I have to complain somewhere so I hope the members of this board will listen and maybe share their similar stories. Doesn't it just make you so angry when wait staff or bartenders make dumb comments when you don't order alcohol with the rest of the crowd or ask for specifics on the preparation or ingredients of food? It is really starting to anger me. I just recently decided to start hanging out with my friends again at bars or restaraunts. I was always afraid of having to explain myself to wait staff and having all these people listening and thinking I was a hypochondriac. It took a lot for me to take this big step and realize I shouldn't have to feel awkward because I order seltzer water or coffee instead of a martini. Why should diabetes keep me away from my friends? I often become the butt of a joke for a friendly bartender who can't IMAGINE why I would order seltzer on a Friday night. Then comes the uncomfortable silence from all my friends, because they feel bad for me. What about when I go to a restaraunt and they tell me something has no added sugar or that it is diet and then 2 hours later I am dealing with high sugar? I get the feeling that alot of wait staff think I am trying to diet and they don't realize how destructive a mistake can be. Why don't the staff of restaraunts and bars use their brains? I don't want to have to explain that I am diabetic all the time. I shouldn't have to.

I am a waitress and I can tell you they are out of line. I dont care what you order. Its none of my business. If you ever come into my bar you will get what you want. Rude comments and not giving you what you want would cost me a tip.
BTW my friend is diabetic and she was told at the diabetes clinic that she could have hard alcohol as it does not afect blood sugar levels, but that she could NOT have wine or beer. So if you want you can have an alcohol with diet soda, or a martini.

Gracie

Gracie-Is that true? I didn't know that diabetics could drink alcohol. I get low blood sugar frequently and was told to stay away from all alcohol because I get bad drops in my blood sugar.

Falling-I know what you mean. When I changed my diet everybody at work really laid into me. People were constantly laughing behind my back because they thought that it wasn't going to do anything to help me. Once they got past the diet thing they started questioning me about everything I put in my mouth. I finally told everybody to stay out of my business.

First of all, it is absolutely not true that hard alcohol doesn't affect your blood sugar. It affects it differently and can actually cause your blood sugar to go up and then drop quite low. For this reason, diabetics are advised never to have even one drink unless it's with a meal.

However, I agree with all of you that what you eat or don't eat is nobody else's business! Actually, the best way to handle people who are teasing you about alcohol is to quietly, and with great dignity, say "I'm diabetic, therefore I don't drink"...it usually embarrasses the hell out of the rude person who was making comments, and that's exactly what they deserve!

Also, for those of you who get constant advice from people who "know someone who is diabetic and their doctor said they_____" (fill in the blank here), my response to those people is that I work very closely with my endocrinologist, I've had excellent care and trust him, and I follow his directions, not anyone else's! I try to be polite and dignified about it and educate people at the same time. I think that sometimes the comments just come from ignorance, not meanness.

Ruth

falling-don't drink any alcohol, not just wine or beer. Just got word of my cousins friend, who is not diabetic, almost dieing after a drinking binge. He was drinking alcohol-not wine or beer. He was throwing up and passed out at the bar. His sugar went up to 800 when he was taken to the hospital. He almost died! Alcohol is serious poison. Ruth (above post) has really good advice.

DeeDee,

How'd his sugar go up to 800 if he's not diabetic? Just out of curiousity.

what i meant to say is that he wasn't known to be diabetic previously. Now I guess he is.

Oh, duh. Guess I could've figured that one out myself! http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

You shouldn't really drink heaps being a diabetic, but I thought it was okay to just have a little. If you're eating, of course. My bf is type 1 and at weekends we go out to a club, and he usually ends up pretty drunk. Being a guy of 22, he wants to be "one of the guys". On the way home, I always make sure we stop off at the chip shop and he gets a meal to take home. He's alright if he does that, and his blood sugar is okay.

This one time, we stopped off at the store and he only got a packet of noodles. When he got home he only ate those and then went to sleep. He wonke up in the morning and started to have a seizure, then fell into a coma. I had to call the ambulence. I had only known him a short while when that happened. It was pretty scary!

That happened, cos, not only did he not eat a proper meal...but when drunk he took too much insulin.


Sorry for rambling on, btw.

Your boyfriend of 22 better take better care of himself...I would suggest you take him to a dialysis unit in a big hospital and ask everyone there if they are a diabetic...you will find at least 50 percent are and a few of those have had amputations...it is a sobbering experience.....let me tell you.

saskia

MissJ1983 -
I agree with saskia...your boyfriend's drinking habits are likely to get him into serious trouble, being diabetic. It's okay for a diabetic to have an occasional drink; it's NOT okay for a diabetic to be gettting so drunk that he doesn't know what he's doing (re insulin shot), or can't stay awake long enough to eat. He could have just as easily died from that coma as made it through.

