Acitretin and Alcohol interaction
Acitretin and Alcohol: the Acitretin prescribing label flags this combination with the strongest language, such as a contraindication, a boxed warning, or an instruction to avoid it.
Do not combine without a prescriber's guidance. The label language below is the strongest FDA uses.
What the FDA labels say
From the Acitretin label · effective 2026-08-05
Clinical evidence has shown that concurrent ingestion of acitretin and ethanol has been associated with the formation of etretinate, which has a significantly longer elimination half-life than acitretin.
Because the longer elimination half-life of etretinate would increase the duration of teratogenic potential for female patients, ethanol must not be ingested by female patients of childbearing potential either during treatment with acitretin or for 2 months after cessation of therapy.
It is not known whether substances other than ethanol are associated with transesterification.
…about the risk of potential birth defects if the fetus is exposed to acitretin, about contraceptive failure, about the fact that they must not ingest beverages or products containing ethanol while taking acitretin and for 2 months after treatment with acitretin has been discontinued, and about preventing pregnancy while taking acitretin and for at least 3 years…
In cases where etretinate is formed, as has been demonstrated with concomitant administration of acitretin and ethanol, greater than 98% of the etretinate formed would be eliminated in 2 years, assuming a mean elimination half-life of 120 days. greater than 98% of the etretinate formed would be eliminated in 3 years, based on the longest demonstrated elimination…
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Open in the checkerNot medical advice. Interaction Checker quotes FDA label text and NIH fact sheets. Whether an interaction matters for you depends on doses, timing, kidney and liver function, and other conditions. Confirm with a pharmacist or prescriber.