Weight Loss Treatment and Alcohol: What to Ask Your Practitioner
Whether you can drink alcohol while taking weight loss medication depends on the medication, any other medicines you take, your health and how much you drink. The doctor or nurse practitioner who manages your treatment is the person to ask, ideally before you start.
This is general information, not medical advice, and it does not name or compare medications. Experiences and outcomes vary between individuals.
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Key Points
Alcohol can interact with many medicines. It can worsen side effects, make a medicine work less well or cause other symptoms.
Some listed side effects of weight loss medication, such as nausea and vomiting, can also come from drinking.
If you have diabetes, ask how alcohol affects your blood sugar.
Australian guidelines advise healthy adults to drink no more than 10 standard drinks a week and no more than 4 on any one day (healthdirect).
Weight loss medication is used together with a healthy diet and regular physical activity, and alcohol adds kilojoules to your day.
Why Alcohol Matters During Weight Loss Treatment
Alcohol and many medicines are processed by the liver, and combining them can change how both the alcohol and the medicine affect you. The effects depend on the type and amount of medicine, the amount of alcohol, and your genetics, sex and any health conditions you have (healthdirect). Three points are worth raising with your practitioner.
Side Effects That Overlap
A common type of side effect of weight loss medication involves the gut, such as nausea, vomiting, bloating, diarrhoea and reflux, and other listed side effects include fatigue and dry mouth. Drinking too much alcohol can cause nausea and vomiting, and a hangover can bring a headache, dry mouth and tiredness. Severe vomiting or diarrhoea and drinking too much alcohol are each listed causes of dehydration.
Blood Sugar If You Have Diabetes
If you take insulin or some other medicines for diabetes and you drink alcohol, you could develop low blood sugar, and alcohol can make its symptoms harder to notice. For more, read about weight loss treatment with type 2 diabetes.
The Pancreas
Pancreatitis, an inflammation of the pancreas, is among the other side effects listed for weight loss medication. Drinking too much alcohol is one of the two most common causes of pancreatitis, along with gallstones. Symptoms of acute pancreatitis need care at the nearest emergency department. Your practitioner can explain what this means for you.
Questions to Ask Your Doctor or Nurse Practitioner
"Can I drink alcohol while I'm taking this medicine?" is a basic question for any medicine. These questions help you get a full answer:
Can I drink alcohol with this medication, and if so, how much? Ask for the answer in standard drinks, so you can count them.
Could alcohol make my side effects worse? Ask which side effects to watch for if you do drink, and what to do if they appear.
Do any of my other medicines react with alcohol? Medicines that are unsafe with alcohol include sleeping and anti-anxiety medicines (benzodiazepines), opioid pain relief, many antidepressants and some antihistamines, and some antibiotics and antipsychotic medicines also interact with it. Never combine benzodiazepines or opioids with alcohol, because this can cause overdose and death. Others, such as some blood pressure and diabetes medicines, blood-thinning medicines and anti-inflammatory pain relief (NSAIDs), can cause problems with regular or heavy drinking. Bring a written list of everything you take, including over-the-counter medicines and supplements such as vitamins.
I have diabetes. How should I plan for drinking? Ask about checking your blood sugar and eating when you drink.
Does my drinking affect which treatment suits me? Acute alcohol withdrawal is listed as a reason not to use some weight loss treatment, and alcoholism as a reason not to use a very low-energy diet (Australian Obesity Management Algorithm). An honest answer helps your practitioner choose.
Where can I read about alcohol and this medication? The Consumer Medicine Information (CMI) leaflet explains how alcohol reacts with a medicine. A pharmacist, doctor or nurse practitioner can print it for you.
Who should I contact if I feel unwell after drinking? Ask who to call and when. The healthdirect helpline on 1800 022 222 has a registered nurse available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In an emergency, call triple zero (000).
