Antibiotics, despite the large list of contraindications and a wide range of side effects, are a very necessary drug that has saved more than one life. Because only antibiotics can destroy bacteria in the body that cause dangerous diseases.
At a time when these drugs had not yet been invented, many people died from bacterial infections. Many diseases were considered incurable due to the lack of such drugs.
Antibiotics should not be taken without a doctor's prescription and it is very important to follow the rules for taking them. In addition, you need to know that antibiotics are incompatible with alcohol. This article contains answers to all questions related to taking antibiotics.
After what period of time is alcohol allowed after various operations?
After surgery, doctors recommend completely abstaining from intoxicating drinks, including expensive ones.
But if this is really impossible for the patient, then their consumption should be limited to the maximum amount of time. It is worth knowing that anesthetics - pharmaceutical drugs that can cause anesthesia - are eliminated from the body depending on the type and dose of the drug, age and individual characteristics of the patient. Therefore, they may be incompatible with ethanol even in minute quantities. Surgical effects on organs and tissues lead to the appearance of postoperative edema. During this period, intoxicating drinks are strictly prohibited. They can increase swelling and negatively affect the condition of fresh stitches.
Ethanol gives a negative reaction with painkillers, anesthetics, and anti-inflammatory non-steroidal pharmaceuticals. The body, as a result, may react to this with manifestations unusual for it.
How soon can you drink alcohol, in overwhelming cases, after surgery? Experts strongly advise abstaining from alcohol for at least a month. During this period, the body is able to fully recover and get stronger. You should move, eat well, avoid overexertion and stressful situations, and strengthen your immune system.
If surgical measures were performed:
- After removal of the gallbladder (cholecystectomy), alcohol is prohibited for life, since the body’s processing of ethanol is much more difficult.
- After appendix removal, you should not drink for 3 weeks. Carbonated drinks (champagne, beer) are especially dangerous. Since they cause fermentation processes, the patient may experience bloating and gas formation, which is extremely dangerous during appendectomy.
- To remove cataracts, drink alcohol-containing drinks “under lock and key” for at least 3 months. During the rehabilitation period, patients are prescribed NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), which are incompatible with ethanol.
When can you drink champagne or other alcohol after the following operations: liposuction in the abdominal area, breast correction, facial skin tightening and other plastic surgery. Any plastic surgery is a full-fledged strip surgery. After them, you can only try your favorite intoxicating drink after 2 weeks. After undergoing CABG - coronary artery bypass surgery - a person will have to limit the consumption of alcohol and carbohydrates, salt, and animal fats for life.
If operations have been performed on the spine, hip joint, or shoulder joints, then alcohol-containing drinks are prohibited for at least 1 year to prevent a possible negative reaction from the body. In these cases, patients are often prescribed medications that improve microcirculation. Alcohol can significantly reduce their effectiveness.
Are alcohol and varicose veins compatible, is alcohol (any kind) allowed after vein surgery - questions often discussed on forums. If phlebectomy (removal of varicose veins) was performed, you should say a firm “no” to alcohol-containing products. Their consumption can provoke the development of thrombophlebitis and trophic ulcers.
When can you drink?
Most patients who learn that alcohol is contraindicated after general anesthesia immediately ask an additional question: when can you drink alcohol? Those. After how many days is it allowed to drink?
Drinking alcohol is stressful for the body. After an operation performed under anesthesia, the immune system is weakened, and any additional stress (physical, physiological and moral) is very dangerous. Therefore, the patient is prescribed certain medications, diet, restriction of physical activity and rest. Plus – strict abstinence from alcohol.
Important! 30 days is the minimum during which you need to abstain from even light alcoholic beverages after surgery under anesthesia. This is the optimal period during which the body will have time to recover after an ordinary simple operation.
Particularly severe interventions require abstinence from alcohol for a longer period of time (to be discussed with a doctor). And after removal of the pancreas, for example, alcohol is completely contraindicated.
Why you shouldn't drink alcohol before coding
In drug treatment for alcoholism, two types of drugs are used: those based on Disulfiram (treatment using the Torpedo method) and those based on Naltrexone and its analogues (for example, Vivitrol).
The action of Disulfiram comes down to the following: when introduced into the blood, it blocks the production of the enzyme necessary for the decomposition of acetaldehyde, a product of the breakdown of ethyl alcohol in the liver. Acetaldehyde is a more toxic substance than ethyl alcohol. Its accumulation in the body significantly enhances the toxic effect of ethanol. Therefore, after administering the drug to a person whose blood contains alcohol, the effect of toxins on the body is significantly enhanced, which leads to severe poisoning.
In this case, the following symptoms can be observed:
For drug treatment, drugs based on Naltrexone and its analogues are used.
- Nausea and vomiting;
- Hot flashes and facial redness;
- Cardiac arrhythmia, angina attack;
- A sharp increase in pressure;
- Diarrhea;
- Dizziness and headache;
- Dyspnea;
- Cramps.
After some time, breathing may stop and death may occur.
Naltrexone blocks the production of hormones that cause a person to feel pleasure after drinking alcohol. It acts on opioid receptors in the brain. If coding is done with Naltrexone, then as a result of the presence of alcohol in the blood, the consequences will be the same as with a drug overdose. After administration of the drug, a person may experience severe depression and suicidal tendencies.
It takes from 1 day to 5 days to remove alcohol from the body. This depends on the strength of the drink, the build of the drinker, the amount drunk, the duration of alcohol consumption and other factors. For example, Teturam can be administered within 24 hours after drinking alcohol. Before using Esperal, it is recommended not to drink alcohol for 2-3 days.
The psychotherapeutic method requires that the person be sober for 7-14 days. The period of sobriety gives him the opportunity to prepare for the procedure not only physically, but also mentally. If a person makes an effort and endures without alcohol for as long as required, this already speaks of the firmness of his intention to quit drinking and indicates the manifestation of willpower. Treatment is effective only after a person has consciously made the decision to undergo treatment for alcoholism, to stop drinking, and he has an incentive for this (attachment to family, for example).
