Drug & supplement interaction

Beer + Famotidine

Famotidine brand names: Pepcid, Famotidine, Pepcid AC, Famotidine Injection.

Moderate Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated October 2026
The bottom line Moderate

Beer has a moderate interaction with Famotidine. Concomitant use might increase blood alcohol levels and adverse effects.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
EvidenceC
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Beer and Famotidine

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

Moderate

H2-BLOCKERS

Why this applies to Famotidine

Famotidine falls under H2-BLOCKERS — the group Beer interacts with.

Concomitant use might increase blood alcohol levels and adverse effects.
Concomitant use of the H2-blockers cimetidine and ranitidine with low doses of alcohol (0.15 grams/kg) might increase blood alcohol levels and adverse effects. Effects with higher doses of alcohol (0.3-1.5 grams/kg) are variable.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence C

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

Here's the gist with famotidine (Pepcid) and beer. H2 blockers can slow down an enzyme in your stomach lining that starts breaking down alcohol before it ever reaches your bloodstream. The thinking is that with this blocked, a little more of the alcohol from your beer may get absorbed, so your blood alcohol could run slightly higher than usual. That might mean feeling tipsy faster or a touch more impaired than you'd expect from the same drink.

Honestly, this was mostly studied with older H2 blockers like cimetidine and ranitidine, and the results were mixed, especially at higher amounts of alcohol. So it's a possible, modest effect, not a dangerous one. Famotidine itself isn't activated by this, so taking it won't lessen its heartburn relief. Still, if you drink, go easy and chat with your pharmacist or doctor if you have questions.

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

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 656 major, 271 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Famotidine one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Major 656 Moderate 271 No known interaction 1,903 (incl. Famotidine)
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.

From our Q&A

Questions About Beer or Famotidine

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Beer or Famotidine, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Famotidine

This page covers Beer only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Famotidine page lists 41 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), African Wild Potato (moderate), Banderol (moderate), Biofeedback (moderate) and Caffeic Acid (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 19 moderate · 21 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Famotidine page

“Famotidine (Pepcid) treats heartburn and acid reflux, a low-stakes job most days, but its interaction list earns genuine caution because one entry is rated major. That entry is activated charcoal, which can bind famotidine in the gut and sharply cut how much of the drug reaches your blood.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Famotidine interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Beer and Famotidine 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 half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Famotidine
Top 25%

#708 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 Famotidine

What Is Famotidine Used For?

Brand names: Pepcid, Famotidine, Pepcid AC, Famotidine Injection

Over-the-counter famotidine tablets (such as Pepcid AC, Acid Reducer and Acid Controller) relieve and prevent heartburn linked to acid indigestion and sour stomach. They can be taken to prevent heartburn brought on by certain foods and drinks.

Prescription famotidine treats active duodenal ulcer, active gastric ulcer, symptomatic nonerosive gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and erosive esophagitis due to GERD. In adults, it also treats pathological hypersecretory conditions (such as Zollinger-Ellison syndrome) and lowers the risk of duodenal ulcer coming back. Famotidine for oral suspension is also used for peptic ulcer disease and GERD in children, and for GERD from birth. Famotidine Injection is for some hospitalized patients who cannot take oral medicine.

See full Famotidine 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.

656Major
271Moderate
0Minor
1,902No known interaction
656 Major 271 Moderate 1,902 No interaction
Major

656 interactions

Showing 60 of 656 major interactions — see all 656 on the Beer page.

Moderate

271 interactions

Showing 60 of 271 moderate interactions — see all 271 on the Beer page.

No interaction 1,902 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 1,902 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Beer list.

See the full Beer interactions page
See every supplement checked against Famotidine, 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 Famotidine supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Famotidine, ranked by severity Famotidine 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 Famotidine Together: Common Questions

Can you take Beer with Famotidine?
There is a moderate interaction, so it may be acceptable with monitoring or timing changes — but check with your pharmacist first. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Beer and Famotidine interaction?
We rate it Moderate. This combination may require monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one. Consult your pharmacist before using them together.

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

Still Have a Question About Famotidine and Beer?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

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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.