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, 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!