"Metformin" and alcohol: compatibility

The drug "Metformin" is a very effective tool for treating diabetes, as well as obesity. For some reason, many consumers think that the combination of such components 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 medicines. Also, the medicine has fewer contraindications to use.

Contraindications

Before considering the compatibility of such drugs as "Metformin" and alcohol, consider the main contraindications to the use of this drug:

• Serious kidney and liver diseases;

• Heart and lung disease;
• Abnormal cerebral circulation;
• Do not use the product for pregnant women, or during breastfeeding;
• It is forbidden to use a medicine for chronic alcoholism;
• Lactic acidosis.

How does alcohol affect people with diabetes?

Before you figure out how the human body behaves when combining this drug with alcohol, you need to understand how alcohol affects us in general.

Please note that when drinking alcohol is blocked release of glycogen in the liver, and thus significantly increases the amount of insulin. In this case, the risk of developing such a disease as hypoglycemia increases significantly.

But this is not all. Regular use of hot drinks helps to destroy cell membranes. The threat is that the sugar that enters the body immediately penetrates into the cells, bypassing the protective membranes. This suggests that the glucose content in the blood is significantly reduced. Thus, a person suffering from diabetes can not saturate his body because of a constant feeling of hunger.

Therefore, during the consumption of alcoholic beverages it is strongly recommended to include carbohydrates in food. Only in this way the risk of developing hypoglycemia can be minimized. According to experts, diabetics should carefully monitor their diet and observe a diet that does not include alcohol.

Even twenty-five grams of vodka will help reduce the amount of sugar in the blood. Therefore, the more alcohol you drink, the disease will be harder to leak.

"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 remedy against diabetes with liquor. The main danger is the risk of developing various complications with lactic acidosis.

Features of lactocidosis

This condition with diabetes is considered very dangerous, can lead to death. Usually such a complication is extremely rare. Most often, people with alcohol dependence are subjected to this. If a patient undergoes a course of treatment with the drug "Metformin" and alcohol takes it, then there is a huge risk of formation of lactic acidosis.

Alcohol acts on the patient's body in such a way that it can increase the amount of lactate several times, this happens even in the body of a normal 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 increases the concentration in the blood of lactate from three to thirteen times. During the experiments, the correct therapeutic dosage of the medicine itself and one gram of alcohol per kilogram of human weight were taken.

Serious shortage of vitamins

One of the most common causes of lactic acidosis is a deficiency of vitamins in the body. In particular, we are talking about vitamin B1. "Metformin" and alcohol, feedback on the interactions 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 constantly take large amounts of alcoholic beverages.

What happens to the body after using alcohol

"Metformin" can I take with alcohol? This question is of concern to many people who are undergoing treatment with this drug. The final answer of doctors is not, because in the body undesirable processes will begin, namely:

• Vitamin B1 will be poorly absorbed in the digestive tract, and hence the body will need additional sources of this substance;
• With regular use of alcoholic beverages in the body will be an acute deficit of vitamin B1;
• And, of course, an increase in the risk of lactic acidosis several times.

Think about whether you are ready for such sacrifices.

Hypoxia

Simultaneous use of substances such as "Metformin" and alcohol (compatibility, reviews described in this article), leads to oxygen starvation of the brain. As a result of this, a disease such as hypoxia can occur - an abnormal supply of cells with oxygen.

This condition occurs due to clogging of blood vessels with small blood clots. It is because of this that a person can feel a kind of 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 beverage there is ethyl, which leads to blockage of blood vessels.

Misuse of the kidneys

In no case should not combine this drug with alcohol, if a person has a serious kidney disease. Drinking even a small amount of alcoholic beverage, while in his body there are active substances of Metformin, he risks receiving very dangerous side effects.

What happens to liver enzymes?

Please note that alcohol is able to inhibit liver enzymes. And this, in turn, will lead to hypoglycemia. If the active components of the drug are present in the blood, the result of this combination may be a hypoglycemic coma.

Note that such a state is very easy to confuse with the usual alcohol intoxication. But in this case it is necessary to act decisively and immediately. Call an ambulance and tell me about the combination of alcohol with Metformin.

If a 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:

• Sharply lower blood pressure (in some cases, conversely, increase);
• Weakness in the whole body, loss of coordination of movements, blurred consciousness;
• Indifference to one's life and others;
• Very frequent and shallow breathing.

"Metformin" and alcohol: through how much you can take

After you have drunk an alcoholic drink, you can take the drug "Metformin" not earlier than in two days. Usually this time is enough to restore the kidney function. At the same time, remember that alcohol means not only the use of alcoholic beverages, but also medicines containing alcohol.

Do not take "Metformin" before several days even after using any alcohol tincture or alcohol-containing syrup.

Patients of a young age can drink alcohol after Metformin in eighteen to twenty hours. For elderly people there is no such time interval. Please note that the withdrawal period for a patient with liver or kidneys will be increased several times.

According to the instructions for use, this drug should 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, the doctors recorded not so many cases of lactic acidosis. However, the trend to this increases every year. It is unlikely that at least one patient who has experienced this disease will want to combine alcohol-containing drinks and "Metformin" (or other sugar-reducing drugs).

It is very important for diabetics to learn to recognize the signs of this ailment. According to patients' reviews, this condition is characterized by weakness in the muscles, frequent loss of consciousness, headaches and weakness throughout the body. If the condition begins to worsen, then these symptoms are also added headache, vomiting and nausea. After that, a person can fall into a coma. The most progressive cases usually lead to death.

Of course, every doctor confirms the fact that it is by no means possible to combine alcohol and sugar-reducing drugs. However, not all patients listen to the advice of doctors. Some of them pause between the methods of these substances. "Metformin" and alcohol (through how much can be taken, described in this article) can be combined only if there is a big pause between the use of the drug. But from the point of view of proper treatment, it is absolutely counter-indicative. Be healthy!