Dangers of Mixing Antibiotics and Alcohol

If you’ve ever been prescribed a course of antibiotics, a natural question to ask is whether it’s safe to drink alcohol while taking them. In modest amounts, alcohol doesn’t affect most antibiotics, but it’s important to use caution and to understand the risks involved when combining the two.

This help guide examines why antibiotics and alcohol should not be taken together and the symptoms you may experience if you do so.

Why shouldn’t alcohol and antibiotics be mixed?

To better understand the ways that alcohol and antibiotics interact, we’ll first look at how antibiotics function and then how alcohol directly interferes with their efficacy.

How antibiotics work

Antibiotics are strong medications used to fight bacterial infections in your body. They either kill bacteria (bactericidal) or inhibit their growth (bacteriostatic). By working alongside your immune system, they target specific bacteria and eliminate the infection.

In the UK, antibiotics typically can only be prescribed by a doctor or GP. A set amount is prescribed as a “course,” the most common duration being 6 – 7 days. Several types of antibiotics may be prescribed to treat a wide range of conditions, including:

• Bacterial pneumonia
• Urinary tract infections
• Strep throat
• Sepsis
• Ear infections
• STIs

The overuse of antibiotics can increase antimicrobial resistance in your body. Misusing them also increases the risk of serious side effects and dangerous drug interactions, including adverse effects when mixed with alcohol.

How alcohol works against antibiotics

The packaging of antibiotics and words from your doctor will always advise against drinking alcohol while taking antibiotics. A very common question people ask their doctor when prescribed antibiotics is, “Can I drink while I’m on them?” The short answer is “no,” as alcohol directly impairs the effectiveness of antibiotics and can cause a range of negative side effects.

As your body metabolises alcohol, it produces a toxic byproduct called acetaldehyde, which can trigger nausea. Many antibiotics have common side effects of digestive issues, upset stomach and diarrhoea, which drinking can exacerbate.

Both alcohol and antibiotics can also impair your cognitive functioning. Research studying animals suggests that antibiotics interrupt communication between gut microbiota and the brain, while studies on humans found antibiotics affected cognitive function later in life. In addition, alcohol commonly disrupts the essential body mechanisms needed for recovery, like quality sleep and proper hydration.

For these reasons, health experts will always recommend avoiding alcohol throughout the antibiotic course to make sure you recover completely.

Alcohol’s effect on the immune system

Throughout the recovery process, your immune system works alongside the antibiotics to fight the infection. Drinking alcohol is then counterintuitive to the recovery you’re seeking with antibiotics, as research links heavy drinking with impaired immune system functioning. Alcohol causes an inflammatory response in the immune system and reduces the amount of antibodies you need to fight the infection.

What are the side effects of mixing alcohol and antibiotics?

Mixing alcohol and antibiotics can result in a range of side effects. The severity depends on the type of antibiotic, the amount of alcohol you drink and your tolerance level.

Common side effects

For many people, the combination of antibiotics and alcohol can cause intense and uncomfortable side effects. These effects impair your recovery from infection and can include:

• Nausea and vomiting: Both alcohol and antibiotics irritate the lining of your stomach, leading to digestive issues, nausea and vomiting. Certain antibiotics can cause particularly severe nausea when alcohol is present in the system.
• Dizziness, lethargy and drowsiness: Alcohol functions as a depressant, so it slows down your body’s central nervous system. Antibiotics can have a similar effect that causes fatigue and dizziness while also impairing your ability to concentrate. Everyday tasks like driving and performing at work can become more dangerous in this drowsy state.
• Headaches and migraines: Some antibiotics, like metronidazole and certain antifungal drugs, can cause alcohol intolerance, triggering a “disulfiram-like reaction.” This is a very uncomfortable process where alcohol isn’t fully broken down, causing severe headache, dizziness and migraines.
• Dehydration and disrupted appetite: Alcohol is a diuretic drug, meaning it promotes water loss through urine. Combining alcohol with antibiotics can worsen dehydration, and the hangover felt the following morning. In addition, using both can cause an intense suppression of appetite, making it harder to get the nutrients needed for recovery.

More severe side effects

Severe side effects may be less common, but some people can have a dangerous reaction when they drink while on a course of antibiotics. This may happen with stronger antibiotics such as metronidazole, tinidazole, and cefotetan. More severe side effects can include:

• Rapid heart rate (tachycardia): While it is more likely to happen in a person who already suffers from heart disease, some antibiotics can speed up your heart rate.
• Kidney damage: Mixing alcohol and antibiotics can cause damage to vital organs in the body, such as your kidneys. Your kidneys are responsible for clearing out substances from the blood and body through urine. Antibiotics are known to affect the kidneys, with research showing that some antibiotics can leave trace crystals that stop the flow of urine.
• Flushing and sweating: Some research claims that drinking while taking antibiotics such as griseofulvin can result in a faster heart rate, flushing of the skin and excessive sweating.
• Heart problems: While it’s uncommon, some antibiotics can cause an irregular heartbeat or low blood pressure. Some antibiotics linked with this side effect include erythromycin and ciprofloxacin. Drinking alcohol may cause further problems for the heart.
• Increased strain on the liver: The liver metabolises both alcohol and antibiotics. When you drink alcohol, the liver prioritises breaking down alcohol over antibiotics, potentially leading to a buildup. Symptoms such as yellowing of the eyes and skin (jaundice) may indicate strain or liver damage.

Can I drink alcohol after a course of antibiotics?

For some antibiotics, you may need to wait two to three days after finishing a course before it’s safe to drink alcohol. Carefully check the warning label on the drug’s packaging to know when it’s safe to do so.

It’s always a good idea to ask your healthcare provider, doctor or GP when it’s safe to drink again. They will have a better understanding of your specific health factors.

What if I can’t stop drinking while taking antibiotics?

If you find that you’re unable to stop drinking after being prescribed a course of antibiotics, it could be a sign that an alcohol use disorder (AUD) is forming. This is the clinical term for alcoholism or alcohol addiction and can pose an extreme risk to your physical health.

Depending on the frequency you drink and the amount consumed, you may be at a deeper stage of addiction that can slowly take control of your life. You should talk with the doctor who prescribed the antibiotics and start to research the symptoms of alcohol use disorder.

I need support removing alcohol from my life

For many, alcohol has become a matter of dependency, so a course of antibiotics feels impossible to complete while remaining sober. If an alcohol addiction has started to develop in your life, you should know that you don’t need to suffer alone, help is out there.

Here at Primrose Lodge, we offer comprehensive alcohol addiction treatment programmes designed to support you at every step. We specialise in detoxification to safely manage withdrawal symptoms and holistic therapies to address the underlying causes of addiction.

Don’t let alcohol control your life any longer. Contact Primrose Lodge today to take the first step toward lifelong sobriety.