When can I drink alcohol after completing a course of antibiotics?
Different antibiotics have different active ingredients. And, accordingly, each drug has its own time frame for removal from the body. In one case, this is a short period, and alcohol can be taken the next day, and in the other, abstinence from drinking alcohol is required for 7 days.
As a rule, the manufacturer indicates the necessary information in the annotation for the drug. If it is not available, it is preferable to wait 10 days. In addition, if the patient has problems with the kidneys or liver, this period should be increased at least twice.
How long after surgery can I drink?
The safe time interval between surgery and alcohol depends on the clinical picture and general condition of the patient.
Therefore, it is difficult to recommend any specific period of abstinence from drinking. Only a doctor is able to determine, for example, whether it is possible to drink alcohol a month after laser vision correction or whether the patient needs to abstain for an entire quarter.
There are only approximate recommended times:
During laparoscopy associated with gynecological problems, you should forget about alcohol for 1.5 months. In some situations, the patient has to give up drinking altogether. Removal of the gallbladder causes just such restrictions. Sometimes after surgery the patient has to take medications throughout his life, which are rarely combined with alcohol. After laparotomy, you should give up strong drinks in the same way as in the previous case, for 1.5 months
Surgery associated with heart pathologies requires special caution. In the absence of complications, drinking is allowed after 4 weeks.
If you do this earlier, you can provoke the development of heart failure, myocardial infarction and stroke. For eye diseases, the interval after correction should be at least 4 weeks. Sometimes the patient is prohibited from drinking for 3 months. Such restrictions are associated not only with the recovery period, but also with the drugs that need to be used after surgery. Almost all of these drugs are incompatible with ethanol. If plastic surgery was performed, abstinence is 2-4 weeks. In the event that complications arise during the correction process, the restriction time can extend to several months. Removal of the pancreas is a case when in the future it is recommended to completely forget about alcohol. The first 3 years are considered the most dangerous in terms of drinking. When removing malignant tumors, you can drink alcohol only with the permission of the doctor.
When thinking about whether it is possible to drink alcohol when the thyroid gland is removed in the postoperative period, it is better to abandon this idea. It is necessary to completely avoid strong drinks, as their periodic intake will begin to destroy the body. Drinking will provoke the development of pathologies of the liver and blood vessels and will affect all systems. Taking it will also negatively affect brain function.
Admission rules
Following the correct intake of antibiotics will help cure the disease faster without the risk of adverse reactions. Basic Rules:
- take medications only as prescribed by a doctor (self-medication is dangerous to health);
- be sure to follow the exact dosage and time of taking the antibiotic;
- The duration of treatment with the drug will be determined by the doctor. On average, this is from 5 to 15 days, and taking long-acting drugs is from 1 to 4 days;
- You need to take the tablets with clean non-carbonated water, chamomile decoctions, or hot tea without sugar;
- During treatment with antibiotics, it is better to avoid eating fatty foods, which slow down the absorption of the active substance from the intestines into the blood. Be sure to consume animal protein in the form of chicken, rabbit or turkey. Limit the amount of fast carbohydrates;
- absolute contraindication: alcohol after antibiotics, if less than 3 days have passed.
The effect of alcohol on the body after anesthesia
Upon returning from the operating room, you should also not rush to relieve the stress you have experienced with a glass of wine, a glass of vodka or a glass of beer.
- in the postoperative period, to avoid infection of the sutures, the patient is prescribed antibiotics. These drugs inhibit the breakdown of ethanol, which causes the accumulation of acetaldehyde in the blood, a toxic substance that causes severe intoxication. The condition is accompanied by nausea, dizziness, low blood pressure, difficulty breathing, increased sweating, tachycardia and flushing of the facial skin.
- Any anesthesia weakens the body's immune response. Drinking alcoholic beverages can cause exacerbation of chronic and latent diseases. Recovery in this case becomes difficult and lengthy.
- drinks, the production of which includes a fermentation stage (beer), slow down tissue regeneration, which can increase the healing time of sutures.
- vasodilation caused by alcoholic drinks can provoke heavy bleeding, which is fraught with the most dire consequences.
Alcohol, like anesthesia, has a depressant effect on the central nervous system. The dose of the administered drug is determined by the doctor, taking into account the general condition of the patient, which allows minimizing side effects and ensuring rapid recovery of the body after surgery. If you take alcoholic beverages during the rehabilitation period, the functioning of the central nervous system is significantly disrupted. Hallucinations and delusional states may occur. Breathing becomes difficult, the functioning of the sensory organs deteriorates until it temporarily stops. There are cases where incontinent patients lost sight, hearing or touch.
How long after anesthesia should you not drink alcohol?
The duration of abstinence from drinking alcoholic beverages is determined by the doctor and coincides with the rehabilitation period. Thus, after removal of the appendix, recovery of the body lasts up to 3 weeks, and during eye surgery this period increases to 3 months.
If the operation was performed on the stomach, liver, pancreas, or gall bladder, alcoholic beverages are contraindicated for the rest of your life. Even the smallest dose of ethyl alcohol can lead to dire consequences.
There is an opinion in society that after heart surgery it is useful to drink a little red wine every day. This reasoning stems from the fact that red wine has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system and supposedly helps to shorten and ease the recovery period. However, no research has been conducted on this matter, and only the attending physician can decide in each specific case whether drinking wine is advisable! If your doctor allows you to drink alcohol, you should not exceed the recommended dosage under any circumstances! You should also avoid alcoholic beverages of poor quality or unknown origin.
A person who abuses drinks containing ethanol takes longer to recover from surgery performed under anesthesia than a normal patient. In addition, the likelihood of complications in the postoperative period increases significantly. Drinking alcoholic beverages during this difficult time for the body increases existing risks many times over.
Antibiotics incompatible with alcohol
There are a large number of groups of antibacterial agents that cannot be combined with any alcohol. Such drugs include:
- Nitroimidazoles (Metronidazole, Trichopolum, Secnidazole) have a high risk of developing a disulfiram-like reaction (drinking alcohol is possible only after 2 days).
