Azathioprine and alcohol

[eleanor_rigby]

Hello, I started azathioprine on the 6th April 2016, I took 25mg for one week and have since been on 50mg. I have a hen party coming up at the end of May and I am wondering how much alcohol I can consume? I am worried my friends are going to want to do lots of shots and they don't know about my diagnosis or medication.
Thanks

 

[Scipio]

I don't know the exact amount of alcohol that's tolerable except to say "not very much." As you probably have been told, combining alcohol and aza can damage your liver.

But you don't have to tell your friends anything about your medicine or diagnosis. Just say you are taking it easy on the drinking for health reasons - that drinking very much at all doesn't agree with you, or some other vague thing.

 

[MmeMagpie]

Volunteer to be the designated driver?

 

[DEmberton]

That's a very low dose. I'm on 150mg, and I doubt I'm 6 times your weight.

To be honest on 3 of the 8 days I've been on Aza I'd had some alcohol before taking them, and nothing bad has happened. The leaflet I have only says of alcohol that it may make any nausea worse, so really it's a question of whether you have side effects. If you do you probably won't feel like drinking.

 

[eleanor_rigby]

Thanks for your replies, I can't be the "driver" as no driving is required, we are all staying away from home in an apartment.

I weigh 49kg and I'm 5foot5. I'm underweight and struggle to put any weight on. My GI says when I put weight on I will go up to 75mg but I won't go any higher than that. I currently have no side effects from the medication and still have Crohn's symptoms so I don't think it has kicked in yet. I hope it will kick in at some point!

 

[MmeMagpie]

If you must drink, the next best thing I can think of is opting for something that is best when daintily sipped and savored over a long period of time. Like a very nice, old scotch

 

[Shkurka]

You can drink a glass of wine without any problems, given your dose. Still, touch before the bachelorette party with your doctor. Ask how much alcohol you can drink and what kind of alcohol you are allowed to drink because this is also important. I remember the days when I drank every day when I was in college, probably because it was very difficult for me to study. The only thing I could do was drink a bottle of wine. After a while, I became an alcoholic, but at the same time, I graduated from college. And so I'm trying to stop drinking alcohol, but nothing comes out, so I'm thinking of signing up for a sobriety club on this site -- https://www.theluckiestclub.com/join-community. Maybe this will help me.

 

[eleanor_rigby]

Wow this is an old one of my threads. I can confirm in the last 6 years I’ve remained on azathioprine at 50 mg. I have had occasions where I have got black out drunk and been OK. However the hangovers are god awful. I rarely drink except on occasion.

 

[FruitPastel]

Went on Aza in my first year of uni.

The only downside i had was that my hangovers were alot worse piercing headaches vs the constant groggy-ness. (just seen the person above me said the same)
I did stop taking it after a couple of weeks at uni but for a number of weeks i was drinking hard and im still about with no (known) liver issues
Every time i ask my Dr about drinking on it they say something like "I cant advise on that" but none have mentioned liver problems so go for it.

 

[Pug Gamer]

Im on 150mg daily of azathioprine and due to restrictions on my diet, I have very very rarely had any alcohol. And none for years now as it can cause flares for me.
I did however notice that when I had a drink (at weddings) it would get me feeling drunk very very quickly. Now I never was a lightweight so that was abit of a shock. Maybe my other medications cause it, but I didn't remember this before azathioprine tbh.