After taking antibiotics, how long can you drink alcohol?

Scientists say that the active active ingredients of antibiotics are in the body for at least 3 days. There are drugs with prolonged (long) action, they are removed only after 2-3 weeks. Consulting a doctor can help prevent side effects. It is important to pay attention to the following parameters before you start drinking alcohol after antibiotics:

• the duration of the course of treatment with the drug;
• its compatibility with ethyl alcohol;
• the time after which alcohol is allowed after the last dose.

Combining drugs with alcohol

From the point of view of some doctors, taking antibiotics at the same time as alcohol can lead to liver dysfunction, as well as reduce the effectiveness of the drugs to almost nothing.

Other experts speak only of four-hour abstinence, assuring that at the end of this period the drugs have already completed their active phase and the intake of alcohol will not affect the state of health in any way.

What happens if you mix it with alcohol

Antibiotics are prescribed to treat many diseases. Many events take place during treatment: birthdays, company parties, weddings and other events. That is why many are concerned about the question of how much alcohol should not be drunk after antibiotics. Let's look at this problem in more detail.

Interaction

To find out if it is possible to drink alcohol after antibiotics, you need to have information about the interaction of drugs and drinks containing alcohol.

Any substance that enters the body begins to be digested. First, there is the separation of its constituent parts, then the complete disintegration of the substance. Only the original elements remain. These are carbohydrates, proteins, fats.

If you drink alcohol after antibiotics, then the breakdown products of the alcohol product are also separated. If at this time the drug is not completely removed from the blood, then its remnants can connect with the breakdown products of alcohol. A mixture is formed that causes malfunctions in the internal organs.

Drinking alcohol after antibiotics can cause the following problems:

• the load on the liver will increase several times, due to which the natural filter will not cope with the overload;
• allergic reactions of different nature;
• mental health problems will begin;
• dizziness and vomiting.

How the reaction will manifest itself if you drink alcohol after taking antibiotics depends on the type of specific drug, the amount of alcohol you drink, the age and gender of the person, and the individual characteristics of the body.

It's safe to say that you can't drink alcohol after antibiotics. The rule also applies to those drugs in the annotation for which there is no direct indication of incompatibility with alcohol-containing products. The mildest side effects if you drink alcohol after a course of antibiotics will be the lack of the expected therapeutic effect.

Despite various important activities that cannot do without products containing alcohol, drinking alcohol after antibiotics is unacceptable.

Alcohol while taking antibiotics can lead to serious irreversible consequences. The main negative reactions of this combination include:

• Increases the resistance of the pathogenic microflora. Antibacterial drugs are prescribed to destroy pathogenic microorganisms in the human body. At the same time, alcohol weakens the effect of these drugs, and at that time the bacteria adapt and adapt to the active substance, increasing their resistance to this group of antibiotics.
• The transition of the acute form of the disease into a chronic one. Alcohol can accelerate the metabolism of the active substance, while the drug breaks down faster and does not have time to act on the focus of inflammation. To do this, the doctor prescribes a double dose of antibiotics, the burden on the body increases and the disease is treated longer and more difficult.
• Increasing blood viscosity with a combination of alcohol and antibiotics can lead to the development of a stroke or myocardial infarction, as well as problems in the functioning of the heart and blood vessels.
• Decrease in the concentration of the drug due to the use of alcoholic beverages. At the same time, the dose of antibacterial drugs is increased by the doctor, and with such a load, the liver and kidneys work to wear and tear. Perhaps the development of acute failure of these organs.
• Impaired liver function. Ethyl alcohol and antibiotics are broken down by the same liver enzymes. Under such influence, the production of these substances can stop completely, which will lead to severe intoxication and inhibition of the organ.
• Risk of developing severe allergic reactions. The human body can react inadequately to such a complex of influences. Anaphylactic shock or angioedema with a fatal outcome is an irreversible result of the interaction of alcohol with antibiotics.
• Particularly dangerous is the disulfiram-like reaction that occurs due to the accumulation of acetaldehyde (an intermediate metabolite of ethyl alcohol) in tissues and organs, acting as a strong nootropic on the central nervous system. Its excretion is disturbed, and against this background, severe intoxication occurs, accompanied by: nausea, vomiting, palpitations, sweating, fever, drop in blood pressure, abdominal pain, dizziness and convulsions.

