If you happen to’ve lately been prescribed or have began taking Ozempic and also you drink alcohol, you might be questioning if combining these is wholesome, advisable, and even secure.
This text will discover what occurs once you drink alcohol whereas taking Ozempic, the potential unintended effects, and how one can safely drink alcohol whereas taking Ozempic.
What occurs once you drink alcohol whereas taking Ozempic?
Ingesting alcohol whereas taking any prescription remedy will be complicated, so all the time discuss along with your physician in case you’re uncertain of how medicines could react to one thing you’re about to drink.
If you happen to resolve to drink alcohol whereas taking Ozempic, a number of issues could happen that you will need to be aware of:
- If you happen to take Ozempic and also you’re on insulin, you’re extra susceptible to low blood sugars
- Alcohol is understood to have an effect on blood sugar ranges
- Alcohol could impair your judgment
- Alcohol, over time, will increase the danger of hypertension, stroke, liver illness, and coronary heart and kidney illness, that are additionally problems of diabetes
- Alcohol can exacerbate Ozempic unintended effects, resembling nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and urge for food suppression
The Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) recommends not more than 1 drink per day for ladies and not more than two drinks per day for males.
If you’re or suspect you’re battling alcohol dependancy, contact your physician for therapy choices instantly or name the Substance Abuse and Psychological Well being Companies Administration hotline, open 24 hours a day.
Ozempic and alcohol’s impact on blood sugar ranges
It’s essential to notice that Ozempic and alcohol are each highly effective substances that may trigger antagonistic unintended effects in folks residing with diabetes.
A kind of unintended effects is low blood sugar. Alcohol is understood to trigger low blood sugar ranges, typically dangerously so, in individuals who take insulin.
Ozempic, whereas not inflicting acute low blood sugar ranges, lowers blood sugars over time.
Combining alcohol and Ozempic (to not point out in case you’re additionally on insulin that decrease blood sugar ranges) will trigger blood sugars to fall.
It’s essential to be aware of low blood sugar signs, which will be tougher to detect in case you’re ingesting. These embody:
- Shakiness
- Speedy coronary heart price
- Shallow respiration
- Nervousness
- Weak point
- Fatigue
- Confusion
- Dizziness
- Headache
- If extreme, unconsciousness
If left untreated, severely low blood sugar can flip right into a diabetic coma, which is life-threatening and requires emergency medical help.
Do you have to drink alcohol whereas taking Ozempic?
If you happen to don’t at the moment drink alcohol, there isn’t any motive to begin. There is no such thing as a “advisable” quantity of alcohol that somebody ought to drink.
Nevertheless, there isn’t any direct drug interplay between consuming alcohol and utilizing Ozempic. Many individuals who take Ozempic do get pleasure from alcohol.
If you happen to’re a reasonable drinker and want to get pleasure from a drink often, the truth that you employ Ozempic won’t be dangerous to you.
It is very important solely drink carefully and to be cautious of low blood sugars.
Find out how to drink safely when you may have diabetes
There are some extra tips for ingesting alcohol you probably have diabetes, together with:
- By no means drink alcohol whereas your blood sugar is low
- Don’t drink heavy alcohol when you may have quite a lot of insulin on board (IOB)
- Alternate ingesting alcoholic drinks with water to remain hydrated
- Stick with individuals who know you may have diabetes
- Don’t drink alcohol on an empty abdomen
- All the time have low-blood sugar snacks with you (glucose tabs or juice)
- Check your blood sugar earlier than, throughout, and after ingesting, particularly earlier than you fall asleep
- If you happen to’re ingesting within the night, have a snack earlier than you go to mattress (one thing with fats and protein will stabilize your blood sugar in a single day)
- Put on a steady glucose monitor (CGM)
- Put on a medical ID bracelet in case of an emergency
- All the time let somebody know the place you’re going and once you count on to be again
Ceaselessly requested questions
It’s by no means suggested to binge drink, particularly whereas taking diabetes medicines that will trigger low blood sugar like Ozempic.
Nevertheless, when carefully (1 drink per day for ladies and not more than 2 drinks per day for males), ingesting alcohol is okay for most individuals who take Ozempic. Speak to your physician you probably have questions or considerations.
In contrast to insulin, Ozempic doesn’t trigger acute low blood sugar ranges, and it doesn’t react to meals or drinks (together with alcohol) the way in which insulin does. What you eat or drink earlier than or after taking Ozempic won’t change its effectiveness.
Nevertheless, by no means drink alcohol on an empty abdomen or throughout a low blood sugar.
Learn extra: Meals to Keep away from Whereas Taking Ozempic
The reply to this query remains to be unsure. Nevertheless, research have proven that rats who’re given glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonists, like Ozempic, exhibit much less need for alcohol than rats not given the remedy. Comparable findings have been found in mice and GLP-1 agonists for opioids, nicotine, and cocaine as properly.
This has but to be studied totally in people, however the hyperlink between Ozempic and treating dependancy issues could also be a promising discovering within the coming months and years.
In a single medical trial, contributors recognized with weight problems who obtained GLP-1 agonist therapy and behavioral cognitive remedy (CBT) drank considerably much less alcohol than those that solely took the placebo together with remedy.
The researchers additionally took scans of the contributors’ brains after they checked out footage of alcoholic drinks and located that in individuals who have been taking the GLP-1 agonists, the areas of their brains concerned as well as lit as much as a a lot lesser extent than those that weren’t on the remedy.
Anecdotally, physicians are reporting that their sufferers are dropping their style for alcohol nearly utterly as soon as beginning Ozempic. If that is your expertise, it’s not out of the norm.
Detecting your low blood sugars correctly whereas ingesting alcohol is an issue for many individuals with diabetes as a result of low blood sugar and feeling tipsy or drunk will be very related sensations.
Ozempic can complicate issues additional, as a result of feeling nauseous, dizzy, weak, and vomiting are unintended effects of Ozempic, however can also be current in case you’re experiencing low blood sugar, or in case you’ve simply drank an excessive amount of.
That is why it’s essential to by no means drink an excessive amount of, to observe your blood sugars your complete time you’re ingesting, and to all the time carry fast-acting low snacks with you in case you’re out ingesting, resembling glucose tablets or juice.
Backside line
If you happen to’ve lately began Ozempic, your physician could ask that you just chorus from ingesting till your physique will get used to the remedy and till your new insulin ranges stabilize (in case you’re on insulin), which might take a number of weeks to a month.
Nevertheless, after you’ve been taking Ozempic for a while, ingesting alcohol won’t have a direct drug interplay with this commonly-prescribed diabetes remedy.
The short-term results of ingesting alcohol and taking Ozempic embody the elevated probability of low blood sugar ranges, so be cautious of that.
The longer-term results of ingesting alcohol embody kidney and liver failure, and elevated danger of stroke and coronary heart illness, that are additionally problems of diabetes.
Speak along with your physician you probably have questions or considerations about taking Ozempic and ingesting alcohol and search assist in case you’re battling alcohol dependancy.
Learn extra: Can Ozempic Assist You Lose Weight?
