Why You Should Not Mix Alcohol and Doxycycline?
Can you drink alcohol with doxycycline? Yes, but it is not recommended.
Alcohol and doxycycline should not be mixed as they will cause an adverse effect on your body.
Doxycycline is a prescription antibiotic medication. It is used for various diseases including tick fever, typhus fever, and urinary tract infections.
Mixing doxycycline and alcohol could potentially cause you to experience more severe symptoms.
Can you Drink Alcohol with Doxycycline?
It is not prohibited to drink alcohol and doxycycline, but it is definitely not recommended. One or two drinks will not cause initial adverse effects, however, multiple drinks will certainly cause side effects.
According to studies published in the American Society of Microbiology Journal and the International Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, those taking doxycycline and who consume alcohol heavily or long-term eliminate the doxycycline from their systems more quickly than healthy patients.
Alcohol and doxycycline should not be combined as it will essentially cause the side effects to be amplified.
Typical side effects of doxycycline include but are not limited to:
When doxycycline and alcohol are combined these symptoms will become worse.
Consuming alcohol while also using doxycycline will flush the antibiotic out of your system too quickly. This will then reduce the efficiency of the medication.
Drinking too much alcohol and doxycycline will also increase the stress put on your liver.
It will decrease your liver’s ability to metabolize the compounds in doxycycline which makes them ineffective. These effects are caused when a person drinks heavily or excessively, but your tolerance level will differ from others.
Doxycycline disrupts the probiotic flow in your intestines. When you consume alcohol and doxycycline you worsen your overall health. Probiotics help your body to regulate the digestive tract.
Also Read: How to Know if You’re Allergic to Alcohol?
When this is hindered you will not be properly digesting food, intaking nutrients, and passing waste.
If your digestive system becomes disrupted you will experience symptoms like nausea, bowel irregularity and stomach pains.
It is not necessarily unsafe to mix alcohol and doxycycline because it does not increase the risk of death or long-term disability.
Taking doxycycline inhibits the growth of bacteria within your body. This allows your body to naturally fight off infections at a faster rate than it can grow.
When you drink alcohol, this prohibits the effect of the drug and prolongs the time you are required to take it.
Possible Side Effects of Mixing Doxycycline and Alcohol
As we talked about before taking doxycycline and alcohol can cause more serious side effects. They do not have any meaningful interaction side effects.
But alcohol and doxycycline do share some common side effects which means they will become amplified when the two substances are taken together.
The side effects that are shared with alcohol and doxycycline are:
- Dehydration
- Darkening of urine
- Fatigue
- Decreased cognitive abilities
- Nausea, vomiting, and liver damage
If you are experiencing unexpected medical issues from taking doxycycline and alcohol you should seek medical attention.
Ignoring that or any of these symptoms can lead to more serious health problems.
Your doctor will be able to properly diagnose what is happening and assist you in recovering and finding a different treatment plan.
Things to Remember if You’re Prescribed with Doxycycline
The best thing to do while taking doxycycline is to avoid consuming any alcohol. This will prevent any further medical issues and ensure a fast recovery.
However, if you do choose to consume alcohol while taking doxycycline you must be aware of certain things. be aware of the amount of alcohol you consume.
- Too much will lead to worsening of your symptoms. it will also cause you to remain with the prescription longer than intended by your doctor.
- Make sure your doctor is aware of any allergies you may have regarding the medication you are going to take.
- Make sure your doctor is aware of any other medications you are taking because of a possible negative combination that can occur.
- Tell your doctor if you have any preexisting conditions that could be worsened by the medication.
- Ask your doctor if you can drink alcohol with doxycycline and if that is not allowed for your conditions.
Alcohol and doxycycline are able to be consumed together, but you may not want to risk that. Doxycycline is intended to halt the production of bacteria and allow your body to fight infections faster.
Alcohol will flush the medication from your system quickly and reduces its effectiveness.
The safest thing to do with alcohol and doxycycline is to not combine them. You will recover faster and require less medication because of it.
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