Diabetes and alcohol: 5 rules for a safe party

People with diabetes often hear from doctors that they should not drink alcohol. But practice shows that not everyone can exclude it by 100%. Without knowing how the body affects the body of a person with diabetes, we can face unpleasant consequences in the form of hypoglycemia or even hypoglycemic coma at a party, during a feast. In fact, for most diabetics, it is not a complete ban on alcohol that is safer, but specific rules for its use, designed specifically for them.

Why do diabetics need separate rules for drinking alcohol?

It is important for people with diabetes to understand how alcohol affects their bodies. First of all, it affects the functioning of the liver – it blocks its ability to produce new glucose. The human liver perceives alcohol as a poison and seeks to remove it from the body. While the liver is busy removing alcohol, it cannot perform its other functions normally. Without alcohol, the liver is always giving the body some stored glucose (glycogen) to keep the body working when we are not eating. Therefore, when alcohol enters the body, there is a danger of developing hypoglycemia.

The risk of hypoglycemia when drinking alcohol is also increased by the fact that alcoholic drinks relax, concentration decreases. Yes, and the very feeling of intoxication from alcohol is easy to confuse with incipient hypoglycemia and do not attach any importance to this. And after drinking alcohol, it is easy to make a mistake in calculating the dose of insulin for food – which can also have unpleasant consequences.

If you decide that all the same at this party or just drink some alcohol on this day, stick to the rules. They reduce the risk of hypoglycemia and hypoglycemic coma.

5 party rules for someone with diabetes

1. Take with you any identifying badge that indicates you have diabetes: a bracelet, badge, diabetes card, etc. Also be sure to tell the people you spend time with that you have diabetes. This will help save your life if something goes wrong.

2. For dry wine and other unsweetened drinks, it is not necessary to additionally inject insulin. Sweet spirits: liqueurs, liqueurs, cocktails – it is almost impossible to compensate well. From them, at first, sugar rises sharply, and then decreases due to the effect of alcohol on the liver. We advise you to give preference to dry wine.

3. Eat more slow-acting carbohydrates with your usual dose of short insulin. And we advise you to reduce the long or basal on the pump by 10-20 percent in advance.

4. Go to bed with sugar at least 10 mmol/l. Let there be a little hyper in the morning than any hypo at night .

5. Remember that exercise also lowers blood sugar levels. Therefore, if you dance, participate in outdoor contests or games, watch your sugars even more closely, as the risk of hypoglycemia increases.

But even adhering to all these rules, it is important to understand: the less alcohol you drink, the safer your party will be (in the broadest sense of the word). Being more attentive to your sugars is important for a few more hours the next day. Until alcohol is completely eliminated from the body, hypoglycemia can occur at any time.

And as a bonus, we repeat the “golden rule of diabetes” – it’s not restrictions that are important, but self-control and normal sugars!

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