type 2 - what can I drink??????????????

[emersedfanatic]

hiya, brand new diagnosis type 2 - - what can i drink now ??????????--- daily and on alcohol occassions????

 

[Northerner]

Hi, welcome to the forum 🙂 Have you been put on any medication? Have you been given a meter so you can test your blood sugar levels? Most people with diabetes can still drink alcohol, the key thing to bear in mind is 'moderation'. Alcohol will raise your blood sugar levels, and then cause them to drop later as your liver deals with processing the alcohol. People react differently to different drinks - some people find that beer raises levels significantly, but spirits far less, others will find the opposite. The only way to know for sure is to have a blood glucose meter to test your own personal reactions. With some medications there may be additional risks, so check with the pharmacist or GP.

Soft drinks (not diet) and fruit juice contain a large amount of sugar that will have an immediate effect on your levels, so are best avoided.

Was drinking the first thing that came to mind when you were diagnosed? 😉

You'll find some links to great informations in our Useful links thread - particularly recommended is Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker, which will give you a great start in understanding diabetes and how to deal with it. Please feel free to ask any questions - nothing is considered 'silly' - and we'll do our best to help you out!

 

[Mark T]

Welcome to the forums emersedfanatic 🙂

I find that one or two pints on an occasion don't really hurt (although that's not more frequent then once a month). I regularly drink a glass of red wine of a evening.

Water is of course fine, zero calorie drinks seem ok and I've switched to decaff coffee and tea since the caffeine was seeming to raise my blood glucose just a little (apparently caffeine can inhibit metformin plus it raises adrenalin levels).

 

[Steff]

Alcohol for me is out accept on very rare occasions if i have a drink its 2 halves of lager top, otherwise im a water girl drinking upto 2 litres a day, also pepsi max is a fave of mine along with sprite zero.Theres no need to cut out drink just like with food in moderation and things should be ok.If you have a eter only your meter will tell you how it effects you personally.

 

[Natalie123]

Hi, Strangely this was a conversation I had with my mum not long after diagnosis and again before uni (alcohol became a bit more of an issue then!) I stick to tea and water during the day, I have a little fruit juice when low or exercising, but probably best avoided for now. As for alcohol, I love wine and have found that with food, a small glass is fine, perhaps opt for dry rather than sweet although I haven't noticed much difference if I am eating. I also find drinking without food can cause problems, like a sudden drop in sugar levels several hours later which was really scary. So basically I would drink with food and if you want to drink without food, just have a little to start with to see what affect it has on you.