In most cases it’s not a problem at all to have a single glass of wine when taking a drug like metformin. There is one concern that you will need to be aware of and that is lactic acidosis. There is also the possibility that you could become hypoglycemic if you have diabetes.
Hypoglycemia typically presents itself with feelings of hunger, shakiness, nervousness, sweating, dizziness, sleepiness, confusion, difficulty speaking and weakness. Lactic acidosis typically presents itself with the following symptoms: Mental status change, nausea, irregular heart rate, vomiting, hyperventilation, hypotension, abdominal pain, anxiety, and lethargy. It’s always best to consult with your doctor before consuming alcohol while being diabetic or having a prescription for metformin.
What Is Metformin?
Metformin is a medication that has been designed to help control the amount of sugar that is coursing through your veins at any given moment. The primary condition that it is diabetes.
Its main function is slowing the rate of gluconeogenesis, which is the production of glucose in the liver. There is also a positive effect on insulin sensitivity. Metformin also has the ability to reduce the amount of glucose that is absorbed in your gastrointestinal system one eating food.
The drug is typically well-tolerated, but the most likely side effects that can occur are typically gastrointestinal. In very rare cases lactic acidosis and hypocalcemia can occur.
Lactic Acidosis
Free lactic acid circulating the body is removed from the bloodstream by the liver. When taking metformin the liver will remove that lactic acid from the bloodstream at a slower rate. This is why it appears that taking metformin is a causative factor in the development of lactic acidosis.
Patients with a known predisposition to accumulating lactic acid in their bloodstream should take caution and using Metformin for their diabetes.
Metformin itself is actually not metabolized by the liver. Instead it is up to the kidneys to clear metformin from the bloodstream. Because of this, when taking metformin there is a chance for reduced kidney function. The kidney is also responsible for clearing lactic acid from the bloodstream and as such its clearance rate will be slowed, leading to a potential case of lactic acidosis.
Alcohol And Metformin
Single standard glass of wine contains 5 oz of liquid. Aside from the potential for lactic acidosis in kidney and liver compromised patients, there is no large issue with consuming a responsible amount of alcohol. Alcohol overindulgence is poor for anybody’s Health regardless of taking metformin.