Teens with Type 1 Diabetes and alcohol/weed

[Anonymous]

I have a daughter with Type 1 Diabetes and I’ve read all the literature about interaction and risks associated with use. However,l am hoping in an anonymous forum some parents may share their experiences. Basically, my older teen has decided weed is safer for her than drinking, and that she’wants to partake socially. All experiences and advice appreciated.

[Anonymous]

I think independent of Diabetes, is the effect weed has on a young person's brain (and drive and motivation). I'd emphasize that. My kids don't have chronic or a serious disease, but weed is still a no-go for that reason.

[Anonymous]

My stepson has type 1 and smokes. His use waxes and wanes from a few times weekly to daily. The biggest problem we notice is that it is murder on his blood sugar stability. I don’t know if he’s less careful about dosing, snacking, less motivated to exercise. or something directly physiological, but we have access to his daily sugar numbers and it’s really way to tell what evenings he has been smoking. (He doesn’t live at home anymore)

[Anonymous]

She’s right about alcohol being worse in terms of carbohydrate overload, but weed would give munchies, lack of motivation to exercise. Not good either.

[Anonymous]

Concern with alcohol is going too low which is the scariest part with drinking. And passing out while low. That’s where the college deaths come in. Weed could make you not recognize a low but to my knowledge it doesn’t physiologically help create lows as alcohol does.

Many Type 1 teens and young adults choose weed for this reason as well as the anxiety of living with a tough disease.

[Anonymous]

Echo the above PP. I had a good childhood friend who was Type 1 went to Tulane, which at the time had quite the Rep. for drinking. Sure, enough, he died after a few drinks while in college.

Weed is bad, for all the reasons people mentioned. But alcohol would scare me more.