Drinking And Diabetes (can i drink?)

[sheldy_robbie]

Hey everyone,

I have been diagnosed T1D for about 3 months now and my sugar levels stick around 7-10 thanks to the lovely hunnymoon stage that im in and i also am very concious of everything that i eat. i have been having a bit of a hard time emotionally lately just thinking to myself about my diagnosis and where to place my thought on my new situation ect...

I used to be quite a big drinker and i have not touched a drop since walking out of hospital after being diagnosed. i have heard alot of horror stories about diabetes and drinking and recently my mum knew a T1D that passed away the day after drinking with friends. my problem is that i am getting myself down telling myself that i CANT and it has affected me in social situations as i havent been very social and my partner has been a little upset when i dont want to go with him to gatherings just because i cant have a drink and i feel uncomfortable. i dont know why im doing this to myself or the people around me i mean its only a drink why cant i get past this and why cant i have fun or just be myself around people drinking when im not...

i dont know if there is anything anyone can say to make me feel better or to help me think a little differently. i guess im just looking for some advice from the only place that i feel understood anymore[/b]

[yondi]

I don't drink myself but I never have.
I think you can drink but like everything it's everything in moderation. Also if you are drinking I think you need to be aware that there is a delayed hypo effect. So maybe test a bit more regularly after drinking and make sure you eat something too.

I don't say I can't have anything and if you're sensible about it you can have what you want you just need to think about it a bit more.

[Tony]

From my experience it's never stopped me having a drink.
But like everything, you need to be aware of a few things to keep yourself 'safe'

Have a read of this Section of our Starter Kit

http://www.realitycheck.org.au/starterkit/alcohol.php

It's also worth doing a Search of the forum. This topic has been discussed many times.

[artemis]

I agree with the others. I drink, mainly wine but occasionally spirits, and don't have a problem. But as Tony says, this has been discussed here many times. If you do a search, you'll find many threads, and get a lot of views. Feel free to revive any thread if you want to.

[Jen (nli)]

Sheldy, when I was first diagnosed I was told "no alcohol", and I believed that. I was 19 / 20 (just turned 20) and although I didn't drink a lot (errr, well... actually I did sometimes!) I decided "no more alcohol for me" - and promptly felt rather depressed, and my social life began to suffer... I think early adulthood is a hard time to be diagnosed really (probably any time is hard).

Many people here drink, but as everyone else has said, its much easier to keep yourself safe if you don't do it to excess (binge drink). Also, if you haven't drunk alcohol for a while I find its always a good idea to start up slowly as my tolerance for alcohol drops over time... and that's pretty much how it works for others as well. (I used to be a drug and alcohol counsellor and saw this a lot - people resuming their drinking at previous levels... doesn't work).

As others have suggested, its always a good idea to take these things slowly and see what happens. DO have a look at some of the other threads though because there is a lot of really good information about how others have done it safely.

[sheldy_robbie]

Thank you for your advice everyone. it is really helpfull just to know ther are other people out there going through the same thing x

[fe]

Hey sheldy

I nearly posted a topic last week about my KILLER HANGOVER FROM HELL!!! hahaha. I was diagnosed at 14 so I definately partake in drinking as I dont know any different haha. The next day you have to be more careful thats all. well and during the night but I have that down pat. I drink low carb beers and find i dont need to inject/bolus for them. At night time I just lower my basal to 25% or would just inject less than half my lantus and that usually kept my levels pretty good.

I'd just start with a drink or two until you feel comfortable with it.

After getting the pump in sept i've just started having the odd drink or two (or ten last saturday) its all about easing into it and feeling comfortable :)

Its a pain when your partner tells you your boring or whatever when your the one trying not to complicate things! Would he rather call you an ambulance when your head is in the toilet? That was nearly me the other week but I pulled through. BSL was actually great until I started feeling better and had normal just right for dinner hahaha

[sheldy_robbie]

hahaha thanks fe. gave me a good laugh. and a little bit of a confidence boost lol its good to hear about other experiences

[Kate]

Possibly the one benefit of getting D young is by the time alcohol enters life we are confident with D to not have to deal with these worries ! That said, the DEs are good at scaring the hell out of us as younguns, but in answer to your question - Yes. But read up and always best to be sensible of course. But don't put your life on hold!!!!

[Kate]

Oh and having read Fe's hangover story, a very under explained tip is that when the DEs go on about 'sick days' and all the things you should do to manage your D when sick (there is a terrific booklet at www.adea.com.au) - this applies to hangover sick not just flu sick! It took me yeeears to make that connection and as hangover is the only time I really have vomited or got seriously ill (lucky) the advice about titrating insulin etc for "sick days", I have used and has worked well for me. Kate

[sheldy_robbie]

thanks kate

[cathie]

I drink low carb beer..pure blonds and sugar free cruzers. I just make sure im having nibbles while im drinking and check my levels through out the night, then when i go to bed i check again and if i need a snack ill have one.I find i cant drink like I used to, pre D days because I get drunk realy fast, but i also have notest that when im a bit to tippsy i seem to test myself more just to stay relaxed with it all.

