Was put on these yesterday by the doc for a suspected kidney or urinary tract infection (have no idea where that came from), but forgot to ask him if it's okay to drink alkyhol while taking them: Anyone know?

I have tried googling them but thought I'd see what experiences people had. As it doesn't mention alcohol in the instructions, I asssume it is okay.

yes, only one you can't drink with is metronidazole

doesn't alcohol diminish the effect of the antibiotic though or is that just another myth ?

Kev

wouldn't have thought so for normal levels of drinking.

timing in relation to eating food can though.

Boozing whilst taking metronidazole can really put you on your ass. It is potentially very dangerous. Even mouthwashes and liquer chocolates can trigger a nasty reaction.

Drinking whilst taking other antibiotics is okay but may reduce the extent to which they are metabolised by the liver. This may reduce their efficacy.

timing in relation to eating food can though.

How so?

Men don't get Urinary Tract infections as a general rule – Prostatitis is more likely to be root cause. If it comes straight back after you finish the course of antibiotics – ask to be referred to the Urology clinic. My GP was useless and only after my infection had come straight back after the 4th course of antibiotics did he twig. I then read around and found out my don't get UT infections like women. I now have permanent kidney damage thanks to his incompetence (due to the infection raging for so long before being properly diagnosed).

affects uptake. have a look at the printed sheet that comes with ab, i think you take them 1 hr before food for penicillins, (or 1 hr after…..)

as you say fellas as a gen rule dont, but they certainly DO get them and should be investigated. any fella with a uti gets kindey function check, urine sent off, finger up the bum, hand on the bladder PSA 4 w-6 weeks later and referral to a urologist.

prostatitis is more an alternative diagnosis than a root cause

All imho of course

You can have a ,sensible, drink. As polarisandy says, metronidazole is the one that you have to NOT drink with.IIRC metronidzole, or a derivative of it, is used in those stomach implants they bung into alcoholics to STOP them drinking by causing an, er, adverse reaction. Didn't work for George Best, however………….. 😐

+1 i refer all my male utis to urology and so should your gp.

but reading this i may be wrong. However they all seem to get investigated

http://www.gpnotebook.com/simplepage.cfm?ID=x20080610120937672570&linkID=71048&cook=no

however this may change my practice

you can take augmentin with food (minimal effect on absorption for amoxicillin or clavulanic acid)

you can take augmentin "with" alcohol (no disulfiram-like reaction – excitingly, it's debatable even whether metronidazole truly causes this but it is a warning on the licence). As polarisandy says, don't go getting ratarsed

Also as polarisandy says, youngish blokes tend to get all sorts of things done (inc VD tested) if they present with a UTI

Sorry folks, I may have filled in the blanks with regard to the UTI thing, but the doc definitely said something about an infection when he tested my urine sample (white bloods cells and nitrates present), but his accent was a little hard to understand. He has sent the sample away for testing, to be certain.

I'm getting a little nervous now, lol.