Azithromycin is listed in an NIH report on harmful interactions with alcohol (4). The basis for this recommendation is unclear, as published findings do not identify an interaction. There are plenty of beverages that you can enjoy while taking antibiotics without worrying about how they Natural Products for the Prevention and Treatment of Hangover and Alcohol Use Disorder PMC might interact with your treatment. Always seek medical attention if you experience symptoms that feel out of the ordinary or are concerning.

Excessive alcohol use is well-known to cause liver damage like cirrhosis. Taking antibiotics that can also damage the liver may worsen these types of problems. Mixing Levofloxacin and alcohol may not always lead to immediate problems, but it’s important to know that alcohol can strengthen Levofloxacin’s side effects. There’s a chance of serious side effects, and that’s why doctors usually advise against combining Levofloxacin and alcohol.

Levaquin and Dairy

A person should always consult a doctor before mixing alcohol and antibiotics, as some potential side effects can be dangerous. Metronidazole affects the function of a key enzyme that helps the body digest alcohol. When metronidazole inhibits the enzyme aldehyde dehydrogenase, the levels of acetaldehyde accumulate in the blood. Although an occasional drink is safe with sulfonamides, healthcare professionals should exercise caution when prescribing trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole to people who drink alcohol regularly. Since alcohol can also have negative effects on the liver, people should avoid mixing alcohol with minocycline.

1. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
2. People with an impaired immune system have a higher risk of infection.
3. Further, patients could have been concurrently consuming a multitude of drugs, which can confound hepatoxicity risk.
4. Do not take any medicine to treat diarrhea without first checking with your doctor.

Alcohol, Antibiotics, and Related Symptoms

Do not take any medicine to treat diarrhea without first checking with your doctor. 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.

Does alcohol affect Levofloxacin?

Is your antibiotic thought to be one of the riskier ones to take with alcohol? Many of the same considerations apply to antifungals used to treat fungal infections. However, having a drink while you are taking a course of certain antibiotics might not be a huge deal.

Adverse reaction/toxicity data are limited to possible disulfiram-like reactions in two individuals, but the reported reaction cannot be clearly attributed to the combination of TMP-SMX and alcohol. In a randomized crossover trial, the effects of whiskey and red wine on the PK of doxycycline for six students was studied (35). Whiskey did not significantly modify the absorption of 200 mg of oral doxycycline.

Ethambutol is used in combination with other antimycobacterials as first-line therapy for treatment of tuberculosis (112). Rifamycins may cause hepatotoxicity; however, this does not preclude use with alcohol without preexisting LFT elevations when appropriate monitoring can be performed. Griseofulvin is an oral antifungal approved for the treatment of various ringworm infections due to Microsporum, Epidermophyton, and Trichophyton (93). Azoles are antifungals approved for the treatment of fungal infections (88). Nitroimidazoles are used for parasitic or anaerobic infections (45). The most common example is metronidazole; however, tinidazole and secnidazole are also members of this class.

Package labeling warns that griseofulvin may potentiate the effects of alcohol, resulting in tachycardia and flushing (93). Disulfiram-like reactions have been reported in the literature (94–96). Reactions can range in severity; one patient required admission to the intensive care unit (97). This patient reportedly experienced symptoms following consumption of 500 mg of griseofulvin and a single can of beer.

Antibiotics are one of the most commonly prescribed and important drug classes in medicine. Rest, drink plenty of fluids (other than alcohol), and be sure to finish all your medication when you have an infection. Not all antibiotics have serious interactions with alcohol, but avoiding alcoholic beverages while you are sick is usually a good idea.