Drug & supplement interaction

Beer + Allopurinol

Allopurinol brand names: Zyloprim, Caplenal, Cosuric, Rimapurinol, Zyloric.

Major Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated September 2026
The bottom line Major

Beer has a major interaction with Allopurinol. Concomitant use of alcohol with hepatotoxic drugs may increase the risk of hepatotoxicity.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityMajor
LikelihoodProbable
EvidenceB
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Beer and Allopurinol

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Major

HEPATOTOXIC DRUGS

Why this applies to Allopurinol

Allopurinol falls under HEPATOTOXIC DRUGS — the group Beer interacts with.

Concomitant use of alcohol with hepatotoxic drugs may increase the risk of hepatotoxicity.
Concomitant use of excessive amounts of alcohol with potentially hepatotoxic drugs can increase the risk of liver damage.
Severity Major Likelihood Probable Evidence B

Interaction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports..

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the deal with beer and allopurinol. Both alcohol and allopurinol can be tough on your liver, so combining them, especially heavier drinking, can stack up that stress and raise your risk of liver problems. Watch for things like unusual tiredness, nausea, yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice), dark urine, or pain in the upper right belly.

There's another wrinkle too: alcohol actually raises uric acid levels, which works against what allopurinol is trying to do for your gout. So beer can make your medication less effective at keeping flare-ups away. An occasional drink may be fine for some people, but please check with your pharmacist or doctor about what's safe for you before drinking regularly.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Fraser AG. Pharmacokinetic interactions between alcohol and other drugs. Clin Pharmacokinet 1997;33:79-90. PubMed
  2. Thummel, K. E., Slattery, J. T., Ro, H., Chien, J. Y., Nelson, S. D., Lown, K. E., and Watkins, P. B. Ethanol and production of the hepatotoxic metabolite of acetaminophen in healthy adults. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2000;67(6):591-599. PubMed

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
  • PossibleInteraction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

Beer Also Interacts With Other Medications

Beer has 653 major, 272 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Allopurinol one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Major 653 Moderate 272 No known interaction 1,905 (incl. Allopurinol)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Beer

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Beer. Pick one to open its full report.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Allopurinol

This page covers Beer only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Allopurinol page lists 60 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Asarabacca (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major), Wine (major) and Aristolochia (moderate).

By severity: 5 major · 45 moderate · 10 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Allopurinol page

“Allopurinol (Zyloprim) prevents gout attacks by lowering uric acid, and I would give this list real weight, because 5 of the 60 supplements and herbs on file carry a major rating. The largest cluster, 38 ingredients, is products that can stress the liver on their own, and regular beer or wine sits in that major group, since alcohol on…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Allopurinol interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Beer and Allopurinol Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Beer
Top 25%

#333 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Allopurinol
Top 25%

#357 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Supplement

About Beer

What is Beer?

Beer
  • Social and recreational drinking
  • Relaxation
  • Heart health (popular belief)
  • Bone health (popular belief)
  • Source of antioxidants and B vitamins

Beer is an alcoholic beverage that contains some minerals, B vitamins, and plant compounds from hops and grain, but it is not a health supplement. Any possible benefits come only from light-to-moderate intake, and they are easily outweighed by the well-known harms of alcohol. The safest amount of alcohol for health is none, and beer should be avoided in pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Read the full Beer monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Allopurinol

What Is Allopurinol Used For?

Brand names: Zyloprim, Caplenal, Cosuric, Rimapurinol, Zyloric

Allopurinol tablets (including Zyloprim) are used in adults to treat the signs and symptoms of gout — including gout attacks, tophi (uric acid deposits), joint damage, and kidney problems caused by uric acid. Allopurinol tablets are also used in adults to reduce recurrent calcium oxalate kidney stones when uric acid in the urine is too high, even after lifestyle changes.

For adults and children with leukemia, lymphoma, or solid tumor cancers, allopurinol is used to control uric acid levels that rise during cancer treatment. The injectable forms — Allopurinol sodium for injection and Aloprim — are specifically for patients who cannot take medicine by mouth and are given intravenously (through a vein) in a hospital or clinical setting. Note: allopurinol tablets are not recommended for people who have high uric acid levels but no symptoms.

See full Allopurinol drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Beer

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Beer — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

653Major
272Moderate
0Minor
1,904No known interaction
653 Major 272 Moderate 1,904 No interaction
Major

653 interactions

Showing 60 of 653 major interactions — see all 653 on the Beer page.

Moderate

272 interactions

Showing 60 of 272 moderate interactions — see all 272 on the Beer page.

No interaction 1,904 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Beer against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,904 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Beer list.

See the full Beer interactions page
See every supplement checked against Allopurinol, ranked by severity
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

Keep exploring
Beer monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Allopurinol supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Allopurinol, ranked by severity Allopurinol drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication Supplement interaction checker › Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z › Every drug we've checked against herbs & supplements Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Beer and Allopurinol Together: Common Questions

Can you take Beer with Allopurinol?
This is rated a major interaction, so the combination is best avoided unless your doctor or pharmacist has specifically told you otherwise. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Beer and Allopurinol interaction?
We rate it Major. This is a clinically significant combination that is generally best avoided, or used only under the direct supervision of your physician or pharmacist.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Allopurinol and Beer?

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.