Advice after your nerve block for surgery
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Introduction
Safe and sensible alcohol consumption is essential whether you have diabetes or not. It is important to understand how alcohol affects your blood glucose levels.
Alcohol can cause hypos for up to 12-24 hours after drinking. This usually means overnight and well into the following day.
Your liver stores extra glucose in the form of glycogen, and converts it back to glucose if your blood glucose levels drop. When your liver is busy breaking down alcohol, it cannot make glucose, increasing the risk of hypos after drinking.
The more alcohol you have the longer the effects can last.
How much alcohol you consume depends on:
- Alcohol content of each drink
- Volume of each drink consumed
- Number of drinks.
Note:
Alcohol can make you sleep very deeply and you may not wake up if having a hypo.
Make sure someone is listening out for your sensor alarm overnight and can help wake you if needed.
Tips for Staying Safe whilst drinking alcohol
- Make sure that someone you are with knows you have diabetes and what to do if you become unwell or unconscious. They need to know that the signs of being drunk are similar to a hypo.
- Get friends/parents to follow your glucose sensor so they can alert you or provide assistance.
- If you tend to drink in the same venue perhaps get to know the bar staff, manager or doorman and make them aware of your diabetes.
- Carry diabetes ID - there are lots of options for this -wristbands, jewellery items, wallet cards and emergency medical ID/info on your phone. Use whatever works best for you.
- Ensure your glucose sensor alarms are turned on to alert for hypos. Change the low alert setting higher temporarily to give you and friends more time to respond to dropping blood glucose levels.
- Arrange for someone to check on you in the morning so you can get up, check your blood glucose, and have something to eat. Even if you then return to bed.
High carb containing drinks may raise your glucose levels initially, but the alcohol content of your drinks can cause your levels to drop later.
It is important to remember that everyone is different, and drinking alcohol often involves some trial and error. The same drink might cause a hypoglycaemic reaction in one person with a HCL pump and a hyperglycaemic reaction in another.
Learn how your body responds to alcohol and adopt strategies that work for you.
|
Carb containing drinks |
Low Carb + Carb free drinks |
|
Lagers, beers and ales |
|
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All fruit ciders |
|
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Sweet wines |
Dry white/red/rose wines |
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Alcopops |
Spirits |
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Creams/liquers |
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Fruit juices |
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Non-diet mixers |
Diet/sugar-free mixers |
Example Carbohydrate content of some drinks
You can use the Carbs and Cals Book/App to get the carb content of your drinks
330ml Beers: 9-14 grams of carbs
e.g. Beck’s, Budweiser, Fosters, Stella Artois, Corona
330ml Alcopops and Ciders: 10-40 grams of carbs
e.g Bacardi Breezers, WKD, VK, Thatchers, Strongbow.
330ml Low carb beers: 0-5 grams of carbs
e.g. Beck’s Premier Light, Coors Light, Bud Light, Miller Light
Spirits with sugar free mixers: Zero Carbs but high alcohol content! (35-60% alcohol)
125ml Champagne and dry wines: 1-5 grams of carbs
125ml Cocktails: approximately 15 grams of carbs (cocktails containing juices, syrups, liquers).
Low carb cocktail options: extra dry martini, Gin Rickey, Gin or vodka and diet tonic water
Alcohol Consumption Guidelines
Both men and women are recommended to drink a maximum of 14 units of alcohol per week on a regular basis. It is also not recommended to drink all your weekly units in one day.
The following table shows the units in some common drinks - this information was obtained from the drinkaware.co.uk website:
|
Drinks |
Units |
|
1 pint beer (4%) |
2.3 |
|
1pint cider (4.5%) |
2.6 |
|
175ml (medium) wine (13%) |
2.3 |
|
125ml (small) sparkling wine (12%) |
1.5 |
|
25ml (single) spirit (40%) |
1 |
|
275ml bottle Alcopop (4%) |
1.1 |
You can learn more general alcohol information at www.
Hybrid Closed Loop Insulin Pumps
HCL systems are designed to help keep your glucose levels between 3.9-10mmol/l, different systems will have different targets.
If your glucose is dropping or is predicted to drop the HCL will reduce or stop insulin delivery. If your glucose is rising or is predicted to rise, the HCL will increase insulin delivery.
Remember it does not know you have been drinking alcohol.
Avoid large carbohydrate meals, snacks, or drinks without insulin. The rise in glucose will trigger the system to deliver more insulin.
Some young people enter fewer carbs into the pump to deliver slightly less insulin before, during, and after drinking. You will need to learn what works best for you.
Increase the glucose target.
If the system is aiming for a higher target it will deliver less insulin and you will have less insulin on board, reducing hypo risk.
If you are eating before drinking, set the higher target before you eat.
Checklist BEFORE drinking alcohol
- Have hypo treatments to hand due to increased risk of hypos.
- Check your glucose level and trend before drinking.
- Ensure phone, CGM, PDM/pump are working and fully charged, alerts are switched on and alarm volume is on maximum.
- Wear a medical ID and/or have your medical ID on your smartphone, or in your wallet.
- Avoid drinking on an empty stomach, keep hydrated - drink water.
- Let your friends know about your diabetes, how to spot and treat hypos. Remember, a hypo can look like you are drunk.
Considerations DURING the event
Medtronic 780G:
Apply ‘Temp Target’ prior to drinking alcohol, set duration to cover the entire drinking session and 8-12 hours after the event.
What happens when ‘Temp Target’ is applied: Glucose target is at 8.3mmol/l, auto-corrections inactivated.
