On a night out | Type 1 and alcohol | Diabetes UK

Gavin and Jess talk about how they manage their Type 1 diabetes on a night out, from dancing and testing on the go to the drinks that work for them.
For more tips on managing Type 1 diabetes and alcohol visit www.diabetes.org.uk/drinkingtips

[@corrinefreudenberg8415]

As a type 1 I experience horrible inflammation when I drink. When I quit drinking I found life as a type 1 to be much better. My blood sugars would fluctuate but stay pretty in range with light beer. But the after effects were the worst. Joint pain, vomiting, headaches even though I didn’t drink more than three beers. It also made my mental state bad for about a week. I now find to avoid drinking the best option for me.

[@lucieni]

I stick to vodka, Coke Zero, water, passion fruit pulp. I get happily pissed yet hydrated and get a lot of vits, iron and fibre from the passion fruit. Never had a hangover yet. Sorry I shouldn’t be advertising this but it keeps me happy of an evening, keeps my BG in range and my gastric shit happy!

[@slumdogjay]

Always eat well before and even snack during drinking. Always make sure you at least eat something high in carbs at the end of the night.

[@jaclynfernandez9097]

I was disappointed. I thought I would learn about diabetes and drinking. I struggle with low bgs after drinking beer. I want to know what I can drink that won't put me in the hospital.

[@diabetesuk]

Hi Jaclyn. We're sorry to hear that the video didn't answer all of your questions. We do have more information available on this topic on our website: www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/young-adults/type-1-drinking . However, if you'd like to discuss this in more detail, please don't hesitate to call our helpline and speak to an adviser. Get in touch by calling 0345 123 2399 (Mon - Fri; 9am - 6pm), or pop an email to [e-mail]. Take care.

[@datmercguy6300]

Hey! I’m a T1 Diabetic. My doctors told me to take insulin before drinking and eat your dinner / meal prior to drinking. This is because your sugars will go up for a few hours then come crashing down when you drink, and there is no science to trying to work out how much insulin to take when your drinking and eating. So, when your sugars do drop, it’s best to not have any insulin in your system.
In my experience, normally sugars don’t start dropping till about 2-3 hours after starting drinking. So, I constantly check my sugars to see if they have started to drop earlier than normal. This is when I’ll drink a gluco juice or eat something super sugary, because it’s very likely my sugars will drop again and lead me into a serious hypo when my body starts reducing the glucose in the blood.
I always eat a snack or something before bed if I’ve had drinks: cereal, fruit, bread. Anything with around 20g of carbs. If I do eat and have alcohol in my system, I do trial and error really, but always stick to the low end of taking insulin for the food. It’s always best to avoid it, but if you do eat, just be very cautious.
Importantly, hydrate! The quicker you get sober, the better your body will filter out the alcohol and start focusing on reducing your high blood sugars. It will also mean that if you hit a low, you’ll be more likely to feel it than.
I’m pretty young so don’t take my advice too seriously. But, trying to not eat a meal during a heavy drinking session and constantly checking your sugars whilst drinking will make sure your hypos will not be as severe.

[@so1667]

I am looking for my friend GAVIN

[@smt6456]

GAVIN!!!