Drug & supplement interaction

Beer + Oxycodone

Oxycodone brand names: OxyContin, Roxicodone, OxyIR, Percolone, Oxecta, and others.

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

Oxycodone 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 Oxycodone

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. Oxycodone 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 Oxycodone

Oxycodone 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

Here's the simple version: drinking beer while taking oxycodone is a risky combination. Both the alcohol in beer and oxycodone slow down your central nervous system, and putting them together stacks those effects on top of each other. On top of that, alcohol can interfere with how your body clears oxycodone, so more of it can hang around than you'd expect.

What that looks like in real life: heavy drowsiness, dizziness, confusion, very slow or shallow breathing, and a much higher chance of a dangerous overdose. This is well recognized and considered a major concern, not a theoretical one. It's especially risky with the extended-release forms, where alcohol can cause the medicine to release too fast. Please don't change anything on your own, but do talk with your pharmacist or doctor about this.

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
Moderate

NARCOTIC DRUGS

2 of 2

Oxycodone 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

Here's the simple version: drinking beer while taking oxycodone is a risky combination. Oxycodone is an active opioid (not a prodrug that needs switching on), so it works right away to calm pain and slow your breathing. When you add alcohol, your body can clear the oxycodone more slowly, meaning more of it stays in your system and the effects pile up.

Both alcohol and oxycodone are sedatives, so together they can cause heavy drowsiness, confusion, dizziness, very slow or shallow breathing, and in serious cases an overdose. This is especially dangerous with the extended-release forms, since crushing the dose-control effect of alcohol can release too much at once. Please don't change anything on your own. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor about safe limits, because the safest amount of alcohol here is really none.

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 655 major, 272 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Oxycodone one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Major 655 Moderate 272 No known interaction 1,903 (incl. Oxycodone)
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 Oxycodone

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 Oxycodone, 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 Oxycodone

This page covers Beer only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Oxycodone page lists 145 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), Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb) (major), Kava (major) and L-tryptophan (major).

By severity: 8 major · 114 moderate · 23 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Oxycodone page

“Oxycodone is a potent opioid painkiller, and anything that deepens its sedation can slow breathing itself, which is why this list deserves genuine respect. Of the 145 supplement and herbal ingredients on record, eight rate major, and the biggest cluster by far, 78 ingredients, adds extra drowsiness on top of the opioid's own.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Oxycodone interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Beer and Oxycodone 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 Oxycodone
Top half

#822 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 Oxycodone

What Is Oxycodone Used For?

Brand names: OxyContin, Roxicodone, OxyIR, Percolone, Oxecta, OxyNeo

Oxycodone treats pain that is severe enough to need an opioid pain medicine, when other treatments are not enough. Other options include non-opioid pain relievers or opioid combination products.

Some products are for specific situations. Extended-release products (OxyContin, Xtampza ER, and oxycodone extended-release tablets) are for severe, persistent pain that needs daily, around-the-clock treatment. They are not for as-needed use. The 100 mg per 5 mL (20 mg/mL) oral solution is only for opioid-tolerant patients. Oxaydo is labeled for acute and chronic pain.

See full Oxycodone 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.

655Major
272Moderate
0Minor
1,902No known interaction
655 Major 272 Moderate 1,902 No interaction
Major

655 interactions

Showing 60 of 655 major interactions — see all 655 on the Beer page.

Moderate

272 interactions

Showing 60 of 272 moderate interactions — see all 272 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 Oxycodone, 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 Oxycodone supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Oxycodone, ranked by severity Oxycodone 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 Oxycodone Together: Common Questions

Can you take Beer with Oxycodone?
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 Oxycodone?
Oxycodone 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 Oxycodone 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 Oxycodone 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.