[Jill-O]

Originally Posted by Geoff

What are you all drinking, moonshine perhaps?

Vokda in diet Sierra Mist, usualy

[mark_in_toronto]

Thx for the info. Seeing the endo tomorrow, and hopefully he can enlighten me further about this...and of course he will tell me NOT to drink, lol. I have my reply planned: "Put in a day at my job and see if you don't need a beer when you get home!" Lol.

[JediSurfer]

I have discussed this with a few of my consultants over the years. And from my understanding alcohol blocks the uptake of carbohydrates into the blood. And i think the initial peak i tend to get when drinking is caused by glucogen from the liver.

but don't quote me on that

[mark_in_toronto]

found a study by the Canadian Diabetes Association...lengthy and technical, but the gist of it is in the attached:

The mechanism involved in the causal relationship between excess alcohol consumption and diabetes may, in part, be related to insulin resistance.Two novel metabolites of alcohol, 2,3-butanediol and 1,2-propanediol, in serum concentrations found in people who consume alcohol to excess have been shown to inhibit insulin action on adipocytes in vitro (14).This suggests that excessive alcohol intake reduces insulin sensitivity, thereby increasing insulin resistance. In addition, the beta cells of the pancreas may diminish because of episodes of pancreatitis due to alcoholism. Alcohol in moderation, however, may reduce the incidence of diabetes by augmenting insulin sensitivity.

[Cyborg]

Perhaps you are drinking too much?

[mark_in_toronto]

Do I drink more frequently than I should? Probably, with personal stress, other ****. But in the last two weeks I cut it off completely during the week.

found this info regarding a drinking/diabetes study on the 'net:

Effect of alcohol on diabetes control

The first study to demonstrate the effect of chronic consumption of alcohol on metabolic control in patients with diabetes was conducted in Italy 10 years ago. In this study, people with diabetes who consumed approximately 3 to 4 drinks per day had higher fasting and postprandial PG levels than did those with diabetes who were non-drinkers.

C-peptide levels, however, were not significantly different between the 2 groups, suggesting that the differences in PG levels were due to greater insulin resistance in those who consumed alcohol. After 4 days in the hospital, the glycemic levels of those people with diabetes who consumed alcohol were similar to those who did not consume alcohol, suggesting that the excessive insulin resistance associated with alcohol intake was reversible.

The mechanism involved in the causal relationship between excess alcohol consumption and diabetes may, in part, be related to insulin resistance.Two novel metabolites of alcohol, 2,3-butanediol and 1,2-propanediol, in serum concentrations found in people who consume alcohol to excess have been shown to inhibit insulin action on adipocytes in vitro. This suggests that excessive alcohol intake reduces insulin sensitivity, thereby increasing insulin resistance.

The study does indeed target the T2 diabetic and not the T1, but makes mention of insulin resistance in healthy volunteers contributing to T2 diabetes.

Re: "Insulin resistance being reversible" : I was finding my insulin doses to increase more and more lately (with frequent intake of alcohol), without any real reason for it seemingly (zero carb drinks). After reading this information about resistance being reversible, I stopped all alcohol intake completely. Lo and behold, after a week of abstinence, my insulin doses returned to normal if I had a couple of rum/diet cokes.

So, as far as I'm concerned, the insulin-resistance finding pertaining to Type 2 diabetics ALSO applies to Type 1's.