[russell]

if you consume carbs while drinking
do the carbs offset the alcohol
so your bg's stay level ?

what is the best way to pick an insuline pump?
so many different choices
how do you know which one to get ?

[xMenace]

Originally Posted by russell

if you consume carbs while drinking
do the carbs offset the alcohol
so your bg's stay level ?

Good question. I think it depends on what you drink. Beer I'm sure won't cancel, but liquor and wine may.

As a pumper I bolus for carbs and drop my basal for the after effect.

[ant hill]

Originally Posted by russell

if you consume carbs while drinking
do the carbs offset the alcohol
so your bg's stay level ?

To some degree it can, As any place that serve liquor, It is useualy go with food. We see the BG go down because of the alcolhol and food that we eat will bring it back up. So there is some offset but not always that's the case.

what is the best way to pick an insuline pump?
so many different choices
how do you know which one to get ?

Yes there is quite a few pumps out there, I did look for a thread that has a good talk about pumps and thier options but cannot find it. John please help me.

[ant hill]

I have finaly found the pumps that will help you to decide on what you need.
So look here. Pump Comparisons.....All about pumps/companies

Enjoy.

[BlueSky]

It would be nice if these effects were so closely matched. But my experience has been that food makes the blood sugar go up in the next 1-3 hours and alcohol makes it come down in the early hours of the next morning. So I would normally bolus for food early in the evening and have a snack before going to bed.

[JediSurfer]

Its good to always test as much as possible. And eating when drinking is best for everyone diabetic or not. Alcohol doesn't actually lower blood glucose it blocks the production and release of glucogen in the liver. Just try different drinks and test for a sessions and learn how your body reacts. That way you have a good idea of whats happening for future reference.

[Subby]

I would say like most things diabetic, experiences vary wildly.

My experience is that spirits, with mixers or not, all send me sky high. I might get a backlash 10 or so hours later, generally not. Hard to tell by that stage if it is my correction dosages or the effect of the alchohol.

Beer, ordinary ale, can keep me quite steady. I usually get a good meal into me first, then I find that if I do have a few, (not often) it tends not to rock the boat much. If anything, I also tend to go a little high if drinking beer. The next day after quite a few, I can have wonderful, easy control thanks to the mid term effects of the alchohol. I wonder if I could use something else to inhibit the liver, blocking the glucose release seems to make things so much better for my control.

[Subby]

russell, about the pumps, have you talked to your doctor about their opinion? They may have compelling reasons to recommend one or the other. Here is another page of comparisons of common current pumps: Compare insulin pumps for diabetes

Some of the pumps are chosen over others because of things like capacity: I have the Paradigm 722, If I used less insulin I would be on the Paradigm 522, they are essentially identical except reservoir size (and thus general size).

From my impression most pumps them would do well for most people. The differences may not be very large in real terms. However there are differences. I suggest you look around the forum Pumping Insulin - Diabetes Forums and read for a bit. Some people are passionate about why one pump is better, most seem pretty happy with their pump whichever it is. That's a good place to ask questions.

[Gary_W]

With me, a couple of glasses of wine don't send my BG anywhere in particular.

Beer tends to put me up in the short term, and drops a little later. I will tend to bolus for beer, and then test lots and lots to see where I am before bed...

Apart from a very occasional spirit, I don't really do them so cannot comment. Lots of these are very sweet, so obviously that has to be taken into consideration.

As to pumps, it seems to me it depends upon the features you prize the most e.g. if a food database is important to you then the Animas does it but the MiniMed doesn't... Once you know what you're going to use, you can have a good look. The Animas site has a really good Java 'virtual' pump so you can plumb in some basal rates, I:C ratios etc and play around. It gives a very good idea of what can be done, and has somewhat put me off this pump due to the bolus wizard not putting its findings in the 'give me a bolus' window; I can see how unnecessary button pushing would grate on me after a bit, so that one has moved down my list. Having said that, I would currently take off anyone's arm at the shoulder if offered any of the pumps...

Gary

[BlueSky]

Originally Posted by Subby

... If anything, I also tend to go a little high if drinking beer. The next day after quite a few, I can have wonderful, easy control thanks to the mid term effects of the alchohol. I wonder if I could use something else to inhibit the liver, blocking the glucose release seems to make things so much better for my control.

Metformin has a similar effect. It reduces the supply of hepatic glucose, making blood sugar levels more stable. I found it worked well, but I stopped using because it wasn't really necessary. Tweaking the insulin regimen produced the same effect. But if you have a very active liver, it would be worth trying.