Can I drink alcohol after taking antibiotics?

Everyone should be familiar with alcohol. Some people may not have drunk it, but they should know that there are many types of alcohol, and its taste is also quite different. Different alcohol has different effects. For example, medicinal wine has certain effects on the body, and different wines have different alcohol concentrations. Antibiotics have certain effects on the human body, so can you drink alcohol after taking antibiotics?

It doesn't mean you can't drink alcohol when taking all antibiotics, but you can't drink alcohol when taking cephalosporin antibiotics. Because "cephalosporin + ethanol" can cause a "disulfiram-like reaction": the main component of alcohol is ethanol, after drinking. 90% of ethanol is metabolized in the liver, which requires the catalytic decomposition of alcohol dehydrogenase and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase. If these two enzymes are deficient or their functions are inhibited, it will lead to the accumulation of ethanol or acetaldehyde. The disulfiram-like reaction is actually the inhibition of acetaldehyde dehydrogenase activity, which causes the symptoms of acetaldehyde accumulation poisoning. Common symptoms include facial flushing, conjunctival congestion, headache, dizziness, irritability, and shortness of breath. In severe cases, there may be difficulty breathing, impaired consciousness, coma, etc., and it may even be life-threatening.

1. When antibiotics meet alcohol, they can cause acetaldehyde poisoning: After taking antibiotics, some substances will be produced in the body. If you then drink alcohol, the ethanol in the alcohol can be converted into acetic acid in the body and then excreted from the body. However, with the blocking of antibiotics, ethanol cannot be converted into acetic acid and can only be converted into acetaldehyde, which will eventually lead to poisoning.

2. Cephalosporins should not be taken at the same time with alcohol: Cephalosporins, similar to antibiotics, should not be taken at the same time with alcohol. If the two are combined together and react in the body, symptoms such as flushed face, chest tightness, shortness of breath, headache and dizziness will appear. You must seek medical attention in time, otherwise there may be bigger problems.

3. Do not drink alcohol within two weeks after taking antibiotics: If you drink a lot of alcohol on a regular basis, you should avoid using antibiotics. If you have taken antibiotics before, they will remain in the body for at least two weeks, so you should not drink alcohol within these two weeks, otherwise it will counteract the effect.