Lantus Interactions: Alcohol, Medications, and Others

Lantus (insulin glargine) is a prescription drug that’s used to help manage blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. This drug can interact with alcohol, other medications, and some supplements. For example, Lantus can interact with metoprolol (Toprol XL), semaglutide (Ozempic), and olanzapine (Zyprexa).

Lantus is used to help manage blood sugar levels in adults and certain children with type 1 diabetes. It’s also used to help control blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes.

An interaction can occur because one substance causes another substance to have a different effect than expected. Interactions can also occur if you have certain health conditions.

Keep reading to learn about Lantus’s possible interactions. And for more information about Lantus, including its uses, see this article.

Certain health conditions or other factors could raise your risk of harm if you take Lantus. In such cases, your doctor may not prescribe Lantus for you. These are known as contraindications. The list below includes contraindications of Lantus.

If you have hypoglycemia. You should not use Lantus during an episode of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Lantus works by helping your body lower blood sugar levels. So, using this medication while your blood sugar level is already low could cause your blood sugar to become dangerously low. Very low blood sugar levels may lead to serious complications, including seizures and coma. In some cases, it may be life threatening.

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If you’ve had an allergic reaction. If you’ve had an allergic reaction to Lantus or any of its ingredients, your doctor likely won’t prescribe it. This is because using the drug could cause another allergic reaction. You can ask your doctor about other treatments that may be better options for you.

Before you start using Lantus, talk with your doctor if any of the factors above apply to you. Your doctor can determine whether Lantus is safe for you to take.

Drinking alcohol can make it difficult to manage your blood sugar with Lantus. This is because alcohol can increase or decrease your blood sugar levels. For this reason, your doctor may recommend that you avoid consuming alcohol while you’re using Lantus.

If you drink alcohol, talk with your doctor to learn how much, if any, is safe to consume during your Lantus treatment.

Before you start using Lantus, tell your doctor and pharmacist about any prescription, over-the-counter, or other drugs you take. Sharing this information with them may help prevent possible interactions. (To learn whether Lantus interacts with supplements, herbs, and vitamins, see the “Are there other interactions with Lantus?” section below.)

If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

The table below lists drugs that may interact with Lantus. Keep in mind that this table does not include all drugs that may interact with Lantus. For more information about some of these interactions, see the “Drug interactions explained” section below.

Learn more about certain drug interactions that can occur with Lantus.

Interaction with other drugs that treat diabetes

Your doctor may prescribe other medications that treat diabetes along with Lantus to help manage your blood sugar levels. These medications can interact with Lantus.

Examples of medications used to treat diabetes include:

• pioglitazone (Actos)
• semaglutide (Ozempic)
• liraglutide (Victoza)
• saxagliptin (Onglyza)
• linagliptin (Tradjenta)
• empagliflozin (Jardiance)
• dapagliflozin (Farxiga)
• glipizide (Glucotrol XL)
• metformin (Fortamet)
• other forms of insulin, such as:
  • insulin lispro (Humalog)
  • insulin aspart (Novolog)

  What could happen

  Both Lantus and other medications that treat diabetes help to lower your blood sugar level. So, taking other diabetes medications with Lantus can increase your risk of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).

  Low blood sugar can lead to serious and sometimes life threatening complications. These can include seizures and coma.

  What you can do

  If you’re taking another diabetes medication with Lantus, your doctor will likely recommend that you check your blood sugar level more frequently. They’ll also monitor your blood sugar using an A1C blood test. This is a blood test that lets doctors know your average blood sugar levels over a period of time.

  Your doctor will likely recommend a healthy blood sugar range for you. Let them know if your blood sugar levels fall below this range. If your blood sugar level is too low, they may lower your Lantus dosage.

  Also let your doctor know if you have frequent episodes of hypoglycemia. They may need to adjust your Lantus dosage.

