Alcohol Consumption and Diabetes

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1

So we've all undoubtedly seen it. The "do not consume alcohol while on this drug" or whatever the little fine print is on our insulin prescription boxes. My question may be a bit cynical or even stupid, but does anyone actually adhere to that?

What are the negative effects (if any) to alcohol consumption while taking insulin? How is drinking beer, wine, liquor (pick your poison) while on an insulin pump (basically an artificial pancreas) any different from drinking with a working pancreas?

I asked my doctor and he said he can't think of any real negatives other than the normal "can damage your liver etc." stuff. Is it this that we should worry about since we are different, internally in the way our bodies process stuff, from most others? I'm no party animal, but I am a rugby player and drinking and rugby seem to go hand in hand, not to mention I enjoy a good micro brew (or 6 pack thereof) every now and again.

Just curious if there's anyone out there who avoids alcohol completely because of diabetes, or if there is anyone out there with some citable proof as to whether or not diabetics should abstain from alcohol.

Sorry for the long question(s) but I just wanted to hear some of your feedback.

Thanks

Pat

2

also, I apologize for the double post, but I just realized there was a "Drinking & Diabetes" thread below this one...still happy to hear responses/drinking stories :)

3

hold up...it says "do not consume alcohol while on this drug" on our insulin boxes?! what?!

 

I drink..I have been drinking for the last...6years(started when I was 15 like most people I know did). I've learnt how to balance my insulin, my levels and my alcoholic intake. On average, I drink no less than 2 nights a week, and no less than 3 drinks(doubles/beers not including any shots I may do) when I do. A lot less than I used to, only because I now work at 830am mon-fri and can't show up hungover to the office everyday haha.

My endo and my family doctor know this, and have shown little concern about it at this time as I look after myself while doing it, I'm not an alcoholic, am pretty healthy considering my diabetes, and I show no signs of complications from it or my diabetes.

I think drinking and diabetes is like drinking in general. It's not bad for you, but it's not good for you in excess. You do it too much, you'll hurt yourself whether or not you're diabetic.

As long as you can keep yourself in check/aren't causing your numbers to go all over the place, and are otherwise healthy..I don't think it's a big deal.

If your endo isn't concerned about it..I wouldn't be.

4

It's a bit scary that your doctor told you "he can't think of any real negatives other than the normal "can damage your liver etc."". 

Alcohol stops the body from processing carbohydrates into sugar and putting it in the blood.  (that's all layman understanding of process)   So the threat of low blood glucose is very real because insulin will be working and sugar won't get getting into blood like normal.  I personally have found hard liquor more potent in this regard than beer/wine. Of course, margarita's throw that out of the window - they raise my BG like straight sugar.

Every body is different so you'll have to figure out what works for you.  Be careful with checking BG and carb consumption the first time you try a different kind of alcoholic beverage.   Do not drink and go home alone and go to bed.  That's very dangerous.

5

[quote user="Katie Clark"]

It's a bit scary that your doctor told you "he can't think of any real negatives other than the normal "can damage your liver etc."". 

Alcohol stops the body from processing carbohydrates into sugar and putting it in the blood.  (that's all layman understanding of process)   So the threat of low blood glucose is very real because insulin will be working and sugar won't get getting into blood like normal.  I personally have found hard liquor more potent in this regard than beer/wine. Of course, margarita's throw that out of the window - they raise my BG like straight sugar.

[/quote]

Everything throws your blood sugar out the window. As long as you are smart about it and don't ignore your diabetes..what's dangerous about drinking?

Hard liquor + no mix = low levels at some point(usually for me when I wake up)

Hard liquor + sugar mixes(doesn't apply if you use diet drinks) such as "bitch drinks" and margaritas = high levels while drinking and lower in the morning

Beer = higher levels, due to the carbs. I haven't had more than a sip of low carb beer cuz it was gross..but it may not raise your levels AS much..but I would expect it to a bit as well.

Wine = same as beer and hard liquor in my experience.

In the end, as long as you are not ignoring your diabetes..there's no reason to think of it as dangerous. Granted, if you haven't drank before you should be doing it at home, slowly, with a few close friends in case something happens..but it's not any more dangerous for a diabetic to be drinking if they aren't stupid about it..than it is for anyone else.

[quote]

Every body is different so you'll have to figure out what works for you.  Be careful with checking BG and carb consumption the first time you try a different kind of alcoholic beverage.   Do not drink and go home alone and go to bed.  That's very dangerous.

