i want my old life back....

[MikeD704]

I am only 24 years old and when my friends get together we would always drink alcohol and watch/play any number of sports. will I ever be able to participate in my normal social life again or will i be forever a sober outcast? I do not even enjoy hanging out with them since ive been diagnosed...It gets very annoying being a sober person that watches a buch of drunks make asses of themselves. I would just appreciate some advice..i know there are many more important things than alcohol (i.e. health) but i would still like to have some parts of my life remain somewhat the same before i was cursed with this **** disease.

[SueM]

Mike, there is nothing to stop you drinking. Just do it in moderation.
IE show your maturity.
Looking on the positive side drinking too much is an expensive way to pee :D
I must admit I find it pretty sad that you feel you have to get hamered to enjoy yourself.

[yannah]

Oh.....I miss my old life soooo bad. I totally understand.
I want to be healthy and care free. I am so burdened by diabetes. I may calm down if I ever get my numbers under control. i don't know. but I am pretty uptight all the time.

[drummingfool]

It's okay to drink, but do it in moderation.

Although your family, friends and your endo may say not to, everyone is different. A couple bud lights isnt going to kill you. Just make sure you keep a close eye on your sugars!

[Erin]

I've had this disease since I was 8, and nothing stops me from getting hammered every now and again. When I was younger (I guess around your age... although I'm not that much older i *feel* that much older... and my non-d friends feel the same way. I think your body changes a LOT between 24 and 26... or we just killed too many liver/brain/lung cells and are paying the price.)

Anyway where was I before I distracted myself. Oh yes, drinking. You don't have to be sober for your whole life. I suggest saying "dry" until you get your numbers sorted and then re-introduce alcohol slowly so you know what effect it has on you. That's what I did anyway. Well, I had never drank before dx, since I was 8, but i had a good 10 years to figure out this D thing before starting to drink heavily. You don't have to wait 10 years, but give yourself some time.

And until you know what drink does to your sugars, test, test, test, test, test.

One or two beers (in my experience) has a negligible effect on blood sugar levels. Especially if they are drank with food. 6 or 7 + beers on the other hand has a big effect. For me it's Up up up and then down down down. But once you know what it does it's not hard to manage. (and I'm not claiming drinking 6 or 7 beers is good for anybody. I'm just saying you can do it and still maintain decent blood sugar control).

Do a search. We've discussed drinking on here loads of times.

[xMenace]

:stupid1:
I never let it stop me.

[Tropical83]

I know how you feel Mike, none of my friends are diabetic but they know I am and they're always on the look out for me. I've done a lot of research on alcohol, beer, wine, spirits and I've made my own "Aime can drink this cheat sheet". I've looked up all the beers and have come to find out that I can drink low-carb beers such as: Michelob Ultra, Miller Lite, Bud Select, MGD 64 without much problem. Surprisingly, my sugars stay between 80 - 160. I know that's a huge range but it's not THAT bad if you think about it. Wine is a little different for me, some of them sky-rocket my sugars and others just kind of cruise but I've gotta dose a little bit (waste of insulin huh?). Clear spirits (vodka) is awesome but I definitely keep that under moderation because it makes my sugar climb and then drop - even on the next day. So, I make sure to check my sugar every hour on the hour and keep starches with me. The hangovers are pretty bad though and I eat without having to dose most of the day.

It takes practice and A LOT of checking but it doesn't HAVE to stop you. Just moderate and do some research online and on yourself. Good luck! :)

[mageerobin]

There is a scene in Disney's "The Lion King" where the monkey shaman character Rafiki knocks Simba over the head with his staff. Simba asks "what did you do that for" Rafiki replies "What does it matter? It's in the past."

That is where all of our old lives are unfortunately. And the older you get the more your body will change how it reacts to pollen, colds, different foods... you name it.

I was always able to feel a hypo moment coming far in advance, but now in the summer usually it sneaks up on me without warning.

So be careful while drinking and check BG often.

[sugardumplin]

Hey, I wish I had my old life back too. I have been at it for a year now. Things are so different. While I am not missing drinking with my friends... I just miss feeling better and being able to eat what I want when I want.

As for the alcohol, I drink Pinot Grigio. One glass of wine will do it. I get a nice calming effect and it actually lowers my blood sugar and I am not really sure why when everyone else says wine raises theirs. Give pinot grigio a try- bella sara brand at walmart.

[Mich]

Hi Mike, Buck up. You don't have to stop drinking. Erin gave you great advice.

I've been type 1 nearly 50 years and have always enjoyed alcohol--even a bit too much when I was your age. That was before meters so I was guessing about my blood sugars, but I noted even then that it seemed to lower my sugar for some reason. Well, that wasn't really so, but close.

