Drug & supplement interaction

Beer + Hydrocodone, Pseudoephedrine, Chlorpheniramine

Hydrocodone, Pseudoephedrine, Chlorpheniramine brand name: Zutripro.

Major Interaction
The bottom line Major

Hydrocodone, Pseudoephedrine, Chlorpheniramine falls into 2 drug categories that Beer can interact with; the most serious is rated major. Concomitant use may increase sedative and other adverse effects.

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

Beer and Hydrocodone, Pseudoephedrine, Chlorpheniramine

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. Hydrocodone, Pseudoephedrine, Chlorpheniramine 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

CNS DEPRESSANTS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Hydrocodone, Pseudoephedrine, Chlorpheniramine

Hydrocodone, Pseudoephedrine, Chlorpheniramine falls under CNS DEPRESSANTS — the group Beer interacts with.

Concomitant use may increase sedative and other adverse effects.
Concomitant use of alcohol with CNS depressants can increase sedative and other adverse effects, potentially through inhibition of the metabolism of certain CNS depressants.
Severity Major Likelihood Likely Evidence C

Well-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.

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

Mixing beer with Zutripro is a real concern, mostly because of two ingredients in it. Hydrocodone is an opioid pain reliever and chlorpheniramine is a sedating antihistamine. Both slow down the brain, and alcohol piles right on top of that. Together they can leave you very drowsy, dizzy, and foggy, and in larger amounts they can dangerously slow your breathing.

The pseudoephedrine piece is a stimulant, so it does not balance out the sleepiness in a safe way. Beer can also worsen the racing heart or jitteriness some people feel from it. The safest move is to skip alcohol entirely while taking this combination. Please check with your pharmacist or doctor if you have questions about timing or safer options.

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

NARCOTIC DRUGS

2 of 2

Hydrocodone, Pseudoephedrine, Chlorpheniramine also falls under NARCOTIC DRUGS.

Concomitant use of large amounts of alcohol may decrease the metabolism of narcotic drugs.
Concomitant consumption of large amounts of alcohol can decrease the metabolism of narcotic drugs.
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

This medicine combines three ingredients, but the one that matters most with beer is the hydrocodone, an opioid painkiller and cough suppressant. Drinking large amounts of alcohol can slow how your body breaks hydrocodone down, letting more of it build up in your system. On top of that, beer and hydrocodone both calm the brain, so the effects stack.

What this can look like in real life: extra drowsiness, dizziness, foggy thinking, and in serious cases dangerously slow or shallow breathing. The chlorpheniramine (an antihistamine) adds even more sleepiness. This is a well-recognized concern, so please don't pair beer with this medicine, and ask your pharmacist or doctor before you do.

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 Hydrocodone, Pseudoephedrine, Chlorpheniramine 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 Hydrocodone, Pseudoephedrine, Chlorpheniramine

This page covers Beer only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Hydrocodone, Pseudoephedrine, Chlorpheniramine page lists 285 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: 1,4-butanediol (major), Activated Charcoal (major), Ephedra (major), Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb) (major) and Grapefruit (major).

By severity: 16 major · 228 moderate · 41 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Hydrocodone, Pseudoephedrine, Chlorpheniramine page

“Zutripro pairs an opioid (hydrocodone) with a decongestant and a sedating antihistamine, which means supplements can interfere from three directions at once, and with 16 major-rated interactions among the 285 on file, this is a list to treat with genuine respect. The biggest cluster, 78 sedating ingredients including alcohol in any for…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Hydrocodone, Pseudoephedrine, Chlorpheniramine interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Beer and Hydrocodone, Pseudoephedrine, Chlorpheniramine 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%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Hydrocodone, Pseudoephedrine, Chlorpheniramine
Steady interest

#1,624 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 Hydrocodone, Pseudoephedrine, Chlorpheniramine Together: Common Questions

Can you take Beer with Hydrocodone, Pseudoephedrine, Chlorpheniramine?
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 Hydrocodone, Pseudoephedrine, Chlorpheniramine?
Hydrocodone, Pseudoephedrine, Chlorpheniramine 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 Hydrocodone, Pseudoephedrine, Chlorpheniramine 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.