  Symptoms of hypoglycemia can include:

  • sweating
  • fatigue (low energy)
  • dizziness
  • hunger
  • shaking
  • blurry vision
  • problems concentrating

  Talk with your doctor and see this article to learn more about managing hypoglycemia.

  Certain antipsychotics

  Certain antipsychotics called atypical antipsychotics can interact with Lantus. Atypical antipsychotics are usually prescribed to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other mental health conditions.

  Examples of atypical antipsychotics include:

  • olanzapine (Zyprexa)
  • clozapine (Clozaril)
  • quetiapine (Seroquel)
  • aripiprazole (Abilify)

  What could happen

  Taking atypical antipsychotics with Lantus can make Lantus less effective. This means that Lantus may not lower your blood sugar as well as it should. This may increase your risk of hyperglycemia (high blood sugar).

  What you can do

  If you’re taking antipsychotics with Lantus, your doctor will likely recommend that you check your blood sugar level more frequently. They’ll also monitor your blood sugar using an A1C blood test. This is a test that tells doctors your average blood sugar levels over a period of time.

  Your doctor will recommend a healthy blood sugar level range for you. Let them know if your levels fall above this range. If your blood sugar is too high, they’ll likely increase your Lantus dosage.

  Also, tell your doctor if you start taking any new medications. They may need to adjust your Lantus dose.

  Beta-blockers

  Beta-blockers are medications typically used to lower blood pressure and decrease heart rate. Beta-blockers can interact with Lantus.

  Examples of beta-blockers include:

  • atenolol (Tenormin)
  • metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL)
  • nebivolol (Bystolic)

  What could happen

  Taking beta-blockers with Lantus can have several effects. They can make Lantus more or less effective. Beta-blockers can also mask the signs of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).

  This means that taking beta-blockers with Lantus can increase your risk of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia (high blood sugar). And, if you have hypoglycemia while taking a beta-blocker, you may not be able to notice the symptoms.

  What you can do

  Let your doctor know if you’re taking a beta-blocker before starting Lantus treatment. Also let them know if you start taking a beta-blocker after starting Lantus.

  Your doctor will likely recommend that you check your blood sugar levels more frequently. They’ll adjust your Lantus dosage based on your blood sugar levels.

  Lantus may have other interactions. They could occur with supplements, foods, vaccines, or even lab tests. See below for details. Note that the information below does not include all other possible interactions with Lantus.

  Does Lantus interact with supplements?

  Before you start using Lantus, talk with your doctor and pharmacist about any supplements, herbs, and vitamins you take. Sharing this information with them may help you avoid possible interactions.

  If you have questions about interactions that may affect you, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

  Lantus interactions with herbs

  Taking garlic supplements with Lantus may increase your risk of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). This is because garlic may lower your blood sugar. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any herbal supplements. They’ll let you know about any interactions they may have with Lantus.

  Lantus interactions with vitamins

  Lantus can interact with certain vitamins, such as vitamin B3 (also called niacin). Vitamin B3 can affect how your body breaks down blood sugar. This can make it more difficult to manage your blood sugar levels and increase your risk of hyperglycemia (high blood sugar).

  Talk with your doctor before taking any vitamins while you’re using Lantus. They’ll let you know if they’re safe to take with Lantus.

  Does Lantus interact with food?

  Drinking green tea while using Lantus can increase your risk of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). This is because certain substances in green tea may lower your blood sugar. Lantus also lowers your blood sugar. So, drinking green tea during your Lantus treatment may cause your blood sugar to become too low.

  Does Lantus interact with vaccines?

  Currently, there are no reports of vaccines interacting with Lantus. Talk with your doctor if you’re concerned about getting vaccines while using Lantus.

  Does Lantus interact with lab tests?

  There aren’t any lab tests known to interact with Lantus. If you’re concerned about having lab tests during your Lantus treatment, talk with your doctor.

  Does Lantus interact with cannabis or CBD?

