OK, is drinking alcohol pretty much TABOO after cancer diagnosis??

blazytracy
blazytracy Member Posts: 157
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I am finished with surgery, but next comes chemo..but not for a couple weeks. I keep hearing everyone say that alcohol increases your cancer risk and also recurrence..wow! I guess I didn't realize that. I guess that I enjoy a couple cocktails now and again. I certainly don't want to increase my risk of recurrence by doing this. What have your oncologists said to you?

Comments

  • New Flower
    New Flower Member Posts: 4,294
    #2
    don't drink too much
    Hi Tracy,
    Do not worry, one drink did not make a difference . Yes, they want us to reduce alcohol consumption.
    No drinking during Chemo as well
  • tigger99
    tigger99 Member Posts: 44
    #3
    alcohol
    The head nutritionist that works with my oncologist said preferably NO alcohol at all but if I must imbibe, no more than 1 drink per day. She said the AICR research shows it is the #1 dietary predictor of whether or not a recurrence will happen, beating out even the consumption of red meat, sugars, fats, etc..
  • pitt
    pitt Member Posts: 387
    #4
    Mine told me to drink in
    Mine told me to drink in moderation. She also said I could have a little wine while on chemo. You probably won't want to though. But after the chemo, remember the red wine helps prevent heart disease. The French recommend 2 glasses a day. Vive la France!
  • tasha_111
    tasha_111 Member Posts: 2,072
    #5
    tigger99 said:

    alcohol
    The head nutritionist that works with my oncologist said preferably NO alcohol at all but if I must imbibe, no more than 1 drink per day. She said the AICR research shows it is the #1 dietary predictor of whether or not a recurrence will happen, beating out even the consumption of red meat, sugars, fats, etc..

    Sod THAT!
    I am nearly 2 years out of treatment, and I drink what I like, whenever........They give you all this advice :... Don't Drink, Smoke, Eat Red Meat, Drink bottled water, Get stressed (yeah like we can HELP that!)...... Eat raw veggies (Ohhhhhh what fun), Run 20 miles a day (yeah right), Spend all day at the Gym, Go to church regularly and don't read 'Lady Chatterleys' Lover'!

    Cummon, I gave up enough already to this ... NO MORE! Live life, enjoy yourself.....Don't run with scissors. Hugs Jxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Sam726
    Sam726 Member Posts: 233
    #6
    pitt said:

    Mine told me to drink in
    Mine told me to drink in moderation. She also said I could have a little wine while on chemo. You probably won't want to though. But after the chemo, remember the red wine helps prevent heart disease. The French recommend 2 glasses a day. Vive la France!

    Right on Tasha!!
    I agree with you totally...so tired of everyone telling me what will and wont cause cancer. Has anyone seen the actual list of possible carcinogens?? Geez...we might as well eat nothing, drink nothing, and breathe nothing. Enjoy life.....sensibly. Thats how Im gonna do it:)
  • blazytracy
    blazytracy Member Posts: 157
    #7
    tasha_111 said:

    Sod THAT!
    I am nearly 2 years out of treatment, and I drink what I like, whenever........They give you all this advice :... Don't Drink, Smoke, Eat Red Meat, Drink bottled water, Get stressed (yeah like we can HELP that!)...... Eat raw veggies (Ohhhhhh what fun), Run 20 miles a day (yeah right), Spend all day at the Gym, Go to church regularly and don't read 'Lady Chatterleys' Lover'!

    Cummon, I gave up enough already to this ... NO MORE! Live life, enjoy yourself.....Don't run with scissors. Hugs Jxxxxxxxxxxx

    HaHa
    :) that sure made me laugh out loud and thanks so much tasha! I do agree with you. I just honestly thought that one alcoholic drink was going to be waaaay bad for me..maybe I will take my chances with a couple before chemo starts.
  • natly15
    natly15 Member Posts: 1,941
    #8
    Wine
    My onc told me a glass or 2 of wine on occasion is fine.
  • fauxma
    fauxma Member Posts: 3,577 Member
    #9
    tasha_111 said:

    Sod THAT!
    I am nearly 2 years out of treatment, and I drink what I like, whenever........They give you all this advice :... Don't Drink, Smoke, Eat Red Meat, Drink bottled water, Get stressed (yeah like we can HELP that!)...... Eat raw veggies (Ohhhhhh what fun), Run 20 miles a day (yeah right), Spend all day at the Gym, Go to church regularly and don't read 'Lady Chatterleys' Lover'!

    Cummon, I gave up enough already to this ... NO MORE! Live life, enjoy yourself.....Don't run with scissors. Hugs Jxxxxxxxxxxx

    Well, I will give up reading
    Well, I will give up reading Lady Chaterley's Lover so I will be doing all that I can to prevent recurrence. LOL
    Stef
  • VickiSam
    VickiSam Member Posts: 9,079 Member
    #10
    natly15 said:

    Wine
    My onc told me a glass or 2 of wine on occasion is fine.