At Burst Health, a doctor or nurse practitioner calls you to discuss your situation, review whether treatment is clinically appropriate, explain any options and potential side effects, and answer your questions. That call is a good time to raise alcohol. For the full process, see how medical weight loss programs work.
What to Tell Them About Your Drinking
Describe your drinking in standard drinks rather than glasses. In Australia, one standard drink contains 10 g of pure alcohol, which is about:
30 mL of spirits (1 shot)
100 mL of wine
285 mL of full-strength beer or cider
375 mL of mid-strength beer
425 mL of light-strength beer
The label on a bottle, can or cask shows how many standard drinks it contains. The national limits in the Key Points are there to reduce the risk of harm from alcohol-related disease or injury. Tell your practitioner what you drink, how much, how often and what you usually eat when you drink, and say if you have found it hard to cut back.
Alcohol, Kilojoules and Your Eating Plan
Weight loss medication is used together with healthy lifestyle changes, not instead of them: a balanced diet, staying physically active and new habits around eating and mealtimes. Alcohol is part of that picture: it is high in kilojoules and can lead to greater hunger, though the research on alcohol and weight gain is mixed and the effect varies from person to person (Better Health Channel). Alcohol is also one of the reasons you may not be losing weight.
For a healthy diet alongside treatment, what a calorie deficit is and how to work out yours explains how both food and drink add up to your energy intake, and there are realistic ways to lose weight that suit you. Australia's physical activity guidelines recommend moderate to vigorous physical activity for 30 minutes or more on most days, and muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week. For ideas on moving more, see how many steps a day can support weight loss.
Support to Cut Back
If you would like help with your drinking, the National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline on 1800 250 015 gives free and confidential advice, and your call goes to the Alcohol and Drug Information Service in your state or territory. Your local community health service can also help.
If you are not yet on a plan, Burst Health provides medical weight loss plans online, reviewed by an Australian-registered doctor or nurse practitioner who will ask about your drinking as part of the assessment: check whether you are eligible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you drink alcohol on weight loss medications?
It depends. Whether drinking suits you turns on the medication, your other medicines and how much you drink, which is why the questions above are worth asking. Ask the doctor or nurse practitioner who manages your treatment, or your pharmacist, before you drink, and read the label and your medicine's Consumer Medicine Information.
Does drinking alcohol interfere with weight loss?
It can. Alcohol is high in kilojoules, and it may stop the body burning fat, increase hunger and bring cravings for salty and greasy foods. The research on alcohol and weight gain is mixed, and the effect depends on what and how much you drink, how often, and what you eat with it. Outcomes vary between individuals.
What is the best way to lose weight if I drink alcohol?
No single way suits everyone. Reducing or stopping alcohol may result in weight loss, but many factors are at play. Count your standard drinks using the label on the bottle or can, and stay within the national guideline limits. Pair this with a healthy diet and regular physical activity, and ask about a dietitian, who can help you build a plan. Outcomes vary between individuals.
How does alcohol affect blood sugar levels?
For people with diabetes, drinking alcohol, especially without eating, is one listed cause of a hypo (low blood sugar), and alcohol can make the warning signs harder to notice. If you have diabetes and plan to drink, have a meal that includes carbohydrates, and ask your doctor or nurse practitioner whether drinking suits your treatment.
Can you take medicine after drinking alcohol?
Check first. Your body takes many hours to process and remove alcohol, and a reaction between alcohol and a medicine can happen at any time while alcohol is still in your body. Read the label, and if it carries an alcohol warning or you are unsure, ask your pharmacist, doctor or nurse practitioner before you take the medicine.
Medical weight loss plans, online
In three steps.
- 1Answer a quick questionnaireOnline, no appointment, no in-person visit.
- 2A practitioner reviews itAn Australian-registered doctor or nurse practitioner decides whether treatment is suitable for you.
- 3Start your planIf treatment is suitable, you start your plan with the practitioner supporting you throughout.
References
This article is general information only. Speak with a registered Australian healthcare practitioner about your own situation.