Alcohol and hypos go together

There are some obvious reasons why alcohol seems to lead to hypos; for example, having so much fun you forget to eat. But to make matters worse, alcohol can shut down the natural, protective mechanism your body has for raising your blood glucose.

Normally when you don't eat, your liver helps to keep your blood glucose levels steady by making glucose from glycogen. But when you drink, your liver is so busy dealing with the alcohol, it shuts down glucose production. So that's one important line of defence against hypoglycaemia you can't count on.

Tips for safer drinking:

Food and drink go together
Protect yourself from hypos by never drinking on an empty stomach

Party with a friend
The symptoms of a hypo and the symptoms of being drunk are unfortunately very similar. So try to ensure you have a friend or partner with you who knows about your diabetes and what to do for a hypo. Always carry ID with you

Know what you're drinking
You may already have a good idea of how much you can drink safely but it can be easy to get taken by surprise. So, keep an eye on what's being served. To be on the safe side, assume that any drink poured at home or at a party is likely to be at least twice as strong as a pub measure

Watch out for unexpected exercise
While you are having fun it's easy to exercise without realising it(e.g. dancing, sex), so always keep a little something in your pocket or handbag - such as some glucose sweets - just in case

Before you go to bed
Back home and exhausted, it's tempting to simply fall into bed. Unfortunately it's easy to slip into a hypo during your sleep. So if you've been out for a few drinks a starchy bedtime snack is essential

When you drink alcohol

See how your body reacts
There is quite a lot of variation in how people react to alcohol. Testing your blood glucose before and a couple of times after you have a drink can help you judge how at risk you are of having a hypo. Watch out! Often drinking makes your levels rise at first but they will go down later, so remember your bedtime snack.

During the night
Put your testing equipment and a sugary drink or glucose tablets beside your bed, then if you feel unwell during the night it will be easier to test whether you are hypo or just suffering from a little too much to drink!

The morning after
The effects of alcohol can last well into the next day, so test more frequently and be extra careful throughout the following 24 hours.

Recreational drugs
When you have diabetes you need to take extra care of your body. Using recreational drugs makes that extra care difficult. Even small doses of drugs can affect your blood glucose control, by making you forget to eat or take your insulin or tablets, or disguise the warning signs of an impending hypo.

"I love going to parties and enjoy drinking with my friends. I have to be a little bit more careful, but my diabetes has never stopped me enjoying myself. I just always make sure I have some food beforehand."
Tracey, 18