Compatible medications

Among antibacterial agents, there are separate categories of drugs that allow combined use with alcoholic beverages:

• cephalosporins;
• preparations of the penicillin series;
• macrolides.

If you take medicines containing penicillin, you can drink alcohol no earlier than 4 hours after completing the course of antibiotics. This time is quite enough for the complete absorption of the drug in the blood and its degradation in the liver, which is a signal for the performance of the therapeutic function and the beginning of the process of removing the remnants of the drug from the kidneys.

If you start taking alcohol earlier than this period or overdo it, the effect of the treatment will not follow. The fact is that ethanol in large quantities enhances the production of liver enzymes, which begin to actively break down not only alcohol, but also the drugs themselves.

This, in turn, contributes to the rapid removal of drugs from the body, as a result of which the drug does not have time to perform its functions. In addition, alcohol has a diuretic effect, which also helps to reduce the concentration of drugs and reduce their effectiveness to zero.

But there is a group of antibacterial drugs that should never be taken with alcohol or immediately before drinking it. This is explained by the ability of such antibiotics to block the production of enzymes that break down ethanol.

The effect of drugs of this group on the body is similar to the effect of the drug that is used to code patients suffering from alcohol dependence.

Antibacterial therapy carried out using drugs with similar properties requires a complete rejection of alcohol. Violation of this rule is fraught with serious consequences, up to the death of the patient.

There are a large number of groups of antibacterial agents that cannot be combined with alcohol. These medications include:

• Nitroimidazoles. High risk of developing a reaction similar to disulfiram (taking alcohol is possible only after 2 days).
• Fluoroquinolones, when combined with alcohol, suppress the nervous system until the development of coma, alcohol is allowed only after 36 hours.
• When interacting with ethyl alcohol, cephalosporins give a reaction similar to disulfiram, alcohol can be taken after 24 hours (with kidney disease, the interval is extended).
• Tetracyclines damage liver cells for a very long time, they are excreted from the body, drink alcohol no earlier than 3 days.
• Aminoglycosides are oto- and nephrotoxic, enhance the side effects of drugs, alcohol is allowed to be taken no earlier than 2 weeks later.
• Lincosamides affect the central nervous system and liver, cause a reaction to disulfiram, alcohol is allowed only after 4 days.
• Macrolides cause cirrhosis of the liver. It is very slowly removed from the body, let's say intake of alcoholic beverages after only 4 days.
• Anti-tuberculosis drugs cause the development of drug-induced hepatitis with a fulminant course, any alcohol is strictly prohibited.

When can you drink alcohol after antibiotics: general rules

Adherence to the correct intake of antibiotics will help to cure the disease faster without the risk of side effects. Basic rules:

• take medicines only according to the doctor's instructions (self-medication is dangerous to health);
• do not forget to observe the exact dosage and time of taking the antibiotic;
• the duration of treatment with the drug is determined by the doctor. On average, this is from 5 to 15 days, and taking long-acting drugs is from 1 to 4 days;
• you need to drink tablets with pure still water, decoctions of chamomile, and not hot tea without sugar;
• during antibiotic treatment, it is better to refuse to eat fatty foods, which slow down the absorption of the active substance from the intestines into the blood. Be sure to consume animal protein in the form of chicken, rabbit or turkey meat. Limit the amount of fast carbohydrates;
• absolute contraindication: alcohol after antibiotics, if less than 3 days have passed.

Today, antibiotics are an integral part of the treatment of viral infections. This raises the question of when you can drink alcohol after antibiotics. Antibiotics are used in the fight against most viruses and bacteria known to modern medicine. What to do with drinking alcohol after antibiotics?

