Drug & supplement interaction

Beer + Insulin (rDNA)

Insulin (rDNA) brand names: Humalog, Humalog Mix 75/25, Humulin R, Humulin N, Humulin L, and others.

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

Beer has a moderate interaction with Insulin (rDNA). Concomitant use may interfere with blood glucose control.

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

Beer and Insulin (rDNA)

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

Moderate

ANTIDIABETES DRUGS

Why this applies to Insulin (rDNA)

Insulin (rDNA) falls under ANTIDIABETES DRUGS — the group Beer interacts with.

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 part about beer and your insulin: alcohol can push your blood sugar in both directions, which makes it hard to predict. Your liver normally releases stored sugar to keep you steady, but alcohol blocks that process. Pair that with insulin already lowering your sugar, and you can drop too low. Low blood sugar can show up as shakiness, sweating, confusion, a racing heart, or even passing out, and drinking can mask those warning signs or make them look like just being tipsy.

On the flip side, the carbohydrates in beer can spike your sugar too. I'm not telling you to change anything, but please talk with your doctor or pharmacist about safe limits, and never drink on an empty stomach. Checking your sugar before bed is a smart habit.

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

Major 654 Moderate 271 No known interaction 1,905 (incl. Insulin (rDNA))
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 Insulin (rDNA)

This page covers Beer only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Insulin (rDNA) page lists 242 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Chelation Therapy Products (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major), Acai (moderate), African Wild Potato (moderate) and Agaricus Mushroom (moderate).

By severity: 2 major · 211 moderate · 29 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Insulin (rDNA) page

“A weed called Siberian cocklebur has caused severe low blood sugar in humans and is the one ingredient to avoid outright while using insulin (rDNA) products like Humalog or Humulin. This list deserves real respect.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Insulin (rDNA) interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Beer and Insulin (rDNA) 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 Insulin (rDNA)
Top half

#1,003 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 Insulin Lispro Injection

What Is Insulin Lispro Injection Used For?

Brand names: Humalog, Humalog Mix 75/25, Humulin R, Humulin N, Humulin L, Humulin 50/50, Humulin 70/30, Humulin U, NovoLog, Velosulin, Novolog Mix 70/30, Actrapid, Humulin S, Insuman Rapid

Insulin lispro injection is used to improve glycemic control (blood sugar management) in people with diabetes mellitus. It is a rapid-acting insulin analog approved for use in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Admelog is specifically indicated to improve glycemic control in patients with diabetes mellitus. Humalog Mix75/25 is indicated to improve glycemic control in adults with diabetes mellitus; it is a fixed-ratio mixture of insulin lispro and insulin lispro protamine, and its fixed proportions do not allow for separate adjustment of basal (background) and prandial (mealtime) doses.

See full Insulin Lispro Injection 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.

654Major
271Moderate
0Minor
1,904No known interaction
654 Major 271 Moderate 1,904 No interaction
Major

654 interactions

Showing 60 of 654 major interactions — see all 654 on the Beer page.

Moderate

271 interactions

Showing 60 of 271 moderate interactions — see all 271 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 Insulin (rDNA), 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 Insulin (rDNA) supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Insulin (rDNA), ranked by severity Insulin Lispro Injection 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 Insulin (rDNA) Together: Common Questions

Can you take Beer with Insulin (rDNA)?
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 Insulin (rDNA) 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 Insulin (rDNA) 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.