• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Alcohol

Jok11

Member
Messages
24
Frivolous post, but recent started on insulin for type 1.5/Type 2 on long acting Levemir and Novo Rapid. Having felt utterly pants for so long am now feeling tickity. Managing blood glucose well, have a Libre Freestyle 2.

Well, I have not as yet had any alcoholic beverages, any advice? I know it can make you go low, if I eat first would I novo rapid for actual carbs as usual or would you give yourself less as also having a wee festive drink?
 
Hi,

Well?? Alcohol can mask the symptoms of a hypo. So keeping a close eye on BGs are paramount. You don’t want to be mistaken for “drunk” & left to “sleep it off” if your struggling with hypoglycaemia.
Alcohol can also keep the liver busy whilst the organ processes the booze. So don’t rely on the liver in the morning to “dump.”
Which can also cause lows to come on pretty fast if they do. (Even with only basal running?)

That said, there is no reason why you can’t enjoy a tipple..
For me, if the drink is with a meal. I bolus for the meal.
Always keep fast acting carbs handy.

Have safe fun socialising.. :)
 
I tend to stick to carby drinks and it works quite well for me. Champagne seems to work particularly well (lol). I also have decided to never really get drunk and only have 1 or 2 drinks at a time. This is healthier anyway
 
I drink vodka on a Saturday (lots of it) I drink vodka and diet tonic water, check my sugars throughout and if I’m going low then have a couple of vodka and cokes, when it’s at a decent level I go back to vodka and tonic water.
Enjoy
 
I have a glass of red wine each night, also quite new to type 1.5 diabetes. I remember the nurse saying it does depend which drinks you have and to not have as much insulin. She recommended cocktails
 
I stick to Vodka, the first shot is a stimulant. I use diet coke as a mixer, but when my sugars start to drop switch to a tomato juice as a mixer. Never get tipsy or worse.
 
I don't think this is a frivolous post at all! ;) When I was first diagnosed I found alcohol more potent; that wore off fairly quickly, and these days I drink red wine or fizz. I don't carb count for either as the alcohol seems to offset the carbs, though I rarely drink more than two (or occasionally three) glasses. Jaylee's right, keep a close eye on your bg until you get used to how your body responds. Enjoy finding out!
 
Gosh this post was great. I’m going on a mission to test red wine Malbec and Baileys. Hic!!
 
There are low-carb cocktails, for those type twos treating with low-carb WOEs. But beware, or - be prepared! They are super potent, as they are usually two types of hard liquor, or three, or a low or no-carb additional ingredient. I'm thinking martinis. Yum. But - pow! Most cocktails have liqueurs as an ingredient, so are out if one is low-carbing.

I think of cocktails the same way I think of once-loved desserts,pastries, sweet baked goods, biscuits etc etc - I have had enough of those yummy things in my life to remember and enjoy the memories. Now they would shorten my life somewhat, so....

And a good dry sparkling wine or champagne, proscecco (excuse spelling - Italian sparklings), or a martini - I can smile broadly as I drink those low-carb wonders! Life is good.
 
Back
Top