Is it possible to combine alcohol and antibiotics?Even doctors do not give an exact answer to this popular question.And while some are categorically against such duets, others believe that it is important to consider what kind of alcohol you drink and how much.There is a third opinion that by approaching the issue wisely, you can successfully undergo treatment while maintaining social activity.
Is it really necessary to abstain from alcohol in combination with a course of antibiotics?Let's figure it out.
Much depends on the active ingredient of the drug.Some types of antibiotics are not friendly with alcohol at all, while others can interact normally.Of course, after reading this article, you shouldn’t mix alcohol with pills.However, knowing certain things will help you not to panic, but to intelligently understand the issue if for some reason you still drank alcohol during antibiotic therapy.
Antibiotics and alcohol: myths and legends
There is a version that scary stories about not combining alcohol and antibiotics began to spread after the war.The first legend says that during this period, venereology clinics in our country and abroad were simply overcrowded.The patients are soldiers and officers who have fully tasted the “delights” of martial law.The medical staff deliberately intimidated the patients, talking about the dire consequences of the combination of alcohol and antibiotics, because after drinking, the patients could again indulge in all serious acts, and the result of such “exploits” could well be a new sexually transmitted infection.
Another legend says that due to the laboriousness of obtaining penicillin, it was evaporated from the urine of treated soldiers.For this reason, soldiers were prohibited from drinking beer during therapy.
The danger of drinking alcohol while taking antibiotics is in the air and modern people prefer to avoid such mixes.But what does evidence-based medicine think about this?
What do the studies say?
At the beginning of the 21st century, studies were conducted on the effects of ethanol on various types of antibiotics.During experiments on laboratory animals and human volunteers, it was proven that most types of antibiotics are not affected by alcohol intake.
Thus, in the experimental and control groups, the antibiotics studied were equally effective.No significant deviations in the mechanisms of absorption, distribution throughout the body, or elimination of decay products were identified.
By the way, there is a hypothesis that drinking alcoholic beverages enhances the adverse effects of antibiotics on the liver.Such cases are rarely described in the medical literature due to their rare occurrence (up to 10 cases per 100,000).At the same time, no additional research has been conducted in this regard.Are all the fears unfounded?
What antibiotics should not be combined with alcohol?
No, the fears are not unfounded: there are a number of antibiotics that, when in contact with alcohol, give extremely unpleasant symptoms - the so-called disulfiram-like reaction.The reaction occurs when ethanol reacts chemically with certain specific antibiotic molecules, resulting in changes in the metabolism of ethyl alcohol in the body.In particular, an intermediate substance, acetaldehyde, accumulates.Intoxication with this substance gives the following symptoms:
- severe headache
- nausea and vomiting
- increased heart rate
- redness of the face, neck, chest area, “heat” in them
- intermittent heavy breathing
- limb spasms
Large doses of alcohol can be fatal!
These symptoms are very difficult to bear, often causing fear of suffocation or death.The disulfiram-like reaction is used in clinics in the treatment of alcoholism ("coding").
Antibiotics that can cause the following symptoms:
- active ingredient metronidazole
- active ingredient ketoconazole (prescribed for thrush, for example, in the form of suppositories)
- active ingredient furazolidone (prescribed for food poisoning or diarrhea of unspecified nature)
- active ingredient chloramphenicol (toxic, rarely used: for infections of the urinary tract, bile ducts and some other diseases)
- active ingredient co-trimoxazole (can be prescribed for infections of the respiratory tract, kidneys and ureters, prostatitis)
- active ingredient lornoxicam (used to treat bacterial infections of the respiratory and ENT organs, kidneys, urinary tract, etc.)
- active ingredient tinidazole (often prescribed for infection with the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, which causes stomach ulcers)
- active ingredient cefamandole (injections for infections of unspecified nature)
- active ingredient cefoperazone (available in injections, treats respiratory tract, including pneumonia, bacterial diseases of the genitourinary system and other diseases)
- active ingredient moxifloxacin (broad-spectrum antibiotic, prescribed for severe conditions, including fever, if a bacterial infection is suspected)
When taking these drugs (both oral medications and suppositories or eye drops), you must avoid drinking alcohol!
To be sure that your antibiotic is not included in the group of drugs that are prohibited from being combined with alcoholic beverages, check with your doctor and carefully read the instructions for the drug.
Smart decision
When treating any disease with antibiotics, in any case, you should not overload your body with alcoholic beverages.After all, like any toxic substance, ethanol requires “neutralization” in the body.The body uses additional reserves to fight the poison, often the last ones, especially if the disease is protracted.Expending energy on cleansing the body can damage the immune system and significantly increase the recovery period.
In addition, research and medical practice confirm that both alcohol and antibiotics have a depressant effect on the liver.
Despite the fact that the opinion of experts regarding the compatibility of alcoholic beverages and antibacterial agents is divided (with the exception of those drugs for which restrictions are categorical), most are inclined to believe that it is better to avoid alcoholic beverages during a course of antibiotic therapy.You should also know: if you did drink a glass of wine during therapy, you should not refuse the next dose of antibiotic (of course, if it is a drug for which there is no contraindication for alcohol).