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 in what quantity. There is also a third opinion that by competently approaching the problem, one can be successfully treated, while maintaining social activity.
Is it really necessary to abstain from alcohol in association with a course of antibiotics? Let's try to understand.
It all depends on the active substance of the drug. Some types of antibiotics are not friendly with alcohol at all, while others may interact normally. Of course, mixing alcohol with pills after reading this article is not worth it. However, knowing some things will help not to panic, but to correctly understand the problem if for some reason you still drink alcohol during antibiotic therapy.
Antibiotics and alcohol: myths and legends
There is a version that scary stories that alcohol and antibiotics should not be combined began to spread after the war. The first legend says that at that time venereal clinics in our country and abroad were simply overcrowded. The patients are soldiers and officers who have fully tasted the "charms" of martial law. Medical staff specifically intimidated patients, talking about the disastrous consequences of the combination of alcohol and antibiotics, because after drinking patients may again get into serious trouble, and the result of such "feats" may well bea new sexual infection.
Another legend says that due to the difficulty of obtaining penicillin, it evaporated from the urine of treated soldiers. For this reason, soldiers were forbidden to drink beer during therapy.
The danger of drinking alcohol while taking antibiotics is in the air and modern people prefer to avoid such mixtures. But what about evidence-based medicine?
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. In experiments with laboratory animals and human volunteers, it has been proven that alcohol does not affect most types of antibiotics.
Thus, in the experimental and control groups, the antibiotics studied were equally effective. Significant deviations in the mechanisms of absorption, distribution throughout the body and excretion of decay products have not been identified.
By the way, there is an assumption that drinking alcoholic beverages enhances the harmful effects of antibiotics on the liver. In the medical literature, such cases are rarely described due to their rarity (up to 10 cases per 100, 000). At the same time, no other studies have been conducted in this regard. Are all fears unfounded?
What antibiotics can not be combined with alcohol
No, the fears are not unfounded: there are a number of antibiotics that, in contact with alcohol, cause extremely unpleasant symptoms - the so-called disulfiram-like reaction. The reaction occurs during the chemical interaction of ethanol with some specific antibiotic molecules, as a result, the exchange of ethyl alcohol in the body changes. In particular, there is an accumulation of an intermediate substance - acetaldehyde. Poisoning by this substance gives the following symptoms:
- severe headaches
- nausea and feeling sick
- increased heart rate
- redness of the face, neck, chest, "heat" in them
- intermittent heavy breathing
- limb cramps
Large doses of alcohol can be fatal!
These symptoms are very difficult to tolerate, often raising fears of suffocation or death. The disulfiram-like reaction is used in clinics in the treatment of alcoholism ("coding").
Antibiotics that may cause these symptoms:
- active ingredient metronidazole
- active substance ketoconazole (prescribed for thrush, for example, in the form of suppositories)
- active ingredient furazolidone (prescribed in case of food poisoning or diarrhea of an unspecified nature)
- active substance chloramphenicol (toxic, rarely used: for infections of the urinary tract, biliary tract and some other diseases)
- active substance 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 Helicobacter pylori bacteria, which causes stomach ulcers)
- active ingredient cefamandol (injections for infections of an unspecified nature)
- active ingredient cefoperazone (available as injections, they treat the respiratory tract, including pneumonia, bacterial diseases of the genitourinary system and other diseases)
- active substance moxifloxacin (broad-spectrum antibiotic, prescribed for serious conditions, including fever, if a bacterial infection is suspected)
During treatment with these medications (oral medications and suppositories or eye drops), alcohol should be avoided!
To be sure that your antibiotic is not part of the group of drugs whose association with alcohol is prohibited, consult your doctor and read the drug's instructions carefully.
Rational decision
When treating a 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. To fight the poison, the body throws out additional reserves, often the last, especially if the disease is prolonged. Expending energy to cleanse the body can damage the immune system and greatly increase the recovery period.
In addition, studies and medical practice confirm that alcohol and antibiotics have a depressant effect on the liver.
Despite the fact that the opinions of experts about the compatibility of alcoholic beverages and antibacterial agents are divided (with the exception of drugs for which restrictions are categorical), most tend to believe that it is better to refuse alcoholduring antibiotic treatment. You should also know: if during the therapy you still drank a glass of wine, you should not refuse the next antibiotic (of course, if it is a drug for which there is nocontraindication to alcohol).