How dangerous is alcohol, really?

Crohn's Disease Forum

Help Support Crohn's Disease Forum:

C

crohnsbrian

Joined
Apr 11, 2012
Messages
1
I've been diagnosed and treating with Pentasa/Omeprazole for about two years. For about a year I've been drinking alcohol pretty regularly. When I was first diagnosed my doctor told me to avoid alcohol, and pretty much every crohn's sufferer I've heard about doesn't drink.

I very rarely experience pain from drinking - I know what my limits are with certain type of alcohol. But I'm wondering if I'm putting my bowels at greater risk in the long term.

Thanks!
 
Hello Brian,

Well I have no idea about drinking alcohol or not - However I will take 95% of all the medical advice I am given but I will always enjoy a beer with friends, wine with a meal and cigars! All this will be in moderation. I get huge enjoyment from these pleasures - so it is all about a balanced approach.

All the best,

Rob
 
I used to drink pretty heavily myself, and for the first 2 years after being diagnosed I drank more if anything, even when on predisolone. nearly every weekend, not forgetting the holidays in ibiza and various other trips to europe where I would get wasted. At the time I didn't think I was doing any damage and felt fine but looking back now I wish I'd stopped. Now i've had a resection gone wrong and got a temp ileo and have barely touched a drop in the last 12 months, and have no intentions of drinking again. If you drink small amounts in moderation then I'd say be sensible , but i certainly wouldnt recommend the binging that i used to do. I've no doubt it led to me having further flare up's and problems controlling my disease.
 
I stopped drinking when I started my enjoyment of Crohn's. Mostly because if I was going to throw up, I wanted to know why. I'll have an occasional beer now, but not much more. Not worried about throwing up because I discovered moderation, but I find that a) I get buzzed a whole lot quicker now b) it gives me the runs c) it upsets my bowel bacteria. Not really worth having much more than a beer anymore.
 
I can tolerate a couple drinks in a day, but any more than that and I'm in worse shape the next day. I also find that I get nauseous easier these days.
 
At 1st I was fine, but soon found some alcohol didn't agree with me. I'm ok if I don't get drunk too often and don't drink twice on the row
 
I wondered about this too, I've been diagnosed with having crohns for 13 months so far. I miss my one to two grape vodka and sprite drinks I used to have once or twice a month. I'm afraid to touch a drop seeing that I still can't work because of my crohns, doc visits, and constant body infections preventing me from going to any job interview etc. :( I really miss vodka once in a great while. I'm afraid if I drink it, my intestines will inflame right away and I'll be sent to the hospital seeing that I'm still in a flare :(
 
I find the more refined and less sugar drinks are the better for me.
Vodka doesnt seem to bother me, but i have to drink it straight (coke, too much fruit juice, fizzy drinks etc cause me problems). I can also tolerate white wine, but not red. Not sure what the difference is as i cannot stomach red grapes either but white grapes are fine

Maybe have a glass and see how it goes, just remember to drink in moderation and give your guts plenty of rest afterwards
 
I have never drank much.
To be honest I am afraid to even try now I have Ozzie stoma. I might have a glass of wine one day when i feel better. Will let you know how it goes!
 
I was 22 when diagnosed, and the only time my GI told me NOT to drink was when I was on Flagyl. When not on that, I would continue to do what all my normal, 20 something friends were doing, including drinking. I didn't get drunk often, as I have always hated throwing up. But would get darn happy. I still drink, but again, don't get drunk.
 
Dr.Who said:
i had ONE BEER, and it put me in the hospital. never again beer.
Click to expand...

:stinks:

That is what I am afraid of! Plus I don't like any feeling of being hung over. Am in enough pain most of the time anyway! Why add to it.
 
I can't drink....even a glass of wine makes me ill. Its not worth it. I would love a glass with dinner without worrying if my guts were going to pour out 20 min. later & the effects would linger for the following week to 2 weeks.
I have never been told not to, that I can remember. I just can't...
 
shamrock15 said:
I stopped drinking when I started my enjoyment of Crohn's. Mostly because if I was going to throw up, I wanted to know why. I'll have an occasional beer now, but not much more. Not worried about throwing up because I discovered moderation, but I find that a) I get buzzed a whole lot quicker now b) it gives me the runs c) it upsets my bowel bacteria. Not really worth having much more than a beer anymore.
Click to expand...

+1

I too have had issues with drinking even one beer. Since surgery, I haven't had a drop of alcohol.

Alcohol is an antiseptic, so it will kill the flora in your gut. This is my bet why the D is so bad after a night of drinking...
 
