Almost all of us have had to deal with diseases that require the use of antibacterial drugs to achieve a therapeutic effect. These are drugs that are aggressive against microflora. For this reason, the question arises as to how long it is possible to drink alcohol after antibiotics, since many people would not want to give up wine, cognac, beer or vodka for a long time.
The question is ambiguous and there is no direct one-syllable answer. There are different opinions in the media. Some people consider it more appropriate to abstain from alcoholic beverages during a feasting holiday, based on intuition rather than reliable information from reliable sources. Such a person evokes sympathy and understanding in a company, usually no onehe doesn't take to drinking. However, there are times when someone links to an article in which a doctor popularly explains what does not always prevent the healing process.
Why not take medicines with alcohol?
As you know, there is no smoke without fire. Doctors can scientifically justify the simultaneous prohibition of the use of antimicrobial agents and the consumption of vodka or beer. Moreover, they claim that you can take antibiotics after a strictly defined period of time after drinking alcohol. Experts refer to the following facts:
- ethanol significantly reduces the therapeutic effect of antimicrobial agents at the biochemical level;
- the combination of alcohol with antibacterial drugs causes toxic damage to liver cells and other internal organs;
- Alcohol consumption suppresses the immune system and has a devastating effect on health, which during the period of medicationhighly undesirable.
Rational elements of the above arguments. The biochemical processes taking place in the body are extremely complex and balanced, therefore the saturation of the tissues of the internal organs with a biologically active compound such as ethyl alcohol can only affect the metabolism. Alcohol can actually significantly reduce the therapeutic effect of drugs. It destroys the atomic structure of the active substance or prevents the reaction of drugs with the proteins of pathogenic microorganisms. In addition, alcohol can speed up the elimination or make it more difficult for drugs to be absorbed. This is how it happensdecrease in the effectiveness of therapy, or unwanted side symptoms develop.
Its effect on the function and condition of the liver
Scientific research and the practice of clinical medicine confirm the destructive effect on the liver of the combination of antimicrobials with alcoholic beverages. That is why the instructions for use of the drugs indicate contraindications and side effects on this extremely important organ. Many medications are not available for patients with chronic liver disease. If you combine antimicrobial drugs and alcohol, the negative effect will be doubled. How soon should you drink alcohol after a course of antibiotics?depends on your general conditionthe body and its ability to heal.
Under the influence of enzymes, ethanol breaks down into water and carbon dioxide, but not immediately, but bypassing the intermediate stage of the formation of an extremely toxic compound - acetaldehyde - which is a tissue poison. The faster alcohol breaks down, the less harmful it is to the body. At the same time, the simultaneous presence of antimicrobial agents in the tissues of internal organs significantly slows down the catabolism of alcohol due to the inhibition of the production of the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase, which is necessary to complete the reaction of the breakdown of ethanol into simple compounds. .
Ethanol does not interact directly with antibiotics
To find out how alcohol affects medications and how many days after you finish taking antibiotics, you can drink alcohol.laboratory experience. First, the scientists conducted experiments on animals, and then invited volunteers, who were asked to undergo a course of therapy with antibacterial drugs. The participants were equally divided into two groups. The representatives of the first group were offered an alcoholic drink during the experiment, while the representatives of the second group were not. The main goal of the organizers was to determine the effect of ethanol on the biological activity of drugs.
The results of the experiment showed that most antibacterial drugs interact slightly or not at all with ethyl alcohol - it practically did not reduce the effectiveness of the drugs used. A similar conclusion was reached after studying and comparing the results of antibacterial drug therapy in the two groups. It turns out they are the same. The difference did not exceed the permissible error. The rate of absorption, distribution in the tissues of internal organs, and removal of active substancesapproximately the same.
HoweverOne should not jump to conclusions that the simultaneous use of antibiotics and alcohol is completely safe. Experts ask you to consider some nuances:
- the experiment was isolated and not confirmed by other studies, therefore one should not insist on the safety of the combination of drugs and alcohol;
- the experimental subjects were offered a small amount of alcoholic drink, but in real life the consumption of vodka and beer is quite rare;
- The studies only concerned the interaction of drugs with ethanol, the effect of this combination on the condition of the internal organs was not investigated, so the negative effect is undeniable.
This was the first tentative step towards getting a complete answer to the important question of how long alcohol can be consumed after a course of antibiotics, so the final andno clear result.
Reasons to avoid drinking during treatment
Clinical medicine is right to say that the combination of alcohol and drugs should be avoided. Even if their interactions have not been adequately studied, enough is known about the effects of ethanol on health to draw certain conclusions. It is impossible to deny that:
- alcohol regularly disrupts metabolic processes;
- ethanol provokes an increase in the level of sugar in the bloodstream;
- alcohol consumption leads to physical and mental exhaustion;
- the risk of an allergic reaction increases by an order of magnitude.
