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Alcohol and Diabetes

Bails112

Member
Messages
19
hi I’m going on my first night out this weekend and I am a bit worried about my blood and alcohol, I’ve noticed my blood does go low after one drink and I wouldn’t know what to do in a club. Does anyone know if clubs sell bar snacks or is it best for me to take glucose tablets as I don’t know if these work with alcohol thanks.
 
Hi and welcome @Bails112

There's no reason why you can't have a good night out, however if you're with people who are going to drink alot and will have little or no understanding of what to do if you do go hypo and what signs to look out for, then i'd treat the night with caution and go steady. I find I stick to either red wine or vodka/gin and diet tonic when I want a drink as other alcohol contains alot of sugar which pushes me high and of course then I need to take insulin which I try to avoid when out for the evening, except for my basal. I always carry glucose, not just on a night out but everywhere I go, it's so important to be prepared. I tend to find I don't need insulin when drinking either of these drinks but if i'm out dancing then I always follow up with a bag of chips before I go home. Testing as often as you can is also important to see what's going on and try and prevent a low before it happens.

Yes a little more thought is required but have had some great night outs without much thought to the t1, as avoided lows and maybe ran slightly higher for one night which is no major issue, also take care the next day as your liver replenishes it's glucose supplies as you may find you go low then.
 

Thanks for the reply, it really stresses me out I’ve had anxiety all week over it, Is vodka and Diet Coke a good drink to have as I would of thought it would drop your blood quickly as it doesn’t have any sugar in it. I’m just going to make sure I have a big tea before I go out then have a pizza when I’m going home. Do you give insulin when you have chips after a night out or do you just leave it ? Sorry for all the questions
I just want to make sure I enjoy myself without worrying.
 

Lots of testing when you get home. Then you can see if you will need to inject for the food or not. If it was me, depending on what my BG was I would inject for food, but would probably avoid pizza
 
I'd agree that Pizza is a tricky one to bolus for because of the fat, so I get the pizza effect when I try to eat it, so go low within 1-2 hours and then go high after 2-3 hours, as fat delays the carb absorption, crisps/chips are a better food choice, and also depends on what your BG levels are doing too but would suggest a bolus shot to cover your chips if your BG levels look ok.

Yes buddy up with a pal who knows what to spot if you go low and will look out for you. Also if it's causing you stress then go easy, drink water, stay sober-ish or don't drink at all, i've had some great nights without alcohol and the added bonus of waking up without a sore head, it's fine to do either, just make sure you feel comfortable whatever you choose to do

Diet coke is fine, no sugar
 
Great advice above.
I would just add - ALWAYS take GlucoTabs (or your hypo treatment of choice) out with you.
Diabetes is as predictable as a teenager - sometime it is just slightly annoying and sometimes it does whatever it wants for no obvious reason.
For this reason, I always have the ability to test and correct my BG with me at all times.

But that doesn't stop me having fun.
Enjoy your night of drinking and clubbing.
 
Hiya, I do not yet have confirmation if I am T1 or T2 but regardlessof my type.... on the occasions I have been out I have to be careful that I am given Diet Coke rather than full fat. On two occasions I have been out my blood sugars went to 26.

I tend to take my tester with me so I can keep a check throughout the night
 

You can also test your coke with the meter as well to make sure it is diet!
 
porl69 said:
You can also test your coke with the meter as well to make sure it is diet!
Click to expand...
Yes I have since discovered that!

Someone else suggested only having Diet Coke from a can or bottle as some syrup from the full fat coke may be in the pump head still...
 
I think diet coke is a better bet than "slimline" tonic. More and more outlets now stock fevertree "light" tonic which has sugar in it - check the label but I think its 4g per 100ml. A 200ml bottle therefore is 8g, 3 G&T's over an evening is 24g carb! Totally unnecessary as Schweppes has 0g carb and you would have to be a connoisseur to taste the difference and it isn't unpleasant anyway. Like other people have said enjoy your night out and stay in control.
 
I was advised to take no insulin at all on a night out, drunk low sugar drinks, eat a heavily carbs meal before going out, eat something when your out, eat something on your way home and/or when you get home before bed. Make sure someone your me out with knows about your diabetes and that someone at home can come check on you when you're sleeping when you get home
 
There is some good advice such as vodka and wine( not together) but you find out yourself over time, take Gluko Tablets out the time and also something that says you are a diabetic and the meds you are on. There have been times when people have thought that they passed a drunk but it was a diabetic needing help, i take it your friends you are out with know that you are a diabetic. When i was a young man a while ago diabetes was still rare so telling people you were a diabetic was strange, i have been asked if i kiss you can i catch it, you not allowed to drink, you wont fall will you which i would reply i am not a prince in a childrens book, i will drink you under the table and then drop you off at home and i do expect to fall over or i have wasted a lot of money. The main thing is that you have a good night and i got this advice off a diabetic doctor dont worry if your blood is high the next day because you are not doing it all the time and it's good to live a little
 
I recommend eating a good meal, but not necessarily a carb dense one at least 2 hours before you plan on drinking. Also keep in mind that while beer is delicious, it can pack a huge amount of carbs per can. Darker beers especially can have as many carbs as a large low snack. They are especially dangerous because you are more likely to drink more of them due to the low alcohol content. Beyond that: test often, make sure to test before bed so you don’t have carbs kicking in once you go to sleep, drink plenty of water during and after, always keep a glucagon close by (honestly this should already be happening even when not drinking).

Just remember that your real truest friends will not force you to drink or make you feel out of place because you do not consume alcohol. If you don’t want it, then you don’t want it. And stay safe whatever it is you decide.
 
I’m off out this weekend my first time since being diagnosed type 1 two months ago! How did it go for you on your night out I’m so nervous somethings going to happen I just want to enjoy my night with the girls!
 

Hi, How did your night out go?

I am 21 (been diabetic since I was 10) and I have found alcohol really is trial and error, I seem to have found a good way of dealing with alcohol (I think!) although I don't really drink much anymore:

Always make sure you eat a good carby meal before starting to drink

Spirits are a good way to go, I would always try it with a 'diet' soft drink, however I have found if my bloods are dropping a Malibu and full sugar coke can balance things out well

Always try to make sure you eat something carby when you get back, giving insulin for this is always tricky, I tend not to bother, just because I know even if my bloods are 16 at the time they will drop during the night, but again, you will get to know your body, unfortunately this involves trying to test regularly during the night which is not always what you want to be doing after a night out, but is sometimes necessary!

It took me a long time to fully enjoy going on nights out as I was always cautious of losing hypo awareness during drinking, I now always have someone with me who knows me and knows my diabetes, this is usually my boyfriend who I have lived with for 2 years, he will remind me or even do my bloods for me. It would be handy, if you have a close friend or a partner to maybe see if they would be willing to learn to do your blood sugars, if you're comfortable with that, just an idea as I know I felt more safe knowing someone could do that for me.

Glucotabs and glucogel are good to take with you and can fit in a small(ish) bag.

Again, this is just what I have found and may be the complete opposite to someone else, but just some ideas for you

Feel free to message me anytime, I know diabetes can leave you feeling quite lonely and its always nice to chat to someone of a similar age trying to navigate through it all!
 
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