I find this strange and I was wondering if it happens to anyone else.
While I'm drinking, by BG skyrockets, even if I take enough insulin to cover it. I think this probably happens because I don't drink beer...I drink "girly drinks" like Smirnoff/Mike's Hard Lemonade/random fruity mixed drinks. However, the morning after drinking, even if I don't get drunk and only have a couple, by BG is almost always excellent (between 80 - 120). I don't really understand why this happens. Is it because the alcohol, which I believe lowers BG, cancels our the sugar-yness over time?
Even if nobody has an explanation, I was just wondering if this happens to anyone else.
Yes ma'am. When I drink, my sugar skyrockets as well, but then I 'dramstically' drop (usually it's the next morning and I can be anywhere from 50 something to maybe 70) Now I usually eat some food to cover the drop, but I never bolus when I am drinking...typically the food will bring me back up to normal. If not, I correct.
The other night though, I had two glasses of wine (one with dinner and one after), I tested two hours after dinner and was 214, I gave it another two hours and tested again and was back to normal. That was the first time that has ever happened--so I did a little jig. Alcohol is weird.
I agree that alcohol is weird. I was drinking last night and this morning I was 59, then an hour and some juice later, 47. I absolutely have to bolus when I'm drinking though. I was in the 400's when I checked right after starting last night. It's scary to drink because the effects are so unpredictable, and waking up low is, in my opinion, one of the worst things ever.
It's scary to drink because the effects are so unpredictable, and waking up low is, in my opinion, one of the worst things ever.
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I agree. Low at all is not fun, but waking up low is terrifying. How strange that even after juice you were lower. I don't know that I have shot up to 400 while drinking in a very long time...it was my bachlorette party and I remember my meter just saying "HI" so that was the one time I bolused, but then I went into an uncontrollable shaking, shivering episode (much like I did about three days before being dxed--they called that a 'manifestation') but the next morning I was fine...other than the hangover. I have tried very hard not to ever get like that again.
There are several threads about this on Juvenation; just type "alcohol" into the search box. You'll hit a goldmine. :)
The immediate spike problem is why I've recently switched to just Diet Coke and Malibu, or wine. The sugary mixed drinks I love so much just aren't worth the hassle they cause, and the two drinks I mentioned are pretty enjoyable without causing a lot of havoc.
I also eat a snack before I go to bed, to counteract the overnight lows that frequently result.
This is exactly what used to happen to me. I dont drink too often but when I do, I used to drink all the girly drinks and I would go skyhigh. SO, my drink of choice now is Lemon Vodka with water and 2 lemons! That way you still get the fruity taste but without all the extra sugar from the juice. Since I started drinking that I havent had many highs or crashing lows in the am. Just a thought :)
From what I understand, alcohol is a poison and your liver stops doing anything else to get it out. The lows are because the liver stops dumping glucose to take care of the alcohol. That's the big danger of drinking, going bad low while passed out!!!!
From what I understand, alcohol is a poison and your liver stops doing anything else to get it out. The lows are because the liver stops dumping glucose to take care of the alcohol. That's the big danger of drinking, going bad low while passed out!!!!
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This phenomenon also can continue 24 - 48 hours after drinking. When I used to drink, I was prone to go low the next day. And it was always the sweaty, shaky, can't talk kind of lows too. I have since quit because of this. It was no longer worth it.
If you are the kind of drinker that can nurse 1-2 drinks all night and are careful to snack etc., you'd probably be OK. If on the other had you are a "drink to get drunk" drinker like me, good luck. There will be low BS problems. You can pretty much bank on that.