I don't normally drink alcohol but I want to at Christmas is it ok to have one glass or not just wonderd?
Not sure what medication you are on if any but in general members find alcohol is ok. Many find it can lower bg - temporarily. There are some right old soaks hereabouts who will answer better than I.
I find I am okay with a glass of red with a meal and some after. I take the occasional shot of neat gin. I stay away from beer and mixers.
There are carbs in most alcoholic drinks and there are also calories. If you only care about the carbs, then spirits are good - either straight, with ice or with zero/low carb mixers. Dry wine is OK - for red wine it's usually the case that the higher the alcohol content and the cooler the climate the grapes are grown in the lower the carbs. Beware Sherry and Port as they are fortified wines which means the fermentation is usually killed off early making them sweet and high in carbs. Most beers are also high in carbs- though some are quite low.
be aware though that your tolerance for alcohol will have lowered as both your sugar and weight shrink. I used to happily drink a few of an evening remaining quite sober, now 2 glasses has me quite tipsy. I still have a glass, its the second that makes me fall over!
Old soak here. Depends on you and what you drink. One glass of whatever is probably not an issue for most - it's what the one leads to usually that's the problem. The main risk for me is that after a few drinks I might eat something I shouldn't. Personally I find that, if anything, alcohol itself tends to lower my BG. Despite this I have almost stopped drinking regular beer, but there is an acceptable low carb beer called Resolution, brewed by Marstons. Bit hard to find and I order mine online. There are others but generally quite unpleasant and not really pushing the beer button. Red wines and champagne/prosecco etc has zero effect on me and spirits likewise - I do not use mixers. You might not be the same, so I'd advise testing. A lot of prepared "in the bottle" drinks seem to have a huge amount of carbs/sugar, and probably best avoided. Others have mentioned sherry/port already.
A couple of run and zero cola then 1/2 bottle of rose at the weekend as norm for me will have a lower bs before bed but a morning raise in bs So for a few for Christmas drinks just be aware Drink in moderation Drink water 1 drink =1 pint of water before bed Be aware of a morning spike After Christmas to back to your usual habits and don't continue over indulgent
Thank you for your help i only drink sprits or the odd gin and only have one glass that's enough usually . Sent from my ZTE BLADE V0800 using Diabetes Forum mobile app
As the leaflet in the Metformin box said not to drink alcohol, there must be a reason for it - you might consider researching why and maybe consult your GP or even consider stopping it for a while if you intend to drink regardless. I was always the one to stay sober and drive the others home, so I really would not trust a resolution to just have one. It is firstly why I remember the sixties and secondly used to have friends back then who are no longer around. Sorry I am feeling a bit dismal - this time of year brings back all sorts of memories. Do be careful, stay safe.
I'd advise your self test after a few drinks of your favorite tipple. Remember liquid carbs in beer & mixers are fast acting so I'd test after 2 drinks, say an hour after your first sip. I've checked myself after 3 pints of my beloved Guiness at half time watching a soccer match & got 6.0 so I was happy. Guiness is 18gs of carbs per pint so I guess I lucked out. Wine sends me into the low 4s.