    I'm on TCH + Herc + Herc equals 1 cycle
    6 cycles of ... Chemo .. Onc ..stated 1 glass of wine every 4 weeks -- no more. I was NOT a big drinker before breast cancer diagnosis - so not having a drink for the next 18 weeks is no BIG deal for me.

    Now smoking was a BIG deal for me. Quitting was the hardest thing to do, once I received my bc diagnosis.


    VickiSam
  • Eil4186
    Eil4186 Member Posts: 949
    #11
    I'm not a huge drinker but I
    I'm not a huge drinker but I do enjoy a cold beer with dinne when I'm out or a fruity glass of sangria on a hot summer day. I don't think we have to swear off alcohol. We just need to be conservative thats all. I don't think a few drinks a week will make a huge difference or at least that is what I have read.
  • DianeBC
    DianeBC Member Posts: 3,881 Member
    #12
    Eil4186 said:

    I'm not a huge drinker but I
    I'm not a huge drinker but I do enjoy a cold beer with dinne when I'm out or a fruity glass of sangria on a hot summer day. I don't think we have to swear off alcohol. We just need to be conservative thats all. I don't think a few drinks a week will make a huge difference or at least that is what I have read.

    I think we are just suppose
    I think we are just suppose to drink in moderation. I like a cold beer or a glass of wine too and am not going to give it up. I plan on living my life, a quality life. And, alcohol is part of that. If you eliminated everything that they SAY causes cancer, you would be living in a bubble and be very unhappy.

    Hugs, Diane ♥
  • MyTurnNow
    MyTurnNow Member Posts: 2,686 Member
    #13
    I agree with many of the
    I agree with many of the comments here. I think the most important thing is "moderation". Whether that be drinking, eating sweets, etc. Our stress level is just as important as the things we're putting into our body. So, live life and enjoy it, just don't take it to excess!
  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #14
    In the middle.....
    One glass of wine has been shown to actually REDUCE the risk of my other cancer, colon cancer. I agree with moderation...and Tasha said it well, I worked too darn hard to SAVE my life, I can't go into a dark corner and stop living life.

    I have a glass of wine about once a week. I was never a heavy drinker (except for that year I can't remember but thru pictures in college...lol....), so that's about what I can handle.

    I am 4 years post-dx, and still am vigilant about checking for lumps, but also enjoy life...if that means a glass of local beer with my worst in the black forest in Germany, well, so be it (BTW it was soooooo good!).

    I did NOT drink alcohol during treatment, however. Listen to your doctors, follow what they say...it's partly their game plan, as well as yours...and they have been thru this with many others before you (sadly).

    Hugs, Kathi
  • dbs1673
    dbs1673 Member Posts: 203
    #15
    KathiM said:

    In the middle.....
    One glass of wine has been shown to actually REDUCE the risk of my other cancer, colon cancer. I agree with moderation...and Tasha said it well, I worked too darn hard to SAVE my life, I can't go into a dark corner and stop living life.

    I have a glass of wine about once a week. I was never a heavy drinker (except for that year I can't remember but thru pictures in college...lol....), so that's about what I can handle.

    I am 4 years post-dx, and still am vigilant about checking for lumps, but also enjoy life...if that means a glass of local beer with my worst in the black forest in Germany, well, so be it (BTW it was soooooo good!).

    I did NOT drink alcohol during treatment, however. Listen to your doctors, follow what they say...it's partly their game plan, as well as yours...and they have been thru this with many others before you (sadly).

    Hugs, Kathi

    martini
    I'm sure there are/were many things I should/shouldn't do. I should enjoy, celebrate and live. If that includes my wine or martini then that's what I do. True story, at my last check up with my surgical oncologist he actually gave me a "prescription" to go to one of his favorite places and have a martini on him. Love my dr! That's my kind of medicine!!

    cheers!
    dawn
  • outdoorgirl
    outdoorgirl Member Posts: 1,565
    #16
    tasha_111 said:

    Sod THAT!
    I am nearly 2 years out of treatment, and I drink what I like, whenever........They give you all this advice :... Don't Drink, Smoke, Eat Red Meat, Drink bottled water, Get stressed (yeah like we can HELP that!)...... Eat raw veggies (Ohhhhhh what fun), Run 20 miles a day (yeah right), Spend all day at the Gym, Go to church regularly and don't read 'Lady Chatterleys' Lover'!

    Cummon, I gave up enough already to this ... NO MORE! Live life, enjoy yourself.....Don't run with scissors. Hugs Jxxxxxxxxxxx

    Well,out of all of that
    I have an occasional drink,don't smoke,and I go to church regularly! I keep telling myself that I should get out more and excercise and I sometimes do. I have never read Lady Chatterley's Lover.
    I do see my doctors on a regular basis,have annual pap tests and mammograms,give myself breast exams at least once a month,try to remember to take my tamoxifen every night,etc. etc.Other than that,I eat pretty much what I like(except for not half as much junk food as I used to-and not as much Hostess).
    I agree with Tash as well-live life and enjoy yourself!!
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #17
    This comment has been removed by the Moderator

Discussion Boards