Metformin and alcohol

KCP · #1 (**permalink**) 11-30-2008, 04:55 PM

OK guys hold on to your thinking caps :P

Im on Metformin for fertility reasons but i am also a Type 1 Diabetic

Im on lantus and novo rapid.

Now as we are all well aware, christmas and NEW YEARS are fast approaching. Now,ive never had trouble drinking before in my life and ive been diabetic since i was aged 7. im now 25.
Every year for new years my friends all get together, have some drinks and celebrate the new year, but i have found,much to my dismay, that since being on metformin, i cannot drink as my blood sugars plummet. as an example i had a glass of wine and my blood sugars went through the floor.

Now,i have a rudimentary knowledge of how metformin works. I also know that I am very very sensitive to drugs and medications. I tried stopping the met for a day and my blood sugars went through the roof due to lack of insulin to cover my food. I just wasnt agressive enough with my dosages as i should have been.

If i stop the metformin for a week, and keep a close eye on my sugars and diabetes, do you think that I would be able to drink over the new year period??

Harold · #2 (**permalink**) 11-30-2008, 09:37 PM

Do not wait for New Years. It takes several weeks for the full effect of met. It may take a couple of or 3 to clear. Which means you need to try a week now or 2.

KCP · #3 (**permalink**) 12-01-2008, 03:07 PM

sod it... I may just have to forgo it

Subby · #4 (**permalink**) 12-01-2008, 04:56 PM

That's a real shame eh?

KCP · #5 (**permalink**) 12-01-2008, 06:50 PM

Yep, but ah well... I know my health is important, but ya know???!!!

jkane13 · #6 (**permalink**) 12-02-2008, 02:36 PM

You can drink one or two a day without any problems. If your liver is already in distress, or heading that direction, then I would avoid drinking if I were you.

However ... I am not sure what "fertility reasons" means. If you are trying to get pregnant, well, there are much more important reasons not to drink!

All of those are your choices though.

kgm0612 · #7 (**permalink**) 12-03-2008, 07:29 AM

I'm a pumper and also take Metformin. I have a glass of wine or a vodka & diet tonic almost every night after dinner. If you don't eat properly, then it's going to lower your BS. Try having some cheese & crackers with a drink and see how that works out for you.

Karen

KCP · #8 (**permalink**) 12-03-2008, 03:05 PM

I tried eating an entire meal and had a glass. Even with limited insulin i still plummetted..

As for the fertility: I have Polycystic ovarian syndrome, which means insulin resistance. I dont ovulate and the met was to try to lower my IR so that my hormones could regulate. It hasnt worked so will need fertility drugs to bring on Ovulation.

I dont know if my liver is i distress.. How would i know something like that? (curious..

)

jkane13 · #9 (**permalink**) 12-04-2008, 09:46 AM

I didn't read the original post right. So your needs are different. You are concerned about the lows from alcohol and metaformin, not the side effects that tell you not to drink at all with it. Sorry for the confusion. Maybe extra sugar with your drinking.

You Dr would test every now and then for liver problems. At you age, the likely hood of liver problems is pretty low. He/She may not be testing yet. But, that wouldn't have anything to do with a low. It would only be the side effects of kidney and liver damage associated with high alcohol use and metaformin.

MaireC · #10 (**permalink**) 12-04-2008, 02:02 PM

Not meaning to hijack this post at all - I also have a question about alcohol and metformin:

I really would like to drink this christmas. I've been very, very good over the past few years and not had alcohol at any work function(or any other occasion, really), and my x-mas party is coming up. When I was on holiday about three weeks ago, I did drink (one a night), but stopped when I realised that my blood sugar was only 4.5 an hour after my dinner.
My sister, the bright spark that she was, asked me why the heck am I drinking diet sodas with my drinks if alcohol lowers the BG so much.
Being so far away from home I decided not to test her theory, but if I were to drink regular sodas with the alcohol, should that not, theoretically, counteract the negative effects? Is this a good / bad idea?

KCP · #11 (**permalink**) 12-04-2008, 03:52 PM

Yea Ive tried the non diet drinks with alcohol in the past and it works pretty well to counter the sugar drop after the fact. But it shoots the blood sugars up at first.

Ahh, i think they do test for liver function but obviously there must be nothign wrong as theyhavnt mentioned it

That makes me happy!