Can You Drink While Taking Metronidazole?

Drinking alcohol whilst taking metronidazole as a treatment is very dangerous. UK Meds explain why below.

Key Takeaways

Avoid Alcohol Completely:

While taking metronidazole, avoid alcohol entirely, as even a small amount can cause severe side effects like tummy pain, headaches, and nausea.

Wait 48 Hours After Finishing:

After completing your metronidazole course, continue to avoid alcohol for 48 hours to ensure the medication has fully left your system.

Beware of Alcohol in Products:

Avoid using products that contain alcohol, such as certain mouthwashes or cough syrups, as they can also trigger a bad reaction while on metronidazole.

Should you avoid alcohol while taking metronidazole?

Yes. You must avoid any alcohol consumption when you are taking metronidazole. It is known to interact very badly with alcohol and could bring on several very unpleasant side effects (NHS, 2021). These include:

• Tummy pain

• Hot flushes

• Headaches

• Feeling or being sick

• Fast or an irregular heartbeat

The bad reaction to alcohol is significant and can occur with even a tiny amount of alcohol. Its not very well understood why the two react so badly together, and it is unknown how long the problems may last after you finish taking metronidazole. 

The manufacturers of metronidazole suggest that you should completely avoid alcohol while taking it (EMC, 2021), and then for 48 hours after finishing the course of medication (NHS, 2022). 48 hours is recommended because it takes that long for metronidazole to fully leave your system. 

The reaction between metronidazole and alcohol is so strong, it is recommended that you also avoid alcohol-containing products like certain cough and cold remedies and mouthwash.

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