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Hey everyone this is part two of my metformin frequently asked questions videos if you haven’t watched part one yet you can click the link up here to watch it now or find the link below and watch it right after this tedx faqs include topics like alcohol driving b12 supplements contraception fertility pregnancy and how all of these things are affected by metformin
And vice versa since this is part two of the metformin video series i’m keeping this introduction super short so let’s dive right in the faqs can i drink alcohol if i take metformin the official answer to this question is yes you can drink alcohol while taking metformin as long as you stick to the recommended guidelines which is max 14 drinks per week for men
And max 7 drinks per week for women let’s talk about alcohol a bit more i know that it’s a delicate topic but it’s important to clarify some of the things in relation to alcohol and type 2 diabetes and taking pills like metformin in my opinion it’s safer to avoid alcohol and that’s for a few different reasons one if you already have side effects from taking
Metformin like upset stomach or diarrhea drinking alcohol is going to make these effects even worse two drinking alcohol can cause low blood sugar and the symptoms of low blood sugar like dizziness and confusion and drowsiness can easily be confused with symptoms of drinking alcohol or feeling a bugs and that confusion puts you at risk of having low blood sugar
Not knowing it and then not treating it which can all lead to some pretty severe health consequences number three if you have type 2 diabetes and you’re drinking alcohol regularly it can make your insulin resistance even worse which makes taking metformin less effective and finally number four this isn’t very frequent but it’s dangerous enough for the fda to issue
A warning combining metformin and excessive alcohol can lead to a severe condition called lactic acidosis now as you may know excessive alcohol can be very different from one person to another which is why i urge everyone to be super cautious obviously if you’re someone who tolerates metformin really well and you’re also managing your blood sugar levels super
Well then have the occasional glass of wine that’s totally fine but for all the reasons i mentioned previously being cautious and avoiding alcohol is always safer is it safe to drive after taking metformin yep taking metformin by itself will not make your blood sugar levels drop too low so if your blood sugar levels are stable go drive your car ride your bike
Operate heavy machinery at work do what you need to do no problem however if your doctor is also prescribed other meds for diabetes and these meds have the risk of lowering your blood sugar levels a bit too much be careful because having an episode of hypoglycemia or low blood sugar can make you dizzy and reduce your concentration and it’s in those cases that
You have to avoid driving until you feel better should i supplement with b12 vitamins if i take metformin when you take metformin for one time it could cause a vitamin b12 deficiency but there are other factors that can cause a b12 deficiency so ideally your doctor should give you blood tests to find out what your levels are and then prescribe supplements at the
Appropriate dose as needed yes you can easily buy b12 supplements over the counter and take it preventatively there’s no danger in doing so but make sure to at least ask your pharmacist for his or her advice on which doses to take and let your doctor know of course that you are supplementing can i take metformin if i have kidney problems if your kidneys are not
Working properly taking metformin is not recommended and that’s something that your doctor will check always to see how all your kidneys are working before even prescribing metformin once you’re on metformin your doctor should continue to test your kidneys at least once a year some of you may need more frequent checks and that’s if you’re either an older person
Or if your kidneys are starting to malfunction does metformin affect my contraceptive pill metformin does not influence the effectiveness of your contraceptive pill or of the morning after pill but the hormones inside these pills can affect your blood sugar levels how well i invite you to check out this video because you’ll learn a lot more about hormones the
Female cycle and how they all relate to the ivs it’s a topic that i find so interesting the bottom line is you may need to do little adjustments of your metformin doses after starting a hormonal contraceptive does metformin affect my fertility there’s no evidence to suggest that taking metformin will reduce fertility for either men or women like i mentioned in
Part one video metformin is also prescribed for pcos a condition that affects how women’s ovaries work and in pcos when metformin is combined with changes in eating habits it can actually sometimes help improve fertility so if you’re having trouble getting pregnant please don’t ever stop taking metformin or any other diabetes medication for that matter start
By speaking with the doctor first and get all the necessary tests done can i take metformin if i’m pregnant or breastfeeding yes and yes during pregnancy metformin is usually safe taken either alone or in combination with insulin as for breastfeeding metformin can pass into your breast milk but the amount is so small that it doesn’t affect your baby so it’s
Considered totally safe as always tell your doctor first if you’re trying to get pregnant if you’re already pregnant or if you’re breastfeeding because your treatment for diabetes will always need to be reviewed in my 10 plus years of experience as a pharmacist those were all the questions that i heard most often about metformin if you haven’t already watched the
First video of the series click right here to watch it now and if there are any questions that i haven’t covered let me know in the comments below if you found these faqs helpful or enlightening please give me a thumbs up on this video subscribe to the channel hit the little bell icon do all of these things that support us and help us also sign up to our weekly
Newsletter because i send a lot of cool info in there too take care of yourselves everyone stay healthy stay safe i’ll see you in the next video you
Transcribed from video
Metformin 102. Can I drink Alcohol? | Should I supplement with Vitamin B12? | and more FAQs! By Kasana Health