When I was in New Orleans during Mardi Gras, a few years back, we had to take my cousin to the hospital, the reason isn't important; because it was so difficult to get in and out of the French Quarter, the ambulance actually picked up 3 other emergencies on the way. One of them was a college girl, a diabetic, who had been binge drinking. She died later that night.

So, best advice for diabetics: alcohol in extreme moderation, and only with a meal.

Ruth

I'm not diabetic, but had another sickness which caused me to change my diet. I stopped eating high sugary foods and drinking alcoholic beverages, amongst other things. I felt the same way, every time I went out to the restaurant with these co-workers.

Sometimes I would have one alcoholic drink instead of my usual iced tea, but then they would try to push me to drink more. http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/hammer.gif I constantly would have to put my hand over my glass and say no. I don't know why they expect us to drink (alcohol) so much.

When I go out, with friends or relatives I get the same strange comments when I refuse dessert. I just tell them no and get real funny looks. http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/rolleyes.gif I don't have diabetes, but I just don't want to eat or drink that junk.

I just thought that I would write. I know how you feel. It makes me a little perturbed too. Sometimes I have given them back comments, that stops them.

Think of things along the lines of poor diet and gaining weight. You could say something like "I'm watching my weight". They immediately clam up, for most of those heavy eaters and drinkers have lot of extra pounds. I say it quietly and politely to not hurt their feelings, but the teasing and "pushing" somehow stops.

For me, if they still persist, then I get on my bandwagon about eating healthy and preventative health care etc. etc. They immediately get bored and stop. http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

All I can add to the subject is that after being diagnosed as a type II diabetic is that all my friends and family have been very supportive. People at work are constantly asking me questions and then asking me if it's okay to eat certain foods when we go to lunch. I actually take it as a compliment when they start asking questions as it shows they truely care about me. I'm 33 now and was diagnosed about 8 months ago. The one thing that I do miss is going out with friends/co-workers after work for the occasional drink (on my part - I work with a large group of "Functional Alcoholics" - not that they are alcoholics), but when I do go with them, they don't pressure me to drink and respect my decsion for the diet coke. As far as waitstaff and information on food, I never had anyone give me a hard time, and if they ask why, I just explain that I am diabetic and need to keep an eye on what I am eating. Seems to help as when I go to the regular spots for lunch, I don't really have to ask anymore, they will let me know about a food if it's something new I am ordering.

Hi,

Not sure how relevant my posting will be ...

Like previous replies, I too have to watch what I order when I "eat out". However, my case is with beverages.

Weird as it may be, I cannot touch coffee, tea and/or alcohol in any form (well, mebbie i can in cooked foods). In fact, any drink containing caffeine (reason? I've terrible insomnia; my GP can testify to tat). As for alcohol, I just can't stomach it.

Wanna know something else? Frens keep telling me with regards to alcohol, "... but ... but ... u have to DRINK ... when u go with business clients for meals ..." AND my likely response? "... Doctor's orders tat I stay away from these 3 amigos". (no offence meant). Business deal or my health/death? ;P

I wish u good luck.

I have always felt that if you don't make the situation into a big deal, then others will respect it. Just be firm. If you care to disclose that you're abstaining from alcohol b/c of diabetes that's fine. Or you could say that you can't drink b/c of medication you're on right now. Or you could simply say that you "choose not to drink". Considering how PC things are nowadays - I've found that when you are firm about it, people back off.

In regard to food - if it's an unfamiliar restaurant, I try to "excuse" myself from the table and see the manager after I've taken a look at the menu. I've always found that they've been more than willing to accomodate me.

I just stay away from sauces and salad dressings - ask for something grilled. I'd rather play it safe than suffer the consequences later.

I also keep an "emergency meal" in my trunk - some nuts/bottled water/tuna/etc - so if worse comes to worse, I can eat something en route and just have something light.

I was diagnosed Diabetic Type II about 2 months ago. Since then I have learned alot about the disease and its effect on those of us who have it. One thing that I have noticed is that there is alot of differing information on all aspects of the disease, especially the diet and care of it. I'm on glucophage, 1,000 mg/day and although I've had some of the symptoms, I am grateful that it hasn't given me much problem at all. I've done really well in a short amount of time and my doc is actually talking about decreasing the gluchophage or removing it all together if my next H-A1C numbers are in the good range. As to the alcohol, my doc told me that one or two drinks occaisionally and with a meal wouldn't be a problem. However, each of us is very different so before any consumption I'd just check with a doc. Different medications and other particulars about each of us may be the reason for differences. And in everything I've read, it actually lowers the blood sugar, and at times that can be dangerous for anyone who really struggles with inconsistent levels.