Antibiotics And Alcohol | HealthInfi

Average inhabitant of any country in the world has ever bought and used antibiotic drugs to cure various diseases. These drugs are needed for treatment of some fungal and most of bacterial infections.

There are many myths about alcohol and antibiotics interactions. Terrible stories were told about combined use of antibiotics and alcohol after the World War II. Some of them are still told in different interpretations nowadays. You may find them online, some are trustworthy, the others just funny.

In the end of 20th and the beginning of 21st century, a number of studies on alcohol and antibiotics compatibility were conducted. The laboratory tests proved that alcohol (ethanol) has affected some types of antibiotics slightly. In most cases, alcoholic beverages caused significant deviations in the mechanism of medicines action and affect:

• The absorption rate in the gastrointestinal tract
• Distribution all over the body and excretion of their decay products
• Changes in pharmacological and other properties

Probably, not every type of antibiotic drugs accessible on market will interact with alcohol in a particular patient. However, people should keep in mind that antibiotics are used to treat different diseases, especially the severe ones. Alcohol reduces the immune system and when combined with antibiotics may cause one or more side effects:

• Abnormal heart rate;
• Severe pain in the head area;
• Shortness of breath or heavy breathing;
• Indigestion, diarrhea and vomiting;
• Irritated skin on the chest, neck or face;
• Seizures of the upper or lower limbs.

These are not all side effects that may occur when patients use alcohol and antibiotics together. If a patient desperately wants to have an alcoholic drink, he must think twice before buying any and remember about the consequences. Adverse reactions depend on the type of used antibiotics, a patient’s overall health and the amount of alcohol in the blood plasma.

Often, antibiotics alone cause side effects, while large doses of alcohol can worsen them significantly. Sometimes, mixing alcohol with antibacterial drugs may cause an overdose and hospitalization.

Despite all “positive” properties, alcohol is still a “poison” for human body and, sometimes the body uses the last reserves to neutralize it (for instance, in a long-term disease). During the treatment of any disease, using antibiotic drugs, people should not poison themselves with ethyl alcohol. The fact is that wasting the body potential to dehydrate ethanol may greatly increase the recovery period and cause more harm to the immune system.

The effect of alcohol and antibiotics on the liver and the whole body.

Some people are somehow aware about negative impact of alcohol and antibiotics on liver. People must keep in mind another thing: both alcohol and antibiotics cause damage to the liver even when they are used separately. But when they are used together, they cause an inhibitory effect in the liver.

Most people have no idea about side effects in the brain caused by combination of antibiotics and alcohol. Large doses of ethyl alcohol first stimulate, and then sharply slow down the processes in the central nervous system. Antibiotics can penetrate into the brain tissues and interact with cells, which biochemical properties were changed by alcohol.

The effect of antibiotic drugs and alcohol on pancreas gland can be dangerous. Mainly, this refers to people, who eat a great amount of fatty food. It was proved that cells of pancreas are as sensitive to alcohol, as liver cells. The major part of chronic diseases of pancreas is caused by overuse of alcoholic beverages.Read More