Yes, you can drink alcohol while taking the antibiotic amoxicillin. The alcohol will not stop amoxicillin from working. Moderation is key. However, many health professionals will recommend you avoid alcohol to give your body the best chance possible to fight the infection.
Can You Drink Alcohol While Taking Amoxicillin? While it is less dangerous to drink alcohol while taking Amoxicillin than it is to drink with many other drugs, it is still highly recommended that potential drinkers abstain.
It's best to wait at least 72 hours after finishing a course of amoxicillin before drinking alcohol. Doing so will give your body time to recover from the infection and the effects of amoxicillin.
There is no known interaction between alcohol and amoxicillin. Drinking alcohol while taking amoxicillin does not typically cause a severe reaction. However, alcohol intake during amoxicillin treatment can worsen some of the side effects of amoxicillin, such as nausea and stomach discomfort.
If you are thinking about taking alcohol and amoxicillin, it is recommended that you wait at least 72 hours after finishing a complete course before drinking alcohol. You should also ensure that you have completely recovered from your infection.
Avoid Alcohol While Taking Antibiotics
Not only can alcohol interact badly with some medications and cause severe side effects, it can also potentially interrupt the natural healing process. Alcohol should be avoided until the regimen of antibiotics is completed and your body receives adequate rest and nutrition.
It is relatively safe to drink alcohol while taking amoxicillin, so there's no specific period of alcohol abstinence you should follow. To be safe, wait between 48 and 72 hours after completing amoxicillin before drinking any alcohol.
Alcohol can decrease the effectiveness of antibiotics. For some antibiotics, it can also cause dangerous interactions that may lead to serious changes in blood pressure or cause liver damage. Never drink alcohol with antibiotics unless your doctor or pharmacist has specifically told you that you can.
Amoxicillin can interact with medications like warfarin, allopurinol, and probenecid. It may also interact with alcohol and some live vaccines. Make sure to provide an updated medication list to your healthcare provider and pharmacist.
Amoxicillin fights infections in the body within an hour after taking it. The penicillin-based medication gets its strength from consistent use of multiple doses per day. Amoxicillin often relieves symptoms in less than 72 hours and stays in your system for 24 hours.
Some antibiotics when mixed with alcohol can lead to side effects like nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, flushing, and liver damage. Alcohol can also affect how some antibiotics are metabolized (broken down) in the body for elimination. This could lower the effectiveness of the antibiotic or increase its toxicity.
Although modest alcohol use doesn't reduce the effectiveness of most antibiotics, it can reduce your energy and delay how quickly you recover from illness. So, it's a good idea to avoid alcohol until you finish your antibiotics and are feeling better.
Continue to avoid alcohol for 48 hours after you stop taking metronidazole and 72 hours after you stop taking tinidazole. Drinking alcohol with metronidazole or tinidazole can cause very unpleasant side effects, such as: feeling and being sick.