NERVES!!!!

Hi there, I myself am very new to Metformin (infact, I start tomorrow) but I am very surprised that other more experienced subscribers haven't bothered to respond to you. (I notice that as a newbie myself I have had very little response to my questions....) I cannot answer your question but I am sorry to hear that you are having such a bad day. From what little I have read about Metformin and alcohol, it seems that a lot of people do drink without problems or side effects but this is only what I have read. I dont think a drink tonight would hurt but maybe just a couple and see from there how you feel? I hope you have a better day tomorrow. Good luck

I'm afraid you don't get much of a response on here after 10pm, most of the members on here actively post daytime or early evening.

It is a bit of a tricky question knopfler as your reasons for drinking aren't the social type that most folks on here have experience of. Saying that I've not had any problems with alcohol and metformin although the maximum I have drunk is about 2 bottles of wine and I am on a much larger dose metformin than you.

Hi,

It's not so much that people cannot be bothered to respond but rather that there are often fewer people around at this time of night.

@Knopfler
I think the difficulty is that nobody is going to be able to tell you that you can drink more that the recommend daily amount. Many people drink a moderate amount of alcohol without any real difficulty and the risks on metformin are pretty slim. However I don't know what the effect of drinking beyond that would be. Other than the standard advice there is no 'safe' limit of alcohol to drink. If you rely on alcohol to cope that I think you would really be best talking to your doctor about possible interactions.

Have you read the basic advice that we give to diabetics about diet and control etc?

RussG said:

Hi,

It's not so much that people cannot be bothered to respond but rather that there are often fewer people around at this time of night.

@Knopfler
I think the difficulty is that nobody is going to be able to tell you that you can drink more that the recommend daily amount. Many people drink a moderate amount of alcohol without any real difficulty and the risks on metformin are pretty slim. However I don't know what the effect of drinking beyond that would be. Other than the standard advice there is no 'safe' limit of alcohol to drink. If you rely on alcohol to cope that I think you would really be best talking to your doctor about possible interactions.

Have you read the basic advice that we give to diabetics about diet and control etc?

Click to expand...

Hi Knopfler
This is my post that Russ is referring to just to refresh your memory in case you want to go back and look at it again:

viewtopic.php?f=39&t=25567&p=234630#p234665

If you have any questions, please ask.

The main side effect of metaformin and alcohol is stated as lactic acidosis. There's information on the syptoms on google that are worth a read.
From personal experience, I've drunk that much in one go, but I have avoided alcohol for the next few days, and let it wash out of my system as it were.

Have a look at

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=25269

I tried Metformin very briefly. 1 alcoholic drink and within 10 minutes i had a hangover that lasted late pm next day. Doctor put me on the stuff straight away but i decided to give a diet the chance to work and so far it has. I was given a slow release type and it certaily made me ill when taken with alcohol. My mum takes a standard type with no side effects whatsoever.

Andy

sarahmunchkin said:

(I notice that as a newbie myself I have had very little response to my questions

Click to expand...

Think that's a bit sharp. Most of us go out of our way to answer newbie questions.

Just to add my tuppence-worth from personal experience:

Since being diagnosed Type 2 I have realised that in my heaviest drinking days (about 1.5 bottles of red wine in a night) I was regularly having alcohol-induced hypos - waking up in the night drenched in sweat and with my heart pounding so much I thought I was going to have a heart attack. Only since becoming diabetic and reading up on hypos have I realised what was happening. Now I moderate my drinking and don't drink every day, though I can still manage a bottle if pushed!

I take 500mg Metformin 3x daily. You can still have alcohol-induced hypos when on Metformin, so it's best to treat the alcohol with respect. The one thing that I try to be mindful of (with varying success, I admit) is that alcohol causes inflammation throughout the body, including the pancreas and the liver. The role of inflammation in health is becoming more and more understood, and more and more important.

I'm not going to give up my red wine, and I'm not going to stand in judgment over anyone else about their drinking habits. We are all intelligent adults who are able to find the info and take decisions for ourselves. You're obviously not an alcoholic, Knopfler, if you can stay off the stuff for six weeks - well done! You may find, now, that one bottle has the same effect as 3 or 4 used to. You will certainly feel it more next morning !

I hope I don't sound preachy at all, 'cause that's not how this is meant. I watched my father die of whisky, and I don't intend it to happen to me, so it's a subject I do take very seriously.

Hope you're feeling better today, Knopfler!

Viv 8)

Knopfler welcome to the forum from me too .
I think you have made some pretty good decisions in reducing carb intake and getting hold me a meter. You night also want to get yourself a carb counting book something like Collins Gem Carb Counter.
I note that you have a real struggle with nerves. Panic attacks are most definitely scary each and every time you have one me those you think you are going to die. Then afterwards you are surprised to find that you survived and already you start worrying about the next panic attack coming along.
I suffered with disabling panic attacks for a couple me years after the birth of my second child. So much energy spent on trying to deal with the panics. But eventually I worked out how to lose the fear of these panic attacks instead of adding fear to fear and making things worse.
I read the books by Dr Clare Weekes. I read many books but hers are written in such a style that you think she is sitting right these with you helping you through. She describes how to face a panic attack how to just sit there and let it wash over you to let it do its worst to you.
I reached the stage where I was willing to try it I didn't enjoy life very much anyway pm he there came a panic attack to see me off then so be it.
My lovely ever so patient and supportive husband helped to talk me through am actual panic attack it was murder I couldn't breathe he encouraged me to relax and slowly breathe in and out me a paper bag. I was hyperventilating me course but I die my best to relax and sure enough the panic left me. I felt so reassured by thisi If I could do it once then I could try this again and maybe manage even better next time.
And so gradually I became more confident and lost the fear of panic and so they stopped coming along.
Drinking so much alcohol is not the best thing that you can do as Viv pointed out already.
It would best if you drank a bit of wine for enjoyment instead as a remedy for panic attacks.
If you should need any help with those panic attacks get in touch with me.
All the best