Combining alcohol and antibiotics can increase your chance of developing side effects. It’s best to wait until you’re done with your antibiotic course before consuming alcohol.
Alcohol and medication can be a dangerous mix. Doctors recommend avoiding alcohol while taking a number of drugs.
The biggest concern is that consuming alcohol with medications might increase the risk of unsafe side effects.
Learn more about the safety of mixing alcohol and antibiotics and the effects alcohol can have on your body’s ability to fight infection.
Alcohol doesn’t make most antibiotics less effective, but consuming alcohol may increase your chance of experiencing side effects.
The specific side effects that an antibiotic can cause depend on the drug. However, some common side effects of antibiotics include:
Alcohol can also cause side effects. These include:
- an upset stomach
- digestive problems, such as stomach pain, diarrhea, and ulcers
- tiredness
Signs of a negative alcohol-antibiotic reaction include:
- flushing (reddening and warming of your skin)
- severe headache
- racing heart rate
In most cases, these side effects go away on their own. If you think you’re having a medical emergency, call 911 or your local emergency services number immediately.
Drinking alcohol while taking certain antibiotics may lead to a potentially dangerous reaction and make the drug less effective. This includes:
- griseofulvin, which can lead to excessive sweating and a fast heartbeat
- isoniazid and linezolid, which can lead to liver damage and high blood pressure
What to do
The warning label on your antibiotic should include information about alcohol use.
Talk with a doctor or pharmacist if you’re unsure about the details of your medications. They may tell you that an occasional drink is OK. But that likely depends on your age, overall health, and the type of drug you’re taking.
If a doctor tells you that you shouldn’t drink alcohol, ask how long you should wait before drinking again. You may need to wait at least 72 hours after finishing your course of antibiotics before having any alcohol.
Listening to a doctor or pharmacist’s advice can help you avoid the effects of an alcohol-drug interaction.
Usually, drinking alcohol won’t keep your antibiotic from working to treat your infection. Still, it can interfere with your infection’s healing in other ways.
Getting enough rest and eating a nutritious diet both
All of these factors can reduce your body’s ability to heal from an infection. Acute alcohol use, binge drinking, and chronic alcohol use can all be harmful, whether you take medication or not.
Keep in mind that alcohol isn’t just limited to beer, wine, liquor, and mixed drinks. It can be found in some mouthwashes and cold medications, too.
Check the ingredient labels on these and other products if you’ve had an alcohol-antibiotic reaction in the past. Ask a doctor if it’s safe for you to use these products while you take an antibiotic.
Doctors often prescribe antibiotics for a short time. In many cases, you only need to take antibiotics for a week or two to fully recover from an infection.
Mixing alcohol with antibiotics is rarely a good idea. Both alcohol and antibiotics can cause side effects in your body, and drinking alcohol while taking antibiotics can raise your risk of these harmful effects.
If the label on your drug says not to drink alcohol during treatment, follow that advice.
Keep in mind that antibiotics are often prescribed on a short-term basis. Consider waiting until you’re off the medications to have your next drink. It may reduce the chance of complications or side effects brought on by antibiotics.
Avoiding alcohol will likely help you get over your infection more quickly anyway.
Talk with your doctor and pharmacist if you’re taking an antibiotic. They can talk to you about alcohol use and your medications.