Antibiotic drug - a chemical substance derivable from a mold or bacterium that can kill microorganisms and cure bacterial infections; "when antibiotics were first discovered they were called wonder drugs.

Possible side effects are varied, depending on the antibiotics used and the microbial organisms targeted. Adverse effects can range from fever and nausea to major allergic reactions including photodermatitis. One of the more common side effects is diarrhea, sometimes caused by the anaerobic bacterium Clostridium difficile, which results from the antibiotic disrupting the normal balance of the intestinal flora, Such overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria may be alleviated by ingesting probiotics during a course of antibiotics. An antibiotic-induced disruption of the population of the bacteria normally present as constituents of the normal vaginal flora may also occur, and may lead to overgrowth of yeast species of the genus Candida in the vulvo-vaginal area.  Other side effects can result from interaction with other drugs, such as elevated risk of tendon damage from administration of a quinolone antibiotic with a systemic corticosteroid.

Hypothetically, some antibiotics might interfere with the efficiency of birth control pills. However there have been no conclusive studies that proved that; on the contrary, the majority of the studies indicate that antibiotics do not interfere with contraception, even though there is a possibility that a small percentage of women may experience decreased effectiveness of birth control pills while taking an antibiotic.

Antibiotics and alcohol

Alcohol can interfere with the activity or metabolization of antibiotics. It may affect the activity of liver enzymes, which break down the antibiotics. Moreover, certain antibiotics, including metronidazole, tinidazole, co-trimoxazole, cephamandole, ketoconazole, latamoxef, cefoperazone, cefmenoxime, and furazolidone, chemically react with alcohol, leading to serious side effects, which include severe vomiting, nausea, and shortness of breath. Alcohol consumption while taking such antibiotics is therefore explicitly prohibited. Additionally, serum levels of doxycycline and erythromycin succinate may, in certain circumstances, be significantly reduced by alcohol consumption.

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