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Alcohol - how much of it is allowed in the UC?

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Posted 8/29/2007 12:05 PM (GMT -6)

Hi.

I want to ask you, how the alcohol impacts on your UC course. I've never drunk any alcohol drinks. I've achieved the adult age, so theoretically/legally I'm allowed to drink such stuff. However, I wonder if it can have any negative impact on my disease - in addition, I'm in a remission currently, which's been difficultily achieved with infliximab (Remicade). It would be very, very stupid, simply, if I worsened this status with drinking.

I know that some people drink pretty much and don't notice any harmful effect, but I don't know if it depends on the drink type. What is the most mild/ most harmful liquid for the UC-ers? Is beer safe?

And the most important thing: how much alcohol can I drink safely? I want to emphasize, that I'd drink only very occasionally (my liver has enough work with the drugs I take).

Cheers

Posted 8/29/2007 12:08 PM (GMT -6)
Use common sense...less is always best...but don't ever binge..that will be much harder than occasional drinking.

With UC and the meds you're on, I would say...don't drink at all and keep your liver happy.

q
Posted 8/29/2007 12:15 PM (GMT -6)
Hm, maybe it'd be most proper. But I feel like trying (it's not very responsible, I know)...
Posted 8/29/2007 12:22 PM (GMT -6)
Hey, you're the caretaker of your body. Your decisions. Please don't binge...

And with social anxiety, drinking can become an easy crutch/addiction. I'm from a family of alcoholics with anxiety and depression..and if I could handle alcohol, I may have gone down the same road.

You have choices...and when you make them be it good or bad..it's YOUR responsibility.

Try not to set yourself up for too much regret.

Drink...but be responsible.

quincy
Posted 8/29/2007 12:26 PM (GMT -6)
I see. Thank you very much for the advices, Quincy. :-)
Posted 8/29/2007 1:08 PM (GMT -6)
I went a very long time without drinking and thought that if I drank it would destroy me and set me back alot. The few times I tried it again, I might have gotten carried away and maybe it was bad timing, usually just off prednisone. I went nearly 2 years without drinking and still went out to bars despite people always puzzling over my lack of drinking, and always ordered water, since soda is a no-no for me. Lately, I have found that, just like everything else, alcohol in moderation is not the end of the world or the start of a flare. I don't ever drink beer with all the wheat in it (since I had a slight gluten sensitivity when I first was diagnosed) and the terrible carbonation. I stick to vodka and cranberry usually because cranberry juice is good for you (but sometimes they give you the syrupy kind which isn't as good so if you make it at home, you can often be better off) and recently occasionally have sangria in a bottle - not mixed with all the crazy stuff people can mix into it. I have heard/read in a number of places that high-end vodka is the purest of alcohols, hence the vodka. Either way, I have done alright with the occasional drinks and its nice to be a little social - like quincy said, don't overdo it - like doing shots, etc. The first time you try it, only have a glass or two...I think that was my mistake when I first tried it years ago getting off prednisone. Since I hadn't had anything to drink, I had more than I shoulda and paid for it just feeling overall crappy. And don't drink if you got something to do the next day. Just use commons sense. Hope this helps.
Posted 8/29/2007 1:13 PM (GMT -6)
I don't drink at all when i'm flaring, maybe very rarely a few guiness. But that would have to be a special occasion. When you are in remission be sensible, but you should be able to drink whatever you like. If you are partying or out drinking remember that the drugs you are on(RemiCADE) are already making your liver work harder than normal.
I have found that even when in remission alcohol causes bad IBS issues that usually last a few days. Usually pain on my right side with frequent D. Although i have recently found that Guinness does not cause me many problems. I think its because its not gassy and that it doesn't have a high alcohol content.

