It feels a little strange to be posting about marijuana and I hope no one is offended by the subject, but I have questions and no type 1 diabetic friends to ask. So in short, I am an 18 year old getting ready to start my freshman year of college and with college comes the chance to try some new things, pot included. I've heard mixed reviews about the combination of pot and diabetes, but all my information so far has come from random google search results so I don't really trust anything I've read. The appeal of pot is that it may be a safer alternative to drinking at parties, so please keep in mind that if I were to smoke it it would not be on a daily basis or as some kind of alternative treatment to my health condition. So my questions are:
can smoking pot, like alcohol, cause one's bloodsugar to crash?
is it harder to detect lows while high?
is it relatively easy to remember to test?
(this question may seem silly, but my brother told me smoking pot speeds up your metabolism temporarily) if pot does speed up your metabolism, would smoking it and not eating anything (including low-carb stuff) cause bloodsugar to crash?
is it safe to fall asleep while high? (with alcohol, it may be harder to wake up if you go low while asleep)
any general comments/tips/experiences would also be appreciated
If you can't tell, I'm kind of a worrier, haha. I just like to try to get a general idea of how certain things could affect me before I try them. Also, I'm aware that everyone's body handles things differently, like I said, I just want a general idea so I can be prepared.
Also, what are people's experiences with harder drugs? I'm in no way interested in trying any for myself, I've just always been kind of morbidly curious about that sort of thing.
The obvious answer is dont do it.. There is no reason to do it to fit in. After several trials and just not significant pleasurable results I simply said to friends.. do what you like but Im not interested thank you and went about having a conversation with someone else. They should respect your wishes especially if your not judging them or reacting to what they are doing. Just remember its not just you that you should worry about because if something were to happen to you at a party is anyone else going to be "with it" enough to care for you. Its a double edged sword right?
Also I would be concerned about the cravings you get after smoking and would you be able to control your f00d intake and functionally figure your insulin need etc. Many things to consider. We lost a classmate way back in my day because he was diabetic and got drunk at a party trying to fit in.. peer pressure and no one knew he was diabetic so when he was stumbling around and collapsed.. they just thought he was drunk. :-(
Sorry I couldnt help more, by the sounds of your questions you pretty much already know it shouldnt happen but I understand you wanting to be a normal college kid. You will be surprised how normal you really are when you get there! :-) Good Luck!
I found that MJ causes me to lose awareness of my sugars, both High and low. I found in college that it was easier to manage MJ than Booze, but still.
The muncheez you get from it might cancel that out anyway.
I think most young people try it at some point. I never got hooked or anything,
I just did it a few times here and there throughout college and for a little while after,
Then I just got tired of it. I live in a state where it is legal to posses and buy, but I have not had a inkling to even bother with it.
Personally, I have no problem with you experimenting with what I consider a 'soft' drug, as long as you don't overdo it! I have a T1 friend who has issues with pain, and has not only the OK but encouragement from her endo to indulge a bit at night so she can sleep more pain-free. Doesn't seem to have any impact on her BG.
I can tell you from my pre-D college days though that the munchies are strong and seductive, and you probably won't want a celery stick! Please, be with someone who isn't indulging and knows you are a PWD the first time if you decide to try it. Don't drive, etc. etc. Maybe set an alarm to check your BG.
The hardest drug I have ever done is hash, and that was just basically like super-charged pot. I was diagnosed in 1975 and pot was really common then, at 14 years old I asked my pediatric endocrinologist after she had finished with the alcohol lecture, well then "what about pot?" to which she replied, "I honestly don't know you will have to tell me". I took that to mean my doctor told me to smoke pot, which I did. The munchies probably caused some serious bs spikes, but this was in the day when the only way you could tell was by urine testing no 5 second glucometers. The pot itself, while pleasurable, never had an effect where I couldn't function but it definitely slowed my responses and brain clarity. At the same time, I was using pig insulin, not the new analog insulins which can cause some serious lows in a very short amount of time. In general pot and alcohol make you less aware and therefore less able to take care of yourself. They slow your response time, and while I don't think the metabolism speeding up thing is a big deal I do think the lack of clarity thing can be a dangerous combination with T1 D. A light beer or toke off a dooby will not kill you,but you should seriously think about a designated "type 3" to keep watch if you do in fact decide to partake. My husband is allergic to alcohol, so I always have a designated driver, type 3.
