Beer

Are there any interactions with medications?

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Disulfiram (Antabuse)
Interaction Rating: Major Do not take this combination.

The body breaks down the alcohol in beer to get rid of it. Disulfiram (Antabuse) decreases how fast the body breaks down alcohol. Drinking beer and taking disulfiram (Antabuse) can cause a pounding headache, vomiting, flushing, and other unpleasant reactions. Don't drink any alcohol if you are taking disulfiram (Antabuse).

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Erythromycin
Interaction Rating: Major Do not take this combination.

The body breaks down the alcohol in beer to get rid of it. Erythromycin can decrease how quickly the body gets rid of alcohol. Drinking beer and taking erythromycin might increase the effects and side effects of alcohol.

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Medications that can harm the liver (Hepatotoxic drugs)
Interaction Rating: Major Do not take this combination.

The alcohol in beer can harm the liver. Drinking beer and taking medications that can harm the liver can increase the risk of liver damage. Do not drink beer if you are taking a medication that can harm the liver.

Some medications that can harm the liver include acetaminophen (Tylenol and others), amiodarone (Cordarone), carbamazepine (Tegretol), isoniazid (INH), methotrexate (Rheumatrex), methyldopa (Aldomet), fluconazole (Diflucan), itraconazole (Sporanox), erythromycin (Erythrocin, Ilosone, others), phenytoin (Dilantin) , lovastatin (Mevacor), pravastatin (Pravachol), simvastatin (Zocor), and many others.

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Sedative medications (CNS depressants)
Interaction Rating: Major Do not take this combination.

The alcohol in beer might cause sleepiness and drowsiness. Medications that cause sleepiness and drowsiness are called sedative medications. Drinking beer and taking sedative medications might cause too much sleepiness and other serious side effects.

Some sedative medications include clonazepam (Klonopin), lorazepam (Ativan), phenobarbital (Donnatal), zolpidem (Ambien), and others.

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Warfarin (Coumadin)
Interaction Rating: Major Do not take this combination.

Warfarin (Coumadin) is used to slow blood clotting. The alcohol in beer can interact with warfarin (Coumadin). Drinking large amounts of alcohol can change the effectiveness of warfarin (Coumadin). Be sure to have your blood checked regularly. The dose of your warfarin (Coumadin) might need to be changed.

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Antibiotics (Sulfonamide antibiotics)
Interaction Rating: Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Talk with your health provider.

The alcohol in beer can interact with some antibiotics. This can lead to upset stomach, vomiting, sweating, headache, and an increased heartbeat. Do not drink beer when taking antibiotics.

Some antibiotics that interact with beer include sulfamethoxazole (Gantanol), sulfasalazine (Azulfidine), sulfisoxazole (Gantrisin), trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim, Septra), and others.

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Aspirin
Interaction Rating: Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Talk with your health provider.

Aspirin can sometimes damage the stomach and cause ulcers and bleeding. The alcohol in beer can also damage the stomach. Taking aspirin along with beer might increase the chance of ulcers and bleeding in the stomach. Avoid taking beer and aspirin together.

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Cefamandole (Mandol)
Interaction Rating: Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Talk with your health provider.

The alcohol in beer can interact with cefamandole (Mandol). This can lead to upset stomach, vomiting, sweating, headache, and an increased heartbeat. Do not drink beer while taking cefamandole (Mandol).

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Cefoperazone (Cefobid)
Interaction Rating: Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Talk with your health provider.

The alcohol in beer can interact with cefoperazone (Cefobid). This can lead to upset stomach, vomiting, sweating, headache, and an increased heartbeat. Do not drink beer while taking cefoperazone (Cefobid).

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Chlorpropamide (Diabinese)
Interaction Rating: Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Talk with your health provider.

The body breaks down the alcohol in beer to get rid of it. Chlorpropamide (Diabinese) might decrease how quickly the body breaks down alcohol. Drinking beer and taking chlorpropamide (Diabinese) might cause a headache, vomiting, flushing, and other unpleasant reactions. Don't drink beer if you are taking chlorpropamide (Diabinese).

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Cisapride (Propulsid)
Interaction Rating: Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Talk with your health provider.

Cisapride (Propulsid) might decrease how quickly the body gets rid of the alcohol in beer. Taking cisapride (Propulsid) along with beer might increase the effects and side effects of the alcohol in beer.

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Griseofulvin (Fulvicin)
Interaction Rating: Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Talk with your health provider.

The body breaks down the alcohol in beer to get rid of it. Griseofulvin (Fulvicin) decreases how quickly the body breaks down alcohol. Drinking beer and taking griseofulvin (Fulvicin) can cause a pounding headache, vomiting, flushing, and other unpleasant reactions. Don't drink any alcohol if you are taking griseofulvin (Fulvicin).

