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Insulin and Alcohol / Food Interactions

Drug Interactions (732) Alcohol/Food Interactions (1)

There is 1 alcohol/food/lifestyle interaction with insulin:

Insulin and Alcohol (Ethanol)

Moderate Drug Interaction

GENERALLY AVOID: Alcohol may cause hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes. Hypoglycemia most frequently occurs with chronic drinking of large amounts of alcohol; however, it may also occur after binge drinking or moderate drinking, especially when the alcohol is ingested on an empty stomach. The mechanism is ethanol inhibition of gluconeogenesis as well as the counterregulatory response to hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia may last for 8 to 12 hours after ethanol ingestion. In contrast, chronic alcohol abuse may cause impaired glucose tolerance and hyperglycemia. Moderate alcohol consumption generally does not affect blood glucose levels in patients with well controlled diabetes.

MANAGEMENT: Patients with diabetes should avoid alcohol if their blood glucose is not well controlled, or if they have hypertriglyceridemia, neuropathy, or pancreatitis. Patients with well controlled diabetes should limit their intake to one drink daily for women and two drinks daily for men (1 drink = 5 oz. wine, 12 oz. beer, or 1.5 oz. distilled spirits) in addition to their meal plan. The alcohol should be consumed with a meal.

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insulin drug Interactions

There are 732 drug interactions with insulin

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Drug Interaction Classification

The classifications below are a general guideline only. It is difficult to determine the relevance of a particular drug interaction to any individual given the large number of variables.

Major Highly clinically significant. Avoid combinations; the risk of the interaction outweighs the benefit.
Moderate Moderately clinically significant. Usually avoid combinations; use it only under special circumstances.
Minor Minimally clinically significant. Minimize risk; assess risk and consider an alternative drug, take steps to circumvent the interaction risk and/or institute a monitoring plan.

Do not stop taking any medications without consulting your healthcare provider.


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