Can you drink alcohol when on penicillin?

[Sean1875]

As the title says.

Of course, im just finding out for my cousin who is of a legal drinking age... :rolleyes:

[Killiehibbie]

Yes you can.

[Woody1985]

Yes you can.

But what are the consequences? :greengrin

[Danderhall Hibs]

I believe there's only one type of pennicillin that you can't drink on but that one clearly states it on the bottle.

The other types you can drink but it negates the effect of the drug so if you really need to drink over the next 7-10 days you'd be better not taking the tablets.

[Killiehibbie]

Alcohol must be avoided when Flagel is your antibiotic.

[GC]

I believe there's only one type of pennicillin that you can't drink on but that one clearly states it on the bottle.

The other types you can drink but it negates the effect of the drug so if you really need to drink over the next 7-10 days you'd be better not taking the tablets.

Or to put it another way, if you really need to drink when you are on medication you might have a small problem.

[Danderhall Hibs]

Or to put it another way, if you really need to drink when you are on medication you might have a small problem.

:greengrin I'm sure we've all done it though.

[greenlex]

Alcohol must be avoided when Flagel is your antibiotic.
Is he not one of the Bananna Splits?

[Allant1981]

:greengrin I'm sure we've all done it though.


Yip, 2 drinks and ur flying:thumbsup:

[Sean1875]

I believe there's only one type of pennicillin that you can't drink on but that one clearly states it on the bottle.

The other types you can drink but it negates the effect of the drug so if you really need to drink over the next 7-10 days you'd be better not taking the tablets.

Does that mean itll make the drug useless or it will have negative effects on me? :confused:

[sleeping giant]

Does that mean itll make the drug useless or it will have negative effects on me? :confused:
On your cousin:wink:

[GC]

Does that mean itll make the drug useless or it will have negative effects on me? :confused:

You mean your cousin don't you:greengrin

[Sean1875]

On your cousin:wink:


You mean your cousin don't you:greengrin
Er yes of course, my cousin... :greengrin

[Don Giovanni]

Some antibiotics are more likely to have a strong reaction with alcohol than others. Metronidazole (trade name: Flagyl) for example can have an extremely strong reaction with alcohol causing copious vomitting in some patients (penicillins are less likely to cause such a serious reaction). However, most antiobiotics have the potential to cause nausea, vomitting and/or diarrhoea without the help of alcohol.
Generally speaking booze is best avoided whilst taking antibiotics. If only because the body will not be as effective at fighting the infection if it is tired and hungover.
Without going into details, I'd guess the prescription is a short course for an acute infection and if your mate can't keep of the drink for a week (?) then that is probably the bigger issue!

P.S. drinking won't "negate the effects of the drug" and you'd be better taking the tablets, clearing the infection and then your enjoying yourself as normal when back to full fitness.

[Danderhall Hibs]

P.S. drinking won't "negate the effects of the drug" and you'd be better taking the tablets, clearing the infection and then your enjoying yourself as normal when back to full fitness.

So are you saying that if you drink while taking penicillin the drug will still work effectively and clear the infection?

[Darth Hibbie]

So are you saying that if you drink while taking penicillin the drug will still work effectively and clear the infection?

That was my understanding, it only got you melted quicker or made you feel rather ill, but still worked :dunno:

I aint no Dr though

[fergal7]

Is he not one of the Bananna Splits?

No. He used to play for hearts.

[Wotherspiniesta]

No. He used to play for hearts.

He was Superbad :duck:

[Don Giovanni]

So are you saying that if you drink while taking penicillin the drug will still work effectively and clear the infection?

I'm saying that the antibiotic will still kill the bacteria that has caused infection (but dinnae take that as license to go out and get pished whilst unwell :rolleyes::tsk tsk:). If your out drinking 'til the wee small hours your body will be tired and hungover; you'll be expending energy processing alcohol instead of fighting the infection. There's also a fair chance you'll end up with an upset stomach from the combination of booze and antibiotic(s).

If your well rested, well hydrated the course of the infection is likely to be shorter than being tired and hungover.

[Danderhall Hibs]

I'm saying that the antibiotic will still kill the bacteria that has caused infection (but dinnae take that as license to go out and get pished whilst unwell :rolleyes::tsk tsk:). If your out drinking 'til the wee small hours your body will be tired and hungover; you'll be expending energy processing alcohol instead of fighting the infection. There's also a fair chance you'll end up with an upset stomach from the combination of booze and antibiotic(s).

If your well rested, well hydrated the course of the infection is likely to be shorter than being tired and hungover.

Fair enough mate. You sound like you know more about it than me - my info is all from personal experience and old wife's tales.:greengrin

[Aritch]

I was always lead to believe that drinking alcohol while on antibiotics actually has little or no negative effects.

We're in urban myth territory now but I remember being told that the reason people generally thought that mixing alcohol and antibiotics was bad stemmed from WW2. They were trialling penicillin and due to short supply had to distill used antibiotics from the urine of soliders who had already been treated. Drinking alcohol meant that the process became much more difficult.

I found this medical journal article on google that talks about it but it just recounts the same story without giving any evidence.

http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/337/dec16_1/a2885

[Don Giovanni]

I was always lead to believe that drinking alcohol while on antibiotics actually has little or no negative effects.

We're in urban myth territory now but I remember being told that the reason people generally thought that mixing alcohol and antibiotics was bad stemmed from WW2. They were trialling penicillin and due to short supply had to distill used antibiotics from the urine of soliders who had already been treated. Drinking alcohol meant that the process became much more difficult.

I found this medical journal article on google that talks about it but it just recounts the same story without giving any evidence.

http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/337/dec16_1/a2885

Never heard that one before but it is possible.

Organon (pharmaceutical company with premises just of the M8 at Bellshill) were established on the ability to extract oestrogen from horse piss. Can't be many companies established by interfering with animals:offski::kbacker:

Which specific antibiotic you choose as your drinking buddy can be very, very important. The afore mentioned metronidazole (Flagyl) can cause a "disulfiram*-like reaction" (projectile vomitting). Very unpleasant. Please do not drink whilst on this medication.
That is one of the more extreme antibiotic reactions with alcohol and not all patients will react in the exact same manner.
I think you really have to ask yourself: "can I go without a drink for a week or two whilst I take this antibiotic and get over this illness?" If the answer is "no" then you may have bigger problems than the current infection (that's no directed at you, andinho, or anyone else on here for that matter)

*To give you an idea disulfiram is another medication which is given to alcoholics trying to dry out. If the patient relapses they will be violently sick when the alcohol comes into contact with the disulfiram, assuming the patient has continued to take the tablets. George Best was treated with this medication following his liver transplant. Article here (http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2003/jul/17/thisweekssciencequestions)