- Fluoroquinolones, when combined with alcohol, depress the nervous system until the development of coma; alcohol is allowed only after 36 hours.
- Cephalosporins, when interacting with ethyl alcohol, give a disulfiram-like reaction; alcohol can be taken after 24 hours (in case of kidney disease, the interval is longer).
- Tetracyclines damage liver cells (hepatotoxic) and are removed from the body for a very long time; drinking alcohol no earlier than after 3 days.
- Aminoglycosides are oto- and nephrotoxic, increasing the side effects of drugs; alcohol is allowed to be taken no earlier than after 2 weeks.
- Lincosamides affect the central nervous system and liver, cause a disulfiram reaction, alcohol is allowed only after 4 days.
- Macrolides cause cirrhosis of the liver, especially Erythromycin. It is eliminated from the body very slowly, let’s say drinking alcoholic beverages only after 4 days.
- Levomycetin may develop vomiting, convulsions, disulfiram reaction, alcohol can be taken only after 24 hours.
- Anti-tuberculosis drugs (isoniazid) cause the development of drug-induced hepatitis with a fulminant course; any alcohol is strictly prohibited.
Reasons for the incompatibility of drugs with alcohol
Below are the categories of drugs that should not be taken with alcohol, and the reasons for this prohibition:
- sedatives, hypnotics, anti-inflammatory drugs and tranquilizers. In this case, the effect of alcohol-containing products is that they potentiate or, on the contrary, reduce the effect of medications. In addition, the properties of drugs may completely change during such an interaction, and the body’s reaction is completely unpredictable;
- antibiotics. It is unacceptable to mix this type of medication with alcohol. They are incompatible, firstly, due to changes in the properties and effect of the drugs. Secondly, under the influence of alcoholic beverages, the amount of toxins released by antibiotics during their impact on the body increases sharply. The consequences of such a mixture will be pain in the head, increased heart rate, dizziness, changes in blood pressure, a feeling of lack of air, fever or, on the contrary, cold sweat, vomiting and nausea;
- allergy remedies. Such a combination can cause visions, a depressed state, or excessive activity. In addition, it will be much faster and stronger to get drunk when taking antihistamines and fun drinks at the same time;
- antidepressants. Taking them together with alcohol can cause an acceleration of heart rate, a sharp increase in blood pressure and even sometimes a hypertensive crisis. This state can persist for up to 14 days;
- antipyretics. The effect of alcohol is especially dangerous here, since due to it the negative effect of this type of medication on the liver increases significantly. As a result, there is a possibility of developing an inflammatory process or gastrointestinal ulcer;
- drugs that have a diuretic effect. It is not recommended to take such tablets with alcohol due to the risk of indigestion and vomiting, as well as low blood pressure. There have been cases when such a combination caused the development of pancreatitis and heart failure;
- painkillers. The compatibility of analgesics with alcohol is zero, since when they are taken simultaneously, a person may experience headache, tinnitus, rapid heartbeat and loss of strength. In such a situation, vomiting and nausea are not excluded;
- medications for cardiovascular diseases. We are talking about vasodilators and antispasmodics. Due to the ability of ethanol to enlarge blood vessels, simultaneous intake of alcohol and similar medications can cause vascular insufficiency. The pressure level can drop to unacceptably low levels. Dizziness and fainting are also observed;
- blood thinners. Doctors say that drugs belonging to this group should not be taken with alcohol due to the high likelihood of bleeding and, as a result, hemorrhage into vital organs, which can lead to death. This combination of foods causes paralysis in some cases;
- hormonal medications. In addition to the fact that alcohol itself negatively affects the functioning of the endocrine system, it causes an increase in the amount of certain types of hormones. As a result, they are added to those that come from drugs in tablets or injections. The consequences of this effect can be thrombophlebitis, stomach ulcers, and limb cramps.
Rules for taking antibiotics
The most important rule for taking antibiotics is to use them only in cases where it is impossible to do without them. Indications for use are symptoms of an acute bacterial infection that the body is unable to cope with on its own. To obtain the desired therapeutic effect, taking antibiotics cannot be indiscriminate.
It is extremely important to follow the instructions below:
- You cannot prescribe an antibiotic yourself if you do not have a medical education. Only a doctor can determine the cause of the disease - a virus or bacteria. For a viral infection, antibiotics do not help; on the contrary, they can aggravate the course of the disease;
. A relapse of the disease may occur;
Do not stop the prescribed course of treatment if you feel better- The dosage of the antibiotic should not be changed during treatment. Reducing the dosage threatens that the bacteria will develop resistance to the drug, and increasing it is fraught with side effects or overdose;
- You should not take the antibiotic with tea, juice, and especially milk , otherwise taking the drug will be useless. Milk, dairy and fermented milk products are incompatible with antibiotics; they reduce the effect of the drug. You can take the drug only with water, about 0.5-1 glass;
- You cannot take antibiotics at any convenient time . It is important to follow the instructions for the drug and use the drug as described, namely: before, during or after meals. In addition, it is important to observe the frequency of administration (once every 24 hours, 2 times every 12 hours, 3 times every 8 hours, and so on) to create the required concentration of the antibiotic in the body;
- You cannot combine taking antibiotics with physical activity.;
- You should not drink alcohol during the entire course of taking antibiotics.
Before prescribing an antibiotic, you must inform your doctor about the following:
- medications that are currently being taken;
- pregnancy or lactation period;
- kidney or liver disease;
- diabetes.
And also if observed previously:
- occurrence of side effects;
- development of allergic reactions;
- recent use of antimicrobial agents.
Non-standard smoking methods and their impact
Is it possible to smoke in the postoperative period? What type of smoking (regular or electronic cigarette, hookah) is safe? Surgical patients face these questions and naturally want answers to them.
Many people believe that smoking hookah is a safe alternative to regular cigarettes. But there are some nuances here that are hidden from smokers. Yes, hookah tobacco contains a minimal amount of nicotine - 0.5%, and there is no tar, unlike a standard cigarette, but the carbon monoxide released when smoking causes enormous harm to the body.
