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

Type 1: Alcohol?

joshluck

joshluck

Well-Known Member
Messages
55
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I know I have to take it slow when drinking, but I was told to avoid cider and larger, what's good to drink? Stuff like vodka....
 
I drink vodka and water with a lemon or red wine.

Be careful of mixed drinks with sugary mixers
 
@joshluck Both cider and lager/beer can put your blood sugar up. You could try wine or spirits with diet mixers.

Alcohol can cause hypos (low blood sugar) even some hours after, so test your blood sugar lots to make sure you're not going low. You were given good advice to take it easy. That's especially important until you get more used to having Type 1.
 
vodka is the better and other clean strong alcohols but maybe a greater risk of getting to much to soon.. you could mix it with sugarfree fuzzy-drinks... to get it in a lower range...
I was told at my doctor/GP that the first drink of alcohol lowers the blood glucose a bit maybe about as much as 1mmol but of cause not if there is sugar in it , but not the following drinks..
 
Last edited:
Ive been told by my dietician spirits and cider are a no no for increasing sugar levels a lot but beer is okay (within reason obviously. Ive found my sugar levels to be better after a night on the ale to spirits anyway, usually the highest it goes to is 13 and in the morning its dropped to around 7 (that's just me though)

Also was told that if out for a few drinks to have chips or something after to prevent having a hypo later on (even though the alcohol has raised the glucose level initially
 
I drank vodka and Diet Coke, slowly. I'm not even drunk, my bloods are at 10.3 the lowest I have had it.
 
joshluck said:
I drank vodka and Diet Coke, slowly. I'm not even drunk, my bloods are at 10.3 the lowest I have had it.
Click to expand...

Hi, a couple of "scoops" of Voddy & DC will pretty much keep my liver busy & I'll wake with a healthy fasting level of around 4.7..
If I remember? You're recently diagnosed? Be wary of potential undetected lows... ;) Play safe!

Beer is a bit like milk for me. It will come back & bite me in the **** later with the BS.!? Cider? I may as well drink fat Coke..
 
@joshluck werent you only diagnosed type 1 7 days ago?

It's perfectly possible to drink alcohol safely as a person with type 1. But 7 days in you have just been diagnosed with a chronic condition which is quite complicated to get your head around and difficult to manage on boring bog standard days. You aren't easing yourself in gently by adding alcohol to the mix 7 days in.

If you have just got in, I would suggest a complex carb snack before going to bed - a slice of toast maybe - and making sure you set an alarm to test in 4-5 hours rather than sleeping through till 11. Also make sure whoever you are with knows the symptoms of a hypo and what to do to treat it.

It must have been a stressful week and you certainly deserve a drink, but take it easy on yourself - maybe get your blood sugar in normal range and learn a bit more about managing type 1 (and managing type 1 with alcohol) before trying booze experiments again.

Hope it was a nice night :)
 
Last edited:
not advocating it, but cheap tesco cider is full of artificial sweetners, and effects my blood sugar a lot less than the 'proper' ciders. i've just had to lower my standards a bit ;) lol
 
Alcohol will kill your pancreas even more. Better to stick with non alcoholic, you'll thank me later..;)
 
I have never problems with any drinks.
But I actively avoid ciders and even beer.
My doctors always told me to never binge and make sure you eat either before or as you drink.
I was also told to constantly check my blood sugars every few hours or so as it does tend to drop low when you have been drinking, especially excessive amounts of alcohol.
However I may still be wrong so someone with more experience may be of more use instead of me.
 
I am T2, but I drink a low carb, mid strength 3.5% beer / lager called Fourex Gold.

My GP and the Diabetic Educator are aware of this, and tell me to drink in moderation.

If the OP wants to drink spirits, drink it neat do not mix it with soft drink.
 
I was a fan of flavoured cider before diagnosis, now I drink original captain morgans (not spiced) and coke zero or diet coke... thinks it's 0.7g of carbs per drink... pretty yummy (I can't stand vodka) lol the book/app carbs and cals says all pure spirits (rum, whiskey, vodka, gin, brandy) are 0g carbs... :)
 
I like a good red wine, something well aged and not too young. I enjoy a beer on occasion but it has a tendency to play havoc with BSL's from time to time. Never after 6:00pm! I avoid spirits, and God forbid.....port! But, like everything....in moderation.
 
joshluck said:
I know I have to take it slow when drinking, but I was told to avoid cider and larger, what's good to drink? Stuff like vodka....
Click to expand...
Nothing wrong with a drink as long as you keep it well under control whether your diabetic or not but especially if your diabetic.

My drinking days have long gone and to ge honest i don't miss it at all.

These days i will have a pint of Stella or something like it when my wife and i go out for a meal. And the other times i have a drink is on my nights off from work but not necessarily every night and then it tends to be 1 bottle (275ml) Stella.

So if you have a drink take it easy, drink isnt everything but your health is.

Regards

Martin
 
Last edited:
Back
Top