Metabolism of alcohol
Alcohol is subject to a completely different metabolism. Alcohol in the narrower sense is the drinking alcohol, which contains the chemical alcohol ethanol. Ethanol is mainly metabolized in the liver via the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase.
Due to this different metabolism of alcohol and amoxicillin, alcohol and amoxicillin can be taken at the same time and are tolerated. However, this tolerance does not apply to all antibiotics under any circumstances. This varies from antibiotic to antibiotic.
With all antibiotics, it should be noted that the reason for treatment with an antibiotic such as amoxicillin is bacterial inflammation of the body. In this case the body is basically weakened and needs protection. Alcohol also weakens and damages the body in principle, so that in a phase in which physical rest and protection are called for, alcohol consumption is rather harmful from this point of view.
Non-alcoholic beer
When taking amoxicillin, there is no reason to abstain from alcohol-free beer. This is because, as the name suggests, alcohol-free beer does not contain any alcohol that can lead to undesirable side effects or interactions. Thus, alcohol-free beer can be drunk without any problems despite amoxicillin.
Amoxicillin and clavulanic acid with alcohol
In some cases, not only amoxicillin alone is prescribed, but a combination preparation. This is the combination of amoxicillin and clavulanic acid. It is better known under the trade name Augmentan®.
Clavulanic acid is an active ingredient that inhibits additional enzymes of the bacteria. These enzymes are responsible for the breakdown of amoxicillin. Some bacteria are therefore resistant to amoxicillin.
By the simultaneous administration of amoxicillin and clavulanic acid, however, these pathogens can be attacked again by amoxicillin. Here too, there are interactions with alcohol. It is also important to avoid taking amoxicillin and clavulanic acid with alcohol at the same time.
Clavulanic acid is broken down to a significant extent by the liver. The potential for an interaction with alcohol is therefore considerably higher here. The liver treats the antibiotic with priority over the alcohol.
Amoxicillin and clavulanic acid with alcohol thus lead to a severe strain on the liver. When alcohol is consumed at the same time, it is therefore broken down and converted to a lesser extent. There may be unforeseen effects caused by alcohol.
Furthermore, the body, which is already burdened by a bacterial infection, should not be exposed to additional stress through alcohol. For these reasons, the simultaneous consumption of amoxicillin and clavulanic acid with alcohol is absolutely not recommended.