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Medications for pain (Narcotic drugs)
Interaction Rating: Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Talk with your health provider.

The body breaks down some medications for pain to get rid of them. The alcohol in beer might decrease how quickly the body gets rid of some medications for pain. Drinking beer and taking some medications for pain might increase the effects and side effects of some medications for pain.

Some medications for pain that might interact with alcohol include meperidine (Demerol), hydrocodone, morphine, OxyContin, and many others.

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Medications that decrease stomach acid (H2-blockers)
Interaction Rating: Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Talk with your health provider.

Some medications that decrease stomach acid might interact with the alcohol in beer. Drinking beer and taking some medications that decrease stomach acid might increase how much alcohol the body absorbs, and increase the risk of side effects of alcohol.

Some medications that decrease stomach acid and might interact with alcohol include cimetidine (Tagamet), ranitidine (Zantac), nizatidine (Axid), and famotidine (Pepcid).

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Metformin (Glucophage)
Interaction Rating: Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Talk with your health provider.

Metformin (Glucophage) is broken down by the body in the liver. The alcohol in beer is also broken down in the body by the liver. Drinking beer and taking metformin might cause serious side effects.

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Metronidazole (Flagyl)
Interaction Rating: Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Talk with your health provider.

The alcohol in beer can interact with metronidazole (Flagyl). This can lead to upset stomach, vomiting, sweating, headache, and an increased heartbeat. Do not drink beer while taking metronidazole (Flagyl).

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NSAIDs (Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)
Interaction Rating: Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Talk with your health provider.

NSAIDs are anti-inflammatory medications used for decreasing pain and swelling. NSAIDs can sometimes damage the stomach and intestines and cause ulcers and bleeding. The alcohol in beer can also damage the stomach and intestines. Taking NSAIDs along with beer might increase the chance of ulcers and bleeding in the stomach and intestines. Avoid taking beer and NSAIDs together.

Some NSAIDs include ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, Nuprin, others), indomethacin (Indocin), naproxen (Aleve, Anaprox, Naprelan, Naprosyn), piroxicam (Feldene), aspirin, and others.

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Phenytoin (Dilantin)
Interaction Rating: Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Talk with your health provider.

The body breaks down phenytoin (Dilantin) to get rid of it. The alcohol in beer might increase how quickly the body breaks down phenytoin (Dilantin). Drinking beer and taking phenytoin (Dilantin) might decrease the effectiveness of phenytoin (Dilantin) and increase the possibility of seizures.

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Sedative medications (Barbiturates)
Interaction Rating: Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Talk with your health provider.

The alcohol in beer might cause sleepiness and drowsiness. Medications that cause sleepiness and drowsiness are called sedative medications. Taking beer along with sedative medications might cause too much sleepiness. Do not drink beer if you are taking sedative medications.

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Sedative medications (Benzodiazepines)
Interaction Rating: Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Talk with your health provider.

The alcohol in beer might cause sleepiness and drowsiness. Drugs that cause sleepiness and drowsiness are called sedative medications. Taking beer along with sedative medications might cause too much sleepiness. Do not drink beer if you are taking sedative medications.

Some of these sedative medications include clonazepam (Klonopin), diazepam (Valium), lorazepam (Ativan), and others.

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Tolbutamide (Orinase)
Interaction Rating: Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Talk with your health provider.

The body breaks down the alcohol in beer to get rid of it. Tolbutamide (Orinase) can decrease how quickly the body breaks down alcohol. Drinking beer and taking tolbutamide (Orinase) can cause a pounding headache, vomiting, flushing, and other unpleasant reactions. Don't drink beer if you are taking tolbutamide (Orinase).

Dosing considerations for Beer.

Alcohol intake is often measured in number of "drinks." One drink is equivalent to a 4 oz or a 120 mL glass of wine, 12 oz of beer, or 1 oz of spirits.

The following doses have been studied in scientific research:

BY MOUTH:

• For lowering the chance of developing heart disease or stroke: one or two 12 oz drinks of beer per day.
• For lowering the chance of developing heart failure: Up to four glasses per day.
• For a smaller reduction in thinking skills in older men: Up to one drink per day.
• For reduced risk of type 2 diabetes in healthy men: Three drinks per day to two drinks per week.
• For reducing the risk of coronary heart disease in people with type 2 diabetes: Up to seven drinks per week.
• For lowering a chance of developing Helicobacter pylori infection: Consuming 75 grams of alcohol from beverages such as beer. Helicobacter pylori are bacteria that cause stomach ulcers.