support for parents
Your teen and you
Tips for better understanding your teenager
Your youngster is growing up and is now happily crossing the threshold of adolescence with its share of outings with friends and … whether we want to admit it or not, its first consumption of alcohol.
Well! Type 1 diabetes does not really mix well with alcoholic beverages. Too much alcohol can cause severe hypoglycemia. Mixed with juice (cocktails), it can cause hyperglycemia. This is also the case for some trendy drinks.
What can you do to prevent a disaster while letting your teenager live his life?
Guiding rather than judging
L’alcool, votre ado et vous
Calculate carefully how much he or she drinks
Remind your teen that glucagon is not efficient while treating a hypoglycemia induced by too much drinking
Have someone of the group be aware of your teen’s condition
Always have the diabetes management kit handy
Bring some snacks to eat while drinking
Check the blood sugar, before, during and after drinking alcohol.
Keep watching glycemia even 24 hours after drinking
When you drink alcohol at night, you may still experience a hypoglycemia in the morning if you are T1D, according to a study that was published in the magazine “Diabetes Care”.
Moreover, the symptoms are tricky. It is hard to tell whether you are experiencing a hypo or simply if you have drunk too much (mood changes, dizziness, unsteady walk, blurred vision).
Your teen has overdone it a bit?
A few tips to avoid complications:
- Consider reducing long-acting insulin or nightly flow by about 30%.
- Check ketones if blood sugar is extremely high or if youth is vomiting
Thank you to Dr Geoffroy for his precious advice!
Source
Diabetes Care, July 2005 ; vol. 28 : p.1801-1802
Alcool et diabète : quels risques et quelles précautions prendre ?
Diabète de type 1 : alcool du soir, hypoglycémie du lendemain
