Widely considered one of the safest antibiotics, Amoxicillin can be prescribed to children and pregnant women as well as healthy adults. But there are certain potential side effects to watch out for: such as mixing amoxicillin and alcohol.
Amoxicillin is one of the most commonly prescribed antibiotics in the world. It is used to treat bacterial infections such as urinary tract infections (UTIs), throat infections, ear infections, and chest infections such as pneumonia.
This type of antibiotic is also often used alongside clarithromycin (Biaxin) – another type of antibiotic used to treat stomach ulcers. However, amoxicillin has no ability to treat viral infections like the flu or the common cold.
A course of amoxicillin should always be followed directly, even if your symptoms improve before the course runs out. Studies have shown that his antibiotic does make the contraceptive pill less effective, so be sure to consult your doctor if this affects you.
Amoxicillin is only available via prescription and is most commonly prescribed in 250mg to 500mg doses which are taken 3 times per day, but the exact level of dosage is decided by your doctor.
While it is an incredibly effective and safe way to combat infection, this medication also has a number of potential side effects which include:
More serious and lasting side effects are rare but can include:
If you experience any of these symptoms please contact your doctor for advice. Ensure that you follow the instructions for dosing and complete the full course of antibiotics unless otherwise advised by your doctor or healthcare professional.
It’s a well-known fact that alcohol and medications do not always mix well. Amoxicillin is one drug that interacts poorly with alcohol; though it is less dangerous than some other medications you should still avoid drinking when using Amoxicillin to fight infection.
Amoxicillin (also called Amoxil) is similar to Penicillin and reacts to alcohol in many of the same ways. The most common misconception about alcohol is that it interferes with the effectiveness of antibiotics, but this is not always the case.
According to healthcare professionals, moderate alcohol consumption is unlikely to disrupt most medications, but it can cause or increase the severity of side effects which range from unpleasant to dangerous.
In short, no. Alcohol does not ‘cancel out’ amoxicillin, but it does interfere with your bodies ability to process and make use of it. As a result, drinking alcohol can reduce the effectiveness of antibiotics, slow the healing and recovery process, and even cause damaging side effects. It is incredibly important to be safe and responsible when taking amoxicillin.
As amoxicillin can only be prescribed by a doctor it is important to be upfront and honest about any underlying conditions, drug abuse, or alcohol consumption in your life.
This will enable your doctor to make an informed choice as to whether or not to prescribe amoxicillin, and where to set the dosage. If your doctor decides that this is the right medication for you, you must do the following things:
Some people think that skipping a day or dose when having a drink is the right thing to do, and while not taking amoxicillin when you plan to drink will avoid many of the side effects this is a bad idea.
If you disrupt your medication schedule you may compromise the results of the course and either slow or impede healing and recovery. When it comes to long-term medications such as pain killers used to manage a chronic condition, or antidepressants, drinking moderately or irregularly may not have a huge impact.
Likewise missing one dose of long-term medication may cause disruption or temporary discomfort or regression, but when you disrupt short-term medication courses this can prevent them from achieving the desired results.
As such it is recommended that you wait until you have completed the full course of antibiotics before you resume drinking. In fact, the safest route is to cease drinking the day before you begin taking antibiotics and stop entirely until the day after you take your last dose.
This will ensure that no alcohol is in your system when you begin and that the majority of amoxicillin has been properly processed by your body before you begin drinking again.
Is someone you love struggling to moderate, reduce, or stop alcohol consumption? Do not hesitate to reach out to your doctor or a local alcohol addiction support group. There are many resources available for those who wish help.
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.