The duration of antibiotic treatment is usually from a few days to months depending on the complexity of the disease. No alcohol is allowed during this time. Adjust your intake of other heavy foods. When you use alcohol after antibiotics, the doctor does not guarantee you the maximum effectiveness of the course, in addition, complications often occur.

You can start drinking alcohol after antibiotics after some time. Do not drink during treatment. The number of days you should wait before drinking alcohol varies depending on the drug.

Why are alcohol and antibiotics incompatible? The fact is that the antibiotic taken automatically reduces the activity of your internal organs, which not only fight the infection, but also clean the body after drinking alcohol.

Drinking alcohol during antibiotic treatment means damage to the liver, kidneys and heart. After antibiotics, there is a serious breakdown in the natural intestinal microflora. If you drink in this state, you will end up in a hospital bed.

If you drink alcohol immediately after taking the pill without waiting, you will experience side effects such as:

• liver failure;
• nausea and vomiting;
• headache;
• vertigo;
• clouded mind.

These are the main reasons why alcohol after taking antibiotics is allowed only a few days after the end of the course.

Period of abstinence

Of course, the question of how long it takes to start drinking alcohol after taking antibiotics should be asked by your doctor. If you forgot to ask the doctor about it and now you cannot contact him, see the annotation attached to the medicine. Read it carefully in search of information about the duration of intake, the compatibility of the drug with alcohol, the period after which you can drink alcohol.

Most often, when asked how many days you can return to the "alcoholic" life, the answer is a few days. The period of abstinence varies from three days to a whole week. Regardless of what specific drug was used and how long the complete withdrawal isfrom the body.

Even if the instructions do not indicate whether it is possible to drink alcohol after antibiotics, it is better to postpone the celebrations for a few days. The question is not only in the compatibility of drugs and alcohol, but also in the fragile body. And the smallest dose can be a serious poison for him.

Strict prohibition

The strict ban on drinking alcohol during an antibiotic course is not a whim of doctors. Even if you do not notice side effects when combining these two components, this does not mean that the body is not damaged.

The combination of ethanol and drugs does not necessarily have a direct effect. However, the therapeutic properties of the drug will be reduced. Accordingly, the disease will not be defeated and an additional course will be required, which will seriously affect the liver and a number of other organs related to the excretory system.

There is a whole group of antibiotic drugs, the combination of which with alcohol is strictly prohibited. The annotation of such drugs always notes the lack of compatibility with ethanol. In addition, the doctor will give an appropriate warning to the patient.

In particular, drinking alcohol is strictly prohibited if you have been prescribed a drug from the tetracycline group. They are widely used in medicine to treat various infections. Preparations from the levomecitin group are not combined with ethanol, as they cause severe side effects. When combined with drinking, the toxic effect of the drug is enhanced.

Cephalosporins are also strong drugs, if taken simultaneously with alcohol, you can lead your body to severe intoxication, which does not contribute to the rapid cure of the disease. In the group of drugs prohibited for drinking alcohol, there are antibiotics against tuberculosis and leprosy, as well as macrolides, which increase their toxic properties when combined with alcohol. First of all, in such cases, the brain and liver suffer.

Time frame

There are antibiotics, in the instructions for which you will not find information about compatibility with ethyl alcohol. These are antifungal drugs, penicillin drugs.

It has already been mentioned above that this gap in the instructions does not give a green light to drinking alcohol. Consider the individuality of your body. For some, the combination of alcohol and antibiotic will cause only mild intoxication, and for some there is even a possibility of death.

In this case, the minimum period of abstinence is three days. Of course, if you have questions, it is better to contact your doctor, who will explain the answers to your questions.

Admission rules

You must take antibiotics correctly to increase the effectiveness of the treatment and reduce the likelihood of side effects. Prescribing antibiotics is done only by a doctor, with tests given in advance that help the doctor determine which antibiotics are most suitable.