Its actually really good for a person to drink 1 glass of red wine every single day. In fact the people that hold the records for the oldest ages do that. It could be different with crohns though but that would be based on how it makes you feel. I know in my life right now I could do that with no problems at all.

Its rare for me to drink now just because I've got out of hanging out with those crowds and I'm just too busy with school and what not but I've definitely been to the point where I forget what I did the night before and didn't have any problems crohns related.

Everyone will give you a different answer (doctors included) so its all about what works for you.
 
No alcohol at all for me !
I end up in agony the next day with my stomach , full blown D , an bad joint pains to the point I can hardly walk !
So for me it's not worth it , Im always pressured to drink by friends , family etc but I remind them that I won't b able to function the next day or 2 and if they would like to have the time off work to look after my kids an make sure they get to go to their friends party's or school or the park whatever then that's fine with me ! Lol
I never actually get an offer as u can imagine !!!
 
I usually feel ok with alcohol, but like the others say it depends what I drink and how much. I think its ok in moderation. And I'm young and a uni student! I'm not guna give it up if it doesn't make me feel too bad, I want to enjoy it :)
 
I drink in moderation. When I was first diagnosed, I wasn't legally old enough to drink and was frankly too sick. Once I turned 21, however, I did drink quite a bit. I don't know if it contributed to my Crohn's being bad throughout my 20s, though. Now I am too old to drink more than one or two drinks per week, or I suffer for it. But I refuse to let Crohn's ruin my life, and I like to have a glass of wine or a martini every now and then. But if I'm on a med that would contraindicate alcohol, then I abstain, such as when I was on methotrexate.
 
I also drink in moderation. I can have a couple of pints if I'm out, beer has never been a problem for me, but I have to avoid red wine. I'll limit myself to one glass of wine if I'm eating a meal. The same goes for any spirits, I like sherry and scotch, but only one glass. More is bad.

Having said that, I don't drink every day or even every week so it's never a huge issue.
 
I like a drink or two with usually no probs, i can't drink 2 nights in a row but always like a few on a friday night. I can't drink white wine or fizzy drinks as mixers. If I have too many my tum will be tender for sure in the morning but short lived. When I was in a flare though I couldn't drink at all except I craved guinness (must've been the iron).
 
I must admit it was one of the 1st questions I asked my surgeon - talk about getting your priorities right lol, he said it would be fine in moderation as long as I can tolerate it which I can thankfully once a week. I don't smoke now and keep myself pretty healthy in other ways.
 
I certainly can't drink as much as I used to, and I tend only to have a couple glasses of wine at the weekends these days. I have spoken to my doctor about it and he says if it doesn't have a negative effect on my gut then its ok. But i've decided to give it up entirely for one month and see how I get on. So MAY is my dry month and if it makes any sort of a difference then I would consider giving it up entirely.
 
Drink Moderately & Enjoy
My Last one was years ago, I could drink for about 6 years after 1st diagnosis 1992.?
Then, the desire for no pain is Easy.
Welcome, Ryne
 
Well my consultant said it would be ok for me to drink...until i got this fistula which means drinking a hell of alot of water when i am drinking so that i don't get dehydrated but i do occasionally go out and get drunk and if i remember to drink water whilst clubbing i'm fine *touch wood*
 
I unfortunately fell downhill on the path of addictions since I was about 12, signs of an addictive personality I can now sense much better and can say I had it in me since I was 5 or 6.

For me it started with scratch cards loto tickets and moved onto the devils of all devils of gambling Casinos! Things have just gotten worse as timed passed. I have been successful in mostly everything I did in life. From jobs in early teens to becoming an entrepreneur and have been successful in all my businesses. Crohn's though also had a toll on this as many other traumas in my life. The more I've earned the more I've lost. Anyhow back to alcohol, my addictions have ranged from gambling to spending, to being an addictive workaholic no drugs, besides prescription pills for my depression. I've never seen alcohol coming. After I've lost everything and I mean everything, including self respect, friends and relationships, partners, house, money, business, long term relationships, I started drinking heavily.

I am still drinking almost on a daily basis, unless I do not have money. It's been 2 years since I cannot recover from all the trauma and I keep drinking. I have always changed one addiction for the other, now I am left with drinking and smoking. Terrible. I am researching often on different aids to quit drinking all together, but the way I really see it is just willpower. Change the addiction for something that brings good. Alcohol destroys lives. I am a 5 Liters of beer a day drinker or 1-2 bottles of liquor. I have to admit liquor has some benefits for me but only when drinking with moderation and it doesn't work every time, as Crohn's is an unpredictable disease, one day something might make you feel well, the same thing will make you feel worse another time. I wanted to point out that it can take a very nasty path, we are told we are not allowed to drink, of course a doctor will say that to his/her patient, but with moderation it might work for some in their benefit. All the surgeons that have performed surgeries on me here are alcoholics, as I fact.
Nothing feels better than freedom, I miss those days, I've had long periods of time when I did not gamble, did not spend, did not smoke much and felt great.

