How many days after breaking a cold can you drink alcohol?

Written by Zhang Da Wei
General Surgery
Updated on July 02, 2025
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Because tetanus antitoxin can effectively prevent infections caused by Clostridium tetani, it is generally used for preventative purposes and tends to be ideal in effect. The effect of this medication is usually noticeable within a week, and after that, it may not achieve the desired effect. Therefore, when tetanus antitoxin is administered, it is generally not advisable to drink alcohol within 7 days. After this period, normal alcohol consumption is possible, but excessive drinking should still be avoided.

Excessive alcohol consumption can potentially lead to a decrease in immunity. A decrease in immunity may facilitate bacterial growth, which could increase the likelihood of a Clostridium tetani infection and potentially impact the effectiveness of the tetanus vaccine. Thus, it is advisable to avoid alcohol during the first week to prevent any direct impact.

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Written by Tang Da Wei
General Surgery
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What should you avoid eating when you have tetanus?

A tetanus shot involves injecting tetanus antitoxin into the muscle, which is a form of passive immunity. It is usually administered when there is a wound on the patient's body and a suspected infection by tetanus bacillus, effectively preventing the severe complications caused by the toxins released by the tetanus bacillus. Since there is a wound on the body, a light diet is generally required during the eating process. It is necessary to avoid spicy and irritating foods, avoid drinking alcohol, and avoid smoking. Consuming spicy and irritating foods, including alcohol, can lead to inflammation and infection of the wound, and may even cause local blood vessels at the wound site to dilate, worsening the patient's condition.

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Written by Zhang Peng
General Surgery
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Symptoms of Tetanus

What are the symptoms of tetanus? Generally, the prodromal symptoms include overall weakness, headache, difficulty swallowing, or limited movement of the head and neck. If the condition progresses further, there may be typical symptoms such as difficulty opening the mouth or tense jaw muscles, leading to muscle spasms in the limbs, possibly causing spasms of the larynx, which can lead to breathing difficulties or even suffocation. Hence, it is a particularly severe manifestation. Some individuals may experience generalized tonic muscle spasms throughout the body, a milder manifestation with a typically longer incubation period. Therefore, in the treatment of tetanus, proactive active immunization should be pursued.

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Written by Li Jin Quan
General Surgery
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Does tetanus cause fever?

When a person is infected with tetanus, the early symptoms mainly include dizziness, headache, fatigue, decreased appetite, weak chewing, sore jaw muscles, some muscle tension, or some hyperactive reflexes. As the condition worsens, typical clinical manifestations occur, such as difficulty opening the mouth, a sardonic smile, opisthotonos or neck stiffness, muscle spasms, muscle rigidity, and in severe cases, respiratory weakness or respiratory arrest. Some patients may develop a fever after being infected with tetanus. Therefore, some tetanus patients do show symptoms of fever.

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Written by Li Xiao Lin
Emergency Department
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Will tetanus cause muscle soreness?

Tetanus can cause muscle pain. The main symptoms of a tetanus attack include sudden onset, impaired consciousness, frothing at the mouth, limb convulsions, body stiffness, presenting in an opisthotonos posture, and concurrent incontinence of urine and feces, with the duration varying according to the condition. Because convulsions cause the muscles to be in a state of rigidity, this leads to muscle ischemia and hypoxia, thereby increasing lactic acid and causing this state of muscle pain. Therefore, during a tetanus attack, measures should be taken to control these convulsions. At the same time, use chopsticks to prop against the teeth to prevent biting the tongue and other such incidents. If the condition is severe, immediately call emergency services (120) to get to a hospital for urgent treatment.

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Written by Zhang Da Wei
General Surgery
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When is the latest time to get a tetanus shot?

Tetanus bacillus can be prevented by the injection of tetanus antitoxin, and it is best to administer it within about a week. Generally, the sooner the vaccine is administered, the better, with the most effective safety period being within 24 hours. That is, if the tetanus antitoxin can be injected within 24 hours, the probability of developing tetanus will almost drop to zero. Of course, it is usually possible to inject this vaccine within this week, as the incubation and onset period of tetanus bacillus generally occurs within a week. Therefore, the earlier the treatment, the higher the probability of prevention. Of course, this vaccine should be used only when certain symptoms appear, and it must not exceed one week. If it exceeds one week, the tetanus antitoxin may become ineffective.