Independent purchase of antibiotics can lead to side effects or simply zero effectiveness.

The use of antibiotics is subject to strict rules. For example, when using antibiotics twice a day, it is best to keep the interval between doses up to 12 hours. Usually, during this time, one tablet maintains the necessary concentration of the substance in the blood.

Meat is best eaten cooked, while choosing chicken or turkey, make stewed vegetables. It is important to observe the drinking regime. Normally, a person needs 30 ml per kilogram of body weight.

However, during illness, the intoxication syndrome increases, so it is advisable to increase the rate of drinking per liter.

Keep in mind that high temperature increases the body's need for fluids. In addition, it is actively used to remove products of bacterial decay from the body.

In case of infectious diseases, do not forget to go on sick leave. Exclude sports, in some cases bed rest is recommended. If you can't lie down all day, take a walk outside. You can combine antibiotics with other drugs only as directed by your doctor.

When can you drink alcohol?

The time for the complete elimination of antibiotics from the body is strictly individual. For example, aminoglycosides are removed from the circulatory system after 2. 5 hours.

The same substances in the intraocular fluid leave the body only 14-15 days after taking the last pill. Drinking alcohol before this period is fraught with serious problems, up to complete deafness.

The duration of the "abstinence" period is determined by the type of drug, the patient's age, his state of health and metabolic characteristics. In some cases, the use of alcohol is allowed already 1-1. 5 days after the end of the course of treatment, in others it may take about 3-10 days of absolute refusal of alcohol.

Only a doctor can determine exactly how many days after taking antibiotics you can drink alcohol. Many experts are of the opinion that you can enjoy delicious wine (or something stronger) only 10 days after completing the therapeutic course.

In patients with diseases of the liver, kidneys and other organs, these terms can be extended according to the individual recommendations of the doctor.

In addition, there are a number of factors that speak in favor of the absolute refusal of alcohol during the course of treatment, as well as immediately after its completion:

1. During this period, the human body, weakened by infection, is more susceptible to the effects of antibiotics, which have a negative effect on the kidneys, liver and heart. In addition, drugs damage the gastrointestinal tract by suppressing its microflora. If alcohol is added to this, the body may simply not withstand the load, which threatens the development of acute kidney and liver failure.
2. The effectiveness of antibiotic therapy decreases by almost 100% if you drink alcohol at the same time. The fact is that pathogenic microorganisms, which antibiotics are aimed at degrading, will lose their sensitivity to the drug and remain immune to its action. Repeated violation of the regime of abstinence from drinking will lead to the ineffectiveness of the entire treatment, which can lead to the death of the patient.

These are the main reasons why you should stop drinking during the therapeutic course and immediately after its completion. In fact, part of the pathogenic bacteria remain active for some time, and the weakening of the effect of the drugs will contribute to the further development of the pathogenic microflora.

Generalization

• During this period, the human body, weakened by infection, is more susceptible to the effects of antibiotics, which have a negative effect on the kidneys, liver and heart. In addition, drugs damage the gastrointestinal tract by suppressing its microflora. If alcohol is added to this, the body may simply not withstand the load, which threatens the development of acute kidney and liver failure.
• The effectiveness of antibiotic therapy decreases by almost 100% if you drink alcohol at the same time. The fact is that pathogenic microorganisms, which antibiotics are aimed at degrading, will lose their sensitivity to the drug and remain immune to its action. Repeated violation of the regime of abstinence from drinking will lead to the ineffectiveness of the entire treatment, which can lead to the death of the patient.
• How many days after taking antibiotics you can drink alcohol, the doctor determines, taking into account the type and nature of the course of the disease, the age of the patient and the characteristics of his body.
• Light alcoholic drinks (for example, wine) can be drunk 3-5 days after the end of the course of treatment, strong drinks - no earlier than 10 days later.
• Violation of the recommended periods of abstinence is fraught with serious consequences, up to the death of the patient.