Beyond all the health and safety concerns about alcohol, if you have diabetes and are on diabetes medications that lower blood glucose, you need to practice caution. The action of insulin and some diabetes pills is to lower blood glucose by making more insulin. So you should not drink when your blood glucose is low or when your stomach is empty.
Alcohol can cause hypoglycemia for up to 24 hours after drinking. So, if you want to drink alcohol, check your blood glucose before you drink and eat either before or while you drink. You should also check your blood glucose before you go to bed to make sure it is at a safe level — between 100 and 140 mg/dL. If your blood glucose is low, eat something to raise it.
The symptoms of too much alcohol and hypoglycemia can be similar: sleepiness, dizziness and disorientation. You do not want anyone to confuse hypoglycemia for drunkenness, because they might not give you the proper assistance and treatment. The best way to get the help you need if you are hypoglycemic is to always wear an I.D. that states "I have diabetes."
Source: American Diabetes Association
Good Neighbor Pharmacy Health Connection, April 2013
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