Carbon monoxide from hookah smoking is not the only harmful substance; there are others that accumulate in the body. For example, increased concentrations of arsenic, lead, chromium, carboxyhemoglobin, nicotine. Unlike regular cigarettes, a person can smoke a hookah for quite a long time (up to several hours). Therefore, the amount of harmful substances entering the human body when smoking hookah tobacco is much greater.
Scientists have proven that if you smoke a hookah for an hour, the harm to the body will be the same as from smoking a hundred standard cigarettes.
Another common alternative to standard smoking is electronic cigarettes. People generally think that when they start smoking electronic cigarettes, they cause minimal harm to the body. Therefore, there is a false opinion that standard cigarettes can be replaced with this type after anesthesia or anesthesia.
Electronic cigarettes use a special smoking liquid that contains nicotine. Everyone already knows that it negatively affects internal organs and the nervous and cardiovascular systems, and also causes addiction and dependence.
Electronic cigarettes cause nicotine addiction
It is known and proven that regular cigarettes adversely affect the course of anesthesia and the recovery of the body after surgery. Contribute to the development of pneumonia, bronchitis and complications from the cardiovascular system. When you can start smoking in the postoperative period, you need to ask your doctor.
Smoking after surgery:
- Before our eyes. During the recovery period, you should stop smoking cigarettes. When smoking, the pressure in the eyes changes dramatically, and tobacco smoke can enter the eyes, which adversely affects the healing process. Experienced smokers need to minimize the number of cigarettes they smoke.
- For appendicitis removal. Smoking is prohibited in the first three days after surgery.
- In the oral cavity. Smoking is not recommended during the first two postoperative days.
- On the heart. It is necessary to stop smoking not only during the recovery period, but also to quit this harmful habit altogether.
- And other surgical interventions.
The postoperative period for recovery of the body is different for everyone, depending on the complexity and how long the surgical intervention lasted. Therefore, the period of quitting smoking varies, and in some cases it is necessary to completely forget about cigarettes forever.
Consequences of drinking alcohol after surgery
If a person drank, then most likely the rehabilitation period for him will be much more difficult than for other patients; tissue healing takes longer.
In addition, the likelihood of ending up in the intensive care unit is much higher for those who abused alcohol in their daily lives.
Under the influence of alcohol, blood clotting changes. This increases the likelihood of bleeding in those patients who did not adhere to recommendations regarding alcohol.
After anesthesia, disturbances in the functioning of the cardiovascular system are quite often observed. Uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages can aggravate such complications of general anesthesia.
The nervous system also suffers.
Only the attending physician can say for sure how long it is necessary to abstain from drinking alcohol before and after surgery in each specific case. But it’s better to play it safe and give up a bad habit than to risk your health and drink alcohol after surgery.
Thus, any sane person understands the answer to the question of whether it is possible to drink alcohol after the operation has been performed. It is recommended to abstain from this for as long as possible, both after and before surgery.
After some operations, drinking is strictly prohibited throughout life; in some cases, the rehabilitation period reaches 3 months, for example, if the eyes were operated on.
ATTENTION! The information published in the article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute instructions for use. Be sure to consult with your doctor!
The given examples of the negative impact of ethyl alcohol molecules on the functioning of many organs of the body force us to draw some conclusions and decide whether to drink this drink or not. Of course, a person is the master of his own happiness and health, so his future fate will depend on his decision.
In advance of the operation, the surgeon tries to explain why it is impossible to combine anesthesia and alcohol. Although the result of the interaction of ethyl with anesthesia in an individual case cannot be predicted by more than one specialist, most doctors consider this combination to be potentially dangerous for any organism.
The use of an anesthetic against the background of exposure to a strong drink can cause disturbances in pain relief. It may be too strong, which will become an additional burden on the heart and blood vessels, even leading to death. Or the painkiller will not work at all, which will complicate the surgeon’s work.
If a person drinks beer several hours before surgery, this can cause a number of other complications.
Why you shouldn’t drink alcohol: possible consequences and dangers
For what reasons is it not recommended to drink alcohol after appendicitis? Let's list them:
- Alcohol, as you know, enters the blood and, along with it, enters all tissues and organs, having an extremely negative effect on them. And after the operation, all tissues are already depleted, so the destructive effect of alcohol on them is more than inappropriate and even dangerous. First, the edges of the cut must heal properly, which alcohol can interfere with. Secondly, alcohol has a detrimental effect on all mucous membranes of the digestive organs, causing their inflammation. And if you consider that the appendix is part of the intestine, you can imagine how dangerous inflammation of the mucous membranes can be.
- This surgical intervention is a rather noticeable load on the liver, which is forced to work literally “for wear and tear” during this period. And alcohol is a real blow to this organ. Therefore, you need to stop drinking alcohol in order to keep your liver safe and sound. Otherwise, you risk developing cirrhosis.
- In almost all cases, after surgery, doctors prescribe antibiotic medications to avoid tissue infection (bacteria can easily get into the wound, causing suppuration or sepsis). In the annotation for any medicine belonging to the group of antibiotics, you can find information that drinking alcohol during treatment is strictly contraindicated. This is due to the fact that alcohol can significantly reduce the effectiveness of the active components of the product and make the treatment useless and ineffective. And in some cases, it is possible to change the effect of antibiotic substances. And it is unknown what the effect will be, but it can be unexpected and very dangerous.
- Why can't you drink beer after appendicitis? After all, such a drink is not strong and is natural. But do not forget that beer is a fermented drink, which, when ingested by the digestive organs, causes bloating and flatulence. And increased gas formation after surgery performed on the abdominal cavity is extremely dangerous. The walls of the stomach and intestines will tighten and expand, and this may lead to the postoperative sutures coming apart. Suture dehiscence is a direct indication for hospitalization and repeated surgery. As a result, the rehabilitation period will be prolonged and greatly complicated.
