Alcohol abuse and type 2
My husband is an alcohol abuser. Drinking 5 to 7 higher alcohol level drinks a night and more on the weekends. He has type 2 diabetes and takes insulin daily. He had high blood pressure and high colesterol and takes medications for both. Sometimes when he really over drinks I’m afraid I can’t tell if he is just drunk or if it’s a diabetic emergency?? He does NOT monitor his blood sugar for one thing… but he will pass out. And it’s hard to wake him. When I do he is incoherent makes no sense, slurs his words and falls right back to sleep. What should so do??? I’m terrified that he might go into a diabetic emergency and I’ve just ignored it. AND please don’t tell me “he should just stop drinking” he is an alcoholic, he won’t stop until he’s dead. I’m looking for advice on when I should call an ambulance!!!!
My heart goes out to you,
. No, you certainly can't tell an alcoholic to simply stop drinking. Addiction is a powerful disease and none of us are in a position to judge here. So I hope people will be kind, supportive and realistic in their comments.
Unfortunately, we are not medical experts, so we can't really tell you how to tell the difference between too much alcohol and the complications of high blood sugar. I would most definitely err on the side of caution though and call an ambulance if you can't wake him. Chances are that his blood sugar is dangerously high whenever he drinks too much, so you are not overreacting if you call an ambulance.
Do you know how to test his blood sugar levels? Could you get his permission to do a finger prick in these situations? I would call an ambulance anyway, but if he lets you do a finger prick while you are waiting for help, you will have critical information to give the first responders.
Have you considered attending Al-Anon meetings, if you don't already? You cannot make him get help, but the support you get from a group like Al-Anon can be crucial for your own emotional and physical survival. Without help, he will continue to spiral and it's important that you protect yourself from spiraling as well. Here is a link to information about Al-Anon in case you are interested: https://al-anon.org/al-anon-meetings/.
Please know we are here for you. Hugs! - Lori (Team Member)
