What to Know About Drinking Alcohol If You Have Type 2 Diabetes

That’s why it’s best to talk with your healthcare provider about drinking alcohol when you have diabetes and how (or whether) you can do it safely. The increase in blood sugar levels gives way to hyperglycemia, or too-high blood sugar. This can cause a host of symptoms, from thirst and frequent urination to slow-healing wounds and disorientation. But even those who have type 2 diabetes who take medication may be vulnerable to hypoglycemia unawareness, even though their blood sugar levels are more likely to skew high than low.

How Alcohol Affects People With Type 2 Diabetes

We found the best shoes for people with diabetes, including everything from affordable options to those that work for swollen feet and custom orthotics… This alcohol-induced hypoglycemia may have a delayed effect, https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/writing-a-goodbye-letter-to-alcohol/ hitting you after you’ve stopped drinking, possibly after you’ve fallen asleep, or even during the next day. Drinking alcohol can be an especially dangerous activity for people with diabetes — here’s why.

• “You need to know if your medications or any diabetes-related conditions you have could be seriously affected by alcohol consumption,” emphasizes Harris.
• When the liver finds that it has to break down alcohol instead, this work slows or stops – leading to lower blood sugar levels.
• Read on to learn about the potential benefits and pitfalls and what you need …
• It’s not uncommon for some people to mistake having a hypo for being drunk.
• That way, you can help to avoid them by limiting how much you drink.
• Most importantly, insulin leads to the uptake of the sugar glucose into muscle and fat tissue and prevents glucose release from the liver, thereby lowering blood sugar levels (e.g., after a meal) (see figure).

Diabetes and Alcohol: What You Need to Know

Light beer, dry wines, and liquor-based drinks without sweet mixers (like vodka with soda water, for example) tend to be more blood-sugar-friendly options than a mixed drink crammed with add-ins. But some sweet wines and beers have more carbs than others, and the sugars in cocktails, hard seltzers, and similar drinks can make booze extremely high carb. These drinks may prompt a large and rapid blood sugar spike, necessitating the use of insulin (for those who customarily use insulin before meals).

The morning after you’ve been drinking

Especially if you are on other medications, it is imperative you ask your physician if you’re able to consume alcohol while on them. If you are insulin dependent, your doctor may want to adjust your dosage recommendation while drinking. Be sure to be honest about the amount of alcohol you drink on a can diabetics get drunk daily basis and always ask your physician to explain your medication effects if you don’t understand. The liver is the part of your body that stores glycogen (the stored form of glucose). Usually, your liver’s job is to steadily convert glycogen to glucose, regulating your blood glucose level (BGL).

Drink Artificially Sweetened Drinks — Maybe

• White wines, especially some types of Champagne, also generally have a low carb count.
• Take a look at our information about risk factors and find out your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.