Drug & supplement interaction

Wine + pioglitazone, metformin

pioglitazone, metformin brand name: ActoPlus Met.

Major Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated September 2026
The bottom line Major

pioglitazone, metformin falls into 3 drug categories that Wine can interact with; the most serious is rated major. Concomitant use of alcohol with hepatotoxic drugs may increase the risk of hepatotoxicity.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityMajor
LikelihoodProbable
Interactions3
EvidenceC
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Wine and pioglitazone, metformin

These two interact in 3 distinct ways. Each one is explained separately below.

Why Are There 3 Interactions?

Wine interacts with whole categories of medication. pioglitazone, metformin falls into 3 of those categories, so it can interact with Wine in 3 different ways. We’ve listed each one below — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them (Major).

Major

HEPATOTOXIC DRUGS

1 of 3

Why this applies to pioglitazone, metformin

pioglitazone, metformin falls under HEPATOTOXIC DRUGS — the group Wine interacts with.

Concomitant use of alcohol with hepatotoxic drugs may increase the risk of hepatotoxicity.
Concomitant use of excessive amounts of alcohol with potentially hepatotoxic drugs can increase the risk of liver damage.
Severity Major 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

Here's the main thing to know about pairing wine with ActoPlus Met (which combines pioglitazone and metformin): both your medicine and alcohol are processed by the liver, and drinking heavily can add stress to it. Mixing the two raises the risk of liver irritation or, in rare cases, liver damage. With metformin, there's a separate concern too. Drinking a lot, especially binge drinking, can raise the small risk of a serious condition called lactic acidosis.

This doesn't mean an occasional glass with dinner will harm you for most people. The real worry is regular or heavy drinking. Watch for warning signs like yellowing skin or eyes, dark urine, belly pain, or unusual tiredness. Please check with your doctor or pharmacist about what amount, if any, is safe for you.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Fraser AG. Pharmacokinetic interactions between alcohol and other drugs. Clin Pharmacokinet 1997;33:79-90. PubMed
Moderate

ANTIDIABETES DRUGS

2 of 3

pioglitazone, metformin also falls under ANTIDIABETES DRUGS.

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

If you take ActoPlus Met (that's pioglitazone plus metformin) and you enjoy a glass of wine now and then, the main thing to keep an eye on is your blood sugar. Alcohol can blunt the way your liver releases sugar between meals, and that can tip you toward a low blood sugar reaction. Watch for shakiness, sweating, a racing heart, confusion, or feeling lightheaded, and be extra careful if you drink on an empty stomach.

It can cut both ways, though. Wine also carries carbohydrates, so heavier drinking or sweeter wines can actually push your numbers up. There's a separate concern too: metformin plus alcohol can rarely raise the risk of a serious problem called lactic acidosis. None of this means you must give up wine, but please talk with your pharmacist or doctor about what's safe for you.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Fraser AG. Pharmacokinetic interactions between alcohol and other drugs. Clin Pharmacokinet 1997;33:79-90. PubMed
Moderate

METFORMIN (Glucophage)

3 of 3
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

Your ActoPlus Met combines two medicines, and the part that matters here is the metformin. Metformin can, in rare cases, lead to a buildup of lactic acid in the blood (called lactic acidosis). Drinking alcohol, especially in larger amounts or heavy binge drinking, raises that risk because alcohol affects how your liver handles lactic acid.

A glass of wine with dinner now and then is a very different thing than drinking heavily. Watch for warning signs like unusual muscle aches, deep tiredness, trouble breathing, stomach pain, or feeling very cold and weak, and get help if those show up. Wine can also nudge your blood sugar around. I'd talk with your doctor or pharmacist about what amount, if any, is safe for you.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
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 655 major, 270 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the pioglitazone, metformin one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Major 655 Moderate 270 No known interaction 1,905 (incl. pioglitazone, metformin)
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 pioglitazone, metformin

This page covers Wine only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the pioglitazone, metformin page lists 357 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Beer (major), Grapefruit (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major) and St. John's Wort (major).

By severity: 6 major · 311 moderate · 40 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the pioglitazone, metformin page

“ActoPlus Met pairs pioglitazone with metformin for type 2 diabetes, and the size of this list, 357 supplements in all, reflects how many herbs lower blood sugar on their own. Stacked with the drug, they can push glucose too low; most of the 311 moderate entries work exactly that way.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the pioglitazone, metformin 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 pioglitazone, metformin 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 pioglitazone, metformin 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

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

29 days ago today
Medication pioglitazone, metformin
Steady interest

#2,369 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.

655Major
270Moderate
0Minor
1,904No known interaction
655 Major 270 Moderate 1,904 No interaction
Major

655 interactions

Showing 60 of 655 major interactions — see all 655 on the Wine page.

Moderate

270 interactions

Showing 60 of 270 moderate interactions — see all 270 on the Wine page.

No interaction 1,904 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Wine against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,904 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Wine list.

See the full Wine interactions page
See every supplement checked against pioglitazone, metformin, ranked by severity
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

Keep exploring
Wine monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place pioglitazone, metformin supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against pioglitazone, metformin, ranked by severity Supplement interaction checker › Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z › Every drug we've checked against herbs & supplements Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Wine and pioglitazone, metformin Together: Common Questions

Can you take Wine with pioglitazone, metformin?
This is rated a major interaction, so the combination is best avoided unless your doctor or pharmacist has specifically told you otherwise. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
Why are there 3 interactions listed for Wine and pioglitazone, metformin?
pioglitazone, metformin 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 pioglitazone, metformin interaction?
We rate it Major. This is a clinically significant combination that is generally best avoided, or used only under the direct supervision of your physician or pharmacist.

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

Still Have a Question About pioglitazone, metformin and Wine?

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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.