When can I drink alcohol after finishing metronidazole?

If you have any concerns about the information below, or need any help understanding it and relating it to your own situation, you should talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

Metronidazole is an antibiotic that may produce unpleasant side effects when taken with alcohol. These effects include:

• flushing,
• feeling sick,
• vomiting,
• headache,
• dizziness, and
• palpitations.

You should AVOID alcohol while taking metronidazole.

It is not clear why metronidazole and alcohol affect each other like this. And it is impossible to be sure how long the problem might persist after stopping metronidazole, as there are no studies which have researched this. However, the advice given by one of the manufacturers of metronidazole is that you should not drink any alcohol while taking metronidazole and for 48 hours after finishing the course.