Diabetes and Recreational drugs
Recreational drugs are the drugs that people take for pleasure rather than any health condition such as marijuana and cocaine. Recreational drugs can result in severe health risks to all users. For diabetic people, the use of recreational drugs or mind-altering drugs can be very dangerous over time.
If someone having diabetes, it’s good to have sufficient knowledge about the effects of recreational drugs. Realising what certain substances or drugs can do to your blood glucose management and overall health is crucial.
Every recreational drug has different effects
There are a variety of recreational drugs available in the grey market, some which possess mild effects while others can produce an intense effect for longer periods.
There are examples of some recreational drugs:
Marijuana or cannabis: smoking and ingesting marijuana has hallucinatory effects and sometimes anxiety and paranoia might occur.
Cocaine and amphetamines: injecting or snorting these stimulants (cocaine & amphetamines) can result in increased heart rate and increased body temperature.
LSD and psychoactive hallucinogenic drugs: LSD can cause an increased heart rate, blood pressure and hallucinations.
The effects of recreational drugs depend on several factors such as the amount in which it is taken and the person’s overall health. If a person is diabetic, recreational drugs, even alcohol and caffeine can be severe.
How do drugs interact with diabetes?
While significant research has been done on how alcohol and nicotinic drugs affect diabetes, there is not enough knowledge about the effects of illegal drugs. There is no data about their effects because drugs such as cocaine, marijuana, etc are illegal in many countries.
People with diabetes should be aware of all the possible effects recreational drugs produce. For instance, consumption of some drugs can make the person unconscious or disoriented, forgetful, suppress appetite, and can even drop the blood sugar level.
The low feeling after taking drugs can imbalance your blood sugar management. Thus, it will be good to avoid recreational drugs and talk to your healthcare provider about their effects. Drugs are not for pleasure and enjoyment rather should only be used for medical purposes.