This is a question doctors are asked a lot, and it shouldn’t be a surprising one: 55% of Americans regularly take prescription medications and 30% of Americans have at least 1 alcoholic drink every day. Since literally hundreds of medications can lead to alcohol (also called ethanol) interactions, it is important to review your medicines with your pharmacist or other health care provider to check for clinically significant drug-alcohol reactions.
Even though some research suggests that moderate alcohol consumption is heart healthy, certain medications and alcohol have the capacity to interfere with your successful treatment.
Research has shown that the prevalence of alcohol and medication interactions is widespread.
• The National Institute of Health (NIH) conducted a study of over 26,000 adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study (NHANES) to determine their alcohol and prescription drug use.
• They found that over 70% of U.S. adults regularly drink alcohol, and roughly 42% of those who drink also use medications that can interact with alcohol.
• Utilizing a large database of over 1,300 medications, they found that 45% of the medications had the potential to interact with alcohol.
Be sure to check on your prescription drugs, as well as your over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, herbals, and dietary supplements like vitamins and minerals. When combined with alcohol, some OTC medicines can have serious drug interactions, too. However, do not stop using any medications without first talking to your doctor.
What is Adco Amoxyclav BD?
Adco Amoxyclav BD is a combination medication containing amoxicillin and clavulanic acid used to treat certain infections caused by bacteria, including infections of the ears, lungs, sinus, skin, and urinary tract. Amoxicillin is in a class of medications called penicillin-like antCan You Take Adco Amoxyclav BD and Alcoholibiotics. It works by stopping the growth of bacteria. Clavulanic acid is in a class of medications called beta-lactamase inhibitors. It works by preventing bacteria from destroying amoxicillin.
Adco Amoxyclav is also used sometimes to treat certain sexually transmitted diseases (STD). Talk to your doctor about the possible risks of using this medication for your condition. However, this medication will not work for colds, flu, or other viral infections. Using antibiotics when they are not needed increases your risk of getting an infection later that resists antibiotic treatment.
How does Adco Amoxyclav work?
The amoxicillin part of Adco Amoxyclav works by interfering with the ability of bacteria to form cell walls. It allows holes to appear in the bacterial cell walls and this kills the bacteria causing the infection.
Some types of bacteria have become resistant to penicillin-type antibiotics, because they have developed the ability to produce defensive chemicals called beta-lactamases that stop the antibiotics from working. The clavulanic acid part of Adco Amoxyclav is a beta-lactamase inhibitor. It stops bacteria from inactivating the amoxicillin, so it increases the range of bacteria that amoxicillin can kill.
Can You Take Adco Amoxyclav BD and Alcohol?
Yes, you can drink alcohol while taking Amoxyclav BD. Alcohol will not stop Amoxyclav BD from working. However, there are certain antibiotics including Metronidazole, Tinidazole and Bactrim where alcohol must be avoided because the combination may result in a severe reaction. Drinking any amount of alcohol with these medications can result in side effects such as nausea, vomiting, flushing of the skin, accelerated heart rate, dizziness or drowsiness. Other antibiotics that also interact with alcohol are linezolid and doxycycline, so take particular care if you are prescribed these.
There are no such side effects issues when alcohol is taken with Amoxyclav BD. However, if you have an infection, it is probably a good idea to avoid alcohol to give your body the best chance possible to fight the infection.
