Drug & supplement interaction

Beer + Aspirin, Caffeine, Dover's Pwd

Aspirin, Caffeine, Dover's Pwd brand names: Acedoval, Dovacet.

Major Interaction
The bottom line Major

Aspirin, Caffeine, Dover's Pwd falls into 2 drug categories that Beer can interact with; the most serious is rated major. Concomitant use may increase the risk of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityMajor
LikelihoodProbable
Interactions2
EvidenceC
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Beer and Aspirin, Caffeine, Dover's Pwd

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. Aspirin, Caffeine, Dover's Pwd 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

NONSTEROIDAL ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DRUGS (NSAIDs)

1 of 2

Why this applies to Aspirin, Caffeine, Dover's Pwd

Aspirin, Caffeine, Dover's Pwd falls under NONSTEROIDAL ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DRUGS (NSAIDs) — the group Beer interacts with.

Concomitant use may increase the risk of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding.
Concomitant use of NSAIDs with alcohol can increase the risk of GI bleeding.
Severity Major 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

This combo product contains aspirin, and that is the piece that matters most here. Aspirin can already irritate the stomach lining and make it easier to bleed. When you add beer (or any alcohol) on top, you stack two things that are both rough on your gut, and the risk of stomach or intestinal bleeding goes up. This is considered a serious, real interaction, not just a theoretical one.

Warning signs to watch for include stomach pain, black or tarry stools, vomit that looks like coffee grounds, or feeling unusually weak or dizzy. An occasional drink may carry less risk than regular or heavy drinking, but please check with your pharmacist or doctor about what is safe for you. Don't stop your medicine on your own.

References
  1. Fraser AG. Pharmacokinetic interactions between alcohol and other drugs. Clin Pharmacokinet 1997;33:79-90. PubMed
Moderate

ASPIRIN

2 of 2
Concomitant use may increase the risk of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding.
Concomitant use of aspirin with alcohol can increase the risk of GI bleeding. Conversely, some clinical research suggests that beer can significantly decrease the area under the curve (AUC) and maximum plasma concentration of aspirin, indicating decreased bioavailability.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence B

Interaction 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.

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

The product you're asking about combines aspirin, caffeine, and Dover's powder (which contains ipecac and opium). The main concern with beer is the aspirin piece. Mixing alcohol with aspirin raises your risk of stomach and gut bleeding. Both irritate the stomach lining and aspirin also thins the blood, so together they can lead to stomach pain, dark or bloody stools, or vomit that looks like coffee grounds. The opium part of Dover's powder adds drowsiness, and alcohol can deepen that sedation too.

Interestingly, some lower-quality research suggests beer may actually lower how much aspirin your body absorbs, so it's a mixed picture. The bleeding risk is the real worry here. Please check with your pharmacist or doctor before pairing this medicine with beer.

References
  1. Fraser AG. Pharmacokinetic interactions between alcohol and other drugs. Clin Pharmacokinet 1997;33:79-90. PubMed
  2. Odou, P., Barthelemy, C., and Robert, H. Influence of seven beverages on salicylate disposition in humans. J Clin Pharm Ther 2001;26(3):187-193. 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 Aspirin, Caffeine, Dover's Pwd 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 Aspirin, Caffeine, Dover's Pwd

This page covers Beer only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Aspirin, Caffeine, Dover's Pwd page lists 347 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Asarabacca (major), Danshen (major), Ephedra (major) and Grapefruit (major).

By severity: 13 major · 285 moderate · 49 minor.

Open the Aspirin, Caffeine, Dover's Pwd interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Beer and Aspirin, Caffeine, Dover's Pwd 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%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Aspirin, Caffeine, Dover's Pwd
Top 25%

#367 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

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Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Beer and Aspirin, Caffeine, Dover's Pwd Together: Common Questions

Can you take Beer with Aspirin, Caffeine, Dover's Pwd?
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 Aspirin, Caffeine, Dover's Pwd?
Aspirin, Caffeine, Dover's Pwd 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 Aspirin, Caffeine, Dover's Pwd 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

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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.