Drug & supplement interaction

Beer + Sulfadiazine

Sulfadiazine brand name: Sulfadiazine.

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

Sulfadiazine falls into 2 drug categories that Beer can interact with; the most serious is rated major. Concomitant use of alcohol with hepatotoxic drugs may increase the risk of hepatotoxicity.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityMajor
LikelihoodProbable
Interactions2
EvidenceB
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
Know someone taking this? Share
Facebook Post Reddit Email
On this page
Interaction report

Beer and Sulfadiazine

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. Sulfadiazine 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

HEPATOTOXIC DRUGS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Sulfadiazine

Sulfadiazine falls under HEPATOTOXIC DRUGS — the group Beer interacts with.

Concomitant use of alcohol with hepatotoxic drugs may increase the risk of hepatotoxicity.
Concomitant use of excessive amounts of alcohol with potentially hepatotoxic drugs can increase the risk of liver damage.
Severity Major Likelihood Probable Evidence B

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 simple version: Sulfadiazine is a sulfa antibiotic, and like a number of antibiotics it can occasionally be hard on the liver. Beer adds alcohol to the picture, and alcohol is also tough on liver cells. Put the two together, especially with heavier or regular drinking, and you may stack the stress on your liver, raising the chance of liver irritation or damage.

Warning signs to watch for would be yellowing of the eyes or skin, dark urine, belly pain on the upper right side, nausea, or unusual tiredness. An occasional small drink is a smaller worry than steady or heavy use, but the safest move while you finish this antibiotic is to skip the beer. Please run your specific situation by your pharmacist or doctor.

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
  2. Thummel, K. E., Slattery, J. T., Ro, H., Chien, J. Y., Nelson, S. D., Lown, K. E., and Watkins, P. B. Ethanol and production of the hepatotoxic metabolite of acetaminophen in healthy adults. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2000;67(6):591-599. PubMed
Moderate

SULFONAMIDE ANTIBIOTICS

2 of 2

Sulfadiazine also falls under SULFONAMIDE ANTIBIOTICS.

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

If you're taking sulfadiazine for an infection, it's worth being cautious about drinking beer while you're on it. Some sulfa antibiotics can trigger what's called a disulfiram-like reaction when mixed with alcohol. That means your body doesn't break down the alcohol the normal way, and the buildup can leave you feeling flushed, nauseous, headachy, or dizzy, sometimes with a racing heart or vomiting.

This isn't a sure thing for everyone, and the evidence here is based more on expert consensus than strong studies, so it falls in the "possible" range rather than guaranteed. Still, since you're already fighting an infection and want to feel better, skipping the beer until you've finished the course is the safer bet. Check with your pharmacist or doctor if you have questions.

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 Sulfadiazine one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

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

This page covers Beer only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Sulfadiazine page lists 107 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), Siberian Cocklebur (major), Wine (major) and Alfalfa (moderate).

By severity: 5 major · 91 moderate · 11 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Sulfadiazine page

“Sulfadiazine treats serious infections like toxoplasmosis, often over long courses, and its list of 107 interacting supplements calls for real care. The most direct problem is PABA, sold as a B-vitamin relative, because it can blunt sulfadiazine's antibacterial effect outright.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Sulfadiazine interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Beer and Sulfadiazine 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%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Sulfadiazine
Steady interest

#1,422 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 Sulfadiazine

What Is Sulfadiazine Used For?

Brand name: Sulfadiazine

Sulfadiazine tablets are used to treat several types of bacterial and parasitic infections. These include urinary tract infections (such as kidney and bladder infections caused by susceptible bacteria), toxoplasmosis encephalitis (a brain infection caused by a parasite), chancroid, trachoma, inclusion conjunctivitis, nocardiosis, meningococcal meningitis, acute otitis media (middle ear infection) due to H. influenzae, and malaria caused by chloroquine-resistant strains — though the last two are used alongside other medicines.

Sulfadiazine tablets are also used to help prevent meningococcal meningitis in close contacts when the bacteria are known to be susceptible, and to prevent recurrences of rheumatic fever as an alternative to penicillin. For urinary tract infections, it should only be used after more soluble sulfonamide options have not worked.

See full Sulfadiazine 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 Sulfadiazine, 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 Sulfadiazine supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Sulfadiazine, ranked by severity Sulfadiazine 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 Sulfadiazine Together: Common Questions

Can you take Beer with Sulfadiazine?
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 Sulfadiazine?
Sulfadiazine 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 Sulfadiazine 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 Sulfadiazine and Beer?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

Ask a pharmacist

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.