Drug & supplement interaction

Beer + Oxycodone, Naloxone

Oxycodone, Naloxone brand name: Targiniq ER.

Major Interaction
The bottom line Major

Oxycodone, Naloxone 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, Naloxone

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, Naloxone 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, Naloxone

Oxycodone, Naloxone 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 Targiniq ER (oxycodone with naloxone) is a combination I'd really steer you away from. Oxycodone is a strong opioid pain reliever, and like beer it slows down your central nervous system. Stack the two together and those calming effects pile up. We're talking about extra drowsiness, dizziness, confusion, and in a worst-case scenario, breathing that becomes dangerously slow or shallow.

There's an added wrinkle with the extended-release version: alcohol can cause the pill to release its dose too fast, dumping more oxycodone into you at once. This is a well-recognized, serious pairing, so please don't drink beer while taking this medication. If you're unsure how to handle it, your pharmacist or doctor can walk you through it.

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, Naloxone 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 deal with Targiniq ER (oxycodone with naloxone) and beer. Drinking a large amount of alcohol can slow down how your body breaks down the oxycodone part, so more of it can build up in your bloodstream. That means the opioid effects hit harder than expected. We're talking about deeper drowsiness, slowed or shallow breathing, dizziness, and a real risk of dangerously low breathing if you've had a lot to drink. Alcohol and opioids both calm the nervous system, so the combination piles on.

This is a well-recognized concern, not just a theory. Please don't change your medicine on your own, but do check with your pharmacist or doctor about how much alcohol, if any, is safe for you.

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 Oxycodone, Naloxone 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 Oxycodone, Naloxone

This page covers Beer only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Oxycodone, Naloxone 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, Naloxone page

“Targiniq ER combines the opioid oxycodone with naloxone for around-the-clock pain, and because opioids can dangerously slow breathing once sedation stacks up, the 145 supplements on file here deserve genuine respect, above all the eight rated major. The largest group, 78 ingredients, layers drowsiness onto the opioid's own, with alcoho…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Oxycodone, Naloxone interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Beer and Oxycodone, Naloxone 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%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Oxycodone, Naloxone
Top 25%

#548 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 Oxycodone, Naloxone Together: Common Questions

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