[/quote]

I go home alone all the time. Unless the person you're going home with knows what to do, and isn't drunk themselves..going home alone is no different than going home with someone. You're drunk, they are drunk..you pass out? They think you're sleeping cuz you're too drunk. How are they to know it's something diabetic related, even if they know you're diabetic?

What's more important is you need to take care of yourself without anyone else. If you can't take care of yourself alone..you shouldn't be drinking. You can't depend on other people, especially other people who are drinking as well, whether they know you are diabetic/what do to or not..to take care you.

In the end though, it's your responsibility to watch yourself and your diabetes, no one else's. Your friends are just there to help you if you need it, not to watch over you or take care of you.

I've called 911 for myself a few times, when I've gone home from the bar or a party(I always live with friends but I don't make them take care of me) because I felt too drunk, I didn't feel right, and I was worried about dropping in my sleep. The $80 for the medics to show up and take a look at me and tell me I was fine and I could go to sleep, was worth it. There's nothing wrong with calling them if you need to, but that's only happened to me a handful of times in the last 6years.

 

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Interesting... as a person with many family members (four) who are firefighters and paramedics in big cities, I do not agree with calling 911 because you drank too much.    Could just be the middle age adult in me.

I think Batts & I agreed on most of it - it's fine and be careful until you know how your body is going to act with the different variations of alcohol out there.   You are responsible for your body and diabetes care.

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[quote user="Katie Clark"]

Interesting... as a person with many family members (four) who are firefighters and paramedics in big cities, I do not agree with calling 911 because you drank too much.    Could just be the middle age adult in me.

[/quote]

I don't mean if you drink too much, I meant more if you've had too much to drink and it's effected your diabetes and you need some assistance from a professional cuz you are worried about what's happening. All the times I've called, it's because I had a sudden drastic change in a short period of time, that I didn't feel comfortable dealing with in the state I was in. And that's what 911 is for, to help you when you need it.

 

8

What I've been told is that the signs of drunkenness and low blood sugar are similar, so you're more likely to be low and not know it if you're not keeping an eye on your blood sugar after you've been drinking. Yes, the different kinds of alcohol can affect your BS levels, and if you're drinking something like a margarita with a lot of sugar, you will probably need to bolus for it, but I think it's fine to drink alcohol and take insulin if you pay attention to your body.

9

DUDE! HELLO??? 

A couple drinks will do nothing. But if you get trashed (and I do, with pride) you will get low in the morning. Your doctor is an idiot, I can't beleive he/she didn't know that. Alcohol somehow temporarily prevents our livers from producing glycogen, probably while our livers are trying to get rid of the alcohol. The whole "drunkeness masking/imitating hypoglycemia" is bullshit.  If you have hypo-unawareness and you get trashed and pass out, well, good luck. You should be on a CGM if you do that. I know of type 1s that have almost died from this. If you do get trashed, put some OJ by the bed before you pass out. Seriously.

10

Ah, this is a subject I have had a lot of experience with!  I was diagnosed in at 19 while in the USMC and had already started drinking.  I quit for a little while.  Then all through college and for years after that I drank beer.  Almost everyday.  This was before blood testers.  I just took NPH twice a day and hoped for the best.  Then I (at my wife's urging) quit for good. 

What I found was that it will DEFINITELY cause you severe lows in  the morning after and even for the next 48 hours or so.  That's the reason I quit (again).  I usually don't feel lows much, but these I did. 

I found if I took some R before drinking beer it would keep my BS relatively down.  Then I'd eat a lot before going to bed with no R at all, just Lantus.  In the morning most times I'd be OK. 

Seems to cause blood sugar to rise and then drop like a rock hours and even up to 2 days later.

I only drank for one reason, to get drunk.  So drinking only one or two is no good for me.  Quitting was the right choice for me.

For those of you still drinking, good luck and be careful.

11

[quote user="DDrumminMan"]

Ah, this is a subject I have had a lot of experience with!  I was diagnosed in at 19 while in the USMC and had already started drinking.  I quit for a little while.  Then all through college and for years after that I drank beer.  Almost everyday.  This was before blood testers.  I just took NPH twice a day and hoped for the best.  Then I (at my wife's urging) quit for about 8 years.  Then I started back up again off and on for the next 10 years or so.  I'm now back off of it since February 2007.

