You can still enjoy drinking alcohol when you have diabetes, but it does require a bit of extra care.
Alcohol can raise or lower your blood glucose, which means there may be an increased risk of hypos, sometimes several hours later.
Overnight hypos may happen after drinking, because alcohol affects how the liver releases glucose when you’re asleep.
If you choose to drink, planning ahead can help you stay safe.
Try to avoid drinking on an empty stomach, check your glucose levels regularly, and keep hypo treatments with you.
Having a carbohydrate snack before bed, especially after several drinks, can also help reduce the risk of your levels dropping overnight.
Guidelines for drinking alcohol with diabetes are the same for everybody else.