- Alcohol moves quickly into your body without being broken down in your stomach the way food is
- Within 5 minutes there is enough alcohol in your blood to measure
- The liver wants to clear the alcohol quickly as it can’t release any glucose stores until it has taken care of the alcohol
ONE STANDARD DRINK – IT’S NOT MUCH!
- 100mls wine
- 30mls spirits
- 1 can low alcohol beer 330mls
- 300mls (half a pint) beer
HOW MUCH ALCOHOL CAN YOU HAVE?
- 2 standard drinks for women
- 3 standard drinks for men
- Don’t drink on an empty stomach – have carbohydrate snacks like bread, crackers and cheese, popcorn
- Drink other things in between alcoholic drinks like water, diet fizzy, juice (will provide some carb if there’s not much food around)
- Never count the carbohydrates from alcohol as part of your food intake
- Don’t swap alcohol for food
- You may need to have more carbohydrates at bedtime and less insulin overnight and the following day
- Exercise lowers blood glucose levels and drinking may lower them further so it’s good to remember this if you are dancing as well as drinking
BE PREPARED FOR HYPOS
- It can be hard to tell the difference between hypo symptoms and getting drunk
- Have your meter, some glucose and carb snacks with you
- Make sure your friend/s know you have diabetes and what to do if you go low and when they need to call for help
- Wear your medic alert bracelet / pendant
RISKS OF LOW BLOOD GLUCOSE
- Because the liver is processing the alcohol it can’t release glucose stores if your blood glucose level starts to drop
- Glucagen injections are not any use if you have alcohol on board and go into a hypo
- So you need to eat when you are drinking alcohol
- Hypos can occur overnight or even as late as during the next day
CHECKING BLOOD GLUCOSE / INSULIN DOSES
- Before you go to bed eat some supper (no rapid acting insulin with it) e.g. multigrain toast, banana, milk drink OR pop into your nearest BK or similar!
- Reduce your long acting insulin by 20% / temporary basal of -20% on your pump, more if you have been dancing
- Next morning check again and have some carbs for breakfast, may need less insulin to avoid hypo
- Drink plenty of water or diet drinks
- Watch for delayed hypos
HANGOVER / SICK
- Decrease insulin
- Follow sick day rules
- Keep drinking plenty of water or diet drinks; drinks containing sugar if not eating or your blood sugar is low
TAKE HOME MESSAGES
- Always eat some carbs when drinking
- Don’t drink and drive
- Always have some hypo treatment / snack with you
- Make sure your friends know what to do if you go low