OVER THE LIMIT

Is your medication affected by the alcohol you drink? This week: Diabetes ALCOHOL should be avoided if you’re taking medication such as metformin, a drug used to reduce and control blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes.

This is because it can increase the risk of hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar levels), says Dr Nida Chammas, a consultant diabetes endocrinologist at the BMI Clementine Churchill Hospital, Middlesex.

And in rare cases, drinking alcohol while taking metformin increases the risk of lactic acidosis — a build-up of lactic acid in the blood which can cause nausea and weakness, says Dr Chammas.

Alcohol itself causes lactic acid build-up, though it usually drops overnight, adds Professor Sir Munir Pirmohamed, of the British Pharmacological Society.

‘However, heavy drinking combined with metformin could lead to a high build-up of lactic acid, which would need treating with medication,’ he says.