alcohol and GPA/WG

[stephwest]

I have not read much about alcohol and the drugs we are taking (I know all pharm-makers in massive lists of warnings say no to booze) but my Chemist says a couple of cans Guinness is not a concern and may help relax, or a couple glasses of red wine may be good for other reasons, but to avoid the hard stuff like gin and whiskey.
Is it the pred or MTX that is the best to avoid alcohol, eg; MTX on Tuesday Guinness on Friday or pred at 9.30am red wine at 9.30pm .
From diag on 7th July 2013 I have not had an alcoholic drink but the pain of the torn back muscles I am tempted to have a glass of beer, is this ok.

[Pete]

Mtx has the greater impact on the liver. USA protocol is no alcohol while on mtx for first year, and very little thereafter. European protocol was 1-2 drinks a month.

I have an occasional beer or glass of wine (maybe one in 6-8 weeks). However, I have discovered some pretty good non-alcoholic beers (label says less than 0.5% ABV) such as Kaliber (made by Guinness), Clausthaler, Buckler (Heineken), etc. I'll drink maybe a six pack of these over two weeks. It satisfies my desire to enjoy a beer without messing up my liver. I take my mtx on Wednesday night and don't drink alcohol for at least 36 hours following.

[NikkiNicole]

Recently, my liver function tests went a little wonky and my doctor immediately reminded me that I need to completely obstain from alcohol while on MTX. I've only been on it for 3 months now and recently switched to the more potent injection style.
I like to enjoy a glass of wine with dinner on "date night" so it's a little bummer that I can't have that.
MTX is hard on the liver ... and I don't want to take any chances.

[SpaceflightAddict]

My Wegs doc said the same thing, no alcohol while on MTX. He did say a beer or two a week on CTX is fine though, and if i'm real good, my remission drug might be something a little less harsh on the liver, Mycophenolate I believe.

[stephwest]

My Hospital team never warned me not to take alcohol with Methotrexate, what dose are you all on, maybe my dose of 20 mg per week is low and not a liver problem?

[NikkiNicole]

I'm at 20mg per week and it's made my liver get a little cranky at times. Everyone is different though.

[Wegetarian]

In one book I read I got the notion that most doctors do say we should be careful with alchohol, and some docs would say no alcohol while on MTX. I also understood that its because of its affect on the liver, which might already have a hard time with the MTX. My liver values have always been really low, and I've allowed myself to have a few beers per month but really cut down on drinking and haven't gotten drunk in ages (although I would love to, so annoying to go to an open bar and not drink anything... sigh...)

From the nutritionist who gave us a lecture at the spa I also gathered that large amounts of alcohol promotes inflammation in the body, so that would also be a bad thing for us vasculties (while a glass of wine could be a good thing).

Maybe you can ask your doc?

[vdub]

I don't even worry about it. Have to die of something someday, so may as well die with a smile....

[annekat]

I am on 15mg. MTX, which is a pretty low dose, but it still warns against alcohol on a sticker on the bottle. My doc never mentioned it. I don't worry about it a whole lot, either, as long as there are no negatives showing up in my liver numbers. I may have a small drink for several nights in a row in a given week, but it is always a very small amount, like one third shot of vodka in some fruit juice. I don't suppose it is the best idea to do it several nights in a row or on the same day as taking MTX, but I admit I have done that. I wasn't sure whether it was about doing it on the same day or about doing it at all.

[pberggren1]

I only drink every other day......just like my pred.....:razz:

[annekat]

I was drinking a small bit every day while under some stress.... tonight I had some and it didn't make me feel good so I think maybe I'll try to back off a little. I have recently gone back and forth between every day and not at all for several days, a couple of times.

[stephwest]

How much do you drink ? and is it beer/wine/hard stuff.

[stephwest]

I only drink every other day......just like my pred.....:razz:

How much do you drink ? and is it beer/wine/hard stuff.

[pberggren1]

I actually only barely ever drink. The only times I usually ever drink are when I go to my sister's house when I have my lung dilations and usually only have 2 or 3 drinks. And during the winter I will occasionally eat those liquor filled chocolates. That is about it.

[annekat]

I figure alcohol is alcohol and it wouldn't matter whether it was beer, wine, or the hard stuff. Just with the hard stuff you might need to be more careful about the amount. By the same token, you could overdo it by thinking it's just beer or wine so you can drink more. I use hard stuff, vodka, but use such a small amount that I doubt I get more alcohol than someone drinking one beer or glass of wine, maybe even less. I add about a capful to a glass of fruit juice, never a full shot, and almost never more than once a day, if that.

[Debbie C]

I'm only on pred but my docs told me having a couple glasses of wine would be fine..might even be good for you. I don't drink like I used to . I seem to get headaches when I stop so I don't start !!!!!

[annekat]

I never heard anything about pred and alcohol, just MTX.

[mishb]

I seem to get headaches when I stop so I don't start !!!!!

Looks like you will have to just keep drinking, Deb - if you don't stop, NO headaches :flapper::flapper:

I just don't touch the stuff anyway. Haven't found one that I like the taste of.

[Alysia]

cong for you Avatar, stepwest. is that you ?
speeking of alcohol, I am like you, Michelle. never drink. don't like the taste :w00t:

[stephwest]

cong for you Avatar, stepwest. is that you ?
:w00t:

Yes that is me at start of GPA (but not yet Dx) on holiday in hotel room with English Channel in b/ground.

[Tom]

I asked about a beer or whisky on occasion and the Dr just shook his head and said don't drink any alocohol. But I think it was just his personal reply because he never explained why and I didn't ask,but I do have a whiskey sometimes 2 a week. But they did put me on Cellcept(mycophenolate) because it was easier on the liver or wasn't processed thru the liver of something like that. Cellcept is a transplant med.
My Wegs doc said the same thing, no alcohol while on MTX. He did say a beer or two a week on CTX is fine though, and if i'm real good, my remission drug might be something a little less harsh on the liver, Mycophenolate I believe.

[annekat]

I think it is mainly the MTX that is a medical issue with alcohol because of its potential effect on the liver, especially over time. If we aren't taking MTX, that wouldn't apply, unless there are specific issues with other meds and alcohol. Many of us who take MTX still enjoy an occasional drink, and if nothing negative is showing up in our blood work as a result, it is probably OK, or that seems to to be the consensus.

I can understand a WG doc making a blanket statement not to drink alcohol, since we have a serious disease and needn't complicate the issue with what is essentially a recreational drug. But I do think of it as something of a personal opinion. I think there are a lot of people who abuse alcohol or drink more than they need to, since after all, it is legal. I'm not saying anyone here is in that category. But these warnings may be given with that fact in mind. If people think it is OK to drink with WG or while on MTX, some may overdo it with negative effects. That is the way I interpret it, anyway. With MTX, one should exercise more caution and make sure to get the bloodwork regularly.

[Tom]

I agree Anne. When I talked to the surgeon that did my colon resection about it being caused by smoking and he said that colon cancer was more than likely a dietary cause. He did say if I wanted help to quit smoking that they offered help but he said only if I was ready to quit. He wouldn't preach not to smoke as he was a smoker and chewing the devil out of a piece of gum and I think I was his last operation as he retired that week. But I think I got the same thing about the drinking an adult beverage. I don't abuse it but it is refreshing once or twice a week. Just a couple drinks. For what its worth, Im told that alcohol takes the oxygen out of your blood if used in excess.