Diabetes and Alcohol: Tips/Advice?

I'm a type 1 diabetic. I've never had alcohol or anything of the sort, so I need some help. I plan to start drinking soon, but I'd like to know what to watch for. What can alcohol do to my blood sugar? Do different types do different things? How should I handle drinking for the first time? I obviously don't know my limit yet, so how will I know? My plan is to drink a little, then test my blood sugar every 30 minutes to an hour to see what it does. Is that a good idea? Should I check more or less often? I'm totally confused. I will have a buddy on hand to keep an eye on me. How much more planning do I need to do? It's kind frustrating having to plan these things out, but I'd like to drink safely. Any tips or advice? I also have a type 2 friend who would like to start drinking as well, if you guys have any tips for her. Thanks!Diabetes and Alcohol: Tips/Advice?
Only thing I can add is have a snack before bed. This is to avoid Dead Bed Syndrome. Alcohol could bring your glucose levels low. Which in turn if you are suseptible to hypoglycemia then you are at risk without the snack.


Good luck. I have a lot of friends that have type 1 and they drink with no problems.Diabetes and Alcohol: Tips/Advice?
alcohol has a lot of sugar in it, so the best thing , if i were you would be put that equation in your head that i should probly not drink, does that make any sence.
If you don't drink you won't have anything to watch for will you? DON'T DRINK very simple.





If you know something is going to hurt you , why would you even consider doing it?
No lecture but you should change your avatar to Willy Wanker.
talk to a doctor and dietitian
Hi. I'm a type 1 diabetic too. It's easy for people to say don't drink when they have their little lives without health restriction. I'm 19,so i went through drinking for the first time a while back. Your plan so far sounds safe (have a trusting friend who understands what to do if u were to pass out and who won't just laugh because they think you're ';smashed';) and testing every 30 minutes to an hour is fantastic. If you drink alcohol that contains sugar you should expect your sugars to be a bit high. You could give yourself more insulin but the actual alcohol in drinks brings your sugar levels down, so maybe just 1 or 2 units the first time you drink. It's wise not to drink so much that you are an absolute mess because then you become more confident and may let your guard down slightly in relation to your health. Definately be around friends and when your body says that you've had enough, you've had enough...I drank so much once that i semi-passed out and a friend had to save me. It is also important that you eat food as this can help to absorb the alcohol and should help stop your sugars from dropping suddenly once you've finished drinking.So from my experience I have high sugars while I'm drinking but can have a sudden drop in levels once i stop drinking or if i have a break from drinking for a couple of hours, so its important to check your sygars every half an hour and eat if they are below 8 mmol/L. I like mine to sit between 10-20 mmol/L while im drinking. It may sound extreme but its better to be a little high for one night than dangerously low and drunk. Safe drinking! xx
I'm also a type 1 diabetic. I drink 1-2 beers or glasses of wine per night. It isn't to get drunk, but it's just that I enjoy it with certain foods and like the social aspect of it. However, when I was a bit younger I did drink to get drunk. Alcohol can lower your blood sugar, but just a little bit. If you eat small amounts of food (some protein and a bit of carbs), you should be fine blood sugar-wise. Don't make too huge a deal out of it. As long as you're not getting black-out drunk, there is no need to worry. Best of luck!





And alcohol in and of itself does not have lots of sugar in it. Beer has a few carbs, hard alcohol has virtually none, but wine does have a bit of sugar in it. Especially watch out for dessert wines and mixed drinks. Pina coladas can have at least 50 g of carbs/sugars in them, so beware of these. These could cause a significant spike in blood sugar if you don't give yourself the right amount of insulin. I'd play it safe with low-card alcoholic beverages like beer and non-sugary mixed drinks (vodka club soda is one of my favorites). Or a 7 and 7 (whisky and 7-up) with diet-sprite.
OK, let's be real, you may be diabetic but you still want to do what your friends do. So you have to strike a balance here. The biggest thing is what do you choose to drink. Red wine is easier on the blood sugars than beer or a sweet mixed drink. When drinking red wine there are so few carbs that you will not need extra insulin to cover it like you do with say a pina colada or a beer.





When you drink, always do it with food. You should check often. I check every 30 to 45 minutes as the first 3 hours after a drink of red wine, I crash. So it is very important to have your meter and fast sugar with you at all times. Since you do not know how the alcohol will affect you and your sugars, start really slow. Try one drink and then the next time you drink, you could try two. That way you can see what the booze does to you and make adjustments.





Be aware that if you do go low from the drinking that you will probably have crazy sugars in the night. If you go to bed drunk, you will go low. If you go to bed after your buzz is gone, you may go high. If I drink 2 glasses of red wine with dinner I will go low by 9pm. I then treat the low and go to bed. I get up at 3am and often my sugar is around 180 so I have to treat for that. I know this is how my body reacts so I can plan for it.





There is nothing wrong with drinking if it is not an every day thing and you are responsible and take care of yourself. Have some fun, being diabetic is hard enough! Here is a good video on drinking and type I:





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NgoMf38v鈥?/a>
Alcohol especially beer can lower blood sugar levels.. so if you start to feel funny, It could be your sugar or just the beers, so I would check. Tell people who you are drinking with that you have diabetes and tell them just to maybe remind you to check if they remember. I'm 22 years old, I was afraid to drink. I've gotten really drunk about 3 times and nothing happened to my blood sugars. I actually woke up the next day feeling great and my blood sugars were 90-100. You can't not have fun in your life because you are a diabetic, Diabetes sucks, but your life doesn't have to. Experience all you can and don't let diabetes get in your way, just be responsible about it. Make sure you eat a good meal before hand and take your insulin. Also it's important to make sure that you are feeling well, sugars in normal range, and just overall feeling well. Hope this helps!