This article has been medically reviewed by Dr Robert Lefever, a world-leading addictions specialist.
Liquor and antibiotics can be a dangerous combination. Specialists suggest that you should stay away from alcohol while taking various medications. The most significant concern is that mixing alcohol with drugs may build the danger of hazardous effects.
You need to stay away from alcohol while taking antibiotics because of the harmful effects that can occur.
Currently, with antibiotics being broadly prescribed and an increased rate of alcohol use, it is evident that blending antibiotics and liquor is not an uncommon event. Nonetheless, this practice is not safe and lead to grave consequences.
Here, we’ll talk about the safety of mixing liquor and antibiotics. We’ll likewise clarify what impacts liquor can have on your body’s capacity to fight infection.
For proper and effective bacterial infection treatment as an alcohol addict, please call us on 0203 955 7700, and our experienced specialists will help you come out of your addiction.
alcohol and antibiotic combination
What are antibiotics?
Antibiotics are highly effective drugs that destroy the development of microorganisms or bacteria in our bodies. Antibiotics don’t fight or kill infections brought about by viruses but by bacterial infections.
While white platelets in the body will typically destroy destructive microorganisms and fix the contamination without any medication, the number of bacteria may increase; hence, antibiotics come in handy by killing them.
Various types of antibiotics are accessible to treat a broad scope of conditions, including:
- Strep throat
- Bacterial pneumonia
- Urinary plot diseases
- Physically communicated sicknesses
- Ear diseases
- Skin diseases like skin break out
- Sepsis
Most antibiotics are safe when used as prescribed. On the other hand, they may have side effects like irritated stomach, nausea, and loose bowel movement. These side effects can be intensified when antibiotics are taken with liquor. In addition, the combination can lead to serious side effects like heaving, dazedness, tiredness, cerebral pain, and surprisingly possibly dangerous seizures.
Can I take alcohol with antibiotics?
Liquor can interact with certain antibiotics, which can cause terrible or hazardous side effects. Alcohol doesn’t make antibiotics less powerful, however consuming liquor, particularly in excess, can cause higher side effects.
Those side effects can change depending on the antibiotics being used, and also, the results are different from person to person.
You should keep off alcohol while taking the following set of antibiotics:
- Penicillin
- Cefotetan
- Doxycycline
- Isoniazid
- Linezolid
- Sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim
- Metronidazole
Combining these antibiotics and alcohol can cause potentially life-threatening reactions.
What are the effects of mixing alcohol with popular antibiotics?
Linezolid is prescribed to treat skin infections together with pneumonia. Drinking while taking linezolid can cause an increase in blood pressure, vomiting, rapid breathing, seizures, coma, muscle rigidity, agitation and muscle spasms.
Isoniazid is prescribed to treat tuberculosis. However, mixing isoniazid with alcohol can overwhelm your liver resulting in poisoning.
Cefotetan is prescribed to treat bacterial infections on the skin, bones and lungs. Nausea, headaches, and vomiting are the effects of mixing cefotetan with alcohol.
Sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim is prescribed to treat UTI’s and skin infections. However, mixing Sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim with alcohol can cause nausea, vomiting and fatigue.
Penicillin is prescribed to treat pneumonia and other respiratory tract infections. However, mixing penicillin with alcohol can reduce the antibiotic effectiveness, causing a delay in illness recovery.
Metronidazole is prescribed to treat bacterial infections in the stomach, vagina, liver and brain. Mixing metronidazole with alcohol can cause nausea, vomiting and stomach cramps.
Minocycline is prescribed to treat urinary tract infections and respiratory infections. However, mixing alcohol with minocycline can cause liver complications.
Co-amoxiclav is prescribed to treat broad bacterial infections. However, mixing co-amoxiclav with alcohol causes nausea, delayed recovery and liver problems.
Should you avoid alcohol while on medications?
Drinking liquor while taking medications can be unsafe. If you are suffering from a bacterial illness and your doctor has prescribed some antibiotics, it’s good to stay away from alcohol.
Liquor alters antibiotics functions in the body. Since antibiotics effectiveness is helped by some chemicals present in the liver (and liquor also affects the liver), drinking alcohol can change liver catalysts bringing about a sharp decline of antibiotics efficiency in the body. This will render antibiotics ineffective, delaying your healing process.
Antibiotics are meant to fight dangerous bacteria in the body and should be taken with great caution as prescribed. If your primary care provider recommends that you keep away from liquor, it’s essential to adhere to the instructions.
For more guided information about the use of antibiotics and alcohol, please call us on 0203 955 7700, and our experienced specialists will help you come out of your addiction.
What are the side effects of mixing alcohol and antibiotics?
Combining antibiotics and liquor can bring about a broad scope of side effects. But, the effects can vary in seriousness, depending on dosage and the duration of the prescribed antibiotics.
However, typical side effects can cause distress, especially to people inclining toward liquor consumption as an adapting technique. Rapid heart rates, stomach problems, cardiovascular issues, chest problems are serious side effects that can arise from mixing alcohol and antibiotics.
