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Alcohol and Type 1 Diabetes

E

emily deacon

Well-Known Member
Messages
142
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi guys,

I don’t drink all the time but I am at an age where a lot of my friends like to go out and have a few drinks. I like to do the same but I still haven’t figured out what drinks are best for me? I used to drink wine and that would send me through the roof with high sugars, and then I would wake up with a low! I also thought about vodka with Diet Coke or diet lemonade but then I saw that vodka actually lowers your blood sugars? Has anyone figured out a good balance for when there out and have a few drinks? Avoiding HIGH highs or LOW lows ? I was thinking of sticking to white dry wine, but I don’t then want to go low later in the evening?
 
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Usually, through the night & day, your liver trickles out a stream of glucose to keep you going. That's what we take basal insulin to deal with. But your liver can't multi task, so if it's busy dealing with alcohol, it won't be trickling out glucose. That's why alcohol, any alcohol, carries a risk of going low later in the night.

I'd drink really whatever you fancy. If you want to be sensible about it, choose something that won't send you high as you're drinking it (spirit + diet mixer) but if your drinking a lot consider eating some uncovered carbs as you drink (a bag of crisps) or before you go to bed (a couple of slices of toast, or even a kebab!) to avoid going low as you sleep.
 
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