Why you shouldn’t eat “green snake” while taking antibiotics
Antibacterial agents are prescribed by a doctor in order to kill pathogenic microorganisms that a person’s own immune system cannot cope with.
The person undergoing treatment has serious health problems, which means, a priori, he should not aggravate his condition. This means that during any treatment, drinking alcohol until complete recovery is not recommended, otherwise it may provoke negative consequences for the patient. Why can't you drink alcohol with antibiotics?
Botox is a drug called botulinum toxin. This substance is injected into the muscles, which causes paralysis. As a result, wrinkles are smoothed out. How is this possible?
Any doctor will tell you that alcohol and antibiotics do not mix. Such antibiotics can cause significant harm after drinking alcohol. Experts also do not recommend drinking alcohol after taking medications.
Despite various important activities that cannot be done without alcohol-containing products, drinking alcohol after antibiotics is unacceptable.
Avoiding alcohol before surgery - why is it necessary?
All surgical interventions can be divided into two large groups - emergency and planned.
In the first case, the operation is performed immediately when pathology is detected. As a rule, there is no talk of preliminary preparation. If the intervention is planned in advance, then the patient must approach the preliminary stage extremely responsibly. The effectiveness of the operation and the speed of subsequent recovery will directly depend on the efforts made.
The doctor always gives specific recommendations at the preparatory stage. They directly depend on the type of intervention and the organ being manipulated
Thus, during operations on the gastrointestinal tract, it is especially important to follow a diet that allows you to free the system from waste and toxins, and the day before the intervention, any food is excluded. It is better to refuse food during other operations, since anesthesia given on a full stomach can provoke vomiting.
Another absolute prohibition is drinking alcohol. Experts name several reasons why you should give up alcohol before surgery:
- The most common reason is instant intoxication. A person in this state cannot adequately assess what is happening; he simply does not understand the seriousness of the whole situation. There is no guarantee that he will correctly answer doctors’ questions about the presence of chronic diseases or allergies to medications.
- Typically, the day before surgery, the patient will have laboratory tests to determine their baseline health. If ethyl alcohol is present in the body at this moment, the results will be distorted, and the doctor will not get the real picture.
- Alcohol affects the composition and properties of blood. It is known that when drinking alcohol, it loses water and thickens. Its shaped elements begin to stick together, forming small clots - blood clots. Their presence is extremely undesirable during the operation, as they can clog blood vessels.
- The main condition for many operations is to put a person into a narcotic sleep through special medications. This explains why you should not drink alcohol immediately before the intervention. In this case, the calculated dose may not have an effect or, on the contrary, will plunge the person into too deep a sleep. In addition, anesthesia always puts a strain on the heart, which wears out when drinking alcohol.
All of the above explains why doctors advise refraining from drinking alcohol before surgery. Moreover, you should give up strong drinks in advance, since ethanol leaves the body slowly and even residual amounts of this substance can lead to disastrous consequences.
Treatment at home
During treatment in a hospital, the chance of combining alcohol and antibiotics is quite small. But at home, when control of one’s behavior lies solely with the patient, the risk of combining alcohol and antibacterial medications increases. This is facilitated by various folk remedies, which include vodka tinctures, etc. For example, practitioners of alternative medicine recommend a remedy for the flu containing ⅔ glass of vodka, 1 tablespoon of honey, lemon juice, raspberry jam, a pinch of cinnamon and sea salt, ⅓ glass of warm water.
If the patient has taken the medicine before, then combining the tincture and an antibacterial drug can give an unpredictable effect. Medicine against bacteria and a fairly large volume of libations have a negative effect on the body, already weakened by the disease, increasing the load on the heart, kidneys, and liver.
Therapist's opinion. Even if home rehabilitation procedures are carried out without the use of antibiotics, drinking should be avoided during this period. The body needs strength to recover, and alcohol suppresses all functions.
In addition, some medications, such as painkillers, cough, cold, and allergy medications, contain multiple active substances. All of them can react with ethanol, causing side effects.
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Postoperative complications
According to medical statistics, the risk of complications in patients who drink alcohol before or after surgery is much higher. Ethyl alcohol and anesthesia are absolutely incompatible. Anesthesia is a temporary loss of tissue sensitivity under the influence of medicinal anesthetic substances. Their main task is to block the transmission of nerve impulses. As a result, the signals do not reach the brain, so the patient does not feel pain.
The effect of anesthesia after surgery lasts another 2-3 hours. If you drink a little alcohol after surgery, the effect of the painkiller goes away instantly. A similar reaction can occur if alcohol was drunk before surgery. In this case, additional anesthesia will not bring the desired result.
Any surgical intervention is stressful for the body. Drinking alcohol after surgery can lead to serious problems. Possible complications include:
- headache;
- clouding of consciousness;
- nausea;
- decrease in blood pressure.
Ethyl alcohol negatively affects blood clotting. It makes it too thick. Red blood cells stick together in the blood and form clots that clog blood vessels and small capillaries. Drinking alcohol after surgery can cause stroke, heart attack or hemorrhage.
Under the influence of ethanol, blood vessels dilate, which can lead to internal bleeding.
In persons who have abused the drug before surgery, recovery from general anesthesia is difficult. This process is often accompanied by symptoms of hangover, anaphylactic shock, delirium tremens or impaired consciousness. These symptoms negatively affect the patient’s health and subsequently cause a difficult rehabilitation period.
Appendectomy should be approached as responsibly as possible. Alcohol should be avoided both before and after surgery. Drinking during rehab is a bad idea. The body is very weakened after anesthesia, so a small dose of alcohol can harm your health and negate the results of the operation. It is much easier to ruin your health than to restore it.
Source https://alko112.ru/upotreblenie-spirtnogo/alkogol-posle-operatsii.html
Why might anesthesia not work?
Before surgery using anesthesia, you should absolutely not drink alcohol. This is due to the interaction of alcohol and anesthesia. If the patient drank strong drinks on the eve of the operation, the effect of anesthesia can be completely unpredictable.
