Hitting the Bottle

Clementine_P
Clementine_P Member Posts: 518 Member
edited September 2011 in Breast Cancer #1
Okay, so I know that this is not the most PC topic, but has anyone experienced post chemo (I am about a year out now) that their tolerance for liquor plummets? I swear, while I never had much of a tolerance - I could have 2 drinks - 2 drinks now sends me reeling! Plus, the recovery (a.k.a. hangover) is WAY worse too.

Thanks much for any advice.

Best,
Clementine
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Comments

  • Lighthouse_7
    Lighthouse_7 Member Posts: 1,566 Member
    #2
    Yes!
    I have Clementine. I never could drink much either but it hits me now quick and I feel bad the next day. I couldn't drink for the 2 years I was in treatment, just didn't feel like it and now I really can't drink. LOL
    Just wanted you to know you are not alone.
    Good to see you!
    Hugs,
    Wanda
  • grams2jc
    grams2jc Member Posts: 756
    #3
    Nothing like a little wine
    I didn't drink at all while on chemo and very little during radiation, since then I have found that my tolerance seems greater. I find myself wondering why I am not reacting the way that I used to, and of course have blamed it on the chemo.

    I did find an article online about estrogen positive bc and alcohol, can't say exactly where but googled it...blame that forgetfulness on the chemo too....That article stated that alcohol and estrogen positive bc were a bad combo as the liver had to stop processing estrogen and estrogen-like substances to process the alcohol, leaving the hormones in the body longer. So alcohol should absolutely be avoided, according to that study. I don't know, I am sure if you are interested you can find it online.

    I do know that telling me to give up all alcohol is kind of like telling me to give up chocolate and gossip. They all have their place (in moderation of course ;) ).

    Besides, I feel like I am boosting the economy when I support national agriculture, got to love those grape growers!

    Jennifer
  • Christmas Girl
    Christmas Girl Member Posts: 3,682 Member
    #4
    Me, too!
    Wasn't much of a "drinker" pre-BC. A few glasses of wine, a couple of beers now & then, a glass of sherry during the holidays. Almost no "hard" alcohol at all, ever - just didn't like it. Am now 7+ years out from completion of chemo. When desiring the occasional indulgence - have to be very, very careful. How's my tummy feeling? What/how much have I eaten? Time of day/evening? Even then, am strictly on a self-imposed limit of ONE drink - whether a glass