Drinking and Diabetes (also inside-the-show scoop!)

[Dougie Brootal]

hey dr. steve,

i have been type 1 (juvenile) diabetic for about 10 years. im in my mid 20 so, understandably, i drink alcohol on occaision. (perhaps far more than i should). i just wanted to ask you about the effects of alcohol on bloodsugar, and the long term effects of DWD (drinking while diabetic). thanks budday!
doug

[Dr Steve]

hey dr. steve,

i have been type 1 (juvenile) diabetic for about 10 years. im in my mid 20 so, understandably, i drink alcohol on occaision. (perhaps far more than i should). i just wanted to ask you about the effects of alcohol on bloodsugar, and the long term effects of DWD (drinking while diabetic). thanks budday!
doug

Doug:

As you already figured out, alcohol can indeed affect Type I diabetics in adverse ways. If you're otherwise healthy and don't have neuropathy (nerve damage, caused by diabetes) you can probably safely imbibe from time to time. Here are the risks:

1) Low blood sugar
If your blood sugar was headed south because you already gave yourself a bit more insulin than you needed, normally your liver would break down a storage molecule called glycogen and inject a little sugar into your system to compensate. If you're drinkin', however, the liver is busy trying to deal with the alcohol in your system and it won't compensate. Next thing you know, your sugar is 30 and you're a basket case (or worse).

2) crappy blood sugar control
Alcohol carries empty calories, and if you pass out, you'll miss your insulin dose and next thing you know, your blood sugar is 400.

3) Neuropathy
chronic alcohol use can be toxic to nerves, so don't drink if you have neuropathy.

4) Elevated blood fats
Alcohol seems to affect the way that blood fats are cleared by the liver, as well. High blood fats increases the risk of stroke and heart attack, which Diabetics are already at increased risk for.

Having said all this, I know lots of Type I diabetics who drink, and one or two who drink irresponsibly (did you hear the last Weird Medicine live show? Then you heard a type I diabetic drinking irresponsibly...getting wasted on Sake at Nobu an hour before we were supposed to go on the air, then dropping the F-bomb every 2 minutes once we got there. YES PA JOHN I'M TALKING ABOUT YOU!)

Everything in moderation, my friend, and talk this over with your diabetes doctor...he/she needs to know what you're doing in your spare time so they can take good care of you.

your friend,


Steve

[patsopinion]

what if you think you may have diabetes and you drink to much

[Dr Steve]

what if you think you may have diabetes and you drink to much

Well, those are two separate problems that both need to be dealt with.

If you think you may have diabetes, it's probably one of the easiest things to diagnose...a quick blood test or two will make the diagnosis in almost all cases, and it's a very treatable thing if you know you have it and are motivated to fix it.

If you think you drink too much, you probably do. Another thing that's easy to talk to your health care professional about, as it's easy to diagnose and very treatable.

I'm in favor of 12 step programs...if you think you have a drinking problem, get to a meeting asap. They're free and incredibly helpful for a majority of people.

Let me toss this back to you: why do you think you have diabetes, and do you drink too much? Or was this simply a rhetorical question? :smile:

[Dougie Brootal]

Doug:

As you already figured out, alcohol can indeed affect Type I diabetics in adverse ways. If you're otherwise healthy and don't have neuropathy (nerve damage, caused by diabetes) you can probably safely imbibe from time to time. Here are the risks:

1) Low blood sugar
If your blood sugar was headed south because you already gave yourself a bit more insulin than you needed, normally your liver would break down a storage molecule called glycogen and inject a little sugar into your system to compensate. If you're drinkin', however, the liver is busy trying to deal with the alcohol in your system and it won't compensate. Next thing you know, your sugar is 30 and you're a basket case (or worse).

2) crappy blood sugar control
Alcohol carries empty calories, and if you pass out, you'll miss your insulin dose and next thing you know, your blood sugar is 400.

3) Neuropathy
chronic alcohol use can be toxic to nerves, so don't drink if you have neuropathy.

4) Elevated blood fats
Alcohol seems to affect the way that blood fats are cleared by the liver, as well. High blood fats increases the risk of stroke and heart attack, which Diabetics are already at increased risk for.

Having said all this, I know lots of Type I diabetics who drink, and one or two who drink irresponsibly (did you hear the last Weird Medicine live show? Then you heard a type I diabetic drinking irresponsibly...getting wasted on Sake at Nobu an hour before we were supposed to go on the air, then dropping the F-bomb every 2 minutes once we got there. YES PA JOHN I'M TALKING ABOUT YOU!)

Everything in moderation, my friend, and talk this over with your diabetes doctor...he/she needs to know what you're doing in your spare time so they can take good care of you.

your friend,


Steve

thanks dr steve! good to know all that info, youre da besssssst!!!:drunk: