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Drinking and diabetes

jackvdbuk

Well-Known Member
Messages
65
Location
London
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
So.. i dont drink much but when going out wat do you do insulin wise?

Say one pint or 8 pints what would you do?

Thanks!
 
As long as you have eaten and taken your normal amount of insulin you should be fine, just watch your levels as a lot of alcoholic drinks are high sugar try avoid them ones. Always good to carry some glucose tabs as well just incase you go low and there's always a takeaway at hand if you do need a boost lol.
 
Great advice so far! Just be careful, which is easier said than done when you've had a few! As long as your mates know you are diabetic and I think the take away idea on the way home is good! If you do over indulge, be aware in the morning that your bgs could still be low, so a good breakfast is in order!! Sounds perfect!! Enjoy!
 
It depends what type of alcohol - you'll obviously need more insulin for a carb-loaded beer than for a diet coke with vodka, for example. The only extra consideration is in relation to the cautions about alcohol dropping your blood sugar later in the night or the next day. For me, it doesn't seem to do this and if anything it just makes my BS rise in the same way as any other food item with the same amount of carbs would. Unfortunately it's trial and error but, as with all things, probably best to play it safer and have a little less insulin that normal first until you figure out how you respond.
 
If I'm drinking cider the first one is "free" after that it's a unit a drink. Wine is free as are spirits with a diet mixer. If I've been drinking spirits then I def need a snack on the way home!
 
I find I always go up with lager, which is pretty obvious as its full of carbs. Against all diabetic advise I inject 4 units for a few beers and it stops me going sky high. Don't usually drop in the night but everyone is different so take caution
 
I find red wine doesn't affect me at all, although the most I've had since being diagnosed is 2 glasses. I haven't been drunk yet, still a bit worried about that!
️
 
I used to go low when I woke the next morning (even with a bedtime snack) but now I am OK until a couple of hours after breakfast - more so if I've had a couple of G&Ts or brandies rather than wine. I now reduce my breakfast bolus if drinking the night before.
 
I have noticed that spirits like vodka bring my blood sugar down quite fast, so I recommend testing every few hours when drinking spirits and carrying some glucose tablets and a hypo snack around with you worst case! But you need to remember alcohol can mask the signs of a hypo such a shaking so it's important to check! For me, drinking wine or cocktails make my blood sugars rise to ridiculous levels and make me almost out of control! So I think from now I'm going to stop drinking them as the effects are pretty nasty!
 
Just always check before you go to sleep, I 'woke up' in a hypo coma twice some years ago. 8 Pints are fine, but you have to remember to do a checkup before going to sleep. I can remember after 8 pints, some not even after 4

If I am not sure were my bg will be going during the night, I set my alarm after 3 hours from the time I go to sleep (since after 3 hours it is the easiest to wake up).

Cheerz!
 
I have an app on my phone called carbs and Cals it's for working out how much carbs is in your food/ drink it's the best diabetes app it tells u the carbs it has different size portions so u don't have to do any hard maths it's all done for u and u can take pics e.g. of your pint and keep it for next time, but everyone's advise is spot on as far as I've been told by my DR nice work guys, always keep a £10 note in my blood tester kit so I will always have money for food in the walk home from pub situation or just as back up
 
Dafne Tells you the first Pint is free and then suggests a 0.5U per 1CP there after so thats about 1 unit for every 2 pints not counting the first one. i just stopped drinking in the end becuse of the insane lows it would cause me at 3am in the morning was really not plesent
 
interesting, when i did go out i only drank vodka and diet coke and my sugar level when tested was 25! i have a feeling they are pouring coke in and being drunk its so hard to tell lol
 
jackvdbuk said:
interesting, when i did go out i only drank vodka and diet coke and my sugar level when tested was 25! i have a feeling they are pouring coke in and being drunk its so hard to tell lol
Click to expand...

Test your drink with your BS kit if you think it may be the wrong coke. If you can buy a bottle of diet coke to put into your spirits yourself

Trouble with that is you may end up drinking the last glass or two of spirits neat.......been there...done that
 
jackvdbuk said:
interesting, when i did go out i only drank vodka and diet coke and my sugar level when tested was 25! i have a feeling they are pouring coke in and being drunk its so hard to tell lol
Click to expand...

Had the same out on a work do on Monday night, I didn't eat, or take bolus, my bg was 21.3 when I got home. My JD and diet coke clearly wasn't diet.
 
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