Antibiotics, despite the large list of contraindications and a wide range of side effects, are a much-needed drug that has saved many lives. Because only antibiotics can destroy the bacteria in the body that cause dangerous diseases.
In the days before the invention of these drugs, many people died of bacterial infections. Many diseases were considered incurable due to the lack of such drugs.
Antibiotics cannot be taken without a prescription and it is very important to follow the rules for taking them. You should also know that antibiotics are incompatible with alcohol. This article provides answers to all your questions about taking antibiotics.
Rules for antibiotics
The most important rule for taking antibiotics is to use them only in cases where it is impossible to do without them. Indications for use are the symptoms of acute bacterial infection, which the body can not cope alone. In order to obtain the desired therapeutic effect, the use of antibiotics cannot be indiscriminate.
It is mandatory to follow the instructions below:
- You cannot prescribe an antibiotic on your own if you do not have a medical degree. Only a doctor will be able to determine the cause of the disease - a virus or a bacterium. Antibiotics do not help with a viral infection, on the contrary, they can worsen the course of the disease;
- You cannot stop the prescribed course of treatment if you feel better. Recurrence of the disease may occur;
- Do not change the dose of the antibiotic during treatment. Dose reduction threatens that the bacterium will develop drug resistance, and the increase is fraught with side effects or overdose;
- You can not drink the antibiotic with tea, juice and especially milk, otherwise taking the drug will be useless. Milk, dairy and fermented dairy products are incompatible with antibiotics, they reduce the effect of the drug. You can drink the drug only with water, about 0, 5-1 cup;
- You cannot take antibiotics at any convenient time. It is important to follow the instructions for the medicine and use the medicine as described, namely: before, during or after a meal. In addition, it is important to observe the frequency of administration (1 time in 24 hours, 2 times in 12 hours, 3 times in 8 hours, etc. ) to create the desired concentration of antibiotic in the body;
- Do not combine the intake of antibiotics with physical activity;
- You cannot drink alcohol during the whole course of antibiotics.
Before prescribing an antibiotic, it is imperative that you tell your doctor the following:
- medicines currently being taken;
- pregnancy or breastfeeding;
- kidney or liver disease;
- diabetes.
And also if observed earlier:
- the appearance of side effects;
- the development of allergic reactions;
- recent use of antimicrobial agents.
When can I drink alcohol after completing the course of antibiotics?
Different antibiotics have different active ingredients. And accordingly, each drug has its own conditions for elimination from the body. In one case it is a short period and the alcohol can be taken the next day, and in the other it is necessary to abstain from alcohol for 7 days.
The necessary information is usually indicated by the manufacturer in the annotation to the preparation. If absent, it is preferable to wait 10 days. In addition, if the patient has kidney or liver problems, this period should be at least doubled.
How long after alcohol can you take antibiotics?
Alcohol is completely eliminated from the body 21 hours after the last intake. After this period you can take the prescribed antibiotics. In any case, it is better to reduce alcohol consumption as much as possible if you take a course.
Causes of incompatibility of alcohol and antibiotics
Apart from the fact that taking antibiotics puts a significant strain on the kidneys and liver, and taking it with alcohol only worsens the situation, as ethanol slows down the urinary system, there is another important reason for incompatibility.
All substances that enter the human body begin to decompose until only the original parts remain. This also happens with alcohol and antibiotics. The danger of co-administration is that antibiotic molecules are similar to alcohol molecules. The body cannot recognize correctly, which leads to failure.
Alcohol is perceived by the body as a drug, which leads to the fact that alcohol molecules are improperly processed by the body.
Consequences of non-compliance with the rules for taking antibiotics
In case of violation of the rules for taking antibiotics, as well as the wrong choice of medication or improperly prescribed treatment regimen, side effects often occur.
They include:
- Dysbacteriosis. It is caused by an imbalance between the healthy and pathogenic microflora of the body, which appears at the moment when the pathogenic bacteria begin to outnumber the bacteria performing the body's protective functions. Dysbacteriosis manifests itself in the form of candidiasis or repeated diarrhea.
- Allergic reactions. Here an important role is played by individual intolerance to the components of the drug. Allergic reactions are different, including irreversible.
- Antibiotic resistance of bacteria. Pathogenic microorganisms are able to adapt to the active substance of the antibiotic, you only need to loosen the "grip". They continue to reproduce and the disease continues accordingly.
Only a serious attitude to taking antibiotics will give the necessary therapeutic effect.
What antibiotics are strictly forbidden to take with alcoholic beverages?
There are antibiotics that are strictly forbidden to be consumed simultaneously with drinks containing alcohol. This information must be stated in the annotation to the medicinal product, and the doctor responsible for prescribing the antibiotic must warn the patient.
These medicines include the following antibiotics:
- Tetracycline group. Preparations based on them are often used in medicine, have a wide range of action;
- Chloramphenicol group. This group of drugs often causes side effects and in combination with alcohol can increase the toxic effect of the drug;
- Lincosamide group. When taken concomitantly with alcoholic beverages, it has a negative effect on the liver and central nervous system;
- Aminoglycoside group. This group of drugs is one of the strongest among antibiotics. Poor compatibility with other drugs, not to mention alcohol
- The cephalosporin group. Co-administration with alcohol causes symptoms of severe intoxication of the body, which leads to a sharp deterioration in well-being;
- Macrolide group. The combination of alcohol and antibiotic leads to a strong toxic effect on the liver and brain;
- Antibiotics used to treat tuberculosis;
- Antibiotics used to treat leprosy.
There are also drugs on the pharmacological market for which the annotation does not contain information on interaction with alcohol.
The lack of information on the combination with alcohol does not mean that the combination is permissible. You do not need to expose your body to unnecessary risks.
Possible consequences of the combination of antibiotic and alcohol
There is no way to know in advance how an organism will react to the simultaneous intake of alcoholic fluids and antibiotics. Damage can be inflicted on any area of the body.
However, it has the most common consequences:
- Severe allergic reactions;
- Severe unbearable headache;
- Dizziness;
- Difficulty breathing
- Chest pain, oppressive nature;
- A sharp rise or fall in blood pressure;
- Turbidity of mind;
- Excessive sweating;
- Nausea or vomiting;
- Liver damage;
- Aggravated states of intoxication and hangover;
- The need to repeat the course of antibiotics. Alcohol will reduce or destroy the effect of the drug.
The consequences can be even sadder, it all depends on the individual and his health. The negative consequences are always the suffering of the body, in whole or in part. Adverse effects can be easily avoided by simply eliminating alcohol along with antibiotics.
It is important to know that only some of all antibiotics are currently incompatible with alcohol through clinical trials. Other drugs remain in doubt or are not fully understood.
One must understand the beginning of the possible consequences by focusing on drugs with already studied incompatibility with ethanol. Responsibility for your health should be a priority over all life circumstances related to drinking.
And to get the best result from the treatment, it is necessary to give up alcohol, any, even the weakest.