Having type 1 diabetes shouldn’t get in the way of your social life, but it’s important to understand the impact of alcohol, smoking, and drugs has on your health as well as factors related to sex, relationships, and pregnancy planning.
Type 1 diabetes shouldn’t stop you going out, having fun and doing the things you enjoy. But if you decide to drink alcohol, it’s important you know how it will affect your diabetes, and what you can do to keep as safe as possible when drinking.
Alcohol is the most common recreational drug used in Australia.
Current guidelines for adults over the age of 18 years recommend you limit your alcohol intake to:
A standard drink has 10 grams (g) of alcohol. Some examples of what a standard drink looks like are:
Drinking alcohol can increase your risk of low blood glucose levels (hypoglycaemia or ‘hypo’). This is because your liver is busy processing the alcohol, instead of releasing glucose. This results in lower blood glucose levels, not only while you’re drinking, but also in the hours after you stop drinking.
Talk to diabetes health professional about when to check your blood glucose level when you drink and how to reduce the risk of hypos.
Different types of alcohol can affect your body differently, depending on the amount of alcohol and carbohydrate (carb) in the drink. Alcohol can lower your blood glucose levels. But some alcoholic drinks such as pre-mixers have carbs, and this can raise your blood glucose level while you’re drinking.
It’s easy to overestimate the size of a standard drink, no matter which alcoholic drink you choose. Therefore, it’s a good idea to get to know what a standard drink is for each type of alcohol you drink. You can do this by checking the number of standard drinks on the label of the bottle or can.
Remember the average drinks serving in restaurants and pubs can be bigger than one standard drink.
Learn the carb content of what you are drinking. Websites and apps such as Calorie King can tell you what’s in your drink.
Talking with your diabetes health professional is important. They can help you work out how to best manage your food, insulin and blood glucose levels when you’re drinking.
Remember – Always pace yourself, check your blood glucose levels often, and learn how your body responds to different types of alcohol.
When drinking alcohol, it can be hard to recognise a hypo, as symptoms might be mistaken for being drunk. To reduce the risk of alcohol-related hypos, here are some ‘think before you drink’ tips for a safe night out:
Before you you go to bed:
Start by drinking water before you have any alcohol. This way, you won't be as thirsty and won't feel the need to drink as much.
If you want a drink, try choosing a beer or wine with a lower alcohol content.
When you do have an alcoholic drink, take it slow and sip it.
Try alternating your alcoholic drinks with non-alcoholic drinks like water or soda water. This will also help you stay hydrated and pace yourself.
Mix your drinks with non-alcoholic mixers. For example, mix beer with diet lemonade to make a shandy or soda water with wine.
Try some of the new non-alcoholic drinks on the market that are popular.
Lastly, it's important to take regular breaks from alcohol. Try having some alcohol-free days each week to give your body a rest.
Find out more with the NDSS fact sheet.
When you have diabetes, not smoking is one of the best things you can do to protect your health now and in the future. Smoking is bad for everyone, but if you have diabetes, you’re more at risk for damage to your eyes, nerves, kidneys, and lungs.
You can get help to quit smoking by calling Quitline at 13 78 48.
Go to quit.org.au for help to make your plan for quitting.
Vaping may seem like a safer alternative to smoking, but it can be just as harmful. Vapes can contain dangerous chemicals like those found in cleaning products and weed killer. But they often contain nicotine, which is just as addictive as the nicotine in tobacco cigarettes.
Even vapes labelled as “nicotine-free” can still have high levels of nicotine. People who think they are using a nicotine-free vape can quickly become addicted without realising it.
Go to the Cancer Council to find out more about vaping and e-cigarettes.
They can alter your mood, how you behave and your ability to think clearly. Regular drug use can cause health problems as well as addiction. They can distance you from family and friends and cause legal problems that might affect your future.
Currently, there isn’t a lot of research on the effect of illegal drugs on type 1 diabetes. But if you have diabetes and take drugs, you do face extra health risks. Some of these risks can lead to dangerous or even fatal situations. It’s important you know about these risks so you can manage them and stay safe.
If you take drugs and have type 1 diabetes you’re more likely to miss meals, increasing your risk of having a hypo. Or you may forget to take your insulin, increasing your risk of having high blood glucose levels leading to ketoacidosis (DKA). DKA is life-threatening and requires emergency medical attention.
It’s important to know what you’re taking before you try any drug. Do some research or talk to your diabetes health professional to understand the effects of the drug.
Read, listen to, or download our fact sheet:
Go to the Alcohol and drug foundation for more information.
Your health is important, and taking drugs can be risky and dangerous for everyone. But having type 1 diabetes makes even more risky.
So take care of yourself and stay informed!
Mixing drugs, including with alcohol, can be dangerous and make it harder to look after your diabetes. If you take different types of drugs at the same time you’re more likely to pass out, stop breathing, vomit, overdose, or act dangerously.
This can lead to health risks such as:
As someone with type 1 diabetes, there are some key things to remember about sex, relationships and pregnancy planning.
Sexual health and diabetes
If you are sexually active, it is important to use contraception. This help prevent an unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), both of which can have additional health risks for people with diabetes.
To find out more:
Sex and blood glucose levels
Remember, sex is a form of physical activity that can lower your blood glucose levels. It might not be convenient but you may need to have a snack before sex so that you don’t get low and if you can check your levels too, even better. Having some hypo food handy is also good, just in case.
Talking about your diabetes
Wondering when to tell a new partner or date about your diabetes is a common concern. It’s usually better to share this at a time you feel comfortable. Most people have a limited understanding of diabetes but are generally happy to learn. How you present your condition can influence their perception — the more you make diabetes part of your everyday life, the more comfortable others will feel about it.
If you’re a woman with type 1 diabetes, you can have a healthy baby. But careful planning is essential. If you’re thinking of becoming pregnant now or in the future, it’s important to talk to your diabetes health professionals. They can support you to plan and prepare for a healthy pregnancy and baby and help you access subsidised continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) or flash glucose monitoring (Flash GM) devices for pregnancy planning through the NDSS.