For example, an anesthetic drug may not have a strong enough effect and the patient will come out of anesthesia before the operation is completed. In such cases, it is extremely difficult to eliminate the pain syndrome, and additional pain relief is dangerous for the cardiovascular system.
In other cases, the standard dosage of anesthetic is too intense, resulting in an overdose. As a result, a person’s respiratory and cardiovascular systems are inhibited, which poses a serious threat to life.
Drinking alcohol causes blood vessels to dilate. As a result, even simple surgery can cause heavy bleeding .
Ethyl alcohol in the blood also affects blood clotting. This action, in combination with an anesthetic drug, causes stroke or myocardial infarction .
Alcohol for local anesthesia
Only a patient who does not care about his health can ask whether it is possible to drink alcohol after dental anesthesia. On the day of dental procedures, drinking alcoholic beverages is strictly contraindicated, for several reasons:
- It is unknown how alcohol and anesthetic will interact - the consequences are completely unpredictable
- The load on the liver and other internal organs increases
- Possible disturbances in the functioning of the cardiovascular system
If the patient does not want to risk his health, then he should not even think about whether it is possible to drink alcohol after dental anesthesia. It should be remembered that alcohol and painkillers are incompatible.
An equally common question is “is it possible to have anesthesia after drinking alcohol”? Some believe that alcohol can enhance the effect of the anesthetic solution, but this opinion is erroneous. In addition, “alcohol anesthesia” is a basis for refusal to provide medical care. The dentist has the right not to accept a patient who is intoxicated.
When asking a doctor the question “is alcohol allowed after anesthesia,” the patient usually wants to know how long he should abstain from drinking alcoholic beverages. There are no general recommendations on this matter; it all depends on the specifics of the medical procedure performed:
- Surgical intervention – from 1 month
- Gallbladder surgery – completely avoid alcohol
- Eye surgeries – from three months
- Stomach surgery - do not drink alcohol, there is a real threat to life
Alcohol after local anesthesia during dental procedures has a very undesirable effect. Even low-alcohol drinks such as beer cause vasodilation. If a tooth is removed, the blood will slowly clot, which not only threatens prolonged healing of the socket, but also the risk of tissue infection.
If you still cannot decide for yourself whether you can drink alcohol after anesthesia, we recommend that you read the descriptions of the side effects of painkillers. This information is published on our website. Taking alcoholic beverages simultaneously with anesthetic drugs greatly increases the likelihood of side effects.
A surgical operation is a complex of effects on human tissues and organs, performed by a doctor for diagnosis, treatment or correction of body functions. Depending on the urgency, they are: emergency (if there is an urgent need to save the patient’s life), urgent (requiring intervention within 48 hours), planned. By nature: radical, palliative, symptomatic. The purpose of the first two types of surgical intervention is to completely or partially eliminate the cause of the pathological process, and the third is to alleviate the patient’s condition.
How to prepare for surgery
Drinking alcohol in the first days after emerging from drug-induced sleep always has a negative impact on the functioning of individual organs and the general health of the patient.
The still unrecovered central nervous system after anesthesia under the influence of alcohol can cause serious disruptions. Difficulty breathing, confusion, the appearance of post-operative hallucinations - this is an incomplete list of symptoms of a depressed state.
Drinking alcohol during the rehabilitation period can provoke a heart attack, stroke or hemorrhage caused by clogging of small capillaries due to the clumping of red blood cells.
In combination with taking medications, alcohol causes serious intoxication of the body. Its symptoms:
- dizziness;
- a sharp decrease in blood pressure;
- arrhythmia;
- increased sweating;
- flushes of blood to the face;
- labored breathing.
Alcohol poisoning is especially pronounced against the background of gastric bypass surgery. Due to the decrease in the volume of the latter, the patient becomes drunk faster than usual, and the symptoms and consequences of this are aggravated.
It is not recommended to drink alcohol before surgery. Doctors explain this ban by many factors.
Typically, the preoperative period is characterized by undergoing the necessary laboratory diagnostics, during which the patient’s urine, ECG, and blood are examined. If the patient drank alcohol, then the results of laboratory tests may be unreliable or distorted.
In addition, for serious interventions, for example, operations on veins, myocardium and other structures, anesthesia is performed. If, a couple of days before, the patient seriously abused alcohol, then the effect of anesthesia may become unpredictable.
For some patients, the administered anesthetic is not enough; as a result, the patient may well emerge from anesthesia ahead of time, when the operation is not yet completed. But for other patients, on the contrary, the standard dose of anesthetic is more than enough, resulting in an overdose of anesthesia, depressing the activity of the cardiovascular or respiratory system.
Normally, alcohol should be avoided one day before the proposed surgical procedure, but in order to avoid the above-mentioned complications, it is better to abstain from alcohol about a week before surgical treatment.
Often, after surgery, people want to know after what period of time they can drink. There are no general recommendations on this matter; it all depends on the operation performed and what anesthesia was used:
- on the gastrointestinal tract - you should not drink at all, as there is a risk of death;
- before the eyes - exclude alcoholic beverages for 3 months;
- to remove the gallbladder - eliminate alcohol forever;
- to remove the appendix - do not drink for 1 month;
- dental surgeries – avoid alcohol for a week.
It must be said that many people, after a tooth extraction procedure, believe that they can drink immediately after the “freeze” has gone away. However, even when drinking low-alcohol drinks, blood clotting slows down and the hole heals slowly. There is also a certain risk of getting infected.
After removal of the gallbladder, drinking is strictly prohibited for the rest of your life; it is dangerous to health. In addition, you need to monitor your diet and adhere to healthy eating principles to help your body recover. Follow a daily routine and follow a diet during the recovery process.
If you have cataract removal or other eye procedures, you should not drink for 3 months. As the anesthesia wears off after surgery, the patient may experience pain and discomfort.
He is prescribed medications to dull the pain, and special eye drops that should be taken for 1 month, but alcohol and medications cannot be combined.
Next, the person goes through a period of rehabilitation; drinking is also prohibited.
