Blood glucose after alcohol
Common Questions and Answers about Blood glucose after alcohol
blood-glucose
If food says it is sugar free but has sugar alcohol. what does that mean as affecting glucose levels?
Because I was a heavy drinker, I attributed it to alcohol and was too ashamed to seek help. After some research, I decided I was suffering from dehydration because my mouth was always parched and that condition can lead to such horrific things.
I finally went to my Doctor complaining about kidney pain and he drew blood. A month later the results showed I had HIGH PROTEIN and KEYTONES. My Doc never even hinted at Diabetes, but asked me back to redo them after fasting.
The nutritonist gave me a glucose meter so I could check my bs after meals and fasting. After two months of excercise and diet change I have lost 15lbs. My blood sugar is no longer high in the mornings ( usually between 87-93) but now I've noticed it goes down to about 71-75 two hours after eating. I started checking it at one hour after eating and one time it was 139 then at the two hour mark it was 71.
I did something really dumb today and now I'm scared. I was unclogging a toilet when some of the water splashed my hands. I have open wounds on my hands. When I looked down into the toilet I saw some used blood glucose test strips. I didn't see any blood. I immediately washed my hands with plenty of soap. About 1-3 minutes later I washed my hands again 3 times. About 10 minutes after that I washed my hands twice more and disinfected them with alcohol.
I pricked a HIV positive patient (which I don’t know his health status before the pricking) yesterday using a lancet to check his blood glucose without using gloves.
Hi
alcohol can cause low blood sugar levels for some due to its effect on the liver. But even more it can cause those person with diabetes to pay less attention to their health and blood sugars.
This does not mean you can never drink alcohol, But it should be taken in moderation only. When you do have a first drink (remember moderation) do it in the company of a trusted friend so you can safely see the effect it has on you.
Before going to bed my blood sugar is about 110 whether I drink alcohol or not. But my fasting glucose is between 140 and 150 if I drink alcohol and it is from 115 to 125 if I don't consume any alcohol the previous night.
In summary the dawn phenomenon is exasperated by alcohol. But every thing I am reading is against this.
I'm wondering if any one has any logical explanation for this.
s production of glucose and may cause hypoglycemia -- or low blood sugar. Alcohol intake can lower blood sugar immediately and up to 12 hours after ingestion. While this effect can occur both in diabetics and non-diabetics alike, diabetics should use additional caution when drinking alcohol, especially if taking glucose-lowering medications such as insulin.
You can read a lot more at: http://diabetes.webmd.
This is because alcohol consumption causes the body to lose its ability to release emergency sugars stored in the liver to protect you some from hypoglycemia when glucose levels begin to drop. Alcohol use also will diminish your awareness of the symptoms of hypoglycemia so you may not know your glucose levels are dropping.
In response to your question several things come to mind. I believe that everyone with Type 1 diabetes needs to be totally aware of what is happening with their blood sugar all the time. Alcohol can inhibit this ability for one thing. Also, the symptoms of too much alcohol and hypoglycemia can be similar and you do not want anyone to confuse a low blood sugar for being drunk as they might not give you the proper treatment.
When your blood sugar level starts to drop, your liver steps in.
I just heard a story of an adult who passed out twice because she had wine after taking insulin. Her blood sugar was 175 when she took her insulin and within 15 minutes she was passed out. My son is 16 and although he doesn't drink and states that he has no intention of starting; I need to know how the body handles alcohol when you have diabetes.
Dear melgonzales64,
i am a diabetic like you and not a doctor or medical professional. Alcohal has many different effects on diabetics which is why the American Diabetes Association recomends diabetics only drink two drinks a day. If you take insulin for the alcohol it will just lower your blood sugar since alcohol doesn't need insulin for it to be digested.
In healthy men, the blood glucose can drop to 55 mg/dl after 24 hours of fasting and to 48 mg/dl after 72 hours of fasting. In healthy women, glucose levels can be as low as 35 mg/dl after only 24 hours of fasting.
Since blood glucose levels can fluctuate widely in healthy subjects, and symptoms of hypoglycemia can be vague and nonspecific, establishing the diagnosis of hypoglycemia as the cause of symptoms is often difficult.
t have enough insulin available to help the glucose get into the cells, and to regulate how much glucose the liver releases, then the net effect is that your blood glucose will be higher after exercise.
This is invaluable information for one to know, even if you are not pregnant. I am a diabetic and never knew that this could be a result of increased glucose in the blood, a yeast infection and bacteria..
Mmartin - if these doctor's give you any "headaches" about this finding in your urine, tell them to test your blood. If you were consuming alcohol, there would be evidence in your blood.
Peganon,
We have had several questions posted at the forum regarding diabetes and drinking alcohol. I pulled an excerpt from a comment from one of our team members to just such a question:
"In response to your question several things come to mind. I believe that everyone with Type 1 diabetes needs to be totally aware of what is happening with their blood sugar all the time. Alcohol can inhibit this ability for one thing.
The severity of both depends on how well the patient controls their blood sugar levels after diagnosis. The type 1 diabetic has a more damaged pancreas than the type 2 diabetic person, but both are equally responsible for controlling their glucose levels, and how well they do that is what ends up defining their overall health. If either one lets glucose levels run high, then complications such as kidney damage or eye damage or nerve damage can happen.
Sugar alcohol does not raise my BG . However every sugar fee cadny Ive seen still has carbohydrates, and they most certainly raise my BG.
dont do the 3 hour GTT for diabetics but the 4-hour GTT for reactive hypoglycemia. Your blood is taken after a 12-hour fast. Then you are given a glucose challenge (a sugary drink), and your blood is taken at one hours intervals for for 4 hours. The test itself is really a pain but I am happy I did it. It turns out my blood sugar drops extremely low after meals and this is accompanied by heart palpitations.
'if i stop to take insuline and found sugar 500 +, what can i do?'
Do yourself a BIG favor, Google search 'Ignoring Complications of Diabetes' and 'How to manage/control high blood sugar', then hopefully you can make lifestyle adjustments to lower your glucose levels. Go see a diabetes nutritionist to learn and understand what you can and cannot eat. Finally, please do not stop or adjust your medication without your doctors consent.
I'm a newly recovering alcoholic (sober 92 days) and my blood sugar control is becoming unmanageable. I realize that I am craving sugar to replace alcohol, and I do give in some, but my sugars are outrageous. Even without eating sweets, I am finding days where I am in the 500s for no apparant reason. And it takes a lot of insulin to regulate.
Then, you drink a sweet syrupy drink and blood is drawn at different times after this to see what happens to your glucose levels. If you have an episode of reactive hypoglycemia during this test, it will show up. I am a very tightly controlled diabetic, and because I keep my baseline glucose levels low, I often have slight drops in glucose or mild hypoglycemia. Sometimes when this happens, I have the same symptoms you describe.
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