Antibacterial agents are widely used in modern medicine. All medicines have a different spectrum of action. It is worth remembering that antibiotics should not be taken on their own. For the appointment of the drug, you need to consult a doctor. The doctor first takes a sensitivity test and only after that recommends an effective drug. Often they become "Augmentin." Can I drink alcohol while using it? This question arises in about half of patients. That is why it is necessary to analyze in detail what compatibility antibiotic "Augmentin" and alcoholic beverages have.
Short description of the medication
Before you find out whether it is possible to "Augmentin" with alcohol, it is worth learning about this drug. The medication refers to broad-spectrum antibiotics (penicillin series). The medicine has different forms of release and dosage. This is provided for the convenience of the patient. Your doctor may prescribe Augmentin injections or take a pill. For children, an antibiotic in powder is available. From it you need to prepare a suspension.
The drug "Augmentin" has a wide spectrum of action. It is effective against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. The composition of the medication contains amoxicillin. It is this substance that comes into action and fights against microorganisms. Enhances the effect of treatment with clavulanic acid. This compound prevents the destruction of antibacterial substances by enzymes that create resistant microorganisms.
An opinion that has developed many decades ago: the myth of the incompatibility of penicillins with alcohol
It is believed that Augmentin and alcohol should not be taken together because the effect of the drug will be neutralized. As a result, treatment will be ineffective, resistant microorganisms will form. This opinion has developed many years ago. In those days, army men were treated with penicillins for sexually transmitted diseases. Doctors convinced their patients that taking alcohol would erase all therapy. This was done because after drinking the soldiers were inclined to promiscuous sexual relations, and this provoked a new infection transmitted in this way.
Since that time, it has become customary to believe that penicillins do not combine with alcohol, in particular, you can not take the drug "Augmentin" and alcohol at the same time. But now this opinion is increasingly disputed by the doctors themselves.
Do not take alcohol with the following pathologies
Is it acceptable to use the drug Augmentin and alcohol together? Compatibility in these chemicals is absent due to the fact that during the treatment of certain pathologies you can not drink alcohol. Penicillin antibiotic is prescribed for the following diseases.
- Infections of the upper and lower respiratory tract (bronchitis, sinusitis, otitis media, sinusitis, pneumonia, tonsillitis). With such pathologies, the use of alcohol is impractical, since ethanol further reduces immunity and causes intoxication. With almost all of the above pathologies, body temperature rises, a load on the heart occurs. Drinking alcohol will only aggravate the patient's condition.
- Urogenital tract diseases (cystitis, urethritis, prostatitis, genital tract infections). Do not drink alcohol in the treatment of these pathologies. Alcohol causes frequent urination and induces sexual intercourse, which may not be very good for the treatment of these diseases.
- Infections of the skin, tissues, joints, bacterial lesions after surgery, abortion, childbirth. With all such pathologies, it is unacceptable to drink alcohol. It is not known how additional intoxication will affect your well-being and the functioning of the immune system.
So, if Augmentin is prescribed for your treatment, is it possible to drink alcohol? Absolutely not! Alcohol does not go well with diseases that the medication eliminates.
The toxic effect of the antibiotic on the body is enhanced by alcohol.
It is known that the drug "Augmentin" is contraindicated in the following cases:
- hypersensitivity of the patient to the active substance and additional components;
- liver disease, including jaundice;
- infectious mononucleosis and viral diseases.
From the described limitations, we can conclude that the antibiotic adversely affects the hematopoiesis. Indeed, the liver passes all the medications through itself, cleansing them and eliminating the toxic effect on the body. It turns out that this body takes all the blow on itself. If you drink alcohol, you should know that it acts exactly like that. The liver neutralizes the toxic effect of ethanol, it prevents the poisoning of brain cells. With a double load (combination of alcohol with the drug), the filter organ is not able to cope with its task. As a result, one chemical compound (ethanol or antibiotic) remains untreated. Strong intoxication occurs, alcohol intoxication intensifies. Without calculating the dose of alcohol, you can earn alcoholic hepatic coma.
Combination effects
What else is the negative effect of a combination of ethanol and antibiotic? If you take alcohol after "Augmentin" or before it, then the likelihood of adverse reactions will increase. You can familiarize yourself with them while reading the instructions. Clinical studies have shown that the likelihood of negative effects will increase by about 2-3 times (depending on the amount and strength of the drink).
The use of ethanol and the drug can provoke allergies (a rash appears, in more severe cases - swelling). An antibiotic almost always disrupts the digestive system (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea occurs). Alcohol enhances this effect, as it irritates the walls of the digestive tract and enhances peristalsis. Intoxication while taking alcohol increases the likelihood of a reaction from the nervous system: headache, dizziness, irritability. Since the drug is excreted mainly by the kidneys, and alcohol has diuretic properties, the effect of the drug may be reduced. The effectiveness of such treatment is falling.
Medical opinion
Doctors do not advise their patients to take an antibiotic and drink alcohol. Doctors say that treatment with this medication lasts an average of 7 days. The minimum interval of therapy is 5 days, and the maximum is 14. Experts say that this is not such a long time. It is possible to abstain from alcohol for two weeks.
Doctors say that the simultaneous use of ethanol with the drug "Augmentin" entails low absorption of the drug into the bloodstream. This reduces the effectiveness of therapy. Also, the medication in combination with alcohol causes the formation of toxins that poison the body. The patient’s health directly depends on their number. Doctors recommend completely eliminating alcohol during treatment, even in small doses and low concentrations.
Augmentin and alcohol: how much alcohol can you drink after an antibiotic?
It is known that the active substance is excreted mainly by the kidneys. Therefore, the duration of the drug depends on the work of the excretory system. In healthy patients, the elimination half-life is on average 1-2 hours. After 6-8 hours, low doses of the active substance remain in the body. So how to combine Augmentin and alcohol? How much can I drink after taking the last pill?
Doctors recommend abstaining from alcohol for one day after drinking the last dose of the drug. But, in fact, the patient can take ethanol after 8-12 hours and avoid unpleasant consequences. Of course, you should not drink the last antibiotic tablet with a beer or a glass of wine. It will not lead to anything good.
Modern research has shown
After many analyzes and tests, it became clear that "Augmentin" and alcohol can still be combined. It is important to do it right. Studies have shown that penicillin-type antibiotics do not cause disulfiram-like reactions when combined with alcohol. This distinguishes them from other antimicrobial agents. But it is worth remembering that such medications most often provoke allergies.
If you empty a glass of wine or a mug of beer a few hours after taking the drug, then nothing criminal will happen. A pronounced toxic effect on the liver is observed only with the regular combination of Augmentin and alcohol. Of course, one should not drink the preparation with alcohol-containing compounds. But in the same way, tablets cannot be taken with tea, juice or milk. The most suitable liquid is water.
Patient Reviews
Many consumers talk about what they repeatedly had to drink during an antibiotic course. Nothing terrible happened to them. As practice shows, a one-time feast will not harm the body, nor will it eliminate the therapeutic effect of the drug. It is only important to wait at least a few hours between the dose of the medication and the intake of ethanol.
There is another opinion. Some patients say that after a combination of Augmentin tablets and alcoholic beverages, the effect of treatment was significantly reduced. I had to undergo a therapeutic course again, apply stronger antibiotics. Such drugs could not be combined with alcohol.
Instead of a conclusion
From the article you could find out whether it is possible to take the Augmentin antibiotic and drink alcohol at the same time. Think a few times before combining chemicals in this way. Weigh the pros and cons. Do not rely on the experience of experienced friends. It is better to consult your doctor and find out about the possible consequences of such therapy. Good luck!