Antibiotics and Alcohol

Almost all the drugs interact with alcohol, and many of these include over-the-counter drugs and those prescribed by the doctor. Antibiotics are anti-bacterial and include all the antifungal and anti-viral drugs. When a doctor prescribes you an antibiotic, you must let him know whether you consume alcohol on a daily basis. Although not all antibiotics interact with alcohol, however, these medications have certain side-effects when consumed with alcohol.

What are Antibiotics

Antibiotics are formulated to kill microorganisms, but sometimes few of them have certain side-effects. Also, the dosage must be taken as per the doctor's prescription. Otherwise, you may build up immunity for that particular antibiotic. Alcohol affects antibiotics in a negative manner. Therefore, it is advisable that you consult your doctor about the safety of consuming them together.

Effect of Alcohol on Antibiotics

Antibiotics are excreted from the body in various ways. Usually, they are broken down by liver and excreted through urine and feces. A patient's medical history is noted down by the doctor, so as to determine for how much time they will be retained in the body. Alcohol is responsible for the way in which the body breaks down these medicines. Many cases are found in which the alcohol is responsible for excess excretion of antibiotics. However, many times, the opposite is observed. The drugs are retained in the body instead of being excreted. This means, that alcohol and antibiotics interact with each other to reduce the effect of latter on the body. Many cases of illness and dizziness are registered with those who have combined the two. It is often seen that older patients suffer from some side-effects when they consume alcohol with antibiotics. Some of the common side-effects are dizziness, upset stomach and sickness.

In short, alcohol hampers the overall healing procedure of the body after the bacterial attack. The major side-effects of consuming alcohol while taking antibiotics are vomiting, nausea, increase in heart rate and shortness of breath. The overall energy levels in your body are lowered and your healing process will slow down.

One more important point that is to be mentioned is, that some mouthwashes and medicines for cold and cough contain alcohol. So, care must be taken while consuming them. There is a certain class of antibiotics that react with alcohol. Here are some of them:

• Metronidazole
• Tinidazole
• Furazolidone (Furoxone)
• Griseofulvin (Grisactin)
• Antimalarial Quinacrine (Atabrine)

It is recommended that before taking antibiotics, let your doctor know about your alcohol consumption.