoxicants, as such a tandem leads to dangerous consequences.
What are antibiotics incompatible with alcohol? This category of drugs includes drugs that:
- When consumed concomitantly with alcoholic products, 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 enzymes are also needed to treat some antibiotics, but the amount in the body may not be enough to break down both alcohol and the drug, which leads to the accumulation of harmful substances (intoxication of the body). To avoid poisoning the body, it is forbidden to drink alcohol simultaneously with such antimicrobial drugs.
- They cause a disulfiram-like reaction. 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, 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 known as a redness reaction) is associated with the drug of the same name, disulfiram, which is used to treat alcohol dependence. The therapy is as follows: the patient is implanted with 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: palpitations, nausea, vomiting, etc.
When combined with strong drinks, they depress 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 pay attention to the fact that the ban on alcohol is not limited to a glass of vodka or brandy (when taking antibiotics, it is advisable 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 there is no alcohol in it. In the same way it is necessary to adhere to the restrictions, regardless of which dosage form the drug is used - in the form of tablets, syrup or external ointment.
What happens if you drink antibiotics and alcohol: side effects
You can often hear that someone you know has practiced drinking alcohol and taking antibiotics, and he has had nothing wrong with such a dubious combination. But no one knows what happened in this man's body and how things developed with his health. But in medical practice there are many registered cases when a combination of intoxicating decoction with drugs leads to:
- liver disorders;
- serious 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;
- adverse skin reactions (redness, rash);
- jumps in blood pressure, decreased heart rate;
- anaphylactic shock.
There is another important point to pay attention to: when you can start drinking alcohol after taking antibiotics. At the end of the course of therapy, it is recommended 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 medicine from the body (for different medicines these periods differ, detailed information can be obtained from your doctor or from the instructions).
Why is there a strong belief that alcohol and antibiotics should not be mixed?
Alcohol is undesirable to use in combination with many drugs, not just antimicrobial drugs. But why exactly has the combination with antibiotics always been strictly forbidden?
There are two historical theories explaining why doctors have always advocated complete rejection of narcotics during antibiotic therapy.
| Prevention of sexually transmitted diseases | Penicillin deficiency during the war |
It is believed that venereologists were the first to introduce a strict ban on alcohol consumption during the period of antibiotic treatment. During the treatment, the patients in love drank and, drunk, went again to the priestesses of love. To protect patients from re-infection, doctors scared their wards that using alcohol with antibiotics risked death. |
During the war, penicillin was in huge quantities and in short supply. Therefore, the valuable drug had to be extracted from the urine of soldiers undergoing antibiotic therapy. Urine was taken from patients from whom the antibiotic was re-isolated. Due to the use of alcohol (recovering soldiers were allowed to drink beer), the production of penicillin is difficult. Therefore, a total ban on drinking was introduced for anyone who received an antibiotic. |
Summary for those considering whether to drink alcohol or not while taking antibiotics
- Studies show 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 any strong drinks.
- Despite the fact that the opinion of experts on the compatibility of alcoholic beverages and antibacterial agents is divided (except for those drugs for which restrictions are clear), most of them tend to believe that it is better for the patient to abstain from alcohol duringof treatment. At the same time you should know: if you still drank a glass of wine during therapy, you should not refuse to take the next antibiotic (again, if it is a drug for which there are no clear contraindications 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.