Youve snagged yourself a sinus infection or are battling a bout of strep throat... complete with that daggers-puncturing-your-tonsils feeling.
Of course, it comes at the worst time ever (because, when doesnât it?) and youâre also prepping for your best friendâs wedding/a holiday party/some fancy get-together where alcohol will be present. Youâve heard it before: Consuming alcohol while taking antibiotics is bad. But one little sip (or 12) really wonât be a life-ruiner, right?
Not so fast with the champagne there, friend. First, it's important to remember why youâre on antibiotics to begin with: You feel awful and, with some help from your prescription, your body is working to fight off a nasty bacterial infection. (Antibiotics cannot treat anything viral, like a flu.) Basically, antibiotics kill the bacteria that can give you a sore throat, make your ear ache, and spike your temperatures.
And, while drinking alcohol wonât reduce how effectively antibiotics make that happen, it can worsen many of the side effectsâsuch as mild stomach discomfort, diarrhea, nausea, and drowsinessâthat are associated with antibiotics, says Louise M. Dembry, M.D., professor of medicine, infectious diseases, and epidemiology at the Yale University School of Medicine and School of Public Health. And it's not exactly ideal if youâre out at a function and a slap of exhaustion (or diarrhea!) hits you in the face. Meanwhile, alcohol can also slow your body's ability to "bounce back" and restore its energy levels once that infection is no more.
But thereâs more: Consuming antibiotics and alcohol simultaneously can be dangerous for your liver, which typically detoxifies waste products so that your body can get rid of them safely. âSome antibiotics can 'stress' the liver,â Dembry says. âThat means toxicity to liver cells, which can lead to liver cell death or even impact the liverâs overall function so it does not work the way it is supposed to."
We know what youâre wondering: Is it possible that youâre on some magic strain of antibiotics where all of this doesnât actually apply? While Dembry says that, yes, some antibiotics may be less problematic for drinking than others, you should still lay off the Sauvignon. âIf youâre taking antibiotics, itâs because you have an infection," she says. "Itâs best to avoid anything that might impact the body's natural ability to heal and overcome the infection, including alcohol."