Drug & supplement interaction

Beer + Phenazopyridine, Sulfisoxazole

Phenazopyridine, Sulfisoxazole brand name: Azo-Gantrisin.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Beer has a moderate interaction with Phenazopyridine, Sulfisoxazole. Concomitant use may cause a disulfiram-like reaction.

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

Beer and Phenazopyridine, Sulfisoxazole

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

Moderate

SULFONAMIDE ANTIBIOTICS

Why this applies to Phenazopyridine, Sulfisoxazole

Phenazopyridine, Sulfisoxazole falls under SULFONAMIDE ANTIBIOTICS — the group Beer interacts with.

Concomitant use may cause a disulfiram-like reaction.
Sulfonamide antibiotics can cause a disulfiram-like reaction when taken with alcohol.
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 combination product pairs sulfisoxazole, a sulfa antibiotic, with phenazopyridine, which soothes the burning and urgency of a urinary tract infection. The concern here is with the sulfisoxazole part. Like some other sulfa drugs, it can sometimes trigger a disulfiram-like reaction when you drink beer or any alcohol.

In plain terms, that means your body may not break down the alcohol smoothly, and you could feel flushed, nauseated, sweaty, dizzy, or get a pounding headache or a fast heartbeat. It does not happen to everyone, but it is unpleasant when it does. Since you only take this medicine for a short time, the easiest move is to skip beer until you finish the course. If you are unsure, your pharmacist or doctor can help.

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 Phenazopyridine, Sulfisoxazole one above is one of 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 Phenazopyridine, Sulfisoxazole

This page covers Beer only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Phenazopyridine, Sulfisoxazole page lists 68 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Para-aminobenzoic Acid (paba) (major), Alfalfa (moderate), Angelica Archangelica (moderate) and Arrach (moderate).

By severity: 2 major · 55 moderate · 11 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Phenazopyridine, Sulfisoxazole page

“Azo-Gantrisin pairs sulfisoxazole, a sulfa antibiotic, with phenazopyridine to ease urinary pain, and I'd want anyone taking it to pause before adding supplements. Two of the 68 ingredients on file rate major, and both can undercut the treatment itself: PABA feeds bacteria the raw material the sulfa drug is built to block, and activate…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Phenazopyridine, Sulfisoxazole interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Beer and Phenazopyridine, Sulfisoxazole 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%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Phenazopyridine, Sulfisoxazole
Top half

#888 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.

654Major
271Moderate
0Minor
1,904No known 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
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 Phenazopyridine, Sulfisoxazole Together: Common Questions

Can you take Beer with Phenazopyridine, Sulfisoxazole?
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 Phenazopyridine, Sulfisoxazole 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

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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.