Does alcohol affect antibiotics

The power of antibiotics

Ever since antibiotics have been discovered and perfected in terms of effects and benefits, they began to be regarded as one of the mightiest possible weapons of the modern medicine in combating almost any ailment that may befall us. And in a great majority of cases, this has proven to be quite true. On the other hand, there is a number of substances that are known to have the ability to diminish and weaken, as well as completely curb the effects of antibiotics. In this regard, considered to be one of the most fearsome enemies of antibiotics is no other than many people's favorite fun and leisure-time companion – alcohol.

A question fairly commonly posed

For all those people who have wondered if this is true or not, the moment to get the long awaited answer has come. All things taken into consideration, alcohol as such is unlikely to interfere with antibiotics to decrease their effect to the level of being ineffective. But, on the other hand, what it may do is make recuperation quite longish in duration, when a person decides to mix it with such antibiotics as, for example, doxycycline. What many people are not familiar with is that antibiotics do have their own ways of going up and about one's body and producing a sought after effect, as well as their own ways of leaving the body once not needed any more.

Of course, the mechanism antibiotics employ distinguishes from one variety to another. Certain are broken down by the liver and expelled by way of urination, whereas others get expelled in a direct fashion and by means of stool. What has been determined so far, is that alcohol's effect on antibiotics is mirrored in bringing the excretion rate up, while bringing the liver break-down rate significantly below the proper and designated mark. As a direct result of this comes the fact that, by doing so, alcohol most certainly delays the effect and increases the need for greater doses. Another thing that needs to be mentioned and emphasized is that the above said is valid only for certain antibiotics and is not all-applicable, meaning that the starting statement of alcohol diminishing the effects of antibiotics in general should not be regarded as true.

Ill-effects of alco-biotic combo

Some of the most prominent reasons for not combining alcohol and antibiotics include the following:

Alcohol and antibiotics compete for the same group of metabolic enzymes, which makes antibiotics remain in blood significantly longer, and increases the risk of experiencing those most unwanted and undesired side effects. In case of prolonged consumption of alcohol, increased production of metabolic enzymes is promoted, decreasing the amount of antibiotics that remain in the body for specific period of time needed for them to take effect. Prolonged alcohol consumption also activates certain enzymes that, when conjoined with antibiotics, make up ill-effecting substances.