“Does consuming alcohol badly affect hidradenitis suppurativa (HS)?” one myHSteam member asked the community.

Some members note that alcohol is a trigger, but current research hasn’t shown a clear or consistent link between alcohol use and HS severity or flares.

Here are five facts about HS and alcohol.

🗳️ Have you noticed that drinking alcohol affects your hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) symptoms?

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No

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Researchers are still studying how alcohol affects HS. A 2026 review of existing research noted limitations in the available studies. While alcohol may worsen HS symptoms for some people, the authors emphasized that more research is needed to better understand this relationship.

That means it’s not clear whether alcohol directly causes HS flares. Alcohol may be one possible trigger for some people, but HS flares can also be affected by other factors.

Researchers have proposed possible ways alcohol could affect HS symptoms. Alcohol can contribute to changes in the gut microbiome, inflammation, and oxidative stress, all of which could affect your skin.

If you start to notice that your HS symptoms get worse when you drink alcohol, consider writing down what you drank, how much, and when symptoms appeared. A symptom diary can help you and your dermatologist look for patterns.

Some alcoholic drinks, including beer and wine, are made with yeast. Some foods, including bread, soy sauce, and other fermented foods, can also contain yeast.

Brewer’s yeast, which is used to make some alcoholic beverages such as beer, has been studied as a possible HS trigger. A very small study of just 12 people who also had surgery found that the participants had no new HS lesions while following a brewer’s yeast-free diet.

There’s not enough evidence to recommend that everyone with HS avoid brewer’s yeast. However, if you think yeast may be a trigger, talk to your dermatologist or a registered dietitian before cutting out large groups of foods.

If warranted, they can help you figure out food triggers through a structured elimination diet.

Alcohol doesn’t interact with every medication in the same way. Risks depend on the specific drug, dose, and drinking pattern. Check the medication label for alcohol warnings, and ask your pharmacist if you’re unsure whether alcohol can interact with your treatment.

Biologics

There isn’t much research on how alcohol and biologics interact in people with HS. Some biologics can affect the liver or affect your risk of infection, so it’s important to ask your doctor or pharmacist whether alcohol is safe with your specific treatment.

Drinking alcohol might also affect how well biologics work. One possibility is that people who drink heavily may have difficulty taking their medications as prescribed. Alcohol may also increase inflammation, which could make HS harder to treat.

Pain Medication

Opioid medications are sometimes prescribed for HS pain. However, it’s important to know that drinking while taking an opioid can raise the risk of serious and even life-threatening side effects.

Drinking alcohol while taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen and naproxen, can lead to stomach upset and gastrointestinal bleeding.

Mixing alcohol and acetaminophen increases the risk of liver damage if you have three or more alcoholic drinks per day while using acetaminophen. Side effects are more likely with high-dose NSAIDs, long-term NSAID use, or frequent or heavy drinking.

Antibiotics

Some antibiotics used to treat HS can interact with alcohol, while others do not. Alcohol interactions are more of a concern with antibiotics taken by mouth than with topical antibiotics. Ask your doctor or pharmacist whether alcohol can interact with the specific antibiotic you’ve been prescribed.

Oral Retinoids

If you’ve been prescribed an oral retinoid for HS, ask your doctor or pharmacist whether you should avoid alcohol. Drinking while taking some oral retinoids may increase the risk of side effects.

Studies have found higher rates of alcohol and substance use disorders among people with HS. This connection isn’t proof that HS causes alcohol use disorder (AUD) or that AUD causes HS.

Researchers have hypothesized that people with HS may use alcohol or other substances to manage pain or emotional distress related to the condition.

If you’re concerned about your drinking habits, talk to your doctor or reach out to a help hotline like SAMHSA’s National Helpline.