RELATIONSHIP OF ALCOHOL AND HYPERLACTATEMIA IN DIABETIC SUBJECTS TREATED WITH PHENFORMIN

The blood lactate, pyruvate and glucose responses to ingested glucose and alcohol were measured in five subjects with adult-onset diabetes before and after treatment with phenformin. Increased lactate and lactate/pyruvate values were noted during phenformin treatment in response to both stimuli, that following alcohol ingestion being of greater magnitude. The potentiation of lactic acid accumulation with phenformin is significant metabolically and can reasonably be explained by the known effect of phenformin. The evidence for clinical significance is more circumstantial but leads to the conclusion that excessive alcohol ingestion should be avoided in phenformin-treated patients. © 1968.