Drug & supplement interaction

Beer + Salsalate

Salsalate brand names: Disalcid, Salsitab, Salflex, Mono-Gesic, Amigesic.

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

Beer has a major interaction with Salsalate. Concomitant use may increase the risk of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding.

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

Beer and Salsalate

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

Major

NONSTEROIDAL ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DRUGS (NSAIDs)

Why this applies to Salsalate

Salsalate falls under NONSTEROIDAL ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DRUGS (NSAIDs) — the group Beer interacts with.

Concomitant use may increase the risk of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding.
Concomitant use of NSAIDs with alcohol can increase the risk of GI bleeding.
Severity Major 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 practical takeaway: salsalate is a salicylate-type NSAID, and like its cousins it can be tough on your stomach lining. Beer adds alcohol to that mix, and alcohol is also irritating to the stomach. Put the two together and you raise your odds of stomach bleeding and ulcers. Warning signs to watch for include stomach pain, dark or tarry stools, vomit that looks like coffee grounds, or feeling unusually weak or dizzy.

This isn't a rare worry, it's a well-accepted one, and the more you drink the bigger the risk. An occasional beer with food is lower risk than regular or heavy drinking, but I'd talk with your pharmacist or doctor about what's safe for you, especially if you've ever had ulcers or take blood thinners.

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

Major 653 Moderate 272 No known interaction 1,905 (incl. Salsalate)
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 Salsalate

This page covers Beer only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Salsalate page lists 37 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Asarabacca (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major), Wine (major) and African Wild Potato (moderate).

By severity: 5 major · 20 moderate · 12 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Salsalate page

“Beer and wine top my worry list for anyone taking salsalate (Disalcid), an aspirin-like salicylate used for arthritis pain, since alcohol alongside it raises the risk of stomach and intestinal bleeding. Those drinks account for two of the five major-rated interactions among the 37 ingredients on file, and this list deserves real caution.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Salsalate interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Beer and Salsalate 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 Salsalate
Steady interest

#2,745 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 Salsalate

What Is Salsalate Used For?

Brand names: Disalcid, Salsitab, Salflex, Mono-Gesic, Amigesic

Salsalate tablets are used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and related rheumatic disorders. It helps relieve pain, swelling, and stiffness associated with these conditions.

It is not approved for use in children, and it must not be used for pain relief around the time of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) heart surgery.

See full Salsalate 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.

653Major
272Moderate
0Minor
1,904No known interaction
653 Major 272 Moderate 1,904 No 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

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 Salsalate, 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 Salsalate supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Salsalate, ranked by severity Salsalate 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 Salsalate Together: Common Questions

Can you take Beer with Salsalate?
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.
How serious is the Beer and Salsalate 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 Salsalate 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.