If we talk about plastic surgeries, they are mostly performed under general anesthesia. Drinking alcohol after general anesthesia is not recommended, as the body needs to recover.
How long the patient will be banned from drinking alcohol is determined by the doctor; it all depends on certain factors and indicators. But it is best to abstain from alcohol for 3 months if possible. Otherwise, you can experience all the delights of side effects.
If the patient suffers from alcoholism, it is necessary to inform the doctor about this. The doctor will decide how long the operation can be delayed and what medications can be prescribed for the alcoholic.
Before surgery, the patient must cleanse the body of ethanol breakdown products so that the anesthesia takes effect and the operation is successful. You need to remember about the postoperative period - you should definitely avoid alcohol-containing drinks.
Otherwise, the consequences can be very sad.
After gastric bypass, which is done to lose excess weight, you should not use it for several months. The fact is that surgical intervention involves the removal of part of the organ, and a certain amount of food goes directly into the gastrointestinal tract.
Alcoholic drinks after such an operation will make you intoxicated even from the smallest dose, and the hangover will be long and severe.
The worst consequence of drinking alcohol immediately after or before surgery is death.
- chronic diseases worsen;
- intoxication occurs (due to the incompatibility of alcohol and medications);
- long recovery period;
- slowing down tissue regeneration;
- vasodilation;
- increased blood pressure;
- depression of the nervous system.
After laparoscopy under anesthesia, you need to adhere to a healthy diet and maintain a daily routine. Alcoholic beverages are not included in the list of permitted drinks.
We must not forget that if you take alcohol-containing drinks along with medications, poisoning occurs. After any surgical intervention, drug therapy is prescribed to speed up the rehabilitation period.
To ensure that the sutures heal faster and blood poisoning does not occur, a course of antibiotics is prescribed. Combining them with alcohol is strictly prohibited.
Before laparoscopy, it is necessary to abstain from drinking alcoholic beverages for several days for a number of reasons. First, before the operation, the patient must undergo diagnostic tests - blood, urine.
Against the background of alcohol, the results may be distorted and unreliable. Because of this, the wrong treatment and dose of medications, including anesthesia, may be prescribed.
If a person drank before laparoscopy, the effect of anesthesia may be unpredictable. It may not work at all, resulting in the patient having to endure pain.
The dosage may not be enough, and the person will recover from anesthesia faster than expected. Or vice versa, the dose for him will be maximum and the patient will not be able to wake up for a long time.
Drinking alcohol before surgery under general anesthesia is extremely dangerous for health, and sometimes even life.
The timing of alcohol prohibition before surgery is individual and depends on the complexity of the upcoming intervention and the drugs used for anesthesia. A minimum of 3 days must pass; in some cases, this period is regulated by the doctor and can last for a month.
The duration of abstinence from alcohol after surgery also varies from person to person. Therefore, it is necessary to consult with your doctor before discharge and do this in as much detail as possible, asking all your questions, clarifying the types of alcohol and its amount allowed for the body after the rehabilitation period.
An approximate list of procedures after which you should limit your alcohol consumption:
- during abdominal surgery, the consumption of alcoholic beverages is allowed no earlier than after a month;
- For those who have had their gallbladder removed, drinking alcohol is prohibited for the rest of their lives;
- when removing appendicitis, about 3-4 weeks of sobriety will be required;
- during eye operations, alcoholic beverages can be consumed only after 3-5 months;
- After plastic and cosmetic surgical interventions performed under general anesthesia, alcohol should be avoided for at least 3 weeks.
The most terrible direct consequences include possible death.
The results of drinking alcohol after surgery also include:
- slowing down tissue regeneration;
- exacerbation of chronic diseases;
- intoxication of the body due to the incompatibility of alcohol and medications.
You should not neglect the doctor’s recommendations and risk your own health, especially for the dubious pleasure of drinking.
Important! Beer is also prohibited, since the carbon dioxide it contains irritates the mucous membranes and provokes bleeding, especially in the gastrointestinal tract.
Drinking alcoholic beverages a day or two after recovery from anesthesia always negatively affects the general health of the patient and his individual organs.
There are many examples when alcohol after surgery brought a person back to a hospital bed.
No less important is the question of whether you can drink alcohol after surgery. There are several reasons why you should hold off on drinking alcohol after leaving the hospital.
During the postoperative period, antibiotics are often prescribed. Ethyl neutralizes the effect of drugs. In turn, antibiotics slow down the breakdown of alcohol, which causes the concentration of acetaldehyde in the human body to increase.
Symptoms of intoxication will be nausea, decreased blood pressure, accompanied by dizziness, breathing problems, increased sweating, tachycardia and other unpleasant manifestations. Therefore, the duration of the course of rehabilitation treatment will help determine when you can drink alcohol.
In the first days after surgery, a person’s immunity is reduced. Therefore, even a small portion of alcohol can cause an exacerbation of a patient’s chronic diseases.
Alcoholic drinks can slow down tissue regeneration and prolong the healing time of sutures. And dilated vessels can negate all the work of the surgeon.
For example, if you take a little vodka or cognac immediately after tooth extraction, this will help disinfect the wound. However, the increase in pressure that accompanies this process can provoke bleeding.
Before any operation, excluding emergency cases, careful preparation is carried out: doctors, the attending surgeon and an anesthesiologist assess the patient’s health, conduct an examination and prescribe tests, including a general blood test, a blood clotting test, a general urinalysis, and an ECG.
Based on all procedures, the doctor assesses the patient’s readiness for anesthesia. The operation is postponed if the patient has ARVI, high fever, or exacerbation of a concomitant disease.
When to get up after surgery? The general rule is as early as possible! Don't linger! But of course, with the doctor's permission. Lying for a long time is fraught with the development of hypostatic pneumonia, acute thrombosis of the veins of the lower extremities, bedsores on the back, sacrum, and heels.
A case is described: a young patient, 23 years old, practically healthy, after a routine uncomplicated appendectomy, lay on his bed and did not want to get up (he was in pain, you see). On the third day I finally got up. Result: pulmonary embolism - instant death.
