the_creative_dancer asked:
I have a friend that drinks alcohol (not the hard stuff) but he has diabetes. I don’t know what to do because I’m really close to this friend. He always reacts the worst to me out of everyone only when he drinks. I just need some help on how to deal with him and what happens to him with it? Plus how can I get him to stop drinking. Oh I should add that he drinks a 12 pack of Natural Light.
5 replies on “What happens when someone has diabetes and they drink?”
Alcohol has the ability to both increase and decrease blood sugars. In regards to the former, this is because of the high sugar content of alcoholic drinks. With respect to the latter, alcohol chronically can impair the bodies store of sugar, and is often a substitute for real food. Moreover, it can impair ones ability to recognise low blood sugars. However, in a well controlled diabetic, alcohol is not contraindicated, and should be enjoyed with the above provisos.
The total carbs in 12 Natural Light’s is equivalent to 4 total carbs which would equal one whole meal and can raise his blood sugars significantly. But drinking any alcohol can also lower blood sugars in some people and he should check his blood sugars every couple of hour and if they are low eat one carb to compensate. Also any hard drink mixed with diet pop is zero carbs unless it’s sweet like yager or liquers.
Because of the carbs in the beer that are changed to sugar, your blood glucose rises and then falls. Next day you usually have low blood sugar, this is part of a hangover. It’s hard on the body and it’s very hard to control blood glucose levels. If he is drinking that much every day, I’d suggest trying to get him to AA
i am diabetic and 22 years old (i’ve had type 1 since i was 8)….i have a drink occasionally, but i dont drink beer (loaded with carbs) i usually drink sugar free redbull and vodka….it has never had much of an effect on my blood sugar…but then again i dont let myself get drunk so i dont lose control. i had a diabetic friend die at the age 17 due to the fact that she funnelled way too many beers at a party and passed out…and no one realized her blood sugar had shot up above 1000…and she flat lined and never came out of a coma. everything should be done in moderation.
The blood sugar rises (because of the carbs) then falls. Its the livers job to get rid of the alcohol, but its also the livers job to release some of the sugar it stores when the blood sugar goes too low (note: it doesnt release enough sugar to come out of a low, so thats why a diabetic needs to eat or drink something). the liver will only perform one of those functions at a time, and the livers first priority is to get rid of the alcohol…which means it wont release that little bit of sugar to help with the low. A diabetic should eat something when they drink alcohol to help prevent the low.