Writing as someone who had the team Christmas social last night, diabetes definitely does not stop us drinking alcohol.
You need to be aware of the impact
- our bodies consider alcohol to be toxic. Therefore, our liver will focus on get rid of those toxins over anything else including dripping glucose. As a result, your levels may drop for the next 24 hours. I reduce my basal to avoid this.
- some drinks contain carbs such as beer, cider and mixers like tonic and juice. So, when you drink these, you may need insulin to avoid a spike. But this needs to be balanced with the risk of hypo as I mentioned above.
- to others, a hypo may look like you being drunk. So, tell your mates you have diabetes and what to look out for.
As for whether alcohol is unhealthy, i consider a funless life unhealthy. So we need balance for mental health which can include alcohol but not to excess, not as a crutch and not every day.
Overall, I would suggest drinking to moderation and try to find the best insulin dose balance that suits you. Might take a “few” attempts to get it right. So lots of excuses for trial and error