Drug & supplement interaction

Wine + Norgestrel

Norgestrel brand names: Ovrette, Orval 21.

Major Interaction
The bottom line Major

Wine has a major interaction with Norgestrel. Concomitant use of alcohol with hepatotoxic drugs may increase the risk of hepatotoxicity.

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

Wine and Norgestrel

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

Major

HEPATOTOXIC DRUGS

Why this applies to Norgestrel

Norgestrel 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

Norgestrel is a progestin birth control pill, and like many hormones it's processed through your liver. The concern here isn't that wine makes the pill stronger or weaker, it's that both your liver-processed birth control and heavy alcohol use put work on the same organ. Drinking a lot over time can stress the liver, and that's the situation this flag is about.

For most people, an occasional glass of wine isn't going to cause liver trouble with this pill. The real worry is regular, excessive drinking. Wine won't stop your birth control from working, but if you notice yellowing skin, dark urine, or belly pain, check in with your doctor or pharmacist. If you drink often, it's worth a conversation.

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 Norgestrel 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 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 Norgestrel

This page covers Wine only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Norgestrel page lists 188 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Beer (major), Grapefruit (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major) and St. John's Wort (major).

By severity: 6 major · 140 moderate · 42 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Norgestrel page

“Norgestrel (Ovrette) is a progestin-only birth control pill, so the biggest danger on this page is not a strange side effect but a pill that quietly stops working. That risk makes this a page for genuine vigilance.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Norgestrel 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 Norgestrel 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 Norgestrel 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

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

29 days ago today
Medication Norgestrel
Top half

#725 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
Medication

About Progestin-Only (norethindrone) Oral Contraceptives

What Is Progestin-Only (norethindrone) Oral Contraceptives Used For?

Brand names: Ovrette, Orval 21

Norethindrone progestin-only pills — sometimes called the "mini-pill" — are used solely to prevent pregnancy. They do not contain estrogen, which makes them an option for women who cannot or prefer not to use estrogen-containing contraceptives.

When taken perfectly (same time every day, no missed pills), fewer than 1 in 100 women will become pregnant in the first year. With typical use, that number rises to about 9 in 100 — mostly because of late or skipped pills. Consistency is everything with this method.

See full Progestin-Only (norethindrone) Oral Contraceptives drug information
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 Norgestrel Together: Common Questions

Can you take Wine with Norgestrel?
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 Wine and Norgestrel 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.