Cephalexin & Alcohol Reaction
According to SteadyHealth.com, most doctors recommend that their patients cease alcohol consumption when taking just about any medication, including antibiotics. While there are debates about whether consuming alcohol with every type of antibiotic is dangerous, certain antibiotic drugs, including Cephalexin, are known to be contraindicated. If you consume alcohol while taking Cephalexin, you can expect to experience uncomfortable side effects from the drug, a delay in recuperation time and even a worsening of your symptoms.
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Definition
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Cephalexin is part of a group of drugs called cephalosporin antibiotics. They are used to treat infections of the skin and soft tissue, urinary tract and respiratory system. They work by killing or slowing down the growth of bacteria on the cell walls.
Alcohol Effects: Antibiotics Reaction
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Combining antibiotics and alcohol can cause serious side effects and even death. Reactions to this combination of substances are unpredictable; they vary greatly depending on the individual patient, the amount you are consuming of each substance and the passage of time between doses.
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Antibiotics' Effect: Alcohol Reaction
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Not only can alcohol affect your reaction to antibiotics, but antibiotics can also alter and intensify the effects of alcohol. Normal effects of drinking too much alcohol include dizziness, loss of coordination, forgetfulness, slurred speech and nausea. However, when combining alcohol with an antibiotic such as Cephalexin, you can experience uncommon effects such as hallucinations, loss of consciousness and major sleep disturbances.
Intensified Side Effects
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Alcohol consumption while taking Cephalexin can increase the negative side effects of the drug, making you very uncomfortable. Normal side effects include dizziness, stomach disturbances, diarrhea, fainting, heartbeat irregularities and drowsiness. Coupling the medication with alcohol intensifies the effects to the point where they can be dangerous--even life-threatening. For example, a side effect of taking just Cephalexin may be fainting, while drinking alcohol with this med can change fainting into loss of consciousness, which is significantly more serious.
Alcohol and Enzymes
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Antibiotics and alcohol are processed by the same enzymes in the body. Therefore, they compete with one another to use those enzymes, which are in charge of chemical processes in the body. As a result, the alcohol can diminish the effectiveness of Cephalexin. Moreover, alcohol can cause the enzymes to metabolize into toxic, and sometimes lethal, components. The action of the antibiotic is then blocked, which can cause more resistant germs to form and ultimately make the illness worse instead of better.
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References
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