How long after antibiotics can you drink alcohol?

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

Many people know that alcohol and antibiotics are incompatible. But how true can this statement be and is it possible to drink alcohol after treatment with antibacterial agents? If so, in how many days? The opinions of experts on this issue differ.

Combining drugs with alcoholic beverages

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 drugs to almost zero.

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Other experts speak only of a four-hour abstinence, assuring that at the end of this period, the drugs have already ended the active phase and taking an intoxicating drink will not affect the state of health in any way.

Compatible drugs

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

• cephalosporins;
• penicillin drugs;
• macrolides.

If you are taking medications that contain 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 into the blood and its decomposition in the liver, which signals the fulfillment of the therapeutic function and the beginning of the process of excretion of the remnants of the drug by the kidneys.

If you start taking alcohol earlier than this period, or if you drink too much of 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 elimination 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.

Incompatible funds

But there is a group of antibacterial drugs that should never be taken with alcohol or just 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 Disulfiram, which is used to encode patients suffering from alcohol dependence.

Antibiotic 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.

When to drink alcohol

The timing of 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 found in the intra-ear 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 period of "abstinence" is determined by the type of medicine, the age of the patient, his state of health and the characteristics of metabolism. In some cases, the use of an intoxicating drink is allowed already after 1-1.5 days after the end of the course of treatment, in others it may take about 3-10 days of absolute refusal from alcohol.

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

For patients suffering from diseases of the liver, kidneys and other organs, the indicated periods can be extended, according to the individual recommendations of the doctor.

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In addition, there are a number of factors that speak in favor of the absolute rejection of alcohol during the course of the treatment course, 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 harm the gastrointestinal tract by suppressing its microflora. If you add alcohol to this, the body may simply not be able to withstand the load, which threatens the development of acute renal and hepatic failure.
2. The effectiveness of antibiotic therapy is reduced by almost 100% if you drink alcohol in parallel. The fact is that pathogenic microorganisms, which antibiotics are aimed at, will lose 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 result in the death of the patient.

These are the main reasons why you should stop drinking during the course of the therapeutic course and immediately after it ends. After all, some of the pathogenic bacteria remain active for some time, and the weakening of the action of drugs will contribute to the further development of pathogenic microflora.

Summarize

1. 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.
2. Light alcoholic drinks (for example, wine) can be drunk 3-5 days after the end of the course of treatment, strong ones - no earlier than 10 days.
3. Violation of the recommended periods of abstinence is fraught with serious consequences, up to the death of the patient.