[sheldy_robbie]

thanks cathy it helps to hear other peoples experiences i feel very alone sometimes i know you all get it and reality check is the only outlet i have at the moment xXx

[cathie]

I have my alone days to, the only people I know with type 1 are on this site, I dont know anyone in person with it so its hard when you just need to have a chat to someone and cant, I love this site and have realy enjoyed reading other peoples adventures with D. and have lernt that im not alone even if I dont see anyone face to face.

[Lyle]

I am in my 40's and while I don't indulge in college benders anymore, I enjoy a low carb beer or two as much as the next guy.

Questions to ask yourself: are you going to do something stupid if you drink too much, like take a massive dose or insulin and then forget to eat, or barf up all your food? or are you going to dance your butt off and not cover the exertion with a little sweets?

In general, I try to back off the insulin a bit and see what happens... being careful not to correct a high bsl too aggressively. I want to avoid dangerous hypos and am willing to tolerate moderate highs until I have my wits completely about me.

Best to include a trusted drinking buddy who knows enough about you and your condition that they know what to tell the ambos... and ... know enough not to give you any insulin.

[sheldy_robbie]

thanks lyle. i guess its a bit of common sense and trial and error really. im probably worrying too much about things everyone keeps telling me that ive got this and im doing really well and i know i am i just have to jump an emotionall speedhump everynow and then and oh dont they seem big sometimes lol

[Anne]

We all have different response to alcohol, I recall having the perfect reading in the 5's for a week when I visited my relatives in France and hardly touched water- mostly drunk champagne :)

I often have a small glass of wine with dinner with no effect. I have run into trouble when I have got drunk though, twice ,this is the only time ever I needed someone to help me keep blood sugar up, bad if you feel sick and the alcohol is dropping your bgl more.

My husband's friend had a walk around 40 pubs for his 40th birthday and their goal was to have a pint of beer in each pub. Obviously I could not keep up and would not even try as I either fall asleep or get sick as soon as I have had too many (I am not great with beer, can hardly stand after 2 pints). I designed a rota where I had half a pint in the firt pub, a diet coke in the next and a wee in the third, nothing in the next pub and started again and kept up with the party which lasted 2 days!

You can still go out and have posh sparkling water or diet cokes if you are nervous about alcohol, or just slimline tonic and lemon and ice. I still socialized when pregnant although I was totally off alcohol then but did not enjoy it that much when everyone else was having a drink and I was stuck with diet coke.

I would start with a small glass of wine, see if it has much impact on your blood sugar , test once at night if low bedtime but ideally go to bed a bit higher than usual and take it from there. If it plays havoc with your blood sugar, at least you will know why you are not drinking alcohol and your partner will see it too. Most likely, it won't affect you much but everyone is different...

What did you use to enjoy? I hope that all the advice around here will help you regain your social life. It takes some time, though, so do it at your own pace, a lot of us have been around for much longer and took months or years to see what we could do or not with a challenged pancreas.

Maybe your partner is a bit scared by it all and his way of showing it is by pushing you a bit beyond where you feel ready to go? To be honest, when I was pregnant, I was not happy being around merry drunk people while I was sober but this was time limited. What about experimenting at home?

Funny to suggest to you to have a small drink at home, I have worked in a drug and alcohol service as part of my training a few years ago, trying to help people get the motivation to reduce and stop!

With time, things seem to fall into place with less hassle, but it takes time and even then, it can seem a struggle at times.Patronising advice from professionals do not help, even if well meaning.

Anne

[sheldy_robbie]

Thank you for your advice anne i think experimenting at home is probably a good idea. i used to be a bit of a binge drinker partying with friends for days and not seeing anything wrong with it and not seeing myself hurting the others around me i have since come a long way and grown alot i dont really give myself enough credit at times for the strength that i have inside me.

i think that my biggest problem is that i have an anxiety dissorder as well and that in conjuncton with my diabetes is not a good mix. i gues i just need to find the right balance in my life again and find myself i mean it was only a few months ago that i was diagnosed with a chronic illness i should give myself a bit more time to adjust and accept that things will probably never be exactly the way they were or i might not be able to do the things that i used to the same as i used to but i can still live my life the way i want but in a new way...

[kitkat]

Hi, I didn't drink at all for a few months after diagnosis then the smell of wine and the lure of Pure Blonde beer got the better of me. I started with just a small glass of wine with dinner or just 1 blonde and all was swell. My DE told me if I drink to make sure I eat carbs with the alcohol. I have generally done this. I have had a few drinking "sessions" since then usually over a meal but have drunk FAR too much. My BSL goes really high for 24 hours after I drink more than 2 - 3 drinks. Contrary to popular experience and advice, I have to increase my basal insulin for 24 hours after drinking to even try to get under 15. I guess the point is - suck it and see and be prepared. The first time you have a few drinks, eat carbs with it, do it in a safe environment like at home and with people who can support you and be prepared for any outcome. Oh and enjoy it.