Each person has individual characteristics of their internal biological processes, so it is possible to predict the body's reaction in advancealmost impossible, but it is unlikely to be positive.
Interaction of alcohol with antimicrobial drugs
According to the experiment, the consumption of alcoholic beverages does not affect the pharmacological properties of most antimicrobial agents and does not cause significant side effects. However, there are antimicrobials that cannot be taken with alcoholic beverages at all, because such a combination leads to really dangerous consequences.
Just a few days laterYou can drink alcohol after taking antibiotics that affect your metabolism. For example, drugs and analogues against such fungal infections require the participation of an enzyme in the biochemical reaction, which is also necessary for the breakdown of ethanol. Your supplies are limited. In case of consumption of significant doses of ethanol, a conflict develops. There simply isn't enough enzyme to interact with the drug or the ethyl alcohol. In the first case, we will definitely observe a decrease in the therapeutic effectiveness of the drug, as well as possible allergic reactions and an increase in the side effects of the drug. If you do not break down ethanol, then acute poisoning with all its consequences cannot be avoided. Therefore, do not take these types of antimicrobials at the same time as alcohol.
A disulfiram-like reaction is the main reason for not drinking alcohol during antimicrobial therapy. Disruption of the breakdown of ethanol in the body leads to the accumulation of the previously mentioned acetaldehyde - acetaldehyde. It is a strong toxin that has a global negative effect on the body. The most common andunpleasant signs of poisoning:
- nausea with vomiting attacks;
- indigestion;
- acute headache;
- profuse sweating;
- general weakness, dizziness;
- tachycardia;
- pressure increase.
They agree that this physical condition is the clearest proof of the thesis that antibiotics should be administered a few days after alcohol consumption, so that ethanol and its toxic breakdown products have time to leave the body naturally.
By the way, the disulfiram-like reaction is called because of the drug - disulfiram - for the drug withdrawal therapy of chronic alcoholism. Its use forces alcoholics to stop drinking precisely because of the development of panic fear of the symptomsacute poisoning. The drug is injected (implanted) into the subcutaneous layer, from where it gradually enters the body and blocks the production of the enzyme responsible for breaking down ethanol.
What complications can be expected
How long it takes to safely drink alcohol again after a course of antibiotics depends on the antimicrobial (how quickly it is absorbed and eliminated) and the individual characteristics of a person's metabolism.
Doctors emphasize that the ban does not only apply to a glass of cognac or vodka. You have to forget about wine, beer, and low-alcohol drinks. Moreover, ethyl alcohol is often found in other foods and medicines, so it is worth paying attention to this aspect.
It is common to hear that someone you know has been drinking alcohol and taking antimicrobials without any negative consequences. However, no one knows what happened to this man's body,how effective it isIt turned out that the treatment lasted, how long it lasted, and how is his health now. Meanwhile, in the practice of clinical medicine, many cases were recorded when people did not observe how long to drink alcohol after the antibiotic, but drank during the treatment and eventually became victims:
- violations of lawliver function;
- anaphylactic shock;
- disorders of the brain and the central nervous system in general (severe headache with dizziness, nausea with vomiting, convulsions);
- gastrointestinal diseases;
- sleep disorders;
- hypertension;
- negative skin reactions (dermatitis);
- heart rhythm disorders;
Our natural filter, the liver, suffers the most. Despite its ability to renew cells, it has such a negative effect on it that it eventually loses its functionality.
The last word in the debate about the combination of alcohol and antibiotics
After finishing the medication, you should wait a few days before drinking alcohol. This is due to the fact that the products of drug catabolism are removed from the body, and this requires some time. Each drug has a different time to reach maximum blood concentration and elimination. Alwaysindicated in the instructions.
It is not recommended to drink alcoholic beverages at the same time not only with antimicrobial agents, but also with other drugs. However, antimicrobial drugs are among the few that are strictly prohibited. If you are on medication, be sure to ask your doctor how long you can drink alcohol after taking antibiotics.
Despite the fact that the expert opinion on the acceptability of simultaneous consumption of alcoholic beverages and antibacterial agents is divided (with the exception of those drugs thatthe limitations are clear), most doctors tend to conclude that it is better for patients to stop drinking alcohol during treatment.
In any case, alcoholic beverages are by no means products worth risking your health for, even if the risk seems insignificant. Nothing bad will happen if you become a hottie for 2 weeks. Even a healthy person's body succumbs to alcohol over time. Long-term consumption of alcoholic beverages leads to the development of many different somatic and mental disorders. If a person does not give up alcohol during his illness, we can safely say that it is physical and mentaldegradation is acceleratedin this period. Even if you can drink alcohol at the same time as taking the medication, you should not do so. Ethanol is poison, but it is impossible to count how many fates vodka has broken