"The VD Clinics of the 1950s and 1960s gave the somber and serious advice that alcohol should absolutely not be used while taking penicillin. But there were no significant chemical interactions between penicillin and alcohol. The real reason that this advice was given was for moral reasons, not pharmacological reasons. The medicos of the day were worried that alcohol would reduce the inhibitions of the sufferers, and that, while under the influence, they might get a little "frisky" and pass on their infection to another person, before the penicillin had a chance to cure the sexually transmitted diseases.
That's how the mythconception that alcohol should never be taken with antibiotics arose."
source: http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2005/06/02/1380836.htm
is this the truth? it seems like it has some truth, but you have to remember the liver is most efficient with only 1 metabolic process is taking place, for example, if one was to consume vast amounts of alcohol and smoke marijuana, the metabolic breakdown of the alcohol is going to be compromised by the THC and will take longer to break down. the same principle would surely apply to antibiotics?
Crate Rib
Hi,
The term antibiotics include a gamut of CLASSES of agents. A few such classes would include beta-lactams (penicillins, cephalosporins, carbepenems, monobactams, etc..), aminoglycosides, tetracyclines etc..
In all these classes certain drugs have disulfiram like action.
Alcohol gets metabolized by two enzymes namely alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase. The drug disulfiram blocks the aldehyde dehydrogenase causing accumulation of acetaldehyde. The aldehydes are toxic to the body cells and cause vomitting, hangover, flushing, nausea, headache etc...
A few antibiotics in each class have this effect. So in case of these drugs, it is mandatory to avoid alcohol. However in case of drugs which do not have this effect, what you have mentioned is correct.
Hope this helps. Refer to source to know more about disulfiram.
All the best.
Ron
As a serviceman in the early 60s I remember the warnings very well, and to be honest they were good advice but for the wrong reasons.
I later went on to be a pharmaceutical rep. and soon learned that drinking moderate amounts of alcohol with the majority of antibiotics is quite harmless, however there are some antibiotics which are adversely affected by alcohol and a few that would result in some pretty nasty side effects.
http://www.nhs.uk/chq/pages/871.aspx?categoryid=73&subcategoryid=103
The answer as always is extremely simple, ask your doctor/pharmacist!, he or she probably enjoys a tipple and won't be judgemental if you ask him/her.
Orignal From: What is the reason for not drinking when taking antibiotics?
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