Comment by karebear1966 on June 10, 2011 at 3:36pm

One drink will not hurt you. Anymore than that, and your asking for trouble.

Comment by MossDog on June 10, 2011 at 4:38pm

It really depends on what meds you take and what you are drinking. Regualr beer and mixed drinks not made from sugar free mixers have carbohydrates in them so can raise your blood sugar. Light beer and hard alcohol alone have no to little carbs so they won't typically raise your blood sugar too much. Wines vary in their carbohydrate content. Another thing to keep in mind is those on insulin and sometimes sulfonylureas will have a higher propensity towards nocturnal hypoglycemia. If this is the case you should always check your blood sugar before sleeping and eat a small snack if needed.

Comment by BMD on June 10, 2011 at 8:28pm

Etramon, the short answer is yes; a T2 can drink alcohol. I drank a beer with my dinner tonight, and I'm a T2. However, all alcohol isn't equal, AND you have to take into consideration what oral medications for diabetes that you are taking. If you are taking oral medications, you have to be extra careful because some of them do not work the same way when you consume alcohol. If you do decide to drink, you need to know what you're consuming and how your body responds.

I had a Blue Moon beer which is has 13.7g of carbohydrates per 12 ounce beer. I also am only on insulin, and I know I can handle a beer without my BGL going bonkers.

As for yourself, MossDog has offered great advice: know what you're drinking; check yoru BGL after you drink, and adjust accordingly.

Comment by latvianchick on June 11, 2011 at 12:32am

You can drink alcohol even with type 2 but it is vital that you do so with a snack and in moderation and keep checking your blood sugar levels. Perversely alcohol can lower the blood sugars (though to taste it, you would think that it would be packed with sugar.) with some of the medications that a type 2 might take - namely gliclazide, metformin or whatever.

The danger with drinking and diabetes is that you might be having a low and act and smell drunk, and because you smell of it observers often put two and two togethe and make five!

Whoever told you that you can never drink again has issues with their drinking or others drinking and that is just their opinion. Better to experiment at home - with a friend present - and see how you react.

I had a drink problem - and I was wrongly diagnosed with Type 2 and found that I reacted to it, so made the conscious decision to stop. That was my decision and nobody else could make that decision for me. 7 years dry! Whoopee! My mother on the other hand is in denial and drinking for the two of us!

Comment by Judith on June 11, 2011 at 12:34am

Red wine works for me. But we are all different and you need to test as you figure out what works for you....

Comment by Peetie on June 11, 2011 at 6:01am

I have Type 2 with the "Dawn Effect" which means high morning sugar count. I find that, if I have 2 glasses of wine in the evening, the sugar count is much better in the morning. It's the only thing that works for me. I'm overweight so this fact probably affects the amount I can drink. I always check for a low sugar count on the label.

Comment by Cyndi P on June 11, 2011 at 2:45pm

I have type 1 and have been a serious to casual drinker most of my adult life. One Major thing you must do is drink plenty of water while you're drinking and for a while after you stop. One of the main probs diabetics have when drinking is dehydration. It'll take you down quick. When I became drinking age, my doctor told me that I must drink water when I drink alcohol-any kind of alcohol. And of course, in moderation. Follow this advice and that of the others and you should do fine.

Comment by JaninaWalker on June 11, 2011 at 7:44pm

I've made wine since 1997 and I always make red wine these days, but the last time was in Feb 2009 and those two batches are still being used in three years. I purposely don't get any bottles out of the locker because my main concern is the weight gain effect.
However, the effect of putting me to sleep is handy, but Metformin is lower cal way to do that.
The reason the blood sugar is lower then usual in the morning is because when the liver is busy detoxifying the alcohol it doesn't release from the glycogen stores in the liver.

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