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Drink and type 1- do they mix?!

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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
H

HANAAAA

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Well I've recently been asked to loads of parties [cos i'm soo popular haha j.k]
But my mum and dad are like totally worried of me getting drunk cos they dont know what will happen if I do

So does anyone have any experiences or advice to tell me to get my mum and dad on my side?

PLEASE!
:D
 
Hi Hanaaaa
Maybe one way to gain your parents trust is to go out and not actually get drunk, show them that you can be responsible and look after yourself. I'm not saying don't ever drink and have a good time but you want to prove to your parents first that they can trust you.

I made the mistake once of ending up in hospital after a family party, purely from drinking to much. i just wanted to go home to bed but they panicced and insisted on calling an ambulance (i was in a bad way tho to be honest).
So my parents worry every time i leave the house (even though i'm 23 now) and unfortunately they alwys will worry, its in their nature!

I also went out last night and had a few drink and was absolutely fine. Alcohol doesn't seem to effect my diabetes but my diabetes effects my hangovers in the morning hehe!

little thing that you could do which might reassure them are things like having emergency contact details in your wallet, wear medical jewellery, tell them where you're going, give them phone numbers of friends you're with so if they can't contact you they have someone to go to! - just a thought, hope it all helps🙂
 
hi hana, i'm twenty so have lots of experience of going ouot and getting drunk or even just tipsy lol so here are my words of advice to you. ALWAYS eat before and after a night out or party.. check your sugars regurlarly over the night because what you think is the booze may be a hypo so be sure to check and not just assume, and whatever you do do not drink too many alchopop as the amount of sugar in them is unbelievable last night for example i were drinkin alchopops as they were being bought for me bad idea! my sugars rocketed and i was very nearly in hospital today with dka so just beware of the sugar in the beeryou drink and if possible stick to spirits like whisky or archers etc. there is no reason why you cannot drink like everyone else you just have to be careful and make sure you look after yourself while you have fun. hope i have been some help to you. xxx
 
I'd definately agree with the above but would just add, be aware that alcohol will continue to lower you bg overnight so you may want to have a snack before going to bed. Alcohol lowers you liver's ability to bring you out of a hypo so just be careful that you're confident you've not drank so much that you won't wake up.
Have you done the dafne course, there's some really good advice about drinking included in that.
 
hey

just make sure ur dinner has carboydrate in it so it leaves u fuller for longer.


i usually stik to vodka and shots lol and i usually take glucose tablets throughout the nite and before i go to bed i have somethin to eat.

i think being on a 4 times a day regime controls ur sugars better than a twice a day one but thats my personal opinion lol

anyway bye xxxx
 
Well I when I go out I usually get drunk (don't tell my doctor) and I haven't had any problems so far. Your blood sugar level usually goes high because your body is busy trying to get rid of the alcohol from your system, rather than trying to get rid of sugar. But before u go to bed it's probably safest to eat something, because during the night it may go low! I have woken up with a hypo quite a few times after a night out.
 
booze has never done me harm either, I agree about staying off high sugar drinks, and eating before and after (fish 7 chips, curry or a kebab always go down well) Oh ... try and remember to take your night time insulin or your tests will be messed up all the following fay .
 
My advice is, until you have a very clear idea of your limits and the effects of different alcohols, do not get so drunk you lose control. Hypos can be mistaken for being drunk and so it is important to be alert enough to know the difference. Keep testing regularly. Make sure you eat and drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. Show your mum and dad you can stay in control, show them your blood sugar results. Always pack everything you need: short and long acting insulins, spare cartridges and needles, meter, strips and lancets and hypo treatment (your usual one and hypostop gel or glucagon in case you get in trouble). No tiny clutch purses for us, sadly! Tell your friends who you are with about your diabetes and what to do if you act strangely.

Basically, in order to minimise your parents worry, you need to show you can be responsible for your diabetes.
 
hypostop gel or glucagon in case you get in trouble)
Click to expand...