Say no to alcohol, one drink today and might end up like me. I see alcohol as the worst addiction a person suffering from any digestive problem can have. Moderation is indeed the key, and even if with moderation it makes you feel bad then surely it is not for you. I will quit altogether and probably enjoy a 50 ml of liquor on holidays, bday etc.

One thing I am considering a miracle about my 2 years binge drinking spree, not even seeing a doctor in these years is how on earth have I survived? I did not feel bad for long periods of time, but now it is starting to change. I constantly feel bad.

Thank you for reading
 
Oh wow fribourg, I hope you're able to get some support and help!

I've only been diagnosed 6 months and am finding my limits. I think in good with beer & not two nights in a row. I can handle that!
 
Thank you Nancey

The only thing that stops me from helping myself at the moment is financial issues. I don't even afford to pay my insurance these days, disability is out of the question, they don't even give disabilities funds from Crohns over here, and if they would it would cover 2 months of assurance, yes ppl on disability pay health assurance over here. So it might take a long while until I reach a doc. :( I just want a colonoscopy done, medication is out of the question even with the assurance paid I still pay around half the minimum wage here on meds.
 
Im really suprised at the amount of people who dont touch alcohol due to their crohns. Its comendable and i respect anyone who would prefer to stay T-Total.

Im a binge drinker. I dont drink anything during the week then i will have a blow out on a friday or a saturday where i will be out in town then probably back to an after party. Mixing drinks etc.

I find its not great on the bowels but not extremely bad. Alcohol dries the colon so ive found if i keep drinking stool softners (maybe 3 a day) then it keeps things running smoothly. If i forget to take a stool softner then my colon and whatevers in the colon dries up and i end up sitting on the pan all day straining like mad.

People cant drink with crohns and ive found that i can aslong as im stocked up on Laxido ;)
 
Ugh fribourg, that's rough!

I've definitely noticed that I'more constipated after drinking, I bet that's why @danico85 What kind of stool softener do you take?
 
Hi Nancye

I take 1 Laxido a day. Its a sachet you pour into a glass of water. Dont take it with food. I usually take it about half 2 every day and it makes things run so much smoother. I have a slight narrowing so i cant pass dry pooh to well without straining and bleeding. When i started on the stool softners it gave me my life back. They work so well for me.

I realised recently that when your drinking, 1 softner isnt enough. You should take one before you go out and 2 the next morning and everything should pass smoothly and sets you up for the day :)

The 2 ive had are Laxido and Movicol (both are the exact same and are 100% harmless on the gut) and you can take upto 8 a day depending on how constipated you are. But ive never taken more than 3-4
 
Wine is the only alcohol I consume and in extreme moderation (3-4 glasses a year).

I drank wine before I developed Crohns. Since I had Crohns, I don't drink any less and never had any reaction.

None of my doctors have ever discouraged consumption of alcohol while I am on Pentasa. I have been on Omeprazole in the past and no restriction of alcohol then either.

One of the things that is perplexing about Crohns is that everyone has different reactions to different foods. I have books on Crohns written by MDs who are experts on the subject and none of them recommended any diet restrictions. You're going to have a reaction to something, and you have to be rigorous about being observant and taking notes.
 
I am sober for over a week and feeling much worse but I strongly believe it will help in the long run. The alcohol consumption has reached a point where my body was asking to die, better than have another drink. I don't really know how dangerous alcohol is, it all depends on your body and the amount consumed, there isn't any formula or right answer.

In my case, being an alcoholic for a bit over 16 months it is a big NO NO. I strongly advise and pray for everybody reading this post not to ever start drinking to end emotional or physical pain, never, no matter how hard it is. A drink now and then is no worse than eating some food that upsets your guts, but doing what I've done for the past 16 months.. is simply not a way to go.

Everything with moderation or not at all if possible, if it harms your body.

hugs everyone i hope everyone is feeling well.
 
A beer or a glass of wine, ok. If I drink a lot until I am really drunk, especially beer or hard liquor, I'll risk serious pain and diarrhea.
 
Another binge drinker here. I can't just 'have a couple'. It can be a problem for me and I'm not sure what the long-term implications are, but I'm sure it's not going to help!

I'd love to go tee-total and I do plan to eventually, especially when the time comes for surgery. But I'm 21 and if I didn't drink, honestly I wouldn't see any of my friends or feel apart of the culture that people my age are apart of.
 
