The drug "Metformin" is a very effective tool for the treatment of diabetes, as well as obesity. For some reason, many consumers think that the combination of components such as Metformin and alcohol is absolutely safe for human health. But is it really so? Consider this article.
A few words about the drug
It is a synthetic substance and is used in the treatment of insulin-dependent diabetes of the second degree. The drug is very effective, safer in comparison with other medications. Also, the medicine has fewer contraindications for use.
Contraindications
Before considering the compatibility of drugs such as Metformin and alcohol, we consider the main contraindications to the use of this medication:
- serious kidney and liver disease;
- heart and lung diseases;
- improper cerebral circulation;
- Do not use the product for pregnant women, as well as during breastfeeding;
- it is forbidden to use the medicine for chronic alcoholism;
- lactic acidosis.
How does alcohol work for people with diabetes
Before you figure out how the human body behaves when combining this drug with alcohol, you need to understand how alcohol in general affects us.
Please note that when drinking alcohol, the secretion of glycogen in the liver is blocked, and the amount of insulin increases significantly. In this case, the risk of developing a disease such as hypoglycemia significantly increases.
But that is far from all. Regular consumption of strong drinks contributes to the destruction of cell membranes. The threat is that the sugar that enters the body immediately enters the cells, bypassing the protective membrane. This suggests that the glucose level in the blood is significantly reduced. Thus, a person with diabetes cannot saturate his body due to a constant feeling of hunger.
Therefore, while consuming alcoholic beverages, it is strongly recommended that carbohydrates be included in food. Only in this way can the risk of developing hypoglycemia be minimized. According to experts, diabetics should carefully monitor their diet and follow a diet that does not include alcohol.
Even twenty-five grams of vodka will help reduce blood sugar. Therefore, the more alcohol you drink, the more difficult the disease will be.
Metformin and Alcohol: Compatibility
According to the instructions for use of the drug, as well as the recommendations of doctors, it is impossible to combine this anti-diabetes drug with alcohol. The main danger is the risk of developing various complications with lactic acidosis.
Features of lactic acidosis
This condition in diabetes is considered very dangerous, can lead to death. Usually this complication is extremely rare. Most often, people with alcohol addiction are exposed to this. If a patient undergoes treatment with Metformin and takes alcohol at the same time, there is a huge risk of lactic acidosis.
Alcohol acts on the patient’s body in such a way that it is able to increase the amount of lactate at times, this happens even in the body of an ordinary healthy person.
Scientists conducted special studies, as a result of which it was possible to establish that such a combination as Metformin and alcohol significantly increased the concentration of lactate in the blood from three to thirteen times. During the experiments, the correct therapeutic dosage of the drug itself and one gram of alcohol per kilogram of human weight were taken.
Severe Vitamin Lack
One of the most common causes of lactic acidosis is a deficiency of vitamins in the body. In particular, it is about vitamin B1. "Metformin" and alcohol, the feedback on the interaction of which you can read in this article, when used together, lead to a deficiency of this vitamin. This condition is significantly worsened in people who are constantly taking a large amount of alcohol.
What happens to the body after using alcohol
Can Metformin be taken with alcohol? This question worries many people undergoing treatment with this drug. The final answer of the doctors is no, because undesirable processes will begin to occur in the body, namely:
- Vitamin B1 will be poorly absorbed in the digestive tract, which means the body will need additional sources of this substance;
- with regular use of alcoholic beverages, an acute deficiency of vitamin B1 will be observed in the body;
- and, of course, a several-fold increase in the risk of lactic acidosis.
Think about whether you are prepared for such sacrifices.
Hypoxia
The simultaneous use of substances such as Metformin and alcohol (compatibility, reviews are described in this article), leads to oxygen starvation of the brain. As a result of this, a disease such as hypoxia may appear - improper supply of oxygen to cells.
This condition occurs due to blockage of blood vessels by small blood clots. It is because of this that a person can feel a certain euphoria after drinking alcohol. This is not only about alcohol with a high alcohol content, but also about wine, beer, cider and so on.
In any alcohol-containing drink is ethyl, which leads to blockage of blood vessels.
Abnormal kidney function
In no case should you combine this drug with alcohol if a person has serious kidney disease. After drinking even a small amount of an alcoholic drink, while Metformin's active substances are in his body, he risks getting very dangerous side effects.
What will happen to liver enzymes
Please note that alcohol can inhibit the functioning of liver enzymes. And this, in turn, will lead to hypoglycemia. If the active components of the drug are in the blood, then the result of this combination may be a hypoglycemic coma.
Keep in mind that this condition is very easy to confuse with ordinary alcoholic intoxication. But in this case, you need to act decisively and immediately. Call an ambulance and be sure to tell about the combination of alcohol with Metformin.
If the person has not lost consciousness, then doctors recommend offering him sweet tea or giving candy.
Effects
Regularly combining alcohol and Metformin, you can get the following manifestations:
- blood pressure will drop sharply (in some cases, on the contrary, it will increase);
- weakness throughout the body, loss of coordination of movements, blurred consciousness;
- indifference to his life and to others;
- very frequent and shallow breathing.
Metformin and alcohol: how much can be taken
After you have drunk an alcoholic drink, you can take Metformin no earlier than two days later. Usually this time is enough to restore kidney function. At the same time, note that alcohol means not only the use of alcoholic beverages, but also drugs containing alcohol.
In no case do not take "Metformin" earlier than a few days later even after drinking any alcohol tincture or alcohol-containing syrup.
Young patients can take alcohol after Metformin eighteen to twenty hours later. For the elderly, no such time period has been established. Note that the period of elimination of the drug with a sick liver or kidney will be increased several times.
According to the instructions for use, this drug must be taken two to three times a day, so there is no way to combine it with alcoholic beverages.
Reviews of patients and doctors
Fortunately, doctors have recorded not so many cases of lactic acidosis. However, the tendency to this is increasing every year. It is unlikely that even one patient who has experienced this disease will want to combine alcohol-containing drinks and Metformin (or other sugar-lowering drugs).
It is very important for diabetics to learn to recognize the signs of this ailment. According to patient reviews, this condition is characterized by muscle weakness, frequent loss of consciousness, headaches and weakness throughout the body. If the condition begins to worsen, then headache, vomiting and nausea are also added to these symptoms. After that, a person may fall into a coma. The most progressive cases are usually fatal.
Of course, every doctor confirms the fact that alcohol and sugar-lowering drugs cannot be combined in any case. However, not all patients listen to the advice of doctors. Some of them pause between doses of these substances. "Metformin" and alcohol (through how much can be taken, described in this article) can be combined only if there is a long pause between the use of the drug. But from the point of view of proper treatment, doing this is absolutely contraindicated. Be healthy!