I know drinking is bad

General
1

I know drinking is bad for diabetics but i'm 28 years old. i got diagnosed at 21 years old. so doing the late teen drinking and getting diabetes at 21 has made it really really hard to pass down old habits. i know i shouldnt drink but i cant not. i feel like im never living my life all the time because of diabetes. its hard enough spending all my time watching my diet as if i weighed a million pounds.

I commend you all who were diagnosed young and had to grow up with diabetes. I commend you all who were diagnosed later on in life and have dedicated yourself to fighting the disease and maintaining the best of health that you can.

I have tasted some of the best parts of life. And getting diabetes at 21 was the hardest thing i would ever have to deal with. I watch my diabetes 24/7 and control my sugars all the time. But drinking im having a hard time trying to let go of. I feel better being buzzed or drunk every night and going to sleep. Its the only time i feel happy and forget the burden of being a diabetic. Honestly, i dont want to stop drinking. its the only time i feel free from Diabetes.

I'm not an alcoholic by any means. Far from it. I wake up on time every morning and go to work so i can pay the bills. I never take a day off ever. Even when i dont feel good i still go to work. im just stuck in a routine.

Before diabetes i knew what it was like to have fun like everyone else and party with your friends and drink. I know its bad for diabetes in general. but at the same time it helps me relax and become unstressed about being diabetic.

I dont know what the point of this thread is....i guess i just needed to talk and get something off of my mind.

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  Drinking with diabates isn't really bad if you eat before you do it, and can test yourself frequently.  It can make you go real low fast,

 

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If you have diabetes and take insulin shots or oral diabetes pills, you risk low blood sugar when you drink alcohol. To protect yourself, never drink on an empty stomach. Plan to have your drink with a meal or after eating a snack.

How does alcohol add to your chances of having low blood sugar? It has to do with your liver.

Normally, when your blood sugar level starts to drop, your liver steps in. It goes to work changing stored carbohydrate into glucose. Then it sends the glucose out into the blood, which helps you avoid or slow down a low blood sugar reaction.

However, when alcohol enters your system, this changes. Alcohol is a toxin. Your body reacts to alcohol like a poison. The liver wants to clear it from the blood quickly. In fact, the liver won't put out glucose again until it has taken care of the alcohol. If your blood glucose level is falling, you can quickly wind up with very low blood sugar.

This is why drinking as little as 2 ounces of alcohol (about 2 drinks) on an empty stomach can lead to very low blood sugar.

When you mix alcohol and exercise, you increase the risk of going low. This can happen because exercise helps lower your blood sugar levels. Let's say you just played a couple of hard sets of tennis. You have a beer after the match. But in the hours after the game, your body is still working. It is replacing the energy your muscles used up. To do this, it clears glucose from the blood and adds it to the muscles' store. This is why exercise can cause your blood sugar level to go down."

If you take insulin or diabetes pills, they too are working to clear glucose from your blood. Unless you eat or your liver adds glucose to your blood, you could be heading for a low blood sugar level. If you drink a beer, the alcohol will stop your liver from sending out any glucose. Your chances of going low are even greater.

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Thanks for explaining that for me. That helps a lot for me. I was convinced alcohol increased the blood sugar for some reason. I guess no one explained that to me so i made my own assumptions on things. Thanks for the post back.

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Wolf - First off, don't ever worry about the point of a thread - sometimes we do need to get things out so keep doing it.  I've had it for a long time - doesn't matter how long just that I can come here and get things off my chest and read other threads.  It makes us realize that we are not alone in this.  It took me until finding this sight before I realized that.   Secondly - be sure and read what Chris wrote - he's pretty right on with it.  Just know that different alcohols effect us in different ways.  Each of us is unique.  The hard stuff has no carbs so it will effect you less but be sure to eat b/c like Chris said - it's a toxin so your liver is trying to get rid of it - it will release the sugar later.  If I drink beer, it actually shoots my sugar up - for some it doesn't.  Just keep an eye out on it. 

Granted, I grew up with it but lets face it - those best parts of life, I didn't want to miss out on.  I did some dumb things in college, just glad I made it threw.  On thing you said did concern me and I am going to suggest something here - you can take it or leave it, just know that its coming from a fellow T1 that gives a crap.  You said "Honestly, I don't want to stop drinking, its the only time I feel free from Diabetes."   All I ask is that you make sure to keep an eye on things - don't let it take control over you.  I grew up with a father who had a drink at night to 'get free' from things - stress at work, not knowing what to do with kids being he didn't have a father etc.  It never got bad to where he stayed home from work, in fact I can only say it was a couple times that he stayed home sick in the 25 years he worked for the same company, but he did become a functional alcoholic.  So have fun now - I know I did when I was your age.  Just be sure you don't let it become what you have to do to get by - it's how it starts.    

I'm getting down off the soap box now.  I hope I didn't tick you off or anything.  You have support from those of us that have been through it so come to us if you need to.  Be well.

D

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Doug

Thanks for saying that. made me feel better bout not knowing what my point of posting was. much appreciated.

