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Metformin and drinking

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rjk66

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I am on metformin 500x2 per day. Iam confused on; Should I take night dose of metformin after drinking alcohol or I should skip the night dose ?
 
Not a metformin user, but know that many T2's taking metformin also drink alcohol.
Unsure what your concern is:
1. Hypo? - Little (some would say zero) chance of that with Metformin (assuming not taking Glic, an SGLT2 or insulin).
2. Digestive upset? - Impossible to say - trial and error.
3. Some other concern?
 
ianf0ster said:
Not a metformin user, but know that many T2's taking metformin also drink alcohol.
Unsure what your concern is:
1. Hypo? - Little (some would say zero) chance of that with Metformin (assuming not taking Glic, an SGLT2 or insulin).
2. Digestive upset? - Impossible to say - trial and error.
3. Some other concern?
Click to expand...
Some other concerns, Metformin, and alcohol are contraindicated and should not be mixed. Can lead to a buildup of lactic acid in the blood, and the kidneys become less effective while under the influence. Metformin also exacerbates the effects of alcohol, and can lead to loss of foresight and control - probably not an issue unless trying to dose adjust insulin, *Note: insulin users are also given Metformin for general medical protection rather than bgl control). Metformin can reduce kidney function and I have had my med stopped recently due to renal difficiency
 
Donaldfr said:
Or skip the alchohol perhaps:)

I have stopped it till i get to better bg control. Not sure how it impacts bg.
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It lowers mine, quite markedly. This doesn't appear to happen for everyone. For context - I'm on ~20g carb/day. Alcohol (eg a glass or two of wine) with a carby meal usually results in a BG reading substantially lower after eating than it was before. It seems to slow down the carb absorption - they still arrive in my system in, not quickly enough to raise my BG, but c. 60g intake of carbs, with alcohol or not, will knock me out of ketosis.

I fully understand the nervousness around this issue - alcohol is not exactly without its own particular problems. However, it's a known cause of hypoglycaemia (Handbook of Diabetes pg 195) and anyone considering their alcohol intake should be aware of this.
 
rjk66 said:
I am on metformin 500x2 per day. Iam confused on; Should I take night dose of metformin after drinking alcohol or I should skip the night dose ?
Click to expand...

Bearing in mind we cannot give medical advice.

However if I was choosing between alcohol and Metformin I would prioritise Metformin.
It is important to take the doses regularly and consistently as it is a long acting drug on your general metabolism, not a fast acting BG reducer.

However (2) I drink alcohol and take Metformin and have done so for over a decade.
It doesn't seem to have any side effects for me.
Everyone is different so obviously proceed with care until you can establish if it affects you in any way.
 
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