If you have been prescribed flucloxacillin, then you are likely dealing with a bacterial infection of some kind, often involving the skin, soft tissue, bones or joints.
While your focus may be on clearing the infection, some people are likely to question whether or not you are able to drink alcohol whilst taking flucloxacillin.
For many people in the UK, alcohol is part of everyday life.
However, when medication is involved, especially when it comes to antibiotics, it is sensible to question whether or not you should be drinking even small amounts.
In this article, we will look at what flucloxacillin is, whether alcohol directly interacts with it, the possible risks involved in taking flucloxacillin and what to do if you think that your drinking has become a problem.
Flucloxacillin is a type of penicillin and antibiotic. People are usually prescribed this type of medication when they suffer from an infection of some kind.
In fact, flucloxacillin is particularly effective against certain bacteria, including a bacteria called Staphylococcus Aureus, which commonly causes skin and soft tissue infections [1].
Flucloxacillin is often prescribed for severe cases of cellulitis, infected wounds or skin, impetigo, large abscesses, severe and infected eczema and a number of bone or joint infections.
Most people are advised to take flucloxacillin four times a day and doctors say that it must be taken on an empty stomach, typically one hour before food or two hours after last eating.
This is really important to remember, because food reduces its absorption into the body and therefore makes it less effective.
As with most antibiotics, Flucloxacillin works by interfering with the bacteria’s cell wall, which then helps to cause the bacteria to die.
There are a number of common side effects, including sickness and nausea, diarrhoea, stomach issues and even sometimes a mild rash.
In some cases, flucloxacillin can affect your liver function. This is particularly common in older adults, or those taking flucloxacillin for prolonged periods of time.
There is no formal NHS warning stating that alcohol must be completely avoided while taking flucloxacillin.
Unlike certain antibiotics such as metronidazole, flucloxacillin does not trigger a severe reaction when combined with alcohol [2].
However, that does not mean that you should continue drinking alcohol whilst taking the medication.
Drinking large amounts of alcohol will always have a negative impact on your health, especially your immune system which will be fighting hard to recover from the infection.
Even though flucloxacillin does not have a well-known direct clash with alcohol, there are a number of different reasons why you might still want to avoid drinking alcohol whilst taking flucloxacillin.
As discussed above, flucloxacillin is recommended to be taken on an empty stomach. However, it is also well known that drinking alcohol when consumed without food can irritate the stomach lining.
These two things clash, meaning that you might be damaging your stomach if you choose to drink alcohol whilst taking flucloxacillin.
There are a number of symptoms associated with this, including heightened sickness and nausea, stomach pains and diarrhoea.
Put simply, because the antibiotic already has the potential to upset your stomach, adding alcohol can amplify those effects putting you at greater risk of illness and pain.
Although uncommon, flucloxacillin has been associated with liver related issues in some cases. For example, this might include conditions such as jaundice or abnormal liver function.
This is especially the case in older adults or those who have been taking flucloxacillin for a long period of time.
It is also the case that alcohol is metabolised in the liver. Therefore, drinking heavily while taking a medication that carries even a small risk of liver irritation increases strain on the liver.
For people with existing liver issues, avoiding alcohol during the course of your medication is advised and should be respected.
It is important to remember that anyone who has been prescribed antibiotics is fighting an infection.
When fighting an infection, your immune system will be under pressure. Unfortunately, drinking excessive amounts of alcohol will certainly weaken your immune system due to the lack of sleep, levels of dehydration and increased fatigue.
Although there is no formal advice that you should avoid drinking alcohol entirely whilst prescribed flucloxacillin, there are certain situations where abstaining during treatment is the safest choice.
Some of these situations are listed below for you:
As discussed above, both alcohol and flucloxacillin have an impact on your liver processing.
This means that individuals with an already compromised liver function should avoid drinking even small amounts of alcohol during the course of their treatment.
Many people prescribed flucloxacillin may also be taking other medication to manage their illness or symptoms. This might include other medication such as painkillers, antidepressants or blood pressure medication.
Alcohol may interact with one or all of these drugs, which could make your side effects worse. When taking more than one medication, drinking alcohol should be avoided.
In some severe cases of bone or joint infection, flucloxacillin may be prescribed for several weeks, or even months.
Long term antibiotic use combined with even small and regular alcohol consumption increases the pressure and strain on the liver and the stomach. This should be avoided where possible.
While moderate alcohol may not create dramatic consequences when it comes to most healthy adults on short courses of antibiotics, binge drinking is a whole other thing and presents a much greater risk to your health [3].
In fact, binge drinking has been proven to lead to dehydration, increase risk of vomiting and sickness, impair your judgement when it comes to consuming doses of medication and will also disrupt your sleep.
This makes recovering from an illness a lot harder and will most likely prolong your illness and recovery time.
If you are worried about how much alcohol you or someone you know is consuming, then they might be struggling from an addiction to alcohol.
There are a number of different warning signs that someone is struggling with an addiction to alcohol, including some of the warning signs listed below for you.
Whilst these warning signs do not necessarily mean that someone is severely addicted to alcohol, they may indicate some form of problematic use.
If you are worried that you or someone you know is addicted to alcohol, then it is important to remember that support is available for you.
Our team at Rehab 4 Addiction are able to offer you professional and free help and advice as well as the recommended treatment options for you and your specific circumstance.
Our team will ask you a number of questions about what you are addicted to, how long you have been addicted for and whether you have ever tried to recover in the past.
There are a number of treatment options that our team are able to recommend, including inpatient rehab treatment, outpatient rehab treatment, a medical detox or therapy options such as cognitive behavioural therapy, motivational interviewing, group and family therapy.
To conclude, antibiotics are prescribed to help your body overcome infection. Supporting that process involves looking after your body and your mind.
For some people, that might mean reducing their alcohol intake significantly.
If avoiding drinking alcohol for a short period feels manageable, then you should do so. However, if doing so feels difficult, then it might suggest that you are suffering from an alcohol use disorder.
Our team at Rehab 4 Addiction are on hand to offer free and confidential advice and support for anyone worried about their alcohol consumption.
To speak to our friendly and helpful team, call us for free on 0800 140 4690 or by searching for us online at www.rehab4addiction.co.uk.
[1] https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/flucloxacillin/about-flucloxacillin/
[2] https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/flucloxacillin/common-questions-about-flucloxacillin/
Boris is our editor-in-chief at Rehab 4 Addiction. Boris is an addiction expert with more than 20 years in the field. His expertise covers a broad of topics relating to addiction, rehab and recovery. Boris is an addiction therapist and assists in the alcohol detox and rehab process. Boris has been featured on a variety of websites, including the BBC, Verywell Mind and Healthline. You can connect with Boris online at LinkedIn or X.com.
