Fact versus Fiction: a Review of the Evidence behind Alcohol and Antibiotic Interactions PMC

There are 2 alcohol/food/lifestyle interactions with Levaquin (levofloxacin). So if you eat or drink large quantities of dairy or other foods that contain added or large amounts of natural calcium, the extra calcium may cause Levaquin to work less effectively. gray death is the latest “scariest” opioid drug threat You should also avoid taking Levaquin with milk or other dairy products. Cycloserine may decrease alcohol craving, and the package inset warns of seizures with concomitant alcohol use, but data to support this warning were not identified.

Avoid Taking Levaquin and Supplements

Levofloxacin may lower the number of some types of blood cells in your body. Because of this, you may bleed or get infections more easily. To help with these problems, avoid being near people who are sick or have infections.

Levaquin disease interactions

Isoniazid was found to alter central monoaminergic neurotransmission (111). Although aldehyde dehydrogenase was inhibited with coadministration, blood acetaldehyde levels were not increased. A surveillance study of 13,838 patients on isoniazid by 21 health departments found that consuming at least one drink daily appeared to increase the risk of developing hepatitis (105). Probable isoniazid-induced hepatitis was twice as common in alcoholics than in nondrinkers and four times more likely if they consumed alcohol daily (105).

Will alcohol cancel out antibiotics?

An awareness of data that address this common clinical scenario is important so health care professionals can make informed clinical decisions and address questions in an evidence-based manner. The purpose of this systematic review was to determine the evidence behind alcohol warnings issued for many common antimicrobials. 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. Drugs.com provides accurate and independent information on more than 24,000 prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines and natural products.

Package labeling recommends avoiding alcohol within 72 h of tinidazole due to its chemical similarity to metronidazole, but data to support this concern were not identified (72). Recent data do not support that nitrofurantoin and alcohol causes a disulfiram-like reaction or other adverse reactions/toxicities. Historical studies have suggested that alcohol use with nitrofurantoin resulted in a disulfiram-like reaction (40,–42). Likewise, a study found that alcohol did not cause a disulfiram-like reaction with nitrofurantoin in volunteers (44).

1. Stay away from rough sports or other situations where you could be bruised, cut, or injured.
2. However, drinking any amount of alcohol still poses risks to a person taking antibiotics.
3. Sulfonamides are a broad-spectrum class of manufactured antibiotics, including sulfisoxazole, sulfamethizole, and sulfamethoxazole.
4. Following a healthcare provider’s advice is important to determine what is safe for you.
5. Metronidazole is used for a variety of infections, including stomach or intestine, skin, joint and lung infections.

All of these factors can reduce your body’s ability to heal from an infection. Acute alcohol use, binge drinking, and chronic alcohol use can all be harmful, whether you take medication or not. May occur with some other cephalosporin antibiotics, check with your doctor or pharmacist.

This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Data sources include Micromedex (updated 7 Jul 2024), Cerner Multum™ (updated 14 Jul 2024), ASHP (updated 10 Jul 2024) and others. A strong antibiotic, Levaquin uses include treating various bacterial infections and anthrax.

Two authors observed higher rates of side effects in patients treated with metronidazole than with placebo (64, 65). Other authors described different degrees of reactions attributed to a disulfiram-like effect within the study populations (50, 58, 60, 62, 66). Levaquin has also been known to cause other common side effects like nausea, diarrhea, headaches and trouble sleeping.

Disulfiram-like reaction which may include abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, headaches, flushing, or rarely more serious reactions. Excessive alcohol how long does a hangover last use is well-known to cause liver damage like cirrhosis. Taking antibiotics that can also damage the liver may worsen these types of problems.

Note that this list is not all-inclusive and includes only common medications that may interact with Levaquin. You should refer to the prescribing information for Levaquin for a complete list of interactions. You should alcohol use disorder symptoms and causes speak to your doctor about any medications you are taking. Your doctor may decide on a different antibiotic or may advise stopping or modifying one of your other medications to help avoid unwanted interactions.

Metronidazole is a nitroimidazole antibiotic that doctors prescribe to treat abdominal infections, sexually transmitted infections, and other anaerobic bacteria-related infections. In rare cases, people may experience seizures with fluoroquinolone treatment. In 2018, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published updated safety warnings on all fluoroquinolone antibiotics. Drinking alcohol while taking these antibiotics may make them less effective. Use caution if driving, operating machinery, or engaging in potentially hazardous activities as your motor coordination and judgement may be affected. Combination with alcohol may increase risk for additive sedation, drowsiness, dizziness, confusion and trouble concentrating.

Mixing alcohol and some antibiotics may cause side effects like liver problems or a “disulfiram-like reaction”. Some antibiotics cannot be taken with alcohol at all, so follow your healthcare provider’s instructions. Medicines that interact with levofloxacin may either decrease its effect, affect how long it works, increase side effects, or have less of an effect when taken with levofloxacin.

Five patients died after consumption of alcohol after failed resuscitation attempts. Sweating was experienced by 63%, palpitations by 78%, dizziness by 56%, hypotension in 24%, tachycardia in 76%, premature atrial beat in 4%, and premature ventricular beat in 3% (18). Furthermore, alcohol can cause hepatic stress or injury with or without the use of potentially hepatotoxic medications. These concerns may be responsible for alcohol warnings that accompany many antimicrobials, but what are the data and strength of support for these warnings?

There is no clinical evidence about Levaquin interacting with eating or drinking dairy products. However, calcium supplements or calcium-fortified foods can both bind to Levaquin, making it less effective. Though there is not much clinical information available, there is some anecdotal evidence that suggests that Levaquin and alcohol should not be taken together. One of the potential issues with taking Levaquin and alcohol is that some of the side effects of alcohol may increase. You may feel more lightheaded, dizzy or have worsened impaired judgement.