When can I return to normal work after anesthesia? After general anesthesia, after just two days, a person can perform normal work, operate complex mechanisms that require concentration, and drive a car.
But the operating surgeons discharge the patient after 7-8 days, when the stitches are removed and the wound has healed. You can drink after anesthesia when your reflexes are restored and there is no nausea or vomiting.
You can eat it the next day, the diet is gentle: you can’t eat spicy, salty, fried, canned food, sausages, or alcohol. The Pevzner diet is usually followed.
Alcohol and the postoperative period
Is it possible to drink alcohol after general anesthesia, since the operation is already over? Ethanol poses a danger in this case as well. And especially during rehabilitation, when all the body’s forces are devoted to restoration, and the immune system is especially sensitive and vulnerable.
The body simply cannot cope with the natural work of neutralizing and cleansing internal systems of ethanol. After all, after anesthesia, the functioning of a person’s immune system drops sharply. When consuming alcohol during this period, the body may react in the following ways:
- the recovery period will slow down;
- the processes of tissue and cell regeneration will worsen;
- there will be an exacerbation of existing chronic diseases;
- the risk of new diseases will increase, which is especially dangerous for a weakened person.
Blood problems
It has been proven that ethyl alcohol has an extremely bad effect on the condition of the blood. Under the influence of ethanol, red blood cells begin to actively stick together, making the blood viscous and thick. As a result, blockage of small arteries and capillaries may occur. Blood clots that move freely in the bloodstream can block a larger artery or vessel at any time.
Alcohol can cause blood clots and cause a stroke
Ethanol also has a vasodilating effect (this usually happens immediately after drinking alcohol). This can lead to internal bleeding and significant deterioration of the patient's condition.
The main reasons for the ban on alcohol after surgery
Doctors identify a number of the most significant reasons that make the use of even low-proof alcohol in the postoperative period a categorical taboo. They are as follows:
- Antibiotics. In frequent cases, postoperatively, patients are prescribed a course of antibiotic therapy. This is done to prevent the development of any infections based on weakened immunity. Antibiotics are absolutely incompatible with alcohol. In this case, you can relax with alcohol only after 7-10 days have passed after taking the last tablet of the medicine.
- Anesthesia. Alcohol is also prohibited due to the need to inject anesthesia into the human body. And the combination of anesthetic drugs and alcohol is also strictly prohibited. Otherwise, there is a high risk of developing various unpredictable and life-threatening health problems.
- Fall of immunity. In the postoperative period, the patient's immune forces are extremely weakened. The inclusion of alcohol in the diet these days is fraught with exacerbation of chronic diseases or the development of new types of pathology. Moreover, coping with diseases during this period will become much more difficult.
- The need for a diet. Often, after surgery, the patient is prescribed a diet (its features are related to the specifics of the treatment being performed). In this case, not only alcohol in any form is prohibited, but also a number of other foods and drinks.
- Disruption of the central nervous system. Ethanol has a detrimental effect on the functioning of the central nervous system. After anesthesia, the nervous system is depressed and weakened. When consuming ethanol during this period, the central nervous system can cause serious disruptions. Patients may develop psychosis, hallucinations, and even symptoms of delirium tremens due to this.
Any of the listed reasons for a sane person becomes weighty enough to refuse risky recreation with alcohol during the recovery, postoperative period. But, unfortunately, not all patients turn out to be reasonable.
How long do antibiotics last after you stop taking them?
Scientists claim that the active ingredients of antibiotics remain in the body for at least 3 days. There are drugs with prolonged (long-term) action; they are eliminated only after 2-3 weeks. Consulting with your doctor may help prevent side effects. It is important to pay attention to the following parameters before you start drinking alcohol after taking antibiotics:
- duration of treatment with the drug;
- its compatibility with ethyl alcohol;
- the time after which alcohol is allowed after taking the last dose.
Diet and rehabilitation after surgery
As mentioned above, there are many contraindications for drinking alcohol after surgery. Of course, the requirements regarding rehabilitation and the prohibition of alcohol are conditional and depend on the surgical intervention performed, or rather the organ on which it was performed.
Here are the most general recommendations regarding diet and alcohol consumption after surgical interventions:
- Alcohol after abdominal surgery is allowed to be consumed on a limited basis and only after a month. In addition, the body needs a lot of time to recover. Experts recommend starting to get up within a day after such an intervention, and after a couple of days you need to start walking more so that the body quickly returns to its usual environment. It is not recommended to eat for the first few days due to anesthesia. It is necessary to gradually introduce water, fruit drinks, and chicken broth into the diet. If your doctor allows it, you can eat citrus fruits.
- If a patient has had an endoscopy to remove the gallbladder, then he should not drink alcohol-containing drinks for the rest of his life, since drinking alcohol is dangerous for a person without a gallbladder! If endoscopy was performed for appendicitis, the recovery period usually takes about 3 weeks, during which alcohol is on the list of prohibited products. It is also recommended to adhere to the principles of proper nutrition to help the body quickly normalize its activity.
- Alcohol after eye surgery is strictly contraindicated, and for a longer period. Thus, alcohol after cataract surgery is prohibited for at least three months. Typically, after such surgical procedures, when the anesthetic effect wears off, patients experience pain in the eyes. During the rehabilitation period, patients are prescribed NSAIDs in tablet form, and then in the form of eye drops. If the picture is favorable, they are taken for about a month. Such medications are incompatible with alcohol, so alcohol is prohibited while taking them.
- plastic surgery and various cosmetic corrective measures are full-fledged operations, and therefore also exclude the use of alcohol before and after the intervention.
How long the ban on drinking strong drinks will last is determined only by a specialist, because such a restriction depends on many factors. A universal recommendation is to avoid alcohol for a month after any surgical interventions, and in the case of eye surgeries, the restriction lasts 3 months.
It is better to give up dubious pleasures like alcohol than to experience all the “delights” of postoperative complications, which are often provoked by the use of alcoholic beverages.