Drug & supplement interaction

Wine + Metformin, Sitagliptin

Metformin, Sitagliptin brand names: Janumet, Janumet XR.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Metformin, Sitagliptin falls into 2 drug categories that Wine can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Concomitant use may interfere with blood glucose control.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodProbable
Interactions2
EvidenceC
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Wine and Metformin, Sitagliptin

These two interact in 2 distinct ways. Each one is explained separately below.

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

Wine interacts with whole categories of medication. Metformin, Sitagliptin falls into 2 of those categories, so it can interact with Wine in 2 different ways. We’ve listed each one below — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them (Moderate).

Moderate

ANTIDIABETES DRUGS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Metformin, Sitagliptin

Metformin, Sitagliptin falls under ANTIDIABETES DRUGS — the group Wine interacts with.

Concomitant use may interfere with blood glucose control.
Alcohol can impair gluconeogenesis and may increase the risk of acute hypoglycemia when used concomitantly with antidiabetes drugs. However, the carbohydrates in wine may also worsen glycemic control in patients with diabetes.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Probable Evidence C

Interaction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports..

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Janumet combines two diabetes medicines, metformin and sitagliptin, that both work to lower your blood sugar. Mixing in alcohol like wine makes blood sugar harder to predict. Here's why: your liver normally makes a little extra sugar when you need it, but alcohol blocks that process. On top of your diabetes medicine, that can push your sugar too low, leaving you shaky, sweaty, dizzy, confused, or even at risk of passing out. To make things trickier, the sugars in sweeter wines can also bump your readings the other way.

This isn't about Janumet being broken down differently, it's about alcohol's effect on your blood sugar. An occasional glass with food is usually manageable for many people, but please check with your doctor or me first, and never drink on an empty stomach.

References
  1. Fraser AG. Pharmacokinetic interactions between alcohol and other drugs. Clin Pharmacokinet 1997;33:79-90. PubMed
Moderate

METFORMIN (Glucophage)

2 of 2
Concomitant use may increase the risk of lactic acidosis.
Concomitant consumption of large amounts of alcohol can increase the risk of lactic acidosis with metformin.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence C

Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Janumet combines two diabetes medicines: sitagliptin and metformin. The concern here is really about the metformin half. Metformin can occasionally raise lactic acid levels in your blood, and drinking large amounts of wine (or any alcohol) makes that more likely. This rare but serious problem is called lactic acidosis, and warning signs include unusual muscle aches, deep or fast breathing, severe tiredness, stomach pain, and feeling cold or dizzy.

An occasional small glass of wine is generally low risk for most people, but heavy or binge drinking is the real worry. Alcohol can also drop your blood sugar unexpectedly. Please check with your pharmacist or doctor about what's safe for your situation before mixing the two.

References
  1. Glucophage XR (metformin) prescribing information. Bristol-Myers Squibb Company. Princeton, NJ, May 2018. Available at: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2018/020357s034,021202s018lbl.pdf

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
  • PossibleInteraction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

Wine Also Interacts With Other Medications

Wine has 656 major, 269 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Metformin, Sitagliptin one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Wine

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Wine. Pick one to open its full report.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Metformin, Sitagliptin

This page covers Wine only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Metformin, Sitagliptin page lists 257 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major), Acai (moderate), African Wild Potato (moderate) and Agaricus Mushroom (moderate).

By severity: 2 major · 217 moderate · 38 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Metformin, Sitagliptin page

“Many people prescribed metformin with sitagliptin (Janumet, Janumet XR) for type 2 diabetes also try herbs sold as blood sugar support, fenugreek among the most popular, and that habit is exactly where the risk on this page concentrates. Of 257 documented supplement interactions, 239 can push glucose in the same direction the medicatio…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Metformin, Sitagliptin interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Wine as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 8 real supplement products containing Wine, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Wine. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Metformin, Sitagliptin too, on top of Wine — and those would not show on this page. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Wine and Metformin, Sitagliptin Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Wine
Top half

#683 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Metformin, Sitagliptin
Top half

#1,370 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Supplement

About Wine

What is Wine?

  • Social and relaxation use
  • Heart health (popular belief)
  • Antioxidant intake
  • Aiding digestion (traditional use)
  • Culinary flavoring

Wine is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented grapes and is not a true dietary supplement or medicine. Despite popular claims about heart benefits, the alcohol it contains carries real health risks, and no amount of drinking can be recommended to improve health. If you drink, do so in moderation, and avoid alcohol entirely during pregnancy or if you have certain medical conditions.

Read the full Wine monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Wine

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Wine — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

656Major
269Moderate
0Minor
1,904No known interaction
Major

656 interactions

Showing 60 of 656 major interactions — see all 656 on the Wine page.

Moderate

269 interactions

Showing 60 of 269 moderate interactions — see all 269 on the Wine page.

No interaction 1,904 drugs checked — show the list
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

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Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Wine and Metformin, Sitagliptin Together: Common Questions

Can you take Wine with Metformin, Sitagliptin?
There is a moderate interaction, so it may be acceptable with monitoring or timing changes — but check with your pharmacist first. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
Why are there 2 interactions listed for Wine and Metformin, Sitagliptin?
Metformin, Sitagliptin belongs to more than one drug category, and Wine interacts with each of those categories a little differently. We list every one so nothing is missed — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them.
How serious is the Wine and Metformin, Sitagliptin interaction?
We rate it Moderate. This combination may require monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one. Consult your pharmacist before using them together.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.