The short answer
Not known in people. We found no study of what happens when people drink alcohol while taking ashwagandha. In a rat study from Udaipur, ashwagandha strengthened the calming effect of a small dose of alcohol. The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) notes that ashwagandha can cause drowsiness by itself in some people, so the two could add up.
Liver injury has been reported in two people who drank alcohol and took supplements containing ashwagandha, but neither report can show what caused it. If you drink regularly or have liver disease, tell your doctor before you start ashwagandha, and report yellow eyes or skin, dark urine or itching.
At a glance
| What was seen | How it may work | Direction | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stronger calming effect of a small dose of alcohol[1] | Not established | Could add to alcohol's sedating effect | Animal |
| Drowsiness from ashwagandha alone in some people[3][4] | Possible sedative and GABA-related effects | Could add to drowsiness from alcohol | Theoretical by mechanism |
| Liver injury in people using alcohol and ashwagandha-containing supplements[2][4] | Not established; the cause could not be separated | Herb safety context, not a tested interaction | Case report |
No listing is not a clearance. A missing interaction here never means a combination is safe.
The evidence, study by study
Case report, United States, 2023 Case report
A 48-year-old man with severe alcohol use disorder came to an emergency department in Los Angeles with cholestatic liver injury, where the flow of bile is slowed. He had been drinking and taking a testosterone-boosting supplement that contained ashwagandha. The published summary gives no doses or ingredient list. With heavy drinking and a mixed product, the injury cannot be pinned on ashwagandha or on an interaction.[2]
Case summarised by Memorial Sloan Kettering Case report
The cancer centre's herb monograph describes acute steatohepatitis, an inflamed fatty liver, in a 43-year-old woman who was taking several supplements, ashwagandha among them, as well as alcohol and ibuprofen. With so many exposures, no single cause can be named.[4]
Rat study, Udaipur, 2008 Animal
Rats given ashwagandha by mouth (50 mg/kg) showed a stronger calming response to a small dose of alcohol on a standard anxiety maze. Higher doses of ashwagandha also eased anxiety in rats taken off 15 days of alcohol. Animal results show the question is worth asking. They cannot tell us what happens in people, and they are no basis for treating alcohol withdrawal.[1]
What your doctor may watch for
- Yellowing of the eyes or skin, dark urine or itching, which can be signs of liver injury.[2]
- Heavy drowsiness, especially if you drive or use machines.[3]
What to tell your prescribing doctor
You can read this out, or show them this page:
“I am taking, or planning to take, ashwagandha (name of product, ingredients and how much), and I drink alcohol (how much and how often). Liver injury has been reported in people who drank and used ashwagandha products. Should my liver tests be checked, and is there anything I should watch for?”
Withheld until review
Questions people ask
Does ashwagandha help with alcohol withdrawal or cravings?
That has not been shown in people. The one study we found was in rats, where ashwagandha eased anxiety during withdrawal from alcohol. Coming off heavy drinking is a reason to see a doctor, not to treat yourself.[1]
Related
Ashwagandha with sleeping pills and benzodiazepines
Not studied in people. Ashwagandha may have sedative effects that add to benzodiazepines and sleeping pills, based on preclinical work.
FormulationAshwagandharishta
A fermented ashwagandha tonic with alcohol and a lot of honey. One trial in depression compared it, with Brahmi vati, against escitalopram.
EvidenceDoes ashwagandha improve sleep?
A 2021 review of five trials found a small improvement in sleep with ashwagandha extract. The effect looked larger in people with insomnia.
ConditionAnxiety and sleep problems: what Ayurveda offers
Ashwagandha extracts improved sleep a little and lowered stress scores in short trials. They were not trials in diagnosed anxiety disorder.
Sources
- Gupta GL, Rana AC. Effect of Withania somnifera Dunal in ethanol-induced anxiolysis and withdrawal anxiety in rats. Indian J Exp Biol. 2008;46(6):470-475. PMID 18697607.
- Vazirani S, Kothari A, Fujimoto J, Gomez M. Supplements are not a synonym for safe: suspected liver injury from ashwagandha. Fed Pract. 2023;40(9):315-319. PMID 38562158.
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (US). Ashwagandha.
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. About Herbs: Ashwagandha.
Updated 4 November 2026
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