Here's my two-cents: ANYTHING that causes an altered state will result in you being less aware of your BGs. You may find that you're unable to feel your highs or lows. I know when I drink alcohol, even a little bit, I completely lose the ability to feel if I'm going low. If you're around a bunch of college kids who have no idea what type 1 diabetes is or how to deal with you when you're low, DON'T DO IT. Also, if you're at a party where you could be taken advantage of in an altered state, don't do it. It's just not worth it.
If you really want to try some pot, do so ONLY when with people you trust and who know how to deal with the diabetes aspect of things. Once I was at a party and went low. People just thought I was drunk. My "drunk" and "low" apparently look very similar. Thankfully, I was able to treat the low, but I was nearing the edge of being unable to help myself. It freaked me out enough that I decided it wasn't worth it. I later realized that I could have died.
And this may sound crazy, but....maybe you can try a little with your brother or parents? You could also try drinking small amounts of something you're likely to find at a party (such as cheap beer) and see what happens. Find out what your threshold is. Find out what happens in the hours following the consumption of that beer. It's best to test these things in a safe environment first and experiment.
If you're at a party and everyone else is drinking and you want to feel a little more normal, you can fill a cup with diet ginger ale (everyone will just assume it's beer, trust me) or some clear, carbonated liquid. I have done this many times and no one even notices. Plus, I think more and more people now are respectful of others who choose not to drink. We all make personal choices for a variety of reasons, and as long as you own that choice, no one is going to probably say anything.
Also, I can tell you from lots of experience that there's only one thing MORE fun than being high or drunk at a party - it's being completely sober when everyone else around you is high and/or drunk. I've had some good laughs watching my friends make complete idiots of themselves in such states (once I laughed so hard I literally wet my pants. Thankfully, no one noticed).
i am in my 30s and was only diagnosed just last year so i have thankfully not had to deal with being a young person with D. i can imagine your forays into the party world at university will be a bit dicier than for a non D. i was a party girl at uni and beyond and at the weekends still have my wine with dinner and the occasional big night out. after the D diagnosis i chilled for a couple of months, too afraid to do anything.
my advice would be, if youre going to experiment with weed, to do it in a relaxed atmosphere, not at a big party, where there are people that you trust and know about your D. when i do indulge i check my bg before i smoke and then hourly. i keep my phone right next to me so im aware of the time. smoke very little and see how you feel. i snack on a limited number of nuts(which i tend to go crazy with, smoking or not) and then crunchy veg like red and green peppers and grape tomato dipped in ranch dressing.
my bg never does anything funny when i am smoking, it is always very stable but mmv. i have never gone low or high. i am honeymooning though, so this may have something to do with it. or not. with drinking i experience lows i cannot feel at all, like im in the 50s and feel pretty good. this may sound crazy to other people, but i think i am much safer smoking a joint than drinking. im also not a habitual pot smoker who smokes massive amounts. thats for me, though, other people may have different experiences.
be smart out there! good luck!
I really don't think it would be a good idea- you don't need pot or alcohol to have fun and party. It could make you unaware of your normal bg reactions and seriously endanger you- you could have a really bad reaction, so for me it wouldn't be worth it at all.
If you were taking it for medical reasons under supervision that would be a different situation. I have tried pot/hash in the long ago past and it really isn't anything that great you're going to be missing out on imo- I didn't like pot overall as it made me feel paranoid and then there are the munchies, not good for someone with D or for anyone really as you're going to eat a bunch of high carb junk probably.
In addition it is very bad for your lungs if you smoke it, just as bad or worse than tobacco.
I think a glass of wine here or there would be a better choice if that doesn't affect your bg too much. I hardly ever drink alcohol, I have some wine once or twice a year as I'm very sensitive to it and it upsets my stomach if I drink it on a regular basis.