  There are currently no reports of Lantus interacting with cannabis (often called marijuana) or cannabis products such as cannabidiol (CBD). But as with any drug or supplement, talk with your doctor before using cannabis with Lantus.

  Note: Cannabis is illegal at a federal level but is legal in many states to varying degrees.

  Certain medical conditions or other health factors may raise the risk of interactions with Lantus. Before using Lantus, talk with your doctor about your health history. They’ll determine whether Lantus is right for you.

  Health conditions or other factors that might interact with Lantus include:

  Low blood potassium level. All insulins, including Lantus, can cause a low blood potassium level. If you already have this condition or take medications that lower your potassium level, taking Lantus can lower it further. Having a very low potassium level can lead to serious complications, such as heart attack, and may even be life threatening. Tell your doctor all the medications you take before starting Lantus treatment. If needed, they may monitor your potassium level regularly while you’re using Lantus.

  Heart failure. Taking certain diabetes medications called thiazolidinediones with Lantus can cause fluid to build up in your body and some organs, including your heart. If you have heart failure, taking these medications with Lantus can worsen your condition. An example of thiazolidinediones is pioglitazone (Actos). Talk with your doctor about all the medications you take. If you must take a thiazolidinedione while using Lantus, your doctor will likely monitor you for signs of heart failure.

  Pregnancy. It’s not known if it’s safe to use Lantus during pregnancy. Some studies have shown that Lantus does not cause harm to a fetus. But more research on this is needed. Having unmanaged diabetes during pregnancy can cause harm to a fetus. For this reason, the American Diabetes Association recommends diabetes treatment with insulin, such as Lantus, during pregnancy. Let your doctor know if you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant before starting Lantus treatment.

  Breastfeeding. It’s not known whether Lantus passes into breast milk or the effect it could have on a breastfed child. Talk with your doctor if you’re breastfeeding or planning to do so before starting Lantus treatment. They’ll help you decide on the right options for you.

  Allergic reaction. If you’ve had an allergic reaction to Lantus or any of its ingredients, your doctor will likely not prescribe Lantus. This is because using the drug could cause another allergic reaction. You can ask your doctor about other treatments that may be better choices for you.

  Taking certain steps can help you avoid interactions with Lantus. Before starting treatment, talk with your doctor and pharmacist. Things to discuss with them include:

  • Whether you drink alcohol or use cannabis.
  • Other medications you take, as well as any vitamins, supplements, and herbs. Your doctor or pharmacist can help you fill out a medication list .
  • What to do if you start taking a new drug during your Lantus treatment.

  It’s also important to understand Lantus’s label and other paperwork that may come with the drug. Colored stickers that describe interactions may be on the label. And the paperwork (sometimes called the patient package insert or medication guide) may have other details about interactions. (If you did not get paperwork with Lantus, ask your pharmacist to print a copy for you.)

  If you have trouble reading or understanding this information, your doctor or pharmacist can help.

  Using Lantus exactly as prescribed can also help prevent interactions.

  If you still have questions about Lantus and its possible interactions, talk with your doctor.

  Questions you may want to ask your doctor include:

  • Could I still use Lantus even if it interacts with the health conditions I have?
  • Do I need to space Lantus from the other medications I take to avoid interactions?
  • Does Toujeo, which also contains insulin glargine, have similar interactions?

  To learn more about Lantus, see these articles:

  • All About Lantus
  • Tresiba vs. Lantus: What’s the Difference?
  • Side Effects of Lantus: What You Need to Know
  • Dosage for Lantus: What You Need to Know
  • Toujeo vs. Lantus: How Do These Long-Acting Insulins Compare?
  • Levemir vs. Lantus: Similarities and Differences

  To get information on different conditions and tips for improving your health, subscribe to any of Austra Health’s newsletters. You may also want to check out the online communities at Bezzy. It’s a place where people with certain conditions can find support and connect with others.

  Disclaimer: Austra Health has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.

  Last medically reviewed on March 24, 2023