Both Actos and metformin carry warnings about taking them with alcohol. I suppose the basis is that both are metabolized thru the liver and can cause damage. I have avoided alcohol since I added Actos to my regimen a month ago, but I miss a glass of wine (sometimes two) when I go out for dinner. My evening meal is when I take both drugs. Since my MD monitors my liver function, and I generally follow the ADA's recommendation that diabetic females only have one drink per day, is that reasonable or should I continue to be more cautious?
Q: Must we abstain from alcohol if we use Metformin and Actos to control blood glucose?
Answers (2)
9/ 6/08 7:38pm
Normita-
Hello! Click this link "Findings show how alcohol lowers blood sugar". The article I directed you to talks about alcohol consumption lowering your blood sugar. You should always follow the drug warnings and consult your physician if you are drinking alcohol with any medication.
Cherise
Community Moderator
9/ 8/08 5:27pm
A classic cost/benefit analysis- there are benefits in drinking wine (cardioprotective), but risks as well (stress on the liver). I agree that in general, ETOH lowers sugar, so make sure you don't drop too low after dinner, although this is unlikely since you're eating food with the ETOH. The other concern is with lactic acidosis and metformin. So if you have liver or kidney insufficiency, the risk of ETOH may outweigh the benefit.
The reason doctors never tell anyone to drink booze is that they don't know if you have the discipline to limit yourself to 1 drink. Since I drink 1 glass red wine with dinner, I am biased, but here's my advice:
Since you enjoy a good glass of wine, and since life should be lived to the fullest, I would not give up the wine with the following provisos: 1- drink with a meal to avoid going too low; 2- make sure your doctor monitors your liver and kidney function periodically (simple blood tests- LFTs and BUN/Cr); 3- never binge drink- 1 glass of wine should be enough for temporal happiness :)
Good luck, and remember- Jesus turned the water to wine for a reason (although metformin wasn't around back then...
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