Why is it not good to mix antibiotics and alcohol?

Many know that it is not good to mix antibiotics and alcohol,  which is an act that is not recommended because of the effects they may have on the body. One of the main reasons is the adverse effect or ineffectiveness of the antibiotic  which is attributed to alcohol. Or else the effect may be the opposite, thus reinforcing the effects of the antibiotic .

Therefore, it is important to keep in mind that not all antibiotic medicines have the same way of acting in the body. Thus, the same side effects of antibiotics cannot be attributed, as this varies from one type to another when mixed with the effect of alcohol.

Admittedly, casual, shallow amounts of alcohol most often do not greatly interfere with the effects of most antibiotic remedies. The problem is that in these cases, what weighs is the side effect of alcohol on the immune system .

Below, we will explain the main effects that are produced in the body because it is not good to  mix antibiotics and alcohol . And we’re also going to talk about how the different and main antibiotics that alcohol can be harmful to.

Effects that occur when mixing antibiotics and alcohol:

As already mentioned, one of the adverse results that occurs when alcohol is mixed with antibiotics is when the side effects of the medications are increased. This is because some medicines like amoxicillin usually have some side effects such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. This same alcohol is a very harmful compound for the intestinal mucosa and is likely to potentiate several of these adverse effects.

In the same way, another problem generated is the fact that some people who are treated with antibiotics are usually some who suffer from an infection. This means that they need their competent immune system to fight these infections . Alcohol can be harmful to the action of your immune system , making it difficult to cure these diseases.

In addition, this same alcohol is metabolized directly to the liver by enzymatic pathways that also metabolize antibiotics. This causes the liver to work processing alcohol, thus preventing the antibiotic  from being metabolized properly. The big end effects are not just a reduction in the action of antibiotic drugs. It can also be the accumulation of toxic substances, thus increasing a high incidence of side effects.

Antibiotics you should not mix alcohol with:

There are also some antibiotics that, when mixed with alcohol, can cause serious and really harmful effects. In some of the most severe cases, Mixing Antibiotics and Alcohol can initiate the well-known disulfiram effect, which will be explained below. Antibiotics that cause the disulfiram effect are:

• Metronidazole : This antibiotic  and antiparasitic remedy is generally used to cure infections  and gastroenteritis among other ailments;
• Tinidazole: It is an antibiotic  and also an antiparasitic like Metronidazole , which should not be mixed with alcohol.

When alcohol is mixed with these so-called antibiotics, the medicated patient will suffer one or even more than one of the symptoms of the disulfiram effect. In addition, it is very important to always keep in mind that not only should you avoid drinking alcohol when you are taking these antibiotics, but you should also avoid it when you are finished.

Alcohol cannot be consumed until 48 hours after stopping Metronidazole treatment . Likewise, it is necessary to wait at least 72 hours after tinidazole leaves the body .

What is the disulfiram effect?

Formally known as Antabuse, disulfiram is a typical product used in the treatment of alcoholism. With this drug, the liver begins to be prevented from being able to metabolize the most toxic metabolites present in alcohol. That way, this alcohol can be up to 10 times more toxic to your body.

In this way, the patient who has this symptom is quickly poisoned with only a minimal dose of alcohol ingested, quickly feeling the side effects. These effects are vomiting, low blood pressure , palpitations, among others. These are the same side effects that the patient who consumes alcohol mixed with the aforementioned antibiotic medicines will experience. Especially the following results:

• Redness of the skin;
• Deep perspiration;
• Nausea and vomiting;
• Tachycardia and dizziness;
• Headache or headache;
• Difficulty breathing;
• Chest pain.

In addition, on some occasions when it is known that  Mixing Antibiotics and Alcohol  is not good, the patient also has vertigo, high blood pressure and syncope. People who are most at risk of this are people over 65 years old, which is due to the fact that they are more sensitive to the adverse effects of alcohol. Likewise, patients take chronic medications. In conclusion, it is never advisable to mix alcohol and antibiotics. Sometimes the effects are not always so negative, the mix is ​​never good for the user.