I plan to not drink at all now due to D except on a rare occasion. I don't miss it because I don't like the depressive after effect of alcohol either, but I do love the taste of wine with a meal.
I have a feeling you will probably try this anyway, so please do it with someone who is not stoned and who will watch over you if you do.
As a daily smoker and T1D I can tell you that myself personally have never had any complications/issues with smoking. My blood sugar has never crashed (as a direct result of smoking), although when I was diagnosed I sometimes felt a "false low" after smoking. With time though this went away as I was able to differentiate between the two without any problems. I never really got crazy munchies so the only advice I can give is have will power or a low/no carb snack (sugar free jello and whip cream is my jam). You can also go to sleep high (best kind of sleep)without any issues. If your drinking as well just test before going to bed. If I'm drinking I like my levels to be above 100 before I fall asleep to avoid going low in the middle of the night (drink water too!). If your that nervous about going low do a quick test if you wake up to pee or something.
I've also discussed this with my endo and he said as a doctor I just shouldn't smoke weed, with or without T1D, but as far as diabetes control/management goes it should not effect anything. Only real concern is that any kind of smoking will restrict your blood vessels, but it isn't like boges where you will have 5+ full cigs a day (or more).
Also if you smoke and forget your diabetic that needs to test, let me get some of whatever your smoking.
EDIT- Word to the wise- first 4/5 times I ever smoked I didnt even get high at all, so dont be surprised if you feel like nothing is happening the first few times....completely normal.
You sound like an intelligent, independent and responsible person, and I therefore feel that all the peer pressure and "you don't need that" comments are out of place. Point is, if you want it diabetes should not stop you from doing it.
Actually I had a very similar approach last year, and I posted my questions and experiences in this discussion, which I found very helpful. Short version of my experience is, I ate half a space muffin and had a scary low, which I had to treat with about 80-100g of carbs/sugar until I came up. I've also read somewhere that the munchies are a kind of "low bs of normal people" - makes sense to me. (I also did a lot of walking these days, so who knows how that came into play... but I also had my basals reduced to 80% as a precaution.)
Well, there are definitely more experienced persons round here, than I am, but I would be on the lookout for lows. Of course YDMV. I second the ideas of trying in a safe place first. Anyhow, have fun making your own experiences!
I have smoked plenty of pot and still do on occasion with little problems. I smoked quite a bit in college, more than I care to admit, but that was the least of my worries. I agree with "Vera J." that you shouldn't let diabetes hold you back from doing anything you want to do. A couple pieces of advice, some of which you've already heard here...
Make sure you are around people you trust and make sure these people know you have diabetes. When I was in college, my friends thought it was fun when I let them give me shots (not while stoned/drunk). There will come a time where you need help, and its important to have people around that know you have diabetes. Make sure you check your BG. I have recently been noticing that I have a low blood sugar feeling even though my BG is normal. I will test a few times right in a row b/c I don't trust the number my meter is telling me. But I have never had an instance where pot has caused my BG to drop. Watch it with the munchies. When I first started smoking, I would get the munchies quite often. It doesn't happen to me much anymore, but you need to be careful b/c sometimes you just can't stop. I noticed that you are still injecting insulin. If at all possible, you should get a pump. It will make your college life so much easier. I went through college still injecting and refused to get a pump. But now that I have one, I wish I had it in college. Temple is in a great city and you should get out and do lots of walking. This will not only help your BG's, but its also fun to do while your high!
Here's my advice: 1) Don't do it at parties - if you want to smoke, do it when you're at home or with a few trusted friends.
2) Don't get cross-faded - being both drunk and high at the same time is a recipe for an unpleasant night, even without T1.
3) Don't experiment with food. If you're one of those people who eats plenty of carbohydrates, eat something you've had a million times and know exactly how to bolus for (example: I occasionally get burritos from a Mexican place near my apartment and am always at 110-130 2 hours later). If you do the low-carb thing, then find something yummy without a lot of carbs. In any case, you should know what you're going to have on hand before you light up.
