Beware of draught drinks in pubs etc

May or may not have been the drink. If possible, I ask for a bottle then there can be no mistake. Many people have suffered this same problem though.


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Something similar happened to me at a very well known pizza chain about 10 years ago. I ordered a diet coke and ended up with a blood sugar of 3.4 mmol after the meal, they must have served me normal coke by mistake, I remember feeling like death warmed up.

I always tell them now to make sure it's diet coke as I don't want DKA again!

Hi All .

I always ask for the bottled slimline tonic waters .
Stay put at the bar and doublecheck the bottles [subtley] myself .

As one lazy very young bar lad , insisted I had been given the slimline tonic .
"me" upon checking the bottle - it was 'normal' tonic water full of glucose/sugar .
He couldn't 'get' why I was being so fussy either :x

Last time I drank one of these I ended up with spike that made me feel so rotten .
Till I could get back home to treat with my insulin .
Ruined my afternoon with a good friend, I well remember :thumbdown:

Always ask for bottled 'only' sugarfree drinks and stay put to witness them pouring them also .

Hope this can help .

Anna.

Think this happens everywhere
I ordered a diet coke the other day thought it tasted very sweet so went back
The lad looked at me like its fine it won't kill you I'm like hmm just change it lol
Good job I can tell the difference


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Unless it's in a bottle, can or cartoon and given to me with a glass I leave well alone, too many threads on here discussing that people have been given the wrong drink.

This has happened to me too. I ordered a drink and knew straight away it was full fat coke (as I like to call it). I took it back and I asked them to confirm its diet coke; "yes yes came the reply".
Well stright back at ya "Oh good, cause if its not and I drink it I might die"
The response??
"Errr, I'll change it just in case".
Lesson learned - always ask for it in a bottle (and it doesn't help as I am allergic to Diet Pepsi too so there is no way I'll go draught!!)
Cheers :thumbup:

Interesting!!

After struggling since diagnosis to get ANY variation of sugar free soft drinks ANYWHERE I eat or drink out in public, I finally emailed both Theresa May and Jeremy Hunt today regarding this!

The gist of it was:

The government have been implementing 'opt-out' policies for things such as pensions and organ donation recently and so, why can they not do this for diet soft drinks? All food and beverage establishments should serve DIET soft drinks as standard and people should have to "opt-in" to the sugar-full versions! I honestly think if people had to specifically opt in for the sugar full versions they just wudnt bother! Especially when it comes to drinking on a night out when the drink is mixed with alcohol anyway!

A person who drinks an average of 8 drinks per night out would reduce their calorie intake by a minimum of 800 JUST by being given DIET soft drink instead of the sugar full version! This has got to be a better way to reduce UK obesity than banning McDonalds adverts or suchlike surely??? There is absolutely no need to serve sugar-full drinks as standard when nearly every soft drink on the market has a diet version available, and because diabetes is recognised as a disability now I honestly believe that sugar free drinks should be available, by law, in all food and drink establishments!

Since Theresa May has recently been diagnosed with late-onset type 1 diabetes herself, here's to hoping she will listen!!!


Diagnosed with GD in 2010, Completely disappeared postpartum. Re-diagnosed December 2012 with type 1.5 diabetes, age 26, BMI 23 currently controlled by only Metformin, 500mg twice a day.

I always double check by asking the bar staff, I can normally taste the sugar so I ask them to change it. If they give me a dirty look I tell them I'm not being fussy I'm diabetic and it could make me very ill! Never be too polite or scared to make a fuss!

Many bar staff just don't care, I always check a sample with my BG meter. Remember to delete or otherwise note the reading. LO, LO followed by HI raises the Docs eyebrows at review time.

Here are a few things you can do to check it's diet coke which is what I always do:

1. As it is being poured out, check the bubble/froth colour. If it is full sugar, bubbles are white, if it is diet they are brown.

2. Full sugar doesn't froth as much from draught but diet coke takes longer for them to fill the glass so you'll get a chance to comment to the bar staff that diet coke takes longer. (A way of reminding them you ordered diet)

3. Dip little finger in drink and rub on back of hand. Wait until it dries. If sticky, it is full sugar, if not it is diet.

Hope this helps

Cazz said:

Here are a few things you can do to check it's diet coke which is what I always do:

1. As it is being poured out, check the bubble/froth colour. If it is full sugar, bubbles are white, if it is diet they are brown.

2. Full sugar doesn't froth as much from draught but diet coke takes longer for them to fill the glass so you'll get a chance to comment to the bar staff that diet coke takes longer. (A way of reminding them you ordered diet)

3. Dip little finger in drink and rub on back of hand. Wait until it dries. If sticky, it is full sugar, if not it is diet.

Hope this helps

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Brilliant post Cazz .

I will be 'doing' this now .
Never knew of these things to look out for or use to check with .

Have you worked in a bar to 'know' of these interesting pointers ?

Thank you for sharing this with us all .
It is certainly very informative and helpful .

Anna .

Why not just drink water? Fizzy or flat, either way you avoid both the sugars and chemically horrible sweetners in the diet versions.

Quite often bar staff will hit the fat coke button by mistake then stop and fill the rest with diet so you end up with some sugar but can't taste it.


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@elaine 77 , I have tried to get diet 7up all weekend in Edinburgh, even a lot of the shops don't sell it.
I hate diet coke /pepsi . Im new to all this. I hope your letter has an effect. I hate wasting my sugar allowance for the day on full fat drinks so have ended up drinking soda water , horrible with vodka by the way.

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I always ask the barman to squirt a bit of diet coke out before pouring my glass. Often all drinks come out if the same nozzle, and I fear a small amount of normal coke can stick to the nozzle unless its given a squirt first.


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