I used to think it would actually help, especially if I was constipated. In the year or so before surgery I'd all but given up, mainly because I'd always feel worse in the evening so never felt like it.

But since surgery a couple of months ago I've been drinking again, but sensibly. Doesn't seem to be any problem. I think in the past I've had a tendancy towards binging, but with all this I'm feeling a lot more health conscious now.
 
I was never much of a drinker. Never more than a couple when out or having friends over kind of thing. I always thought I wasnt supposed to drink on steroids but i could be wrong.
 
Alcohol is known to quicken movements in the gut and can also prevent vitamin and mineral absorption.neither of which is good for crohnies.

That being said, a glass of wine here or there usually is fine. Alcohol with steroids is an
Upper gi erosion or bleed just waiting to happe.

I happen to like dry red wines a lot and have a glass a few times a week. No problems with it, but always careful to limit it.

Just one doc's opinion.
 
drank alot in my younger days up until age of 24 in 1991 used to suffer bad hangovers and finally quit after a week of alcohol poisoning ot so long after developed the stomach issues along with cluster headaches even now being investigated for cerebellum problems which gp thinks is due to past alcohol abuse its not wise to drink or smoke on an empty stomach and believe now that alcohol is probably just as bad over the long term as most illegal street dtugs
 
Here is a nice (serious?) study carried out by the cheeky Scandinavians in relation to Smirnov Ice, Elephant Beer, pure ethanol and common wine... ;)

Effects of five different alcoholic drinks on patients with Crohn's disease.
Hey H1, Schmedes A, Nielsen AA, Winding P, Grønbaek H.
Author information

Abstract
OBJECTIVE:
Many patients with Crohn's disease (CD) complain of abdominal discomfort after alcohol intake. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of ethanol and sugar content in five different alcoholic drinks on abdominal discomfort in patients with CD.
MATERIAL AND METHODS:
In a crossover study, two weeks apart, 12 healthy individuals and 20 patients with CD in remission consumed randomly red wine, white wine, Smirnoff Ice, Elephant Beer and pure ethanol. Blood samples were obtained for determination of serum ethanol and plasma glucose at 0, 30, 60, 90, 120 and 180 min. A self-reported pain symptom score was used.
RESULTS:
There was no difference between CD patients and healthy individuals in the area under the curve (AUC) for the ethanol concentration after intake of the five different drinks. The plasma AUC for glucose in the CD patients after intake of Smirnoff Ice and Elephant beer was significantly increased (p<0.05) in comparison with that in the remaining three alcoholic drinks. Abdominal pain manifestations were significantly more pronounced in CD patients following intake of Smirnoff Ice and Elephant beer, with their higher sugar concentration, compared with intake of the remaining three drinks (p<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS:
The present study shows no difference in alcohol absorption between CD patients and controls. The alcoholic drinks Smirnoff Ice and Elephant beer have an increased effect on self-reported abdominal pain in CD patients, probably due to the high sugar content in these drinks.
 
I rarely drink.I was a big beer drinker before my blockage/resection in 11-13.I can't prove my years of beer drinking brought on my CD,but I feel it at least exacerbated the situation. In close to a year since my resection I have drank 4-5 times.White wine,vodka or single malt in moderation,to be social.I notice it affects my fistulas for a day or two after.More painful/discomfort,inflammation,etc.

Since I rarely drink,when I do,I get buzzed quite easily.My theory is having a gin or vodka with ice,I can sip the drink and let the ice melt and water it down.I can get the pleasant social buzz and avoid getting drunk.I figure as the drink becomes mostly water I also stay hydrated..that's my two cents worth.

My birthday is this Saturday...perhaps a dram or two of a single malt won't be that bad.We'll see.
 
20 something years after quitting alcohol im suffering the long term consequences which are the cerebellar issues so would not recommend binge drinking to anyone or abuse of any substance be it drink drugs or junk food now wish I listened to mother n my peers in my teens lil wiser too late
 
Hi my name is John. My wife has had ulcerative colitis for a number of years.Treatment with Remicade has helped her remain stable but now has stopped working. She is having some family issues at the moment and her alcohol consumption has increased to over 21 units per day. She now has developed chromes disease and has to have her bowl removed. Is her deteration due to her alcohol intake?
 
Hello everyone!