Marty
Posted 8/29/2007 1:25 PM (GMT -6)
I think moderation is key. I don't drink when I'm flaring either. Otherwise I occasionally have a glass of wine. More than one glass and my tummy is not happy w/ me the next day.
Posted 8/29/2007 2:18 PM (GMT -6)
My doctor believe it are not wanted me to drink a glass of sweet red wine every night because it is suppose to lower your cholesteral. I cant take the meds to lower it and it is very high. but anyway I tried it but after about three days it gased me up really bad and I got really bloated from it and then the D started it took me about a week to get straightened back out.
Posted 8/29/2007 3:11 PM (GMT -6)
I deleted your duplicate post. Please only post the same topic once per forum rules. Thanks!
Posted 8/29/2007 4:34 PM (GMT -6)
I have been on remicade for 1 year and 8 months. I am also now in remission. I am in graduate school and like to go out sometimes. I usually dont have a huge problem with alcohol. Sometimes if i drink too much i have loose stools the next day, but other than that i am perfectly fine. It has never lead to flare or caused any other problems. Everybody is different. I would say give it a try, and slowly get a feel on how your body responds.


Rachel
Posted 8/29/2007 10:30 PM (GMT -6)
this is a hugely important topic, b/c UC robs young people of so much fun/comraderie, and like it or not, going out and having a drink is a key social component for a vast number of people. In short, I've struggled with this constantly.

My findings:
Wine is BAD. Red worse than white. Anymore than a glass and I actually start having UC symptoms, remission or not.
Beer is BAD. I haven't tried Guinness, but I've tried the rest. Bad gas, bad IBS symptoms. Kicked off my flare last year.

Vodka is OK. I've had a LOT of vodka at times, even while not totally in remission. No problems, whatsoever. Not even loose stools the next day. Drink it straight (ugh), or with tonic (not soda water-- lots of crappy high fructose corn syrup!).

I haven't had any luck with gin, tequila, or rum, neither. A darn shame.
Posted 8/30/2007 11:37 AM (GMT -6)
I drink in moderation and have not stopped even while flaring.  I only drink white wine and

Sleeman Clear beer, no hard stuff.  It has no effect on my UC.

Posted 8/30/2007 3:56 PM (GMT -6)
I'm on Remi, and I have the occasional glass of wine; usually white as red can do me in. Although the Italian red wines dont' affect me at all -- not sure why. Anyway, just thought I'd chime in.

Posted 8/30/2007 6:36 PM (GMT -6)
My scientific study has concluded:

Wine: OKAY for me
Tequila: OKAY, if it's a good tequila, straight up
Vodka: EH, a small amount of high quality stuff
Gin: NO
BEER: Heck NO, like soda, gives me gas
Whiskey: NOOOO (much to my dismay)
Rum: ??

I think wine and tequila are okay for me because they are not grain liquors, just my theory
Posted 8/31/2007 6:05 AM (GMT -6)
I don't drink much but I'm the same as AKB. Any other alcohol then vodka will make cry like a baby the next day even in remission. Vodka has no affect on my Uc. I try NOT to drink but once again, like AKB said, it's rough to be in a social situation and not join in. Please be nice to your liver and don't overdo it.
Posted 8/31/2007 6:17 AM (GMT -6)
Im on asacol.. and ive been binge drinking a lot in the past year without any noticeable effects on my bowel.. but then again im in remission. If i had a flare up, I dont think i would drink.. infact I dont think i would FEEL like drinking..
Posted 9/1/2007 2:58 AM (GMT -6)
Like the previous post I also binge drink however I'm not in remission and it doesn't seem to do me any harm.
I spent the first 7 months of this year really ill with UC and unable to drink due to meds (cyclosporin stopped me). Now I'm just on pred, azathiropine and asacol there isn't anything medically stopping me.

I can go out on a weekend and drink for 8 hours or so, drinking mainly pints but with the odd whiskey or whatever else thrown in and have no worse symptoms the next day.
If anything I feel better as I'm back to do doing what I enjoy and not stuck in a hospital bed or sitting at home.
I wouldn't recommend binge drinking (even for people without UC), just saying that it doesn't do me any harm and I quite enjoy it.
Posted 9/1/2007 8:31 AM (GMT -6)
Binge drinking is most difficult on the liver...it has to work mega hard to clean out the constant overload of alcohol in a short period of time.

