Drug & supplement interaction

Wine + Erythromycin, Sulfisoxazole

Erythromycin, Sulfisoxazole brand name: Eryzole.

Major Interaction
The bottom line Major

Erythromycin, Sulfisoxazole falls into 3 drug categories that Wine 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
Interactions3
EvidenceC
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Wine and Erythromycin, Sulfisoxazole

These two interact in 3 distinct ways. Each one is explained separately below.

Why Are There 3 Interactions?

Wine interacts with whole categories of medication. Erythromycin, Sulfisoxazole falls into 3 of those categories, so it can interact with Wine in 3 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 3

Why this applies to Erythromycin, Sulfisoxazole

Erythromycin, Sulfisoxazole falls under HEPATOTOXIC DRUGS — the group Wine 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 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 thing about pairing wine with Eryzole (the erythromycin and sulfisoxazole combo): both ingredients can be a little tough on your liver, and so can alcohol. When you stack them together, you're asking your liver to handle more stress at once. That's why this combination is flagged as a real concern, especially if you drink heavily or regularly.

Watch for warning signs like yellowing of your skin or eyes, dark urine, belly pain on your right side, unusual tiredness, or nausea. An occasional small glass with a meal is usually less worrying than steady or heavy drinking, but I'd play it safe while you're on this antibiotic. Please check with your pharmacist or doctor about what's right for you.

References
  1. Fraser AG. Pharmacokinetic interactions between alcohol and other drugs. Clin Pharmacokinet 1997;33:79-90. PubMed
Major

ERYTHROMYCIN

2 of 3
Concomitant use may increase blood alcohol levels and adverse effects.
Concomitant use of erythromycin with alcohol can increase blood alcohol levels and adverse effects.
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 with Eryzole, which pairs erythromycin with the sulfa antibiotic sulfisoxazole. The erythromycin part can speed up how quickly your stomach empties, which means alcohol from a glass of wine can hit your bloodstream faster and push your blood alcohol a bit higher than usual. The end result is that you may feel the effects of that wine more strongly, things like dizziness, drowsiness, flushing, or an upset stomach, and erythromycin already tends to cause nausea and cramping on its own.

This is a recognized, agreed-upon interaction, so I'd treat it seriously. While you're finishing this antibiotic, it's smart to skip the wine. If you have questions about timing or your specific situation, 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

SULFONAMIDE ANTIBIOTICS

3 of 3

Erythromycin, Sulfisoxazole 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

Eryzole combines erythromycin with sulfisoxazole, and it's the sulfisoxazole part (a sulfonamide antibiotic) that matters here. When you mix this kind of antibiotic with the alcohol in wine, some people can get what we call a disulfiram-like reaction. That can mean facial flushing, a pounding headache, nausea, vomiting, a racing heartbeat, and feeling lightheaded or sweaty.

To be fair, this reaction isn't guaranteed for everyone, and the evidence is based more on expert consensus than strong trials. Still, it can be unpleasant, and you're already fighting an infection. My honest advice is to skip wine and other alcohol while you're on this medicine, and check with your pharmacist or doctor if you have questions.

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

Wine Also Interacts With Other Medications

Wine has 655 major, 270 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Erythromycin, Sulfisoxazole 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 Wine

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Wine. Pick one to open its full report.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Erythromycin, Sulfisoxazole

This page covers Wine only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Erythromycin, Sulfisoxazole page lists 248 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), American Hellebore (major), Arsenic (major), Beer (major) and Cesium (major).

By severity: 13 major · 196 moderate · 39 minor.

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

“Eryzole combines two antibiotics, erythromycin and sulfisoxazole, and its supplement list calls for genuine care, especially the small set of major-rated pairings. Erythromycin interferes with a liver enzyme called CYP3A4, and nearly half of the flagged ingredients travel that same pathway, so levels can swing in ways that matter.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Erythromycin, Sulfisoxazole interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Wine as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 8 real supplement products containing Wine, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Wine. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Erythromycin, Sulfisoxazole too, on top of Wine — and those would not show on this page. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Wine and Erythromycin, 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 Wine
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Erythromycin, Sulfisoxazole
Steady interest

#1,617 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 Wine

What is Wine?

  • Social and relaxation use
  • Heart health (popular belief)
  • Antioxidant intake
  • Aiding digestion (traditional use)
  • Culinary flavoring

Wine is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented grapes and is not a true dietary supplement or medicine. Despite popular claims about heart benefits, the alcohol it contains carries real health risks, and no amount of drinking can be recommended to improve health. If you drink, do so in moderation, and avoid alcohol entirely during pregnancy or if you have certain medical conditions.

Read the full Wine monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Wine

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Wine — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

655Major
270Moderate
0Minor
1,904No known interaction
Major

655 interactions

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

Moderate

270 interactions

Showing 60 of 270 moderate interactions — see all 270 on the Wine 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 Wine and Erythromycin, Sulfisoxazole Together: Common Questions

Can you take Wine with Erythromycin, Sulfisoxazole?
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 3 interactions listed for Wine and Erythromycin, Sulfisoxazole?
Erythromycin, Sulfisoxazole belongs to more than one drug category, and Wine 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 Wine and Erythromycin, Sulfisoxazole 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.