Johnjamestierney.... what do 21 units per day mean in your country? After my posts in 2012 and 2014 I unfortunately can't say I quit drinking. I drink the same or maybe more. I usually drink around 2 bottles of wine a day red wine sweet.. 1.5L of wine that is and maybe 2 cans of 500 ml of beer. Other days I drink 10 cans of beer a day, and a glass or 2 of fine. I've now been drinking for almost 5 years I think. In this period of time i had a lot of trouble with my intestines.. lots of diarrhea especially.. not much pain but sometimes i do get the terrible pain that lasts for few days. I haven't managed to get support for this addiction over the years , haven't even tried much. I would say this kind of drinking maybe will not affect anyone right away, but in the long term it definitely affects us ..and not only affects Crohn's disease or UC but affects the entire body in general. Next year i plan to get hospitalized in an institution for alcoholic people where I will get proper support. I hope everyone is fine and again don't ever start drinking ..just drink ocassionaly in case you can, if it affects your body then I guess its just not right.

Happy holidays everyone!
 
When my health started declining in February of this year and initially I thought it was lymphoma (but that was soon cleared and the possibility of IBD was brought up after having a very high faecal calprotectin) so I stopped drinking. In the summer I drank here and there but no where near what I was used to drinking years previous. Not that I noticed any immediate changes but at the end of the summer I decided to stop drinking again until I've been on treatment a few months (still to receive diagnosis and treatment). About a month after my last drink I developed severe daily nausea and vomiting bile every morning, so I definitely didn't drink during that period. At the beginning of December it was my 21st birthday, so I decided that I could handle a night of some drinking which turned into a night of heavy, I must of had 5 pints of beer and 10 cocktails... But no elevation of my pre-existing symptoms the following day or weeks later. I think it's individual about when, what and how much one can drink, I'm lucky enough to have what has been described as mild IBD and maybe that's why I can handle drinking in between flare ups.
 
All I can say is that having given up smoking, sex ,roller skating and avoiding reality TV, I need a couple of drams to maintain sanity.

Aged in oak and well into my seventies, along with Crohn's , ischaemic Heart disease, peripheral vascular disease and mild diabetes ( diet controlled) I am sick and tired of collecting diagnoses. It is better to collect stamps or coins, methinks!

Should I pass with a glass of Black Bush ( irish whiskey); then so be it!

Cheers,
Merv
 
fribourg said:
Hello everyone!

Johnjamestierney.... what do 21 units per day mean in your country? After my posts in 2012 and 2014 I unfortunately can't say I quit drinking. I drink the same or maybe more. I usually drink around 2 bottles of wine a day red wine sweet.. 1.5L of wine that is and maybe 2 cans of 500 ml of beer. Other days I drink 10 cans of beer a day, and a glass or 2 of fine. I've now been drinking for almost 5 years I think. In this period of time i had a lot of trouble with my intestines.. lots of diarrhea especially.. not much pain but sometimes i do get the terrible pain that lasts for few days. I haven't managed to get support for this addiction over the years , haven't even tried much. I would say this kind of drinking maybe will not affect anyone right away, but in the long term it definitely affects us ..and not only affects Crohn's disease or UC but affects the entire body in general. Next year i plan to get hospitalized in an institution for alcoholic people where I will get proper support. I hope everyone is fine and again don't ever start drinking ..just drink ocassionaly in case you can, if it affects your body then I guess its just not right.

Happy holidays everyone!
Click to expand...

I wish you the very best with your addiction treatment. You certainly have nothing to be ashamed of, in fact I admire your honesty will and determination. Those are qualities that anyone should be darn proud of. I particularly appreciate it when people are real about their challenges in this life. The first major thing to dropping a bad habit is to acknowledge it. I realized this about smoking cigarettes and I successfully quit about four years ago. I have never looked back. Too much of anything isn't particularly great for us (in my opinion). I know I sure toned things back since being afflicted with IBD at 27. I truly hope you can have a healthier, happier and more successful new year. You CAN make your goals a reality. Happy holidays. :)
 
I gave up drink after I was diagnosed.

The way I see it, if you have a chronic illness, what's the point in poising yourself?
 
I am 55 years old newbie to Crohn's but find a few glasses of wine I get drunk, have become a real light weight regarding alcohol.
I suffer muscle joint pains the day after also abdominal pains and the dreaded diarrhoea!
 

Similar threads

D
Dating at 40 with Crohns
Replies
1
Views
2K
Mountaineer01
M
K
So confused after apparent relapse
Replies
6
Views
1K
Opieshuffle13
O
N
Does this sound like Crohns?
Replies
1
Views
1K
my little penguin
my little penguin
N
I've Got SOMETHING Wrong With me...
Replies
3
Views
1K
notafan
N
R
Nearly 4.5 years in with Crohn's.
Replies
2
Views
1K
ras96mg
R

Latest posts

Back
Top