On the subject of your partner telling you you're boring etc, yes I can imagine this may lead to re evaluating your friends and life. I know I have and for the better. Good luck

[rbk]

Yes you can.

Alcohol is fermented sugar and can have unexpected impacts for D1s for about 20 hours after drinking. Eat carbs, don't go too hard - you'll be fine

[Bass]

this was my biggest concern (makes me sound alcoholic)... but i am a 24 y.o. male who plays footy with my mates, and spends saturday nights at the club... so not drinking was a big deal...

but, whilst i eased my way back into both footy, and beer... im really back to my old ways... i just ensure i consume plenty of carbs whilst i drink and test throughout the night to be sure, especially as ive usually played a full game of footy, which is easily managed with a powerade throughout the game. nearly a year on from my diagnosis, and im basically back to my usual self... only difference being, i have needles :( so the reality of it is still there!

[Twitchy]

Hi.
I was was diagnosed three weeks back at the age of 33. I'm a full time musician and I love getting wasted. Absolutely love it. I can't go on enough about how much I love beer and Mount Gay rum. I'm in a pub almost every day performing for drunk people. So after being diagnosed I'd stopped drinking for three weeks. That's too long between drinks. I snapped on Sunday. Off to the pub. All good until about my 8th pint of Boags blonde. I had a hypo. So I simply found an MnM machine and sweetened up. I then finished my pint, found a kebab and a cab and crashed out. I only had a wee bit of levermir before bed. But the thing is, I woke up fine. No hangover, levels great. So the point to my story is that all the fear they tried to fill me with in my first three weeks as a diabetic is mostly crap. On my first attempt at drinking I did pretty good. In fact I reckon 8 pints kicks arse. So i've been inspired to harden up and get back into it. Maybe we need a Diabetic drinking day? Any takers?

I'm more rock n roll than ever now that I shoot up 4 times a day!

[sheldy_robbie]

haha twitchy! yeah man we totally need a diabetic drinking day i did mention that after the last meet that i went to and saw that everyone else was drinking and it felt really good to be around some confident diabetics then it hit me! A BIG MESS DIABETIC NIGHT OUT get everyone together and rock on together then we can all be confident that the ppl around us know what they are doing so theres a big confidence vote and yeah just the sentimentality of the whole night has the possibility to be quite grand =p

[kaito]

there is a terrific booklet at www.adea.com.au

Sick day management has become a little rusty I must admit, but can't find the booklet on the website? Can you please point me in the right direction? If not I'll just ask my DE at clinic, going within the next fortnight or so anyway :)

[kaito]

Don't worry, Googled "Type 1 diabetes sick day management" and tracked down the booklet in PDF!

http://www.adea.com.au/asset/view_document/979316048 if anyone's looking for it

[sheldy_robbie]

Thanks katio

[deviation72]

I was never given the 'you shouldn't drink as a diabetic' talk, maybe because I was only diagnosed 4.5 years ago at the tender ago of 33. Maybe they thought my wild days were past me and I didn't need a warning!!! Needless to say I have never really had a fear of drinking as long as I keep up the carbs and test. I do tend to go low if I have a lot to drink though.

But I found this very handy one Xmas when I drank so much I didn't need to bolus for the food I ate (old endo was unimpressed I'd 'deliberately used alcohol' in that way, even though I didn't - just tested heaps and was on the low end of the target the whole time so didn't want to hypo by taking insulin). Of course I do not recommend doing this at all!

[sheldy_robbie]

Yeah the "Don't drink alcohol" talk is a bit expired i think in society these days you think of celebrations and the first thing that pops into your head is a glass of champagne and some good laughs. alcohol has become apart of society in a way. i think they should be giving speeches on how to drink safely and that would be alot more productive. not to say that you should be told its ok to drink because we all know it may be a litttle naughty but they could educate on a more saftey "if" your going to do these things here are the precautions to do it safely anyway thats what i would have rathered after my diagnosis even though i didnt even get the later i was only in for 2 days given my meter and pens and sent on my merry way. but thats my 2 cents anyway and i think that illl shut up now LOL

[Twitchy]

Diabetic and a scumbag!! So I can still be myself. I wish I had a D educator who was one of us. I'm yet to meet anybody in "the system" who seem to comprehend what it feels like. My brother is type 1 and his golden rule is 2 units every three beers. Works for him. Maybe we need a book title "Diabetic Benders".

[Kate]

Hi again Twitchy - There are some diabetes educators around who get Type 1 (plenty that don't) - try here for a list of health professionals that Type 1 people here have had good experiences with.

http://www.d1.org.au/find-a-health-prof ... onals.html

You are free to select your own health professionals. As a general rule, if they are at public hospitals you can ring and make an appointment with any of them. If they are private, ring and ask how much they charge - a referral from a GP will likely get you a discount to diabetes educators, and be essential for endos of course.