Ok, I was just reading this dlife thingy about Metformin and alcohol and I am upset. Is this really true? It doesn’t say anything on my Met bottle about not drinking alochol with it. Can I never have any at all or is it just that if I am planning to have some drinkie I should skip taking my Met?
Just an FYI, I rarely drink. But I miss beer and wine and I would like to be able to have some when I go out once a while to dinner, club or social event - I am single after all. I know I am limited to just one probably (grrr. don’t I have enough stuff I have to give up. I miss ale!) and there are lots of drinks I can’t have (ie margaritas sigh) and I can handle that I guess.
What do you guys think? What is the reason why they would say this? Is it because Metformin works on the liver?
It seems weird to me because I have been taking Met for almost a year and isn’t it already “built up” in my body already and how will skipping one when I have drink make any difference? I guess I am not seeing it. That said, I did take my Met once when I went out to dinner and had wine with the meal (of course I forget to take it until after the dinner) I had a beer too that night. I had high number later and some the next day and it took a while to go down. But another time I had wine before my dinner time and tested and I was actually normal! (whee!). Does the Metformin interfer with a alcohol and having regular numbers maybe? I am guessing that isn’t it but just musing here…I thinking it is the liver and this lactic acidois (that sounds familar - from that movie A Few Good Men). What are the chances of that happening?
I haven’t really figured out the alcohol part of this yet. I think the stuff that has no carbs is stuff I don’t normally like which is like hard liquor like vodka etc. Unfortunatley I like the dark ales which are probably off limits for me for the most part (at least having three of them is or a whole pint)
For those of you that don’t know me or my history, I have very good control of my numbers on a daily basis and my A1C last was 5.1.
Technically people are not suppose to take alcohol with any medications. I have taken my medformin and doused it with white wine. I never had any problems. Perhaps switch beer to white wine and see if that helps.
T2 I’ve heard warnings about lactic acidous w/ met and alcohol. I am on met and drink 1-2 glasses red wine a night. and sometimes more and haven’t had a problem and do not skip my met. for me i find wine and met give a good morning FBS but thats me
Jeez. All the worries in the world weigh down on the shoulders of us diabetics. Have your glass or two of wine with dinner. You will be fine. But don’t abuse that alcohol, your liver already is busy and it will have a hard time metabolizing metformin and dealing with way too much wodka. I don’t worry about lactic acidosis. But then again, “What Me Worry?”
So it sounds like the lactic acidosis would be more of a concern for Type 1’s on Met (are there any Type 1’s on Met?) than Type 2s?
Yeah, i was thinking that if it was THAT big a deal there would be a big warning sticker on my Met bottle. Although, I think I will try to plan ahead - if I having more than a glass of wine with dinner I will skip my Met pill (unless I am having a lot of carbs.
Thanks, bsc - so I guess it is the liver is the reason? Because the Met works on the liver and we all know alcohol is bad for the liver. I drink so little I am sure my few glasses of wine or a beer every now and than will be OK. Not sure if this article might apply to people who drink alot or could this possible happen with one drink to anyone on Met?
Hi Christalyn, I actually hate white wine so it would be red for me. I actually haven’t been drinking much beer at all because all the beer I like it way too high in carbs - I don’t like the beer that are low carb - they give me a headache. I’ll have to sneak beer in as a meal or something.
I had Lactic Acidois with Met, and it wasn’t from drinking, it was the drug… and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone…
I think its difficult to tell someone, go ahead and drink… because we all are different, and meds work strangly for some and not other’s…
I think Like this, I don’t have a zipper to open up my stomach, I don’t want to guess or bargain with my healthor risk the failing of my Organs. I choose not to drink… but, with that said, I have seen and know people on Insulin and Oral Diabetes meds to drink, and their still alive.
