Antibiotics are one of the most commonly prescribed and important drug classes in medicine. Rest, drink plenty of fluids (other than alcohol), and be sure to finish all your medication when you have an infection. Not all antibiotics have serious interactions with alcohol, but avoiding alcoholic beverages while you are sick is usually a good idea. One of the most common alcohol and antibiotic interactions is with the antimicrobial agent metronidazole (Flagyl). Metronidazole is used for a variety of infections, including stomach or intestine, skin, joint and lung infections.

1. Ask about what we know about using alcohol with that antibiotic.
2. These are often used to treat infections alongside other drugs for bacterial infections, such as urinary tract infections.
3. People with an impaired immune system have a higher risk of infection.

Antibiotics and alcohol interactions

According to a 2020 review, consuming penicillin and alcohol likely won’t produce side effects for most people. However, while alcohol appears to slow the rate of penicillin absorption it does not prevent how much of the drug is ultimately absorbed. However, potential consequences can range from mild to severe and even life-threatening if alcohol and certain antibiotics are used simultaneously. One problem is there’s little scientific evidence regarding alcohol use with antibiotics. The recommendations are open to interpretation (often based on personal experience, observation and general knowledge of how alcohol and antibiotics act in the body). Despite these limitations, the findings of this review bring into question many of commission paid meaning the conventionally accepted alcohol-antimicrobial interactions.

Can Hydroxycut Interfere With Other Medications Like Amoxicillin?

There were no differences in the rate of elimination of amoxicillin. If you need to avoid alcohol, be sure you check all of your food and medicine labels to be sure they don’t contain alcohol. It is important to tell your doctor about all the medications you use, including over-the-counter drugs, vitamins and herbs. When alcohol is combined with antibiotics that also have a CNS depressant effect, additive effects may occur. It is common to see “Avoid Alcohol” stickers on prescription bottles.

This can include some over the counter medications such as ibuprofen. However, similar to products containing certain nutrients like calcium, you should avoid consuming excessive amounts of caffeine when taking Levaquin. So if you eat or drink large quantities of dairy or other foods that contain added or large amounts of natural calcium, the extra calcium may cause Levaquin to work less effectively.

Patients who wish to consume alcohol should try and abstain completely when taking levofloxacin. If taking alcohol is essential, it should not be taken along with the medicine and must be done so many hours later once sufficient amount of Levaquin has been absorbed into the bloodstream. If you’d like to still drink while taking an antibiotic, talk with the healthcare provider treating you. Ask about what we know about using alcohol with that antibiotic. You might be able to switch to a different antibiotic with a better safety record.

This patient reportedly experienced symptoms following consumption of 500 mg of griseofulvin and a single can of beer. The oxazolidinone class of antibiotics, including linezolid and tedizolid, are typically used in the treatment of resistant Gram-positive infections (80). While acute intake of alcohol is unlikely to impact therapeutic levels of doxycycline, alcoholics may have reduced doxycycline half-lives leading to subtherapeutic concentrations if dosed once daily. Alcohol intake has been reported to diminish the antimicrobial effect of doxycycline.

Physicians prescribe sulfonamide antibiotics to treat urinary, respiratory, and abdominal infections. Sulfonamide antibiotics include the combination drug trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, which healthcare professionals also call Septra. People should avoid or limit their alcohol consumption while taking doxycycline.

Is it harmful to drink alcohol while taking antibiotics?

However, the question is a little different for people who drink a lot of alcohol regularly. In some cases, such people might need an increased dose of their antibiotic. Keep in mind that antibiotics are often prescribed on a short-term basis. Consider waiting until you’re off the medications to have your next drink.

The majority of controlled studies failed to find benefit of metronidazole in the treatment of alcoholism (52–64). Multiple authors reported no disulfiram-like reactions (48, 52–54, 56, 57, 59, 61). Two authors observed higher rates of side effects in patients treated with metronidazole than with placebo (64, 65).