I drink red wine, white wine and beer (not all at the same time).
The impact on my BG depends on how much.
Wine does not raise my BG.
Beer will raise my BG for the first couple of pints so I will take insulin for these.
If I drink more beer or about half a bottle of wine, there is a risk of overnight hypo. So I take no further insulin.
Thankfully, alcohol does not cause munchies for me ... just sleepiness. So my main risk is forgetting to take my BG and correct before bed.
My advice for someone who is newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes is to drink in moderation and test a lot for the next 24 hours to see what impact it has on you (we are all different).
Unless you experience a major problem, I would not allow diabetes to take control of your lifestyle.
If you feel you would like to reduce your alcohol intake, diabetes diagnosis maybe a useful catalyst.
@Paulm80 you ask if it is ok to get smashed now and then - binge drinking is generally not seen as a good things regardless of whether you have any medical condition. But, if you want to, make sure you are not alone but with someone who is sober enough to help you out with your diabetes.
An ex-colleague told me a story of his teenage years with type 1 diabetes. He went on "Type 1 camp" and, as you would expect from a group of teenage boys away from their parents, they got hold of some alcohol and had a "session". One of the group passed out with a hypo. Thankfully, one of the group was sober enough to get assistance from one of the doctors on the camp (there were a few as this was a type 1 camp). As a result, the rest of the gang were given the job of keeping an eye on their mate and making sure his BG did not go too low.
Some may say the lads should not have been able to get the alcohol. However, the environment was as "controlled" as possible and the experience certainly left its mark on my ex-colleague. He drunk alcohol but never to the point of passing out.