4) Enjoy yourself - if you don't enjoy it (plenty of people don't), then don't keep smoking.
As for harder drugs, I wouldn't. Psychedelic drugs (mushrooms, salvia, DMT, peyote, etc.) will probably not screw with your BG, but they will make you completely unable to function. Cocaine and amphetamines are extremely addictive, awful for your cardiovascular system (and MDMA pokes holes in your brain), and you can actually have a fatal OD. Hash is just super-charged pot, but beyond that, I think the harder drugs are all bad news and would stay away.
I work for a county attorney in a state where it is a complete no no. I could cite you so many cases where young women have "wanted to try it out" only to find it had been laced with something else and find themselves scared naked and raped the next day. As someone who sends young people to substance abuse counseling and has to walk them through the legal process, I would advocate for you to not do this. I am very sad to see people on here encouraging “try it if you want.”
I haven't smoked for a long time, but I went to art school, so.. this is something I know a thing or 2 about... I'll skip the standard disclaimer;
It would be hard to detect lows or highs, so it is important to test before, and while you are high. It is very easy to remember to test. probably easier than when you are not high.
If you are getting sleepy, maybe leave your bg a little higher.
It won't cause your bg to crash, but it will speed up your heart rate, which I didn't like.
Also, smoking anything is very hard on your lungs. If this is what you do, get a vaporizer.
You may get very hungry. Drink plenty of water. All food will taste equally good, so eat stuff that won't drive up your BG.
As with alcohol, there is a big difference from having a drink and having 10. I have seen people get faint or go into minor convulsions from getting too stoned. Use common sense.
I spent a good portion of my younger years in high school high. I never really saw it had much effect on my blood glucose on way or another. BUT you can develop a wicked case of the munchies. AND usually its for whats sweet and carby and bad for you, but I think too over time the cravings go away. I hung with all the artys types, lol we were all a bunch of wanna be hippies. I agree with others definately smoke with people you trust. I always smoked with my friends and I knew exactly where it came from. Go easy at first, like anything the first few times it wont take much to really feel the effects of it. And just enjoy. I never really cared for getting messed up at parties, but I always loved just handing with a few close friends, and just enjoying it.
Dear whatever, Yes, you are right about alcohol. There is even a case I have heard about where the D-bag put a date rape pill in a new bottle of water, and then sealed it off with a little glue so when she opened the bottle it felt new. Next thing she knew she woke up with 2 guys inside her. The only way they caught the Fuc%er was that they did not have the forethought to pull out the poor girl's tampon and his gu was found when they had to surgically remover her tampon that was shoved up inside of her. Why don’t you lose your attitude with your “really's” and “whatever's” and act like a grown adult, whether you agree with smoking or not, right now in most of the US it is against the law.
i dont think anyone is actively encouraging use of drugs here, but i think we have to be realistic. megasauraus asked for advice about smoking pot. while telling her to just say no is the standard advice given to any teenager/young adult about drug use, we all know that peer pressure and just plain old curiosity can drive us to explore and experiment. i know you wouldnt refer to your own post as a scare tactic because your job forces you to see the outcomes of these worst case scenarios, but most people who use soft drugs like pot with a group of trusted friends do not end up scared, naked and raped the next day.
just my 2 cents. i am in no way trying to insult you, start a major discussion or anything like that.
@pancreaswanted I do agree with you that i am not try to scare her straight - and i do not find your reply an insult (thank you for your ability to see both sides attitude)- I was simply commenting on the fact that so many posts before me said "yah man no big deal" for me it is against the law which makes it a big deal- just like i drink beer and wine i however am very strongly against drinking and driving- yet i know so many (whether through work or personal) who say "yah man no big deal i can drive" and you know what they make it just fine - however we all know that DUI is no little joke and kills, so i would never tell someone "yah no big deal man go ahead and drive" I have gone through the Colorado State Patrol academy and have been around the bad end of DUI and Drug driving- it’s not a scare tactic its real life- some of the issues I see today is so many folks think its ok, but until it is legal its not
