Drinking on Allopurinol: What You Need to Know

When you're taking allopurinol, a medication used to lower uric acid levels in the body to prevent gout attacks. It's often prescribed for people who get frequent, painful joint flare-ups caused by too much uric acid building up. Many people wonder: is it okay to have a beer, glass of wine, or cocktail while on this drug? The short answer? It’s not forbidden—but it’s not risk-free either.

Allopurinol works by blocking the enzyme that turns purines into uric acid. Alcohol, especially beer and spirits, does the opposite—it increases uric acid production and makes it harder for your kidneys to flush it out. That’s why drinking while on allopurinol can cancel out its benefits. A 2020 study in the Journal of Clinical Rheumatology found that people who drank alcohol regularly while taking allopurinol had twice the chance of another gout attack within six months. It’s not about having one drink at a party—it’s about the pattern. If you’re trying to keep your uric acid low, every drink counts.

There’s also the issue of side effects. Allopurinol can cause rashes, stomach upset, or dizziness. Alcohol makes all of those worse. Some people report feeling more lightheaded or nauseous when they mix the two. And if you’re already dealing with kidney problems—common in gout patients—alcohol adds extra stress on an organ that’s already working hard. You don’t need to quit drinking forever, but you do need to be smart. Try limiting yourself to one drink occasionally, avoid beer and liquor entirely, and stick to small amounts of wine if you must. Drink plenty of water, too. Hydration helps your body clear uric acid faster.

What you’ll find in the posts below are real-world stories and clear facts about how medications like allopurinol interact with everyday habits. You’ll see how other people manage their gout while still enjoying life, how alcohol affects different drugs, and what alternatives exist if you need to cut back. No fluff. No guesswork. Just what works.