It has no effect??? not yet. Too late once you've reached the point of the liver being compromised.


Try not to think of it as a UC issue....think of it as a survival issue..over the long term, for the meds and the fact of having UC will/can all affect the liver..with our without drinking.

The fact that you quite enjoy binge drinking is a good warning sign for continuation.  It's awesome you admit it.

Live for today..yes..but it probably won't be your last day.  Moderation is good.

q

Posted 9/1/2007 5:33 PM (GMT -6)
For me, I personally HATE the taste of beer, so I couldn't tell you what affect it has on me. Although when I drink "girly beer" like Bacardi Silver, I tend to have some bleeding in the morning and maybe kind of gassy or burpy. I can not do straight shots of liquor because it's almost guaranteed that I will throw up. Margaritas and the like are the best for me, especially when they're the smoothie variation- I think the ice and extra water helps to keep me hydrated? I don't know, but I love them. :)

And as everyone said- MODERATION is the key.
Posted 9/1/2007 7:10 PM (GMT -6)
Yea binge drinking is supposed to be the worse but a glass of wine a day is ok i hear
Posted 9/3/2007 11:21 PM (GMT -6)

Thank you all for the responses. They've given me some knowledge about the case. Actually, I'm thinking only about moderate quatities of alcohol (although "moderate" means different thing, depending on the person).

It's actually not funny situation - the great majority of people want to try such stuff in my age, but on the other hand, I doubt if it's worth it.

Anyway, need to consider all the pro-s and contra-s.

Cheers!

tjf said...
I deleted your duplicate post. Please only post the same topic once per forum rules. Thanks!

 

Well, I made that post because I's trying to make a poll. Unfortunately, I didn't manage it - you've some weird system of adding the polls. I'm wondering now, how could I make one in some old topic of mine. confused

Posted 9/5/2007 8:58 AM (GMT -6)

When im in remission - alcohol is usually OK - although I get hangovers much easier than before I went on all the meds I am on.  Actually, just 2 glasses of red wine now give me a mild hangover. 

Speaking of red wine - I am flaring, and I had 2 glasses last weekend with my dinner, and then I spent the whole night running to the toilet. And the next day was truly awful. So, it looks like red wine is now completely out :-(

Cant drink beer or alcopops at all - make me really sick..

I really miss my binge-drinking days

Posted 9/5/2007 10:33 AM (GMT -6)
These are my personal experiences and not meant to be saying it's ok to do what I do and what I did. I don't think drinking has ever affected my UC (rectum).
I was dx'd when I was 24.

I was a big drinker/hard partying person from 22 to 28 going out about 4 nights a week and drinking 4 nights a week, some nights only a few, some nights at the karaoke bar quite a lot. I mostly drank Captain Morgan, Hard Cider and Wine.

From 28 to 31 (I turn 32 at the end of this month). It really varied, my husband and I are social drinkers and rarely drink at home. I got older, got tired of the bar scene and probably went out 2 nights a week on avg and drank from a few to a lot more. stopped the captian morgan, it hurt my stomach.

For the past year I go out about 1 to 2 nights a week and rarely have more than a few drinks. I'm too old for the hangovers anymore. Plus i've been there done that night scene and actually like getting up early and doing stuff during the day now.......who knew?

Anyhoo, it's all personal tolerance, for example, my body hates coffee, but not everyone else's does.

Just a question, why do you want to start drinking? I see now problem with a couple every now and then but check w/your Doc, definitely b/c of all your meds.
Posted 9/5/2007 11:50 AM (GMT -6)
This is like your coffee thread... alcohol is never recommended for someone with IBD and can do nothing positive for your health. If you're not currently drinking and would have to deal with the social stigma of suddenly NOT drinking, I don't know why you'd want to start.
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