Antibiotics today are one of the most common and very effective methods of treating various diseases. Thanks to antibacterial drugs, a number of diseases that were previously, a little over 100 years ago, often dangerous even for life, today are successfully treated without consequences. Modern pharmacology produces a large number of antibacterial drugs that are designed to be successfully taken even in infancy: some antibiotics, if none others, are successfully used even for the treatment of infants.
Of course, antibacterial drugs are among those agents, which inadvertent and unauthorized use are excluded. So, the use of this group of drugs should always be allowed, and even agreed with the doctor: its uncontrolled use instead of a healing effect always carries serious risks. But what can I say - the risk is there even if antibiotics are used as directed, because each of these drugs has its own side effects, which in some cases show unpleasant consequences.
And one of the warnings that applies to all antibacterial agents without exception is a warning about the impossibility, dangers and high risks of combining such drugs with alcohol. In the instructions for any antibiotic, you will definitely read in black and white: the use of alcoholic beverages with a background of therapy with the drug is strictly prohibited. And this is not an empty ban: drinking alcohol along with "snacks" on medication can lead to very negative consequences.
Alcoholic beverages are prohibited for use not only as a tool for "washing" drugs. Alcohol after antibiotics is prohibited and a few hours after taking the drug, and for a few days (or weeks better) after the end of treatment. Unless, of course, the person being treated does not want to experience slightly different health problems afterwards, having cured the "sickness", and from that they are no less serious and complicated.
Quitting alcohol after taking antibiotics is for the simple reason that each of these drugs has its own elimination period from the body. That is, even at the end of treatment, the active drug substance is still present in the blood, tissues, and liver. And until the process of its elimination from the body is complete, antibiotics, in case of taking alcoholic beverages after treatment, will react with alcohol in the same way as their reaction to alcohol consumed directly during therapy.
And these reactions can be completely different, but at the same time, in each individual case, they are definitely negative. Thus, one of the reasons why alcohol after antibiotic therapy, in fact, and throughout the treatment period, is not recommended, is explained by the nature of alcoholic beverages to significantly reduce the effects of drug use. Thus, when alcohol and antibiotics are taken together, the latter active ingredient, instead of being absorbed into the blood and providing a therapeutic effect, accumulates in the liver. As a result, the burden on the liver from a significant mixture of drugs and alcohol is great, and the long-awaited healing is delayed indefinitely.
Alcohol after antibiotics is also contraindicated on the grounds that it also burdens the liver: the natural "filter", and so while taking antibacterial drugs, works in an enhanced mode, and the additional load in the form of alcoholic beverages inflicts a greater blow to the organs. Entering a chemical reaction with alcohol, antibiotics, which try to break down and process the liver, in this case can not provide healing, but provokes a very unpleasant condition in the form of nausea, vomiting, dizziness, headache, or even mental blurring. In some cases, "cocktails" of antibiotics and alcohol can cause shortness of breath, and in severe cases, can lead to death. Unfortunately, such cases occur more than once in medical practice.
The body’s response to a mixture of alcohol and antibiotics is unpredictable. Against the background of joint intake of drugs and alcohol, there are cases, for example, exacerbation of chronic diseases by severe reactions of the nervous, digestive and cardiovascular systems.
The combination of alcoholic beverages with antibiotics can also be a major factor in the development of allergic reactions, even if the patient has never had an allergy in a previous form. So, if during the period of antibacterial treatment, the immune system is still able to provide the body protection at "increased speed", then the use of alcohol is quite capable of disrupting the function of the immune system, which is manifested by the appearance of allergies.
Summing up the intermediate results, we can say with confidence: antibiotics and alcohol are not at all, not at all compatible. The reasons for this prohibition are given above, they also underlie the statement that it is better to exclude alcoholic beverages from living for some time after such treatment. If you don’t want to risk your life and health in vain and in vain, of course.
When drinking alcohol after taking antibiotics
The question of when you can drink alcohol after antibiotics has no definite answer. Each antibacterial drug has its own elimination period from the body. Therefore, in each individual case, the decision on when to drink alcohol after antibiotics is made individually.
The minimum period during which a person should abstain from alcoholic beverages after the end of antibiotic therapy is three days. At the same time, there are drugs that are removed from the body for a longer period of time, and in this case, the period of alcohol abstinence can be 10, 14 days, or even several weeks. This is necessary so that the liver can remove from the body even the residual effects of antibiotic intake without additional burden in the form of alcohol.
By the way, doctors adhere to the latter opinion, recommending that all patients practice sobriety at the end of treatment with antibacterial agents for as long as possible. The longer the patient gives the liver to discard antibiotics and for subsequent recovery of work under normal circumstances, the lower the risk of conflict between alcohol and antibacterial drugs.
This is most important for people taking antibiotics for liver and kidney problems. In such cases, the period of alcohol prohibition after the end of antibiotic therapy is extended: the liver that is not yet completely healthy should be neutralized and antibiotic residues must be removed from the body. If, with increasing load on the liver, it is more of a burden, then it is impossible to do without complications.
For many people who are accustomed to indulging in at least a glass of red wine a day, it is quite difficult to let go of their favorite habit, even during antibiotic treatment. Such people often reject warnings about the dangers of combining alcohol and antibiotics, for some reason justifying themselves by saying that "nothing will come from a glass of wine. " And that’s pointless: even experts will never be responsible for contemplating the possible severity of the consequences. . In some cases, a glass of wine after taking antibiotics does not show serious results. But in other situations, even at first glance, the amount of alcohol not consumed while taking antibacterial drugs can lead to serious consequences. So, before dismissing the warnings of good people about the impossibility of combining alcohol and antibacterial agents, it is better to think a hundred times - is a glass of wine really more important than our own health?