Compatibility with alcohol and antibiotics

A combination of antibiotics and alcohol

It is not uncommon for medication to coincide with a holiday. The question therefore arises as to whether it is possible to take antibiotics and alcohol whose compatibility is questionable?

There are many myths that the combination of alcoholic beverages and medications does not harm the body.

Many people know that alcohol should not be drunk during antibiotics. The main question arises: why?

This will be discussed in this article. You will also learn about the consequences of consuming alcohol after antibiotics.

Then consider why you should not drink alcohol with antibiotics.

Possible consequences

Every reasonable person understands that health is the most important thing, so he does not want to take risks and have serious consequences. This rather popular topic needs to be analyzed in detail, taking into account the opinion of the doctor in order to know with certainty whether it is possible to drink alcohol while taking antibiotics. Experts say that taking medication means completely rejecting products that contain alcohol (this also applies to all types of cocktails and beers with a low alcohol content).

Long-term research has shown that in certain cases, alcohol intake does not interfere with antibiotic treatment at all, but can have consequences such as:

  • headache in the area of the temples, as well as migraines;
  • poisoning;
  • adverse effects on the kidneys and liver;
  • mental disorders;
  • dyspeptic syndrome.

Alcohol poisoning

Drugs with antibacterial properties, acting on the pathogen, destroy it. In the same way, the antibiotic acts on the whole body as a whole, but the concentration and dose are not enough to harm the person. During therapy, the organs of the urinary system and liver are overloaded as they fight the toxic effects of antibiotics.

alcohol poisoning while taking antibiotics

If you add alcohol intake to this, the liver will get a big extra load, which will result in a hangover and alcohol poisoning.

The worst case scenario is when the active ingredients of the drugs enter into a chemical reaction with the oils and ethanol. In these cases, the consequences can be dangerous and unpredictable, sometimes even fatal.

It should be borne in mind that some of the medications taken are aimed at eliminating alcohol dependence. They include components that react negatively to the appearance of alcohol in the blood. If you drink any beverage containing alcohol and take such a drug, then the destructive processes in the body cannot be stopped. Because the active substance of the drug will begin to suppress the enzyme responsible for processing and removing ethanol from the body. The process of cleaning with acetaldehyde stops - that is the main reason for the sudden deterioration of well-being. Acetaldehyde is very toxic, and since the body does not have the resources to cleanse itself of it, poisoning continues to develop, which eventually leads to dire consequences.

If you ignore the doctor's warnings and contraindications listed in the instructions for the tablets, there is a high probability of serious poisoning, which is accompanied by problems such as:

  • tachycardia or arrhythmia;
  • confusion, lack of coordination;
  • central nervous system disorders;
  • weakness and chills;
  • vomiting;
  • apathy;
  • drowsiness, lethargy;
  • gastric and intestinal dysfunction;
  • problems with blood vessels;
  • acute heart failure.
drowsiness as a result of alcohol and antibiotics

When can you drink alcohol after antibiotics? It should be borne in mind that the human body has individual reactions and characteristics, so the cause of these consequences can be many drugs that are taken simultaneously with alcohol. The first symptoms of poisoning may appear 10-15 minutes after consuming alcohol. And it will take at least 10 days to restore health and eliminate the consequences. Hence the conclusion - you can indulge in wine, cognac or beer after antibiotics after the end of antibiotic treatment, and more than 3 days have passed since the last dose of the drug. It is allowed to consume alcohol 2 days before taking the medicine.

Antibiotics and beer

The same thing happens with antibiotics and beer. Many people loved its bitter, bready taste so much that they stopped considering beer an alcoholic beverage. However, research results show that taking antibiotics in combination with alcohol is incompatible and has unpredictable consequences. The effect of the active substance of the drug weakens and, consequently, is excreted more slowly from the body. This phenomenon is explained by the fact that ethanol interferes with the liver, which is responsible for processing drugs that enter the body. There are antibiotics that are strictly forbidden to take with beer.

After how many days can you drink a non-alcoholic beer?

The common belief that non-alcoholic beer is not harmful during treatment is a misconception, because beer sold as non-alcoholic contains a small percentage of alcohol. It follows that the possible consequences of combining antibiotics with this drink are the same as in the case of traditional beer of standard strength. The only caveat is that after antibiotics it is allowed to consume non-alcoholic beer not after 3 days, but after 2. This is explained by the fact that a small amount of alcohol is excreted much faster from the body, and the liver works without withstanding heavy loads.

So, taking antibiotics in combination with alcohol is far from the best solution. Think sensibly and ask yourself why and with what treatment did you start? The answer is obvious and priorities must be set: treat yourself to improve your health, not to make the situation worse by drinking.