It’s ideal to abstain from drinking liquor while feeling unwell at any given time. Some antibiotics like metronidazole and tinidazole can cause tiredness or extreme fatigue. Hence, it’s advisable not to drive or operate heavy machinery while taking them. In addition, mixing them with alcohol will only aggravate the side effects.
However, antibiotics can serve as depressants just like alcohol, and habit-forming characteristics can increase. Therefore, combining alcohol with such antibiotics can become dangerous, especially to people suffering from chronic sicknesses.
What are the impacts of mixing alcohol and antibiotics on the immune system?
If your doctor has recommended antibiotics, your body is probably fighting a bacterial infection. Typically, an individual’s immune system fight off unsafe microorganisms before they multiply to cause an infection. At times, however, the immune system needs some boost hence, the need to use antibiotics.
Antibodies are compound substances that work in various distinctive manners to kill or restrain the development of the microorganisms that cause illness. However excellent, this can only happen effectively if you have a robust immune system.
Alcohol consumption weakens the immune system, making it harder for the body to destroy harmful bacteria. In addition, alcohol can affect your white platelets, which normally protect your body by fighting off harmful microorganisms. It also disables the body’s creation of cytokines, which regulate body and immunity response.
Due to the weakening of the immune system from alcohol consumption, most alcoholics often have illnesses because they are vulnerable to bacterial attacks and suffer from diseases like tuberculosis and pneumonia.
It’s worth noting that taking even a tiny amount of alcohol can distract the body’s immune system resulting in a drop in white platelets, which are the body’s central security against diseases.
What are the dangers of drinking alcohol while on antibiotics?
Since antibiotics and alcohol have side effects that can be dangerous, it is highly recommended not to combine them because they can lead to severe side effects such as extreme body weakness, heart palpitations, and a severe migraine.
Alcohol is also believed to destroy your digestive system and cause serious side effects. As such, consuming alcohol while on antibiotics can be hazardous.
What are the dangerous interactions of antibiotics and alcohol?
Numerous antibiotics are known to cause dangerous effects when taken with liquor. These include:
- Throwing up and nausea
- Extreme fatigue
- Migraines
- Respiratory difficulties
- Nervousness
- Heart palpitations
Since a large number of these antibiotics can remain in your bloodstream for several days, patients are encouraged to keep away from drinking alcohol not less than 72 hours after they have completed their antibiotic dosage.
What are mental health issues caused by mixing alcohol and antibiotics?
Mixing alcohol with antibiotics can have harmful physical effects. The combination can also result in negative impacts on your mental health. The following are mental issues associated with mixing alcohol and antibiotics:
- Agitation
- Mood swings
- Sleeping disorder
- Short-term concentration
- Anxiety
- Memory loss
While these mental health side effects can result from excessive drinking or certain antibiotics medications, mixing them can increase the severity of these effects.
Which organ is affected by combining alcohol with antibiotics?
The liver is majorly affected by alcohol and antibiotics combination.
Isoniazid and ketoconazole on their own can cause liver damage and failure. Combining these antibiotics with alcohol can be disastrous to the liver. Some signs of liver damage are:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Discoloured urine
- Stomach upsets
- Yellow colour in the eyes or skin
- Persistent weariness
When some antibiotics are being absorbed in the liver, they can become poisonous and harm the liver. While alcohol can cause damages to the liver, mixing alcohol and antibiotics can cause severe liver damage, which can eventually turn out fatal. Therefore, it’s highly recommended to avoid taking such medications with alcohol. You should also follow your doctor’s instructions seriously.
Should I skip antibiotics in favour of alcohol?
One of the major concerns is that patients will skip antibiotics to consume alcohol. However, it is essential to take antibiotics continuously without fail until your dosage is over. Skipping antibiotics will make them ineffective, and your healing period will prolong.
Doctors are very cautious while prescribing antibiotics because overdosing or under dosage will make the antibiotics ineffective.
How long should I wait to take alcohol after taking antibiotics?
It is advisable to consume alcohol two to three days after taking the entire dose of antibiotics, as you allow the body to recover from the infection and for the antibiotics to wear off from your system.
Does alcohol make antibiotics less viable?
Consuming alcohol will affect the strength of the antibiotics. But, drinking can affect your body’s healing process, which may take longer due to alcohol interaction with the medications. However, It is crucial to consult with your doctor first before taking any type of medication.
Frequently Asked Question
What are antibiotics?
Can I take alcohol with antibiotics?
Should you avoid alcohol while on medications?
What are the impacts of mixing alcohol and antibiotics on the immune system?
Does alcohol make antibiotics less viable?
For more information about antibiotics and alcohol, you can contact us on 0203 955 7700, and we will assist you.
Sources
- https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/673978/clinical_guidelines_2017.pdf
- https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/alcohol-and-drug-misuse-prevention-and-treatment-guidance
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7038249/
- https://www.bmj.com/content/337/bmj.a2885
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s41415-020-2012-x
- https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/medicines/can-i-drink-alcohol-while-taking-antibiotics/
- https://www.healthline.com/health/antibiotics-alcohol#:~:text=Mixing%20alcohol%20with%20antibiotics%20is,during%20treatment%2C%20follow%20that%20advice.
