diabetes and marijuana

[TymanO5]

Ok ive had diabetes for 5 years this coming week and i am 15 years old. Diabetes has deffinently changed the way that i go out with friends and i relieze that i cant do all the things that they do to have fun, like drink alcohol. I know that alcohol and diabetes doesnt mix but im curious to know if marijuana has any other side effects on a person with diabetes or if it is still the same as a non diabetic. I have never smoked marijuana before but i might be in a situation next week where people will have some. I wanna know that if anything does happen and i do take some that im not risking myself to an extreme high or low blood suger.

Thanks,
Tyler

[Zoelula]

Complications begin to develop at numbers over 140, so the fact that you are "only 184" isn't necessarily something to be happy about.

[theonlycure420]

http://www.thegic.org/video/cured-a-cannabis-story-a-film#ixzz10EHTZQ3k
and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0psJhQHk_GI&feature=player_embedded#

[CHails]

I'm 33 years old and have had type 1 for 9 years now. I use to drink pretty heavily & still have an occasional 20 beer/drink night. I've found that if I just stick to light beers my blood sugar levels stay level throughout the night. I am on Lantus, so this is probably why they stay level. You really just have to be concerned about taking too many shots. Hard alcohol will lower your blood sugar because your liver will start to  produce insulin. So, basically if you stay away from regular or dark beers & too many cocktails (always do diet of course, unless you want to take a shot) or shots you should be fine. I do agree with many posts here about the next morning lows. I believe this happens because your liver is still detoxing the alcohol & therefore producing insulin. Just be sure to eat a light breakfast & shoot up less insulin than you usually do, maybe 1 unit less.

[phishintime]

I was diagnosed with type 2 five years ago. at that time I stopped drinking smoking cigs and cannabis....everything. Once my levels were back to normal, I began smoking cannabis once again. And I did everything in moderation, taking careful notice of my levels etc. And I have even talked of this with my doctor when my blood works results would come in. THC doesn't affect you period, only the smoke you inhale which has chemicals from the burning, key words, from the burning, vaporize and you wont get the harmful chemicals.

Now I have began to have a drink every now and then, and I do notice changes in my levels when I drink. But even before I knew I had type 2 I did not drink much at all, so my drinking is even less then before now.

Cannabis is my only "social good time" choice. And people assume way to much, just because you smoke cannabis, doesn't mean that you will do other drugs and become a waste of space. I work, I pay my bills, I go to school full time and I'm an excellent daddy with normal A1c levels, better cholesterol levels then my doctor and I'm fat. Which since finding that I'm type 2, I have dropped over 50 pounds. So hopefully, I will soon be in the skinny ranks.

I think everything depends on the person and their self power to overcome issues. I smoke almost 3-4 times weekly and I have never had a problem. Like someone said before, its the person who gives in and forgets to stay on track their levels. If you have mental problems, lack of energy or just hate life in some way, you shouldn't do any drugs, legal or not.

So do what you want, just keep your head on straight, keep your mind right and you'll be fine. But for me, THC on the brain is better then any drug on the shelf. And you can never kill yourself and you will not get addicted, unless you have a weak mind as I said before.

Society has been taught that many things are really bad for you, when they truly were not. So with that I'll leave you all with this: THC on the brain for 15 years, and I have never stole, cheated, killed or robbed a bank. So you decide who's telling the truth, an actual user who is honest, or a corrupt FDA and federal government that will lie, steal and cheat its way to make themselves more powerful in any way they can.

[wertt]

My two cents:

I'm 28 and was diagnosed a type 1 diabetic at 18.  I didn't start drinking until i was 24 and didn't start smoking weed until a year ago.  Nowadays, I smoke somewhat regularly (once a weekish) but I almost never drink.  Like many people have said up above, alcohol has a severe impact on blood sugar, often for hours afterwards.  It generally makes my whole evening unpleasant as I have to carefully monitor my blood sugar and often wake up low in the middle of the night.

I've found weed to have all of the pleasant effects of alcohol without any of the complications.  It doesn't change my blood sugar in any meaningful way and I am able to keep my wits about me and make responsible choices in terms of snacking and the like.  I ALWAYS make sure I have my meter with me, though.  I'm usually pretty bad about checking my sugar...I have a good sense of where my blood sugar is and am always aware when it's going low or if it's extremely high, but weed does impair that feeling a great deal.  On a couple of occasions I've had my blood sugar get extremely low (in the 30's) or gone extremely high (because I mistake feeling a little stoned for my blood sugar dropping and eat something when I shouldn't).  In general, however, I can be a lot more lax than when I'm drinking and, as long as I'm in the company of people who are weed friendly have no interest in ever drinking again.

And yeah, the whole gateway drug thing is total garbage.  The only potential danger is that it is illegal and, in addition to the possible legal ramifications, has to be acquired illegally (occasionally from some pretty shady people).  Weed itself has definitely not turned me into a criminal and, if anything, has made me a more productive individual.  My wife (who is a teacher) gets home from work and enjoys a glass of wine to wind down.  A couple puffs at the end of a long work week has the same result for me.

[Live_abetic]

Boy there are a bunch of comments here!
I'm actually in the process of becoming a substance abuse counselor! With this knowledge I hope that you all can appreciate the view I have on drugs and marijuana. I think its ridiculous that marijuana is illegal in the first place, for a million different reasons. I used pot myself from age 13-22. I was diagnosed with type-1 at age 14. During my more "spry" years I really didn't notice a difference in my blood sugar levels when using. I DID notice, however, the massive food cravings, which would lead to me eating a bowl of lucky charms in my bed and passing out with BG around 300. Pot also helps you sleep harder through the heavy breathing, body aches, and pounding heart rate.
    The reason I stopped smoking was because I realized how stressed out I became after smoking in regards to my blood sugar. When I was high I couldn't distinguish my bodies "messages". I felt like my sugar was dropping every time I smoked, which was almost never the case. Later on I would feel tired and get a headache (sound familiar?). I decided that in order for me to really make the best of the body I was given, I would have to quit drugs (pot was the least harsh of the drugs I tried), start exercising regularly, and eating the freshest and most diverse foods to better my health.
   I feel absolutely great today, I don't have to worry about my health failing or getting in trouble with the law because of drugs. I'm working on my masters in Rehabilitation Counseling and have aspirations to achieve an MD in psychiatry.
   In the future, I would be more than happy to answer any drug-related question openly and honestly. Abstinence is a great alternative to using, but ultimately information is the key to a safe lifestyle, whatever that may be.