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Experts suggest that you should not drink alcohol or coffee within a week after taking anti-inflammatory drugs.

Published: 2026-04-03 Author: World Gafei

Last Updated: 2026/04/03, A few days ago, a post was forwarded crazily by netizens: I received a phone call from my mother in the morning and my brother died of a heart attack the night before last. At the same time of grief, I hope you know that drinking alcohol during taking anti-inflammatory drugs can cause fatal adverse reactions. Pharmaceutical experts remind you: if you use anti-inflammatory drugs, don't drink alcohol for a week. When alcohol enters the body, it is first treated with oxygen by ethanol dehydrogenase in hepatocytes.

A few days ago, a post was frantically forwarded by netizens: I received a phone call from my mother in the morning, and my brother died of a heart attack the night before yesterday. While grieving, I want you to know that drinking alcohol while taking "anti-inflammatory drugs" can cause fatal adverse reactions...... pharmaceutical experts remind you: with anti-inflammatory drugs, do not drink alcohol within a week.

Alcohol enters the body, first in the liver cells through the action of alcohol dehydrogenase oxidation to acetaldehyde, because some antibiotics inhibit the activity of aldehyde dehydrogenase, so that acetaldehyde can not be further oxidized metabolism, resulting in acetaldehyde accumulation in the body. This toxic reaction to acetaldehyde accumulation is called a disulfiram-like reaction. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, palpitations, dyspnea, and even shock and acute heart failure in severe cases. Antibiotics and alcohol both need to be metabolized by the liver. If two things that already hurt the liver enter the body at the same time, it will double the damage to the liver. If the reaction is strong, it may also lead to liver failure, which is life-threatening.

The most common drugs that cause disulfiram-like reactions are cephalosporins, which are prescribed with a clear reminder not to drink alcohol for a week during medication. However, in clinical practice, we found that many antibiotics without cephalosporins can also cause disulfiram-like reactions, such as metronidazole, tinidazole, ketoconazole, furazolidone, chloramphenicol, glibenclamide, phenformin and other drugs may also cause disulfiram-like reactions. Therefore, patients should also stay away from alcohol during the use of these drugs and do not drink alcohol for a week. During the period of taking antibiotics, in addition to alcohol, strong tea and coffee should not be drunk. Take strong tea as an example, it reacts with alcohol to produce acetaldehyde, which is also very harmful to the liver and kidneys. (Associate Chief Physician Xu Shuangbiao)

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