Everyone knows that under no circumstances should alcohol and antibiotics be combined, but now, the treatment has been completed and the last pill has been taken, and it is not clear how long it is possible to drink strong alcohol after takingantibioticsShould I wait a few days or can I have a few glasses that night? To answer this question, you need to understand in more detail how antibacterial drugs and alcoholic beverages work on the body, and how long should elapse after treatment so that drinking does not harm health.
How many days after antibiotic treatment can you drink alcohol?
Medicines in this group are prescribed for the treatment of inflammatory diseases that the body cannot cope with on its own. Antibiotics attack pathogens, destroying their cellular structure, so that the disease recedes and the patient feels better.
However, there is another aspect to taking antibacterial agents. Since its removal from the body falls entirely on the liver, it must take a significant hit. Experts have also shown that in people who consumed alcohol during antibiotic therapy, the effectiveness of treatment was significantly lower than in patients who completely refused alcohol.
It all depends on the drug used for the treatment. It is best to consult this question with your doctor. He will tell you in detail after how long you can return to your usual lifestyle and drink alcoholic beverages. If a doctor cannot be reached, you can carefully review the instructions for the drug.
It should be marked there:
- Duration of treatment;
- This medicine is compatible with ethanol;
- The period during which you should not drink alcohol even after the end of therapy.
The ban usually lasts three to seven days. It all depends on the type of drug and the duration of its elimination from the body.
If the annotation does not contain information about the compatibility of a medicine with alcohol, it does not mean that you can start drinking immediately after finishing treatment.
In any case, it is recommended to wait at least one day to allow the residual components of the drug to leave the body.
It is important to remember that even if the interaction with ethyl alcohol is not mentioned in the medication instructions, you should not drink alcohol immediately after antibiotics. This can damage the body that is still immature after illness and cause unwanted side effects.
What antibiotics should never be combined with alcoholic beverages?
Despite all the prohibitions of doctors, some patients undergoing treatment with antibacterial agents still manage to drink strong beverages. At the same time, they do not even think about the possible consequences and mean that all the prohibitions of doctors are nothing more than an unnecessary precaution. In fact, if the simultaneous use of alcohol and drugs did not affect the patient's well-being in any way, this does not mean that everything has passed without a trace to the body.
The components of ethyl alcohol and the drug may not interact directly; however, ethanol can significantly reduce the therapeutic properties of the drug and the effectiveness of the treatment. The disease will not regress anywhere, and an additional course of therapy will be required, which will create a large load on the liver and other organs of the excretory system.
There is also a group of antibacterial drugs, in the context of which it is strictly forbidden to drink beverages containing alcohol. Information on incompatibility with alcohol is indicated in the annotation to these drugs, in addition, the attending physician responsible for prescribing the drug should warn the patient about this.
Drugs that are completely incompatible with ethyl alcohol include:
- Tetracyclines.They are widely used in medical practice for the treatment of various infectious diseases.
- Levomycetins.Medicines in this group by themselves can cause serious side effects and their simultaneous use with strong drinks can aggravate the toxic effect of the medicine.
- Lincosamides.Drinking alcohol while taking these antibiotics adversely affects the central nervous system and liver.
- Aminoglycosides.Some of the stronger antibacterial agents that don't work well with other medications. It is categorically contraindicated to drink strong beverages during treatment with these drugs.
- Cephalosporins.A reaction similar to disulfiram can occur due to the simultaneous use of these drugs with strong drinks. The person will experience symptoms of severe poisoning, which will lead to a significant deterioration in their health.
- Antibiotics against tuberculosis.
- Macrolides.The interaction of these substances with ethanol has a strong toxic effect on the brain and liver.
- Antibioticsused in the treatment of leprosy.
There are some groups of antibacterial drugs, the notations of which do not indicate how they interact with ethyl alcohol.
These drugs include:
- Antifungal agents;
- Penicillin and others.
The fact that the instructions for use do not contain information on the effects of combining these drugs with alcohol does not mean that their combination is allowed. It should be borne in mind that each person's body is unique, and someone after a combination of alcohol and antibacterial agents will remain safe and sound, and someone will be at great risk.
So how long after treatment with antibacterial drugs can you afford to drink alcohol? It all depends on the type of antibiotics and the physical condition of the patient. If the annotation indicates that it is prohibited to drink alcohol while taking the drug, therefore, it is better to wait until the residual components of the drug are completely removed from the body. This usually takes about two weeks, so it is best to wait until the end of this period with strong drinks.
If the drug instructions do not indicate the details of its interaction with ethanol, it is best not to drink alcoholic beverages for at least three days after the end of treatment.
If you have any additional questions, you can contact your doctor. He will explain in detail whether it is possible to consume alcohol while taking one or another antibacterial drug and will tell you how long after the end of therapy it is better not to drink alcoholic beverages.
Possible consequences of combining
Drinking alcohol after antibiotics can trigger unwanted symptoms and negative side reactions in the body. The fact is that there are several antibiotics that can block the breakdown of ethanol in the body. Due to this, acetaldehyde stops being excreted from tissues and organs and begins to accumulate in them.
In this case, the body is poisoned and the person experiences dire symptoms of intoxication:
- Bouts of nausea and vomiting;
- An intolerable headache that even painkillers can't relieve;
- Dizziness;
- Difficulty breathing;
- Crushing pains in the chest;
- Redness of the skin;
- sweating;
- Increase or decrease in blood pressure.
This is a far from complete list of the dire consequences of combining alcohol and drugs.
It is important to remember that, to date, only a small number of antibiotics have been shown to be incompatible with ethanol in clinical studies. The rest are not yet fully understood or are still in doubt.
In any case, a person should be aware that heavy drinking has a negative impact on the treatment process. Ethanol interferes with the normal absorption of drugs and significantly reduces their effectiveness. Therefore, during the course of therapy, you should refuse to take any kind of alcohol, even the weakest.
This will help you avoid unpleasant side effects and keep you healthy. After all, no one can say for sure how the simultaneous intake of alcohol and antibacterial agents will affect the health of a particular person.