Use caution when you are consuming alcohol. Depends on what you might be consuming, there is some carbohydrates in it that will mess things up. Just remember that there is a tomorrow morning and should you have had too much, you still have the injection you need to take Sounds like you are going to be responsible. Liquor sales people have not got rich from me by any stretch but they have had some business. Try to have no more than 2 drinks when I have consumed and always with diet pop. (Just be careful. People out there think that females are good for one thing and one thing only and will not care whether you are diabetic or not). .
Small glass full of ice water with a tiny straw! Most people will think it is either Gin or Vodka.
Treat alcohol with the same respect that you treat carbs. The standard health advice is that a woman should limit her drinking to 1 drink per day, not every day. If you set yourself a limit of one drink (two on occassion) you are much less likely to run into trouble. I was a binge drinker in my early twenties. It’s not safe and it’s not fun.
Maurie
The DP is caused by the glucose production of the liver. For me alcohol pretty much blocks this capability of the liver for several hours. Especially the next morning has the highest risk of going low. But people seem to have very different experiences - some go low later, some are still very sensitive to carbs, some will need additional carbs. Another chapter in the individual book of diabetic experiments…
It’s sort of handy but your doctor’s not going to prescribe “drink 4 or 5 cocktails every night” 
Fascinating. I realize that I know nothing. Maybe next to nothing. You got my vote for the next geek award.
Thank you for all of the wonderful advice. It’s not my first time drinking, but I am definately not experienced with hard alcohol. I don’t plan on drinking too much and I love the idea of alternating soft drinks and alcoholic drinks. In addition, everyone that I will be going out with knows me and my diabetes very well.
nice tip
My recommendation would be to experiment in a safe environment (like around your parents) with different drinks to see what works best for you and what your insulin requirements are when drinking. Do it with people who know how to help you if you get into trouble. In talking with other folks who have T1D, there’s a lot of variation with regard to what alcohol can do to our BGs, both while we’re drinking and in the hours after.
I do drink, but I do so carefully and in moderation. Some general rules I follow/recommend:
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NEVER binge drink. That’s just not going to turn out good (see http://badpancreas.wordpress.com/2011/01/10/two-shots-too-many/ for an example of probably what not to do…but also note that she had glucagon handy, which was a good thing in this case).
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Make sure that you are always with someone who knows what to do in an emergency. Unfortunately, should your BG drop really low, paramedics are going to probably just think you’re drunk. If you’re not wearing some sort of medical ID or with someone who knows you’re diabetic, you may not get treated properly.
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Stay away from mixed/fruity drinks whenever possible. They are loaded with carbs and impossible to properly bolus for. I stick with basic things like beer, wine, and basic martinis. I don’t bolus for these things.
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Be prepared to drop hours later. I find that beer and wine cause me to spike really high immediately after drinking them, but then I drop wicked low. Sometimes, the drop can occur many hours after I have stopped drinking. This can be dangerous if you’re driving a car when it happens. And I also find that the drop is FAST, sometimes so fast that I don’t have time to react. Again, individual experience may vary.
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Know that if you’re drunk or even a little bit tipsy, you might not recogize that you’re going low. Alcohol numbs all your senses and this is very dangerous for someone with D. So, if you’re drinking, test more often than you usually would.
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Avoid drinking in situations where D and alcohol could just be a bad mix. For example, I generally won’t drink around coworkers or whenever I know I’m going to be alone for the next 10 hours. I generally only drink at home or when I’m with my spouse (who knows how to handle my lows).
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Always make sure to have glucagon on hand, as well as extra test strips, your meter, and plenty of fast-acting carbs (glucotabs, juice, etc).
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Never drink on an empty stomach.
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Drink lots of water with your alcohol to prevent dehydration.
I think the biggest thing you need consider is how to drink responsibly. It’s hard to think about when you’re 21, but if you have D, you have to be far more responsible than the average 21 year-old anyway. Don’t be afraid to turn down a drink, especially if you’re having a bad day D-wise. You can also always get a diet coke and tell people you’re drinking rum & coke. I’ve done that before and no one questioned it. Finally, if I don’t really feel like drinking but feel any sort of social pressure to do so, I will get a beer and just nurse it really slow. I also something clear and over the rocks and dilute with water. I find that gives me a really nice buzz, but is easier on the BGs.
Right and he only lived till he was 39! Why not try NOT drinking and see how much fun that can be!