The drinks with a higher CHO content will cause the glucose levels to rise higher while you are drinking. But because of the increased risk of hypoglycaemia (see next section) it is not usually necessary to count the carbohydrate content of alcoholic drinks when estimating your insulin doses. Things that are more likely to affect your glucose when you are drinking are the foods you might eat (eg snacks in a bar or takeaway meal) so you will consider the insulin needed for these and you will need to count the carbohydrates in ordinary sugary soft drinks like lemonade, colas and fruit juice if you are also drinking those.

Some people find that they consistently get higher glucose readings after drinking. If this is a pattern for you, you may find giving an insulin dose can help to compensate for the carbohydrate content, but be cautious – give no more than half the amount you calculate according to your ratio and ask your local diabetes team for personal guidance.