Often, when you receive a prescription from your doctor, they advise you to abstain from alcohol while you’re taking the medication. This doesn’t apply to all meds, though, which leads us to today’s question: Can you drink alcohol while taking antibiotics?
Can You Drink Alcohol While Taking Antibiotics?
This looks like a simple yes/no question. Let’s explore why the answer is a bit more complex than you might have expected.
In most cases, the answer to this question is that you shouldn’t drink alcohol while taking antibiotics, but if you do so in moderation, it probably won’t diminish the medication’s effectiveness.
However, that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to combine these two substances. For example:
- Antibiotics help your body fight off infections. Alcohol abuse can undermine your body’s ability to accomplish this. Drinking can lead to dehydration, poor nutrition, and substandard sleep, all of which can prevent your immune system from functioning at full effectiveness.
- A weakened immune system can increase your risk of developing other infections. Thus, while you’re taking an antibiotic for one problem, your drinking may lead to the onset of additional health concerns.
- Alcohol use can intensify the side effects of certain antibiotics.
- As we will discuss in greater detail in the next section, drinking alcohol while taking certain antibiotics can be especially hazardous to your health.
Most Dangerous Antibiotics to Mix With Alcohol
There are a few cases where the answer to the question, “Can you drink alcohol while taking antibiotics?” is a definitive no.
In these cases, the interaction between the medications and the alcohol could be quite harmful. For example, if you are taking either of these two antibiotics, you should completely abstain from drinking:
The potential impact of drinking while you have metronidazole or tinidazole in your system can include powerful headaches and abdominal cramping, intense nausea and vomiting, hot flashes, dizziness, and difficulty staying awake.
To underscore the severity of alcohol’s interaction with metronidazole and tinidazole, doctors often advise patients to stop drinking at least two days before starting these meds, and to remain alcohol-free for at least three days after they have finished taking them.
Here are possible adverse effects that can result from consuming alcohol while you are taking other antibiotics:
- Sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim: Fatigue and nausea
- Linezolid: Elevated blood pressure and possible liver damage
- Doxycycline: Diminished effectiveness of the medication and possible liver damage
- Levofloxacin: Stomach problems
The effects of combining antibiotics and alcohol can be influence by a variety of factors. These include how much and how often you drink and if you are taking other medications.
Before starting an antibiotic or any other prescription med, talk to your doctor to confirm if you should avoid alcohol or other substances while you’re taking it.
What if You Can’t Stop Drinking While Taking Antibiotics?
If you can’t stop drinking while you’re taking antibiotics, that could be a sign that you have developed alcohol use disorder. This is the clinical term for alcohol addiction or alcoholism.
Symptoms of alcohol use disorder that may apply in this circumstance include:
- Being unable to limit the amount and frequency of your drinking
- Consuming alcohol in ways that you know can be hazardous to your health
- Continuing to drink even after incurring some type of harm due to prior alcohol use
- Wanting to quit drinking, but being unable to do so
Depending on how much you’ve been drinking, and how long you have been addicted to alcohol, it can be both difficult and dangerous to try to end your alcohol use on your own. Thankfully, you don’t have to go through this experience alone.
First, you should talk to the doctor who prescribed the antibiotics to you. This might not be the easiest conversation to have, but it is essential.
You should never end your use of prescription medication early without discussing it with the prescribing physician. We’ve already established that you shouldn’t drink alcohol while taking antibiotics. Let your doctor know what’s going on, so they can take appropriate steps to protect your health.
Treatment Options
For many people, the path to recovery from alcohol addiction starts with detoxification, or detox. The benefits of this option include:
- You will be in a safe, closely supervised environment where you won’t have access to alcohol or other dangerous substances.
- You will be cared for by professionals who are familiar with all aspects of the alcohol withdrawal process, so they can address any contingencies that may occur.
- If necessary, you can receive prescription medication to ease some of your withdrawal symptoms and protect your health.
- While you are in detox, you may also be able to participate in therapy sessions. Therapy can help you manage withdrawal symptoms that aren’t alleviated by medication. These sessions can also help you start to develop the skills that will support your continued recovery.
- As you approach the end of your time in detox, your team can help you determine which sources of follow-on care are best for you.
Contact Phoenix Rising Recovery to Safely Detox From Alcohol Today
If the danger or distress of withdrawal has prevented you from quitting drinking, Phoenix Rising Recovery is here to help.
When you choose our alcohol detox center in Palm Springs, California, our team of compassionate experts can help you get through withdrawal safely and with as little distress as possible.
Then, once you have successfully rid your body of alcohol, you can transfer directly into a residential or outpatient program without leaving our campus. This can minimize your risk of immediate relapse and help you gain a more solid foothold in early recovery.
To learn more about how we can help you or someone you care about, or to schedule a free assessment, please visit our Contact page or call us today.