CamAPS Fx:
Apply ‘Ease Off’ prior to drinking, set duration to cover the entire drinking session and 8-12 hours after the event. You can pre-set ‘Ease off’ to start later.
What happens when ‘Ease Off’ is applied: Glucose target is increased, algorithms calculations are softened and insulin stops earlier.
Omnipod 5:
Apply ‘Activity mode’ prior to drinking alcohol, set duration to cover entire drinking session and 8-12 hours after the event.
What happens when ‘Activity mode’ is applied: Glucose target is at 8.3mmol/l, automated insulin delivery is reduced by 50% and microbolus corrections are limited.
Tandem T-Slim:
Apply the ‘Exercise Function’ prior to drinking alcohol, Max duration is 8 hours. Re-new your ‘Exercise Function’ at bedtime for another 8 hours.
What happens when ‘Exercise Function’ is applied: Glucose target is between 7.8mmol/l to 8.9mmol/l and insulin is stopped earlier. Auto-corrections can occur once per hour.
NOTE:
- DO NOT turn Automated Mode/SmartGuard/Control IQ/Auto Mode off.
- Pace yourself by alternating between alcoholic drinks and water.
- Dancing and walking are exercise which can lead to lower glucose levels.
Carbs from food:
If you are able to, consider reducing the amount of carbs you enter into the pump for food or when you have a bedtime snack. Start with decreasing by 25% and if you go hypo, consider decreasing by 50% next time.
Carbs from drinks:
Choose low carb options as much as possible, monitor glucose levels, your automated insulin delivery will increase accordingly.
Make sure you have set up Temp target/Ease Off/Activity Mode/Exercise Function on your HCL system to prevent too much insulin from being delivered.
AFTER the event, it is important to:
- Drink plenty of water.
- Keep your phone near you while you are sleeping.
- Check alarms are on full volume.
- Keep hypo treatments near so they are easy to reach.
- Set an alarm or get someone to wake and check on you in the morning
- Have breakfast even if you are not hungry.
- If your glucose level is on the lower side, consider using the Exercise/Activity/Ease Off mode for a few more hours.
Information for your friends on how to spot and treat a hypo when you are unable to:
Hypo is when glucose level is low (less than 4mmol/l), the diabetes technology should alarm when glucose levels are low. Symptoms of hypos are very similar to symptoms of being drunk.
Symptoms to watch out for:
|
Confusion |
Sweating |
Anxious |
Tearful |
|
Irritable |
Going Pale |
Hunger |
Tiredness |
If your friend with Type 1 Diabetes is having a hypo technology should be alarming and showing low blood glucose (<4mmol/l).
If they are conscious and co-operative, give them one of the following hypo treatments - they should be carrying:
- Lift or Dextrose tablets
- Lift Glucose drink
- Glucogel
If they are not carrying any hypo treatments then you can use the following alternatives:
- Full sugar coke/fizzy drink (Do not use diet/sugar free!)
- Fruit juice
- Jelly babies/Haribo sweets
Check glucose level after 10-15 minutes, repeat if glucose level remains below 4mmol/l.
If glucose level remains low after two rounds of hypo treatment, call an ambulance. Stay with your friend.
If your friend is uncooperative or unconscious – call an ambulance immediately. Stay with your friend until help arrives!
Advise the paramedics on arrival that they have been consuming alcohol.
Glucagon and Alcohol
Glucagon might not work as effectively if you have been drinking alcohol.
Therefore it is important that your friends know –
- the signs of a severe hypo and get help right away.
- to call 999 when you have a severe hypo.
- they must advise the paramedics that you have been consuming alcohol.
Key things to remember
- Always have hypo treatment with you and check that you also have hypo treatment by the bed before you go to sleep.
- Get someone to check on you while you are asleep. You may have a hypo but not realise. Ask them to check your blood or sensor glucose level at least once in the middle of the night and in the morning if you are sleeping in late.
- The important thing is to stay safe and know how different types of alcohol affect you.
- The biggest risk is overnight hypoglycaemia. It is better to be a bit high than risk a hypo while you are asleep.
- Learn from experience in a safe place.
Information Compiled from the Following Sources:
Draft document from SEC and London Paediatric Diabetes Network Tech Team using the following resources:
ACDC Omnipod 5 HCL training booklet
ACDC T Slim Control IQ HCL training booklet
ACDC CamAPS FX HCL training booklet
ACDC Medtronic Minimed 780G HCL training booklet
Cambridge insulin pump training course 2023 run by Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. It was presented by Emma Musgrave
Alcohol and diabetes | Managing your diabetes | Diabetes UK
Diabetes UK Young Adults Guide to Alcohol
Birmingham Children’s Hospital Study Day March 2024, Alcohol Presentation by John Pemberton.
National Children & Young People’s Diabetes Network Close loop comparison Guide 2021
Further information
Diabetes UK Type 1 and diabetes: Type 1 diabetes and drinking | Diabetes UK
Breakthrough T1D toolkit: Alcohol: University Toolkit: Alcohol | Breakthrough T1D UK
Digibete: https://www.digibete.org/digibete-16plus/16plus/
Drink Aware: www.
Contact us
If you have any queries relating to this information, please contact the Dietetics service.
About this information
Service:
Dietetics
Reference:
DT/075
Approval date:
21 May 2026
Review date:
1 May 2029
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Important note
This page provides general information only. It is developed by clinical staff and is reviewed regularly every 3 years for accuracy. For personal advice about your health, or if you have any concerns, please speak to your doctor.