Can I deduct diabetic drinks, I am type 2?

[MayaD]

You can deduct the drinks as medical expenses if it is recommended by your doctor.

Diabetes expenses include:

• The purchase price of blood sugar monitoring kits.
• Test strips.
• Insulin and other medications prescribed by your doctor to treat your diabetes.
• Other deductible medical expenses include your payments for hospital and doctor visits, prescription drugs (but not over-the-counter products),
• Weight-loss programs and most other treatments your doctor recommends.

For more information please check:

Tax Deductions for Diabetes

[Opus 17]

Special food is only deductible to the extent that it costs more than regular food, even if it is medically required. The IRS says this,

You can't include the cost of diet food or beverages in medical expenses because the diet food and beverages substitute for what is normally consumed to satisfy nutritional needs. You can include the cost of special food in medical expenses only if:

1. The food doesn't satisfy normal nutritional needs,

2. The food alleviates or treats an illness, and

3. The need for the food is substantiated by a physician.

The amount you can include in medical expenses is limited to the amount by which the cost of the special food exceeds the cost of a normal diet.

Your diabetic drinks would be allowable under #2, but you can only deduct the part of the cost that is more than the cost of a normal diet.  It's up to you to determine what that excess cost actually is.