Diarrhea medicines may make the diarrhea worse or make it last longer. If you have any questions about this or if mild diarrhea continues or gets worse, check with your doctor. A person may be able to drink alcohol in moderation and with caution while they are taking some types of antibiotics. However, a person should always consult a doctor before doing this. A type of antibiotic called doxycycline may be less effective in people with a history of heavy drinking. Metronidazole affects the function of a key enzyme that helps the body digest alcohol.

But much of the time, the amount of alcohol is the most important consideration. You are much more likely to have problems with impaired antibiotic effectiveness, slowed healing, or worsened side effects if you drink excessively. The following lists are adapted from a 2020 review article from the American Society for Microbiology, which analyzed current data on safety on alcohol and antibiotics. Another antibiotic, Zyvox (linezolid) can cause very elevated blood pressure in some people when combined with some kinds of alcohol.

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Many insurance companies require prior authorization for this drug. This means your doctor will need to get approval from your insurance company before your insurance company will sober house pay for the prescription. You should not need a new prescription for this medication to be refilled. Your doctor will write the number of refills authorized on your prescription.

• For example, many antibiotics have potential side effects like stomach irritation or nausea.
• Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of levofloxacin in the elderly.
• For example, you should probably avoid using alcohol while taking the antifungals Nizoral (ketoconazole) or Gris-PEG (griseofulvin), due to risk of liver problems.
• Recently, studies have shown that, when the body is metabolizing alcohol, this causes the immune system to weaken.

The potential for interaction problems becomes greater when considering the wide use of drugs in the country. Americans have access to more than 2,800 drugs that require a prescription. In addition to them, anyone can buy 2,000 medicines that do not need a doctor’s order.

Finding Out What Side Effects Can Occur from Alcohol and Antibiotics

Since alcohol lowers the seizure threshold, doctors advise people with a history of seizures to avoid mixing alcohol and fluoroquinolones. Drinking too much on any one occasion can damage your heart, depending on how much time passes. As a result, you can get an irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, or even a stroke.