I hear what you are saying Brother and im not offended what so ever. I keep an eye on things to the fullest. Im in control with this. Yeah the "functioning alcoholic". thats something everyone has to watch out for. Drinking is more or less just a phase for me that i have to relax on. drinking every once in a while...fine. every night...no good. not only for diabetics but for anyone.

Im not ticked off at all Bro. I appreciate the support and input. It eases my mind that others understand.

Thanks D

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I got it when I was 19.  Back then the legal age was 18 and I was a Marine, so yeah, I was a novice to semi experienced drinker.  I quit for while and then got back into it in college and for years after as pretty much an every day thing.  I can attest to the fact that it can bring on EXTREME lows.  Lows like you don't know where you are or who you are.  Be careful.  But I'm also a living example that you can get away with it.  Then again, I might have just been lucky.  I did quit quite a while back though and don't do it now at all.  I can tell you this.  When you get a good reason to quit and are committed to it, at least for me, it won't be that hard.  I thought it was going to be real hard with relapses etc., but it wasn't because I was committed to it.  If you're not, you don't' stand a chance.  I won't give any advice on how to handle it etc. because when I did it I was on one shot of NPH per day and blood testers hadn't been invented yet.  So, it's a whole new ballgame from when I was in it.

Good luck and be very careful.

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You nailed it...i consider myself lucky at this point. im just trying to live. i will be careful with it. thanks for the input DDrum. i drink light rum and i called the company. its sugar/carb free. Everyone is saying it makes you go low. it must be the food im picking at while i drink that brings my sugar up. i get hungry when i drink. and more or less forget to take a shot before i go to sleep.

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Almost anything in modersation is fine for you, even being a diabetic.  I drink and smoke, but hopefully won't smoke forever, and try to take the best care of myself I can.  Take it a day at a time, and love your life for you it is :)

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I was diagnosed 2 months before my 20th birthday.  The legal drinking age here is 18 so I had definitely been drinking before I was diagnosed so I know how you feel.  I didn't drink for about a year after being diagnosed because I was terrified!!  I tried it a couple times and my blood sugars were so out of control the next day it was nuts.  I would probably drink if I could get away with it, but I can't accomplish anything the next day because of my sugars!  So I decided it wasn't really worth it.

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Wolf, I'm sorry you're having a tough time adjusting to life with diabetes even though I know it's been a few years for you. It's hard as we all know and there are times when I still feel angry about it. But, I felt offended by your comment that getting diabetes young means you miss out on having a fun life. I was diagnosed when I was four, have traveled all over the world, certainly had my share of all-nighters with friends in college, etc, etc. Yes, it sucks, but my life hasn't been worthless or not worth enjoying.

From my experience, I've never had a problem having 1-2 drinks if I'm careful and test later. But, it sounds like what it tough for you is that you are using alcohol to numb your pain. That is how a drinking problem can start. I would be careful and think about what's going on that's leading you to feel like you need to drink. From your post, it sounds like you realize you need to reach out for a little help!

Good luck and keep us posted.

11

Sarah

Im sorry i should have worded my thread better. I didnt mean that having diabetes at a young age means you have no life whatsoever. I meant it as in if i got it at a young age...i would have never started smoking cigarettes. I would have never started drinking. I would have been extremely health conscious about diabetes. I would have been able to accept diabetes more. Thats why I commend the youth who are staying positive and strong.

I was referring to my personal life about  missing out on having the fun that i used to have with my friend pre diabetes. Just getting drunk and eating whatever and not having to worry about things or staying up for days on end. Things like that that i always think about. I dont really hang out with all my buddies anymore. I try to stay away from the partying enviornment so im not in regrets and hurting in the morning or in the hospital.

Sorry if my wording didnt come out how i meant it. I have a million things goin on in my head at once so its hard to filter out eactly out what im thinking sometimes.

Im just excited to talk to other diabetics. All the things that i cant talk about with my friends because they would not understand. And i can talk to minds alike here. I get overwhelmed and relieved at that fact and thought.

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Thanks Wolf! No worries. I'm glad you're on here.

You're right that having D. young stopped me from smoking and made me more careful about my health. (but my parents would have been pleased if it stopped me from smoking ... other things ... in high school. lol.)

To be honest, sometimes I feel jealous of people who were diagnosed later because they may have longer before complications may set in. But, they may be jealous that I didn't have to adjust as a teenager, right?

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Good you didnt smoke the other thing lol. Yeah i guess the jealousies go both ways :)

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Wolf, this whole post has gotten too deep.  Have some fun!  I am a responsible working professional, and I enjoy drinking every weekend!  There are a ton of sugar free drinks out there, much better than even 5 years ago.  I like diet soda with flavored vodka, especially Diet Pepsi and cherry vodka.  Tastes like cherry pepsi, and no carbs.  Don't feel so bad for wanting to have a good time once in a while.  We're all human, and we can't be perfect.  Obviously, you have to keep an eye on your blood sugar, but that's not so bad.  Cheers!

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I dont seem to have the problems everyone else has with high blood sugars with drinking.  I pretty much stick to beer, or a gin and tonic if i'm feeling frisky, and rarely get too high unless I eat something as well.  I'll also note that since being on the pump my sugars post drinking have been much more managable.  I do however, really need to stop smoking :(