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Antibiotics represent one of the biggest successes of the modern medicine. There are many stories regarding the possible outcomes of mixing alcohol and antibiotics, but most of them are just myths!

The potential side effects of mixing antibiotics and alcohol are [1]:

  • nausea
  • vomiting
  • convulsions
  • abdominal cramps
  • headaches
  • fast heart rate and
  • flushing

Alcohol can put an extra load on the patient’s liver and the immune system and impair their judgment (including potentially making them forget about their next dose), liberate aggressive tendencies, and reduce energy.

Antibiotics and alcohol: What do you need to know?

Only a few classes of antibiotics absolutely require patients to abstain from alcohol.

It is crucial to completely avoid drinking when taking the following antibiotics [6]:

  • Metronidazole – the side-effects include flushing, breathlessness, headache, increased or irregular heart rate, low blood pressure, nausea and vomiting.
  • Tinidazole is chemically similar to metronidazole and may cause the same reaction
  • Furazolidone (Furoxone),
  • Griseofulvin (Grisactin),
  • Antimalarial Quinacrine (Atabrine)
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