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Drinking alcohol while on meds

Posted by jdcook @jdcook, 5 days ago

Can you drink any alcohol/wine while taking Rifadin, Biaxin, and ethambutol?

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Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sueinmn | 4 days ago

@jdcook That is a very good question, the short answer is "You CAN, but it is not a good idea." Those were the words of my ID doc, echoed by my primary, when I was being treated for Pseudomonas and MAC.
Let's begin by saying that all three antibiotics and alcohol are metabolized by the liver. First think about how hard your liver must work to handle alcohol, or one antibiotic, then consider how much harder it works to handle all four at once. There are studies showing alcohol use while under antibiotic treatment increases the risk of permanent
liver damage.
Second, ethambutol plus alcohol specifically increases risk of dizziness.
Finally, your body is fighting an infection, which is taxing to all your systems and organs. Adding alcohol just makes your liver work harder.
What did I do? Gave up alcohol while on the antibiotics, except, with the agreement of my docs, I took two weeklong "antibiotic holidays" during my treatment, and allowed myself one alcoholic beverage every day or two during it. It was great for my mental health to feel less ill for a few days (Ihad a lot of fatigue and digestive issues), and to be able to celebrate some very special events with friends and family.
It is best to consult with your care team, especially if you have other health issues, or already have lab or clinical evidence of liver or kidney issues. Have you asked your doctors for their opinions?

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jdcook | @jdcook | 4 days ago

Thank you for your thoughtful response. I am perfectly happy having been without it since August. Every once in a while I think it would be nice to have a glass of wine or hard cider but I’m having fun discovering mocktails.

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cd33 | @cd33 | 4 days ago

The only good thing about being treated with these drugs was that I did not indulge in alcohol at all. After the first month I really didn’t even miss it. I’m grateful for the break and now indulge in only 2 glasses a week. One on Friday and 1 on Saturday with my meal. Feel much better for it.

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kaybast | @kaybast | 5 hours ago
In reply to @sueinmn "@jdcook That is a very good question, the short answer is "You CAN, but it is..." + (show)
Profile picture for Sue, Volunteer Mentor @sueinmn

@jdcook That is a very good question, the short answer is "You CAN, but it is not a good idea." Those were the words of my ID doc, echoed by my primary, when I was being treated for Pseudomonas and MAC.
Let's begin by saying that all three antibiotics and alcohol are metabolized by the liver. First think about how hard your liver must work to handle alcohol, or one antibiotic, then consider how much harder it works to handle all four at once. There are studies showing alcohol use while under antibiotic treatment increases the risk of permanent
liver damage.
Second, ethambutol plus alcohol specifically increases risk of dizziness.
Finally, your body is fighting an infection, which is taxing to all your systems and organs. Adding alcohol just makes your liver work harder.
What did I do? Gave up alcohol while on the antibiotics, except, with the agreement of my docs, I took two weeklong "antibiotic holidays" during my treatment, and allowed myself one alcoholic beverage every day or two during it. It was great for my mental health to feel less ill for a few days (Ihad a lot of fatigue and digestive issues), and to be able to celebrate some very special events with friends and family.
It is best to consult with your care team, especially if you have other health issues, or already have lab or clinical evidence of liver or kidney issues. Have you asked your doctors for their opinions?

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@sueinmn agree….wine was my favorite go to . However when I was put on blood pressure meds/ Rovastatain and inhalers , they didn’t go well together ! So I stopped wine 3 years ago and since then Pseudomonas came about I’m happy I was already off the wine !

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