From sharing a toast at an office party, sipping a traditional family drink or celebrating a special occasion with a glass of bubbly, it can be difficult to resist drinking alcohol in many settings. But if you have diabetes, you must take great care when drinking alcoholic beverages.
Here are 10 things to consider when drinking alcohol when you have diabetes:
10. Only consider drinking if your blood sugar is well controlled and you are generally healthy. Check your blood glucose before you begin drinking, and monitor it frequently during and after. Don’t forget to check before going to bed.
9. Never drink on an empty stomach. Alcohol is absorbed directly into the lining of the stomach. To help slow the absorption rate, be sure to have a few bites of food before drinking.
8. Avoid binge drinking. Drinking moderately may increase your blood sugar, but drinking heavily can lead to dangerously low blood sugar levels. When the liver has to focus on cleaning alcohol from the blood, its ability to release glucose is limited. If you are taking insulin or certain medications that stimulate the pancreas to produce more insulin, you are at an increased risk of low blood sugar. The American Diabetes Association recommends a limit of one drink per day for women and two drinks max per day for men.
7. Be careful about all medications. Drinking alcohol can have a huge impact not only on diabetes medications but also others you may be taking. Talk with your doctor. Some medications may be less effective with alcohol, and others should not be taken with alcohol at all.
6. Skip the alcohol altogether if you have certain conditions. For example, if you have diabetic nerve damage, drinking alcohol can make the condition worse. Additionally, if you suffer from hypoglycemic unawareness and do not have the typical warning signs for low blood sugar, you should not drink alcohol. You should also consider putting down the bottle if you are over age 65, have high blood pressure or have high triglycerides.
5. Choose your drink wisely. Sugary mixed drinks, sweet wines, cordials and beer tend to have the highest amount of carbohydrates. In your daily meal planning, be sure to account for high-sugar fruit juices and other mixers.
4. As with other types of “food”, read the labels: Know the alcohol content of what you’re drinking. For mixed drinks, watch to make sure the alcohol is being measured properly and consider mixing with sugar-free beverages or water. Wine can be diluted with club soda or sugar-free mixers.
3. Don’t mix exercise with drinking. Both activities lower blood glucose levels so don’t hit the gym right before going out for drinks.
2. Carry a snack. Be prepared in case hypoglycemia sets in, and be sure to carry a high-glucose snack with you. Glucagon doses will not help treat alcohol-induced hypoglycemia.
1. Tell a trusted companion about your diabetes. If you decide to treat yourself with a drink or two, be sure others who are with you know about your condition, and the warning signs to look for in the event of an emergency.
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