Drug & supplement interaction

Beer + Alogliptin, Pioglitazone

Alogliptin, Pioglitazone brand name: Oseni.

Major Interaction
The bottom line Major

Alogliptin, Pioglitazone falls into 2 drug categories that Beer can interact with; the most serious is rated major. Concomitant use of alcohol with hepatotoxic drugs may increase the risk of hepatotoxicity.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityMajor
LikelihoodProbable
Interactions2
EvidenceB
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
Know someone taking this? Share
Interaction report

Beer and Alogliptin, Pioglitazone

These two interact in 2 distinct ways. Each one is explained separately below.

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

Beer interacts with whole categories of medication. Alogliptin, Pioglitazone falls into 2 of those categories, so it can interact with Beer in 2 different ways. We’ve listed each one below — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them (Major).

Major

HEPATOTOXIC DRUGS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Alogliptin, Pioglitazone

Alogliptin, Pioglitazone 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

Oseni combines two diabetes medicines, and one of them, pioglitazone, is processed by your liver and carries a known (though uncommon) risk of liver strain. Drinking beer adds another burden to that same organ. When the two overlap, especially with heavier or regular drinking, the chance of liver trouble goes up. Watch for warning signs like yellowing of your skin or eyes, dark urine, belly pain on the upper right side, unusual tiredness, or nausea.

An occasional single beer is unlikely to be the problem here; the real concern is frequent or heavy drinking. Alcohol can also push your blood sugar around, making your numbers harder to predict. Please check with your pharmacist or doctor about what amount, if any, is safe for you.

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
Moderate

ANTIDIABETES DRUGS

2 of 2

Alogliptin, Pioglitazone also falls under ANTIDIABETES DRUGS.

Concomitant use may interfere with blood glucose control.
Alcohol can impair gluconeogenesis and may increase the risk of acute hypoglycemia when used concomitantly with antidiabetes drugs. However, the carbohydrates in beer may also worsen glycemic control in patients with diabetes.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Probable Evidence C

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 tricky thing about mixing beer with Oseni (the alogliptin and pioglitazone combo): alcohol pushes your blood sugar in two opposite directions. When you drink, your liver gets busy processing the alcohol and slows down its job of releasing stored sugar. That can leave you with low blood sugar, which feels like shakiness, sweating, confusion, or dizziness. On the flip side, the carbs in a regular beer can raise your sugar, making your numbers harder to predict.

With the pioglitazone piece especially, alcohol can also be hard on your liver, so heavy drinking isn't a great idea here. An occasional drink with food is usually less risky than drinking on an empty stomach. Please check with your pharmacist or doctor about what's safe for you.

References
  1. Fraser AG. Pharmacokinetic interactions between alcohol and other drugs. Clin Pharmacokinet 1997;33:79-90. 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 Alogliptin, Pioglitazone one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

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 Alogliptin, Pioglitazone

This page covers Beer only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Alogliptin, Pioglitazone page lists 356 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Grapefruit (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major), St. John's Wort (major) and Wine (major).

By severity: 6 major · 309 moderate · 41 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Alogliptin, Pioglitazone page

“Someone taking Oseni (alogliptin and pioglitazone) for type 2 diabetes often shops the very shelf this list comes from, and the pairing deserves genuine caution. Of the 356 ingredients on file, 239 also lower blood sugar, so stacking them on top of the pill can drop glucose too far.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Alogliptin, Pioglitazone interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Beer and Alogliptin, Pioglitazone 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%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Alogliptin, Pioglitazone
Steady interest

#1,673 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
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
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
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
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Beer and Alogliptin, Pioglitazone Together: Common Questions

Can you take Beer with Alogliptin, Pioglitazone?
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.
Why are there 2 interactions listed for Beer and Alogliptin, Pioglitazone?
Alogliptin, Pioglitazone belongs to more than one drug category, and Beer interacts with each of those categories a little differently. We list every one so nothing is missed — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them.
How serious is the Beer and Alogliptin, Pioglitazone 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 Alogliptin, Pioglitazone and Beer?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

Ask a pharmacist

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.