Why is alcohol bad for diabetics?
The Diabetes Food Pyramid: Alcohol 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, sulfonylureas and meglitinides (Prandin), 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 shortly after drinking and for 8-12 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