Do you all have glucagon, I've read about is but not been offered it ? When we went to a remote part of Iceland ( and lets face it most of Iceland is remote) I thought to ask the GP but never got around to it


Alistair
 
I'e been told to reduce my long acting insulin by up to 20% when I plan to drink to allow for the effects of alcohol. Stick to wine, as it has no carbs (I only learnt this recently), with beer and alcopops you have to count the carbs. If you're having spirits and mixers, buy the mixers in a can or bottle otherwise you just won't know if the bar staff are giving you 'diet' or sugar laden mixers. Alcohol reduced blood sugar as your liver is so busy getting rid of the alcohol 'poison' in your liver it shuts off it's glycogen production. I have to admit the whole alcohol thing is a nightmare - and that's before you even start counting the calories in it all! Diabetes has never stopped me having a drink but like all life's pleasures you have to plan for it and no get completely off your face ;-)
 
In reply to Alistair, you need to ask for a glucagon kit and keep it in your fridge for real emergencies, you also need to make sure there is someone about who can mix and draw up the contents and inject it. i've only heard of one diabetic who has ever injected himself with this and that was because he had a hypo which paralysed half his body temporarily and it was the only thing he could administer
 
I have glucagon in my fridge, i dont carry it around with me. I was given one as soon as i was diagnosed you should ask your doctor for it to be added to your prescription Alistair
 
Just worth mentioning based on the topic of this thread, don't rely on glucagon to bring you round from a hypo if you've been drinking as it won't work. The glucagon injection works by stimulating your liver to release glucose stores which it can't do, at least at the required speed, if you've been drinking.
 
Maybe hypostop would be better in that case. I did not know that since I have never had a serious hypo, always just treated with sugar and been ok.
 
heyy everyone

thanks sooo much for the replies.. I dont think I'm going to get drunk this time so my parents will trust me, but at least I now know that as long as i eat and that before hand i should be ok..

So cheers 🙂
 
im a bit late going through these posts lol but i'll give my input anyways... i get absolutly legless when i drink - no point lying, youve asked for advice on drinking... have dinner before you go out, maybe take 2 units less than normal. drink vodka and diet coke (as much as you like!) then have a kebab and chips on the way home (or mcdonalds...) but dont tak a jag for this food! thats usually how i survive after drinking!!
 
Alistair said:
Do you all have glucagon, I've read about is but not been offered it ? When we went to a remote part of Iceland ( and lets face it most of Iceland is remote) I thought to ask the GP but never got around to it


Alistair
Click to expand...

Ive never been offered glucagon either. So I just tell people if im ever unconcious please call an ambulance. but so far ive never had a hypo that bad, thank god!
 
Again heard of glycogen but never been offered it. think will ask about on my next gp visit, sounds like a good idea just to have it at home!

:D
 
xbethanyx said:
im a bit late going through these posts lol but i'll give my input anyways... i get absolutly legless when i drink - no point lying, youve asked for advice on drinking... have dinner before you go out, maybe take 2 units less than normal. drink vodka and diet coke (as much as you like!) then have a kebab and chips on the way home (or mcdonalds...) but dont tak a jag for this food! thats usually how i survive after drinking!!
Click to expand...

Was bored at work today and came across this site and it seems very useful, so this is my first post on the forum, after around 10 years of being diagnosed!.

Anyway, after reading bethany's comment i couldnt agree more! before going out i stick to the amount i would normally take (depending on what im eating) and try to leave the house with normal level, around 8 ish. I normally drink what i want apart from alcopops and certain mixers, but like you said, as much as you want of diet coke & vodka! have some food on way home, then when back it is usually high, 24 ish. I take normal amount + 2/4 more units. Then in the morning it is pretty much fine and at a nice level 🙂

this seems to work nicely for me.
 
I have only ever had one bad exprience with drinking and my diabetes, out of many haha.

I had drunk a whole bottle of wine, i was fine , very drunk but ok.
Then i started to be sick, lots , I couldnt stop. every time i tryed to lie down and go sleep, oh no i had to run to the bathroom. My blood sugars dropped , i thought milk would be the best thing but it wouldnt stay down, or the gluocose tablets. I must have been sick more than 25 times at least.
Then my boyfriend says, ''If you dont stop we are going to hospital'' And just like that i somehow stopped being sick. Maybe the terrorible though of going there stopped me.

So its fine to drink as long as you can keep sugars in you.

I havent touched red wine since.

Apart from that one time, its been fine, Most other people drink abnd do more damage.
Aslong as you remeber to check your bllod sugars, and that the people you are with know what to do just incase.

xxxx
 
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