Alcohol as you know is made up of ethanol and it is an intoxicating drink giving a feel good feeling for a temporary period. Alcohol when metabolized turns to acetaldehyde and finally to acetic acid.
Side Effects Of Alcohol And Metronidazole
Metronidazole is a drug having action on anaerobic organism, bacteria and protozoa. You may be familiar with amoebiasis, an intestinal disease causing diarrhea and abdominal pain, it is very common disease. Metronidazole is used to treat this condition.
Pelvic inflammatory disease, tooth infection, intestinal amebiasis, bone and joint infection, brain infection are all treated by metronidazole.
Metronidazole And Alcohol Consumption
Now let us know how metronidazole affects alcoholics:
Alcohol contains ethanol, when it combine with metronidazole it produces a similar effect of a drug called disulfiram used to treat chronic alcoholics, it creates extreme sensitivity to alcohol.
Side effects of alcohol and metrnidazole are nausea, vomiting, flushed face, increased heart rate, shortness of breath etc.
Metronidazole And Alcohol Reaction
When a patient is on metronidazole treatment, and if he takes alcohol, there is an antabuse-alcohol type reaction. Normally alcohol breaks down to form acetaldehyde and then to acetic acid, but with metronidazole coming into picture, the acetaldehyde to acetic acid fraction is obstructed by metronidazole.
Considering the repercussions of metronidazole and alcohol, it is better to avoid drinking alcohol when on metronidazole therapy.