Alcohol

[tiffany]

I was only diagnosed a few weeks ago as type 1 and am on metformin tablets and novorapid injections 4 times a day.
Im only 25 and had a good social life and I want it to continue I want to be able to drink normally with my friends but I want to know whats the best alcohol, if there is one, to drink. I used to only drink wine but thought I would give vodka a go but it made me aggrressive! (the less said about it the better)!!😉
Im not out constantly or wanting to get completely hammered or anyhting like that but just want to be able to enjoy myslef with my friends

 

[Steff]

holsten pills cause all the sugar turns to alcohol.

 

[shiv]

there is a useful page on the DUK site:

http://www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-to-diabetes/Food_and_recipes/Alcohol_and_diabetes/

alcohol tends to lower your bloodsugar. your liver is too busy dealing with the alcohol to be able to give you any glucose should you need it, so you are prone to going low. although everyone is different (and i am not a dietician or nurse or doctor!), most people tend to find that they need to eat something before/during/after drinking. keep an eye on bloods the day after too, as it may have a delayed effect.

 

[SilentAssassin1642]

hey, how come you're on metformin if you're a t1? I've never heard of that

alcohol is a toughy. I've never let myself be put off alcohol and there is no need to avoid if you're careful. You just need to be aware that it can push your BGs high and then later on you can go very very hypo (something about the liver not pushing out glucose if its needed cuz its too busy working on the alcohol) and not be aware due to the booze. If you're careful though, there is no need to worry. For instance, I'm currently sat with a rather large glass of wine, mmmmm

 

[Northerner]

Hi Tiffany, there's no reason why you shouldn't be able to continue enjoying a glass of wine or two 🙂 You just need to be aware of a few things. Alcohol can cause your levels to rise, but then fall again as your liver processes the alcohol and stops releasing glucose, so you have to ekkp a close eye on your levels - especially before bed. It's recommended that you snack on something carby, like crisps or similar to counter this blood glucose lowering effect - mad maybe have a little something before bed too.

As with most things to do with diabetes people can have quite different reactions, so it's important to test and find out how it affects you. So, until you find this out, take it very steady to start with - perhaps have a diet drink in between the alcoholic ones.

I drink pretty much as I used to before diagnosis and find that it doesn't affect me too badly, but with others it can drop your levels quickly. Make sure your friends know what to do if you have a hypo whilst drinking too. I didn't drink at all for a while after diagnosis as I found it difficult to distinguish the sensation from hypo symptoms. But I persevered! 😉

 

[shiv]

ever let myself be put off alcohol and there is no need to avoid if you're careful. You just need to be aware that it can push your BGs high and then later on you can go very very hypo (something about the liver not pushing out glucose if its needed cuz its too busy working on the alcohol) and not be aware due to the booze.

snap! 🙂🙂

 

[tiffany]

thanks for the replies really helpful.

When I was diagnosed it was a complete shock and was a complete coincidence I was first put on MAU and after a day the nurses there told me that I would be injecting myself and showed me how do do it. I started dong on myself the day after I was admitted so I got used to it. My consultant was unsure about which treatment to use once I was dischrged so I asked him if I could stay on the injections as I had gotten used to the idea and had gotten into a routine with it. He said that was reasonable as im only on a small amount of insulin 2 units at present. However he decided that he would try my on the tablets as well and monitor it but im not sure how you tell the effects if im also on insulin. I started on the metformin on the fourth day of being admitted.
My blood sugars are a bit all over over the place but still on the high side rarely falling below 8 so I think my treatment might change when I see him on the 1st July. Iv got my first appointment with the nurse on Thursday so maybe I can find out some info then

 

[rossi_mac]

evening, pull up a pew and let me get you a drink!

I abstaned for a while when first diagnosed (mon-fri for 3 weeks!)

The others have said the main points, I would say work yourself back up to it slowly, be sensible (ish) test yourself more often, have snacks to help soak up the booze and be aware if you can of your levels before you crash for the night and maybe have another snack before bed, be aware of levels in morning as they may be a bit put out for till lunch or later.

Remember we are all different and you need to work out whats best for you.

Since diagnosis I have consumed more wine that beer for probably the first time ever, and don't hit the spirits that hard (well hmm), but I do consume them all, and just make sure I monitor and eat.

We can live normal lives with this thing, which for some of us includes having a few glasses, or too much!

Take care have fun, be there in the morning.🙂

 

[AlisonM]

My liver and kidneys have been affected by all this so I can't tolerate alcohol at all, it makes me so ill. As a result I haven't experimented at all, but someone did tell me that the higher the alcohol content the lower you go.

 

[margie]

hey, how come you're on metformin if you're a t1? I've never heard of that

alcohol is a toughy. I've never let myself be put off alcohol and there is no need to avoid if you're careful. You just need to be aware that it can push your BGs high and then later on you can go very very hypo (something about the liver not pushing out glucose if its needed cuz its too busy working on the alcohol) and not be aware due to the booze. If you're careful though, there is no need to worry. For instance, I'm currently sat with a rather large glass of wine, mmmmm

Hi Silent.....

when I moved from Insulatard to Lantus I was also put on Metformin modified release. I was told that it was now common to add the metformin into the mix for a type 1 after a year - though that does not seem to be the case based on people here. They said it was because you can become resistant to the insulin you are injecting. Its almost as if different parts of the country use different guidelines when prescribing.

Tiffany - I hope they told you that if you become ill and are producing moderate to high ketones you should stop the metformin till you are better. No one told me till last November.

Actually I have been rebellious and haven't started the metformin since I was last ill. I wanted to see if my sugars could be consistent without it as ever since I started the Lantus metformin they had been erratic. They do seem to be more consistent though don't know if that is because I split the lantus.

Tiffany - I was told that people who are drunk are having mild hypos hence craving carbs, in non-diabetics its less of a problem as your body will know your blood sugars are low and reduce the insulin produced, if you are on insulin you don't have that option. If you are having dry wine - you may get away with slightly less insulin with your meal. Testing and experimentation will help.

 

[D_G]

I was only diagnosed a few weeks ago as type 1 and am on metformin tablets and novorapid injections 4 times a day.
Im only 25 and had a good social life and I want it to continue I want to be able to drink normally with my friends but I want to know whats the best alcohol, if there is one, to drink. I used to only drink wine but thought I would give vodka a go but it made me aggrressive! (the less said about it the better)!!😉
Im not out constantly or wanting to get completely hammered or anyhting like that but just want to be able to enjoy myslef with my friends

I think alcohol varies person to person, me for example i can get away with drinking a few glasses of wine without dropping dangerously low, however when i drink vodka i tend to go quite bit lower, u will just have to test regularly when your out to see what your levels are doing. Make sure you have a good dinner and something to eat after drinking. Also what i found was i also tend to go low waaay after drinking..for example this weekend gone i had a good night out, had some wine and checked my sugars when i got in they were a little below normal range so i had a bowl of cereal, but then spotted the creme egg and yea i had that too 😱😱 but the next day i woke up with a level of 4.1!!! so it shows that even way after u have drunk (and eaten) u still have the risk of a hypo....

Its a good idea to get some medical identification saying you are a type one diabetic as hypos sometimes get confused with drunkeness!

this is my experience and i do not in any way recommend a creme egg after a night out 😛