What I found was that it will DEFINITELY cause you severe lows in  the morning after and even for the next 48 hours or so.  That's the reason I quit (again).  I usually don't feel lows much, but these I did. 

I found if I took some R before drinking beer it would keep my BS relatively down.  Then I'd eat a lot before going to bed with no R at all, just Lantus.  In the morning most times I'd be OK. 

Seems to cause blood sugar to rise and then drop like a rock hours and even up to 2 days later.

I only drank for one reason, to get drunk.  So drinking only one or two is no good for me.  Quitting was the right choice for me.

For those of you still drinking, good luck and be careful.

[/quote]

Thanks for your story :)

I think that with the technology we have now(such as testers) is making easier for us to be able to enjoy drinking(socially or to get drunk) and keep an eye on things, though of course we always have to be aware of our bodies and careful! And it is of course important for people to realize when they need to take a step back and decide if they are going to be able to control their drinking or not..and if not, then be able to realize they need to quit!

I couldn't imagine doing what I do now without being able to test or trying to control my diabetes at that! i applaude you and others who had to, and managed to, control their diabetes without testers and all the other technology available today!

12

I've experienced this down the years. Having a drink will have very little influence on your blood sugars. The problems start when you have too much. My experience when I was younger was having hypos during the night after drinking and unfortunately ending up in A&E on many occasions. Too much drink does cause you blood sugars to drop and should be taken in moderation only.

13

I have up to two glasses of wine per day with meals.  I figure the wine into my calculation of my Novalog doseage (Diabetic algebra)  I feel more content, normal and less restricted as a result of drinking the wine.

14

Hi Pat.  When I was younger--under 30 I drank alcohol and simply adjusted for the carbs although back then it was not called carbs.  My body seemed to work pretty well with blood sugars in spite of the alcohol but I started to get sick pretty easily from alcohol so I stopped.  I also started on an antidepressant as well as a thyroid med and cholesterol medication so it does not seem wise to drink and since I know I don't feel well when I do the choice is pretty easy for me.

Hope that helps. 

15

I agree pretty much with what everyone has said so far

Usually the next morning / early afternoon I go low from drinking

I still drink from time to time but I don't get drunk nearly as much as i did when i was in my 20's

 

I find partaking in herb is much more relaxing and it doesn't effect my numbers at all ..

 

 

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[quote user="Rich"]

 

I find partaking in herb is much more relaxing and it doesn't effect my numbers at all ..

 

[/quote]

My roommate is pretty heavily into that so I "partake" just from being in the same house as he is. My endo still said that smoking will constrict your blood vessels though and that I need to watch out how often I'm around or or doing it to avoid more vascular problems than we will be prone to later in life.

Recently I've found myself going high after the morning after...if that makes sense. My BG will be good when I wake up and I won't correct or anything, and then 2 hours later it will spike up to +300. I'm also learning that good beer will mess with your BG a lot more than piss beer (examples of piss beer include: Coors products, Budweiser, Miller products).

It's usually a guestimate bolus that will keep my numbers within reason if I'm out and drinking mostly liquor since they don't put nutritional labels on bottles of JD/Patron etc.

17

Interesting .. never heard that about the blood vessels ...

 

Totally agree about the piss beer .. I use to drink nothing buy good beer but I just can't do that anymore.. I've moved to Miller Light .. which taste like water to me ..

 

LOVE Patron .. so good .. once it hits your lips ..

 

 

 

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[quote user="Pat"]

My roommate is pretty heavily into that so I "partake" just from being in the same house as he is. My endo still said that smoking will constrict your blood vessels though and that I need to watch out how often I'm around or or doing it to avoid more vascular problems than we will be prone to later in life.

[/quote]

god damnit. another great thing that we have to watch out for? blaaah. pot helps so much when i'm in pain!

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AMEN to that ...

 

actually when i was first dx in sept 2008 .. when i was in the hospital on the first questions I had was about pot and the effects... the only concern my Endo had was that I'd be too messed up and miss a shot / eat too much ... which has never happened.. ok maybe a few extra snacks but i usualy have it under control .. 

 

 

 

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[quote user="Rich"]

I find partaking in herb is much more relaxing and it doesn't effect my numbers at all ..

[/quote]

This is what I do.  I don't drink anymore because of all the problems mentioned.  Don't have that with the other stuff.  And, it's better anyway.