Alcohol and Diabetes: Effects, Guidelines, and Risks

If you have diabetes and are wondering how much alcohol you should drink, it is worth reading the following list to see how much alcohol is contained in each type of drink. Content provided by WebMD Ignite (“WebMD”) is intended for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. WebMD does not guarantee that all content will always be current, error-free or complete.

• Hypoglycemia is a frequent and substantial problem after alcohol consumption, in people with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
• Most diabetes medications work to lower your blood sugar (glucose) levels — and they’re particularly good at the job.
• Consequently, the patient essentially experiences total insulin lack.

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The hazards are greater for people who take medications that are known to cause hypoglycemia, especially insulin and sulfonylureas. Alcohol intake significantly increases the risk of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar levels). If your diabetes is already well under control, a moderate amount of alcohol may be fine either before, during or soon after a meal. Alcohol can affect how well you control your blood sugar (glucose) level.

• When you go several hours without food, your body may produce a sharper rise in blood sugar once you finally eat.
• Or maybe they’re just concerned about all those calories—and carbs.
• Even drinking a little too much (binge drinking) on occasion can set off a chain reaction that affects your well-being.
• A blackout is not the same as “passing out,” which means either falling asleep or losing consciousness from drinking too much.

Treatments for Alcohol Use Disorder

• Eating quickly can also make it harder to recognize fullness cues, leading to overeating.
• Also, check your blood sugar levels before you drink, while you drink, before you go to bed, and for 24 hours after you drink alcohol.
• Understanding what one is consuming and how alcohol influences blood sugar levels is particularly important for people with diabetes.
• The reasons underlying defective insulin secretion and insulin resistance, which are still under investigation, are complex and beyond the scope of this article (for a review, see DeFronzo 1997).

Glucagon kits, widely used to treat hypoglycemia in type 1 diabetes, do not work as well if someone has alcohol in their system. Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) unawareness occurs when someone with diabetes Sober living house has a drop in blood sugar but doesn’t recognize the symptoms. As you mull these ideas, keep in mind that much remains to be learned about how alcohol affects people with diabetes. Drinking in moderation is the best way to prevent liver damage or disease. Talk with your doctor about your drinking habits to see if you are at a high risk for developing it. The key, just like many other things, is to do so in moderation.

The conversation with your healthcare provider

Medical experts have determined that even moderate drinking increases health risks for everyone, but for people with diabetes it holds unique short- and long-term dangers. Each person will have a slightly different reaction to alcoholic drinks so it’s well worth using blood tests to check how your body responds to it. It can inflame the stomach lining, causing heartburn and nausea.

Blood sugar management is a priority for people with diabetes. While it’s recommended that people with diabetes limit alcohol consumption, light drinking has been shown to improve blood sugar and insulin sensitivity. Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) can develop if high blood sugar is uncontrolled. DKA is a severe health condition in which the body breaks down fat for energy. High blood levels of ketones may cause dangerous side effects like confusion or trouble sleeping. For people with diabetes, drinking alcohol can cause low or high blood sugar, affect what happens if a diabetic drinks too much alcohol diabetes medicines, and cause other possible problems.