Now we know that alcohol DELAYS how fast your food is metabolized in your liver. So darn, you still have to eat sensibly with the carbs and (like Erin said) test test test to see how you will need to correct for your meal with insulin. You may need to take less insulin with your meal and correct every two hours for a while. It's a good reason to low-carb while you are drinking so you have less correcting to do later.

Beer has carbs to varying degrees but rum, gin, vodka, and even wine do not. Get yourself the CALORIE KING book and keep track so you know if you need to compensate for whatever you are drinking. There have been some great suggestions for sugar (and carb) free mixers on this board.

You're still one of the gang. Just smarter. Have fun.

Mich

[Erin]

Now we know that alcohol DELAYS how fast your food is metabolized in your liver. So darn, you still have to eat sensibly with the carbs and (like Erin said) test test test to see how you will need to correct for your meal with insulin. You may need to take less insulin with your meal and correct every two hours for a while. It's a good reason to low-carb while you are drinking so you have less correcting to do later.


Low carbing is one idea... I've never experimented with that... I actually found that Pizza and Beer work really great together, from a blood sugar standpoint. (Wine even moreso, but it's less of a match taste-wise with the pizza)

The delayed lowering of blood glucose from the alcohol matches perfectly (for me) with the fat induced delayed rise from the pizza. Now I tell my fiancee, I have to drink beer and eat pizza when the game is on... one without the other messes up my bg. :)

[drummingfool]

I'll be honest. On my 21st, I got HAMMERED with a captial DRUNK.
I kept checking my sugar, though. And I was able to keep control of it. I cant reiterate that enough.

You just have to remember that you are a person with diabetes. You have it, it doesn't have you. Don't let yourself be defined by it! Live with it, take care of it, but dont coddle it and let it run you. You are in control of it.

Your life as a diabetic can be just as fun, if not more fun than anyone else's. I consider myself lucky to be so aware of how important life is. If I didnt have diabetes, I wouldnt truly appreciate it as much as I do.

So have a drink! I'll toast to you and yours!

*Cheers!*

[Psycho Penguin]

I'm 24 and I have my days but nothing will prevent you from living a good life if you watch your sugars and all that, man. Hang in there.

(Just moderate your alcohol which non-diabetics should be doing, anyways.)

[buddy7]

I am only 24 years old and when my friends get together we would always drink alcohol and watch/play any number of sports. but i would still like to have some parts of my life remain somewhat the same before i was cursed with this **** disease.

Hi Mike!!

Why embrace the idea on getting plastered, when you and your mates get together, surely you and your mates will enjoy watching or playing sports, more so, with-out the alcohol, there is no control being paralytic with drink.

There's life out there, with-out the alcohol!!!

The way I see it, you're a T1. Shouldn't your health take priority over the alcohol? no one is saying you can't have a drink, but don't be silly about it.

You are not cursed with the diabetes, and you're not alone, well!! I'll say, that's how the cookie crumbles, be advised, at 24 be realistic, get a grip of your life, there's only one route for that alcohol, in the bin, unless you want to join it.

B/7 ESSEX UK.

[parrotletzoo]

It's all been said on the drinking bit, but don't forget you can still watch/play sports too. Diabetes won't prevent you from any activity if its done with some precaution and regards to bloodsugar levels.

[drummingfool]

Its true!

In fact, exercise is CRUCIAL to keeping your sugar under control. Helps with insulin resistance and general sugar metabloism.

[MikeD704]

thanks again for all the great advice everyone. I wasnt trying to seem "immature" or anything by worrying about alcohol...but being 24 in kansas..there just isnt too much for people my age to do. I am sure i will find things, but i am still in a "transition" phase since i got diagnosed and i am having a pretty hard time adjusting.

[jusrelaxin]

So I have a question.
How are things like mikes hards and vex and other coolers like that for us D's?Im headed to a wedding in the next couple days and I was curious as to what drinks like that were like.

[drummingfool]

Not immature at all. Thinking about anything that you can or cannot do with your new situation is nothing but respectable!

And take it from me... when I'm done at work, sometimes I need a beer. or 6. :)

But I understand completely. I dont feel as though we may have given you the information you've been looking for, though. Here's textbook on alcohol and diabetes.

When you injest alcohol, your body digests the carbs associated with it, just like anything else. However, since alcohol is technically a poison to the body, your liver then focuses on the alcohol.

Normally, your liver is always producing a small amount of sugar into your blood stream. However, since it is preoccupied with the alcohol, it stops producing. Which causes your levels to drop.

So basically what youre looking at is a rise in sugar followed by constantly lowering sugar. Keep that in mind while your having a good time, just do what EVERYONE here said, and test test test!

[drummingfool]

jusrelaxin, your best bet is to go with something like a mikes hard light, something along those lines. Just as good, and only 10g carbs per bottle :)

[walleyedave]

Hey man just be carefull don't do what I did.
I went drinking at the bar 1 nite with friends, and as the nite progressed and the drunker i got, I started ordering rye and coke instead of rye and diet coke. My BS was through the roof. like 27. It was like 6.5 before going out. I took some Humalog for my high reading not even sure if my math was correct due the alcohol, and then passed out. Thank god my math must have been close because I woke up in the morning not dead.. I don't drink much any more.

[jusrelaxin]

thanks drumming!

[jimmychi15]

I drink too, but just moderate. one bear cause by BG go up 12 point, so, I always dose 4 units/bottle before I drink them.
I am so suprised that someone has no effect on some the bear, unfortunately, I do not see that kind of bear here in NZ.
Anyway, do not try to drink with empty stomach. That will make you very ill and lose control.
remember you can eat/drink anything, but just test,test,test,test,test,tttttttt........

[drummingfool]

It's-a-no-prob-a-lem!

Yeah, there are ALOT of diet alcoholic drinks out there. Just keep an eye out for them!

CalorieKing - Diet and weight loss. Calorie Counter and more. (http://www.calorieking.com/) is an excellent website for looking up ANY food and its nutrition info... everything from burgers to chocoloate covered ants (Im not kidding!)

And his book is great... I get a copy every year.

[spinnb7]

i drink all the time. beer makes my bg levels kinda weird sometimes, but nothing a correction cant fix.
merlot makes it go up, but cabernet doeesnt bother me at all.
and then there is the nectar of G_D: Bourbon. i love bourbon
and it loves me
and my *******disease.

you get the cards dealt to you, and sometimes you cant change the hand you are dealt. so you just have to deal with it, and do as good of a job as you can.

good luck, this is a very supportive group.

[KCP]

Yep. <puts hand up> I have been Diabetic for 16 years. AND I GOT DRUNK lots.. I was going to say when i was younger but its only been very recent that i stopped drinking and i dont drink at all anymore.

I just used to test often :) That was the best was for me. ANd i ate as well to counteract the hypo that would inevitably come.. Funnily i always found my blood sugars better the next day. I and drank Vodka and Wine ;)

[oneluckyplay]

Well i have a different perspective on drinking, i don't at all any more, it's not worth it. my 1st 5 years as a diabetic i was out partying and drunk everyday w/out fail, i never checked my BG until i was home and could barely read my meter by then. i would wake up either extremely too high (400 or more) or extremely too low (less than 40). OMG the hangovers were the worst(would get too dehydrated from the alcohol) had alcohol poisoning more than i'd like to say. never and i mean never had any energy until i stopped drinking. now even 1 beer makes my BG sky rocket. it's just not worth it to me. i know i did it stupidly but i guess i was too young and too nieve to really care about my health. i consider myself lucky that nothing worse came from my drinking.

[jillrapp]

Has anyone tried Bud Light Lime? I hear it only has 8 grams of carbs - I've been wanting to try it but I'm a bit afraid of drinking at the moment on all of my meds.

Any reviews?

[BlueSky]

And endo once told me that "everybody cheats. The trick is too cheat intelligently". That means learning how different things (including alcohol) change your blood sugar, and taking suitable action before it happens. If you do this, there is no reason why you shouldn't do all the same things that your friends do. In other words, yes, you can have your life back.

[TommyC1]

That's my plan.
I like beer. Not that watery lite **** either. I like good, rich, high carb beer. That's what I drink. I just count the carbs and cover them with insulin. In fact beer is my primary source of carbs these days.
I like playing hard. That was not easy when I was on NPH due to the hypos. But since going to MDI and testing about 8 to 10 times a day I find I can play, or work as hard as I want to.
I do try to stay in control. If getting out of control is what you miss I don't know if I can help you. But if having a few pops with your buds and playing hard is what you miss then staying in control will let you take it back.

Good Luck,
~Tommy

[drummingfool]

The bud light lime is pretty good... but I'm a light beer with lime kinda guy.

Corona light with lime... heaven made in Mexico. :D

[Erin]

I didn't fancy the bud light with lime. It was too... sweet? I don't know, I didn't like the artificial lime flavor. Give me a corona with lime any day.

But as far as that goes corona is the only light (colored) beer that I bother with. IMHO, if you can see through it you shouldn't drink it. There is just no point. If I'm going to bother fixing my bg after drinking, I'm going to drink what I like. And I like stout. Unfortunately they don't really make low carb stout. Fortunately I think gunniess is lower GI than other beer. No joke.

I say pick one or two drinks that you really like and then experiment until you figure out exactly how to bolus / eat to make them not bad for your blood sugar.

And bolus with care. being hungover and hypo or still drunk and hypo is not fun not fun not fun. And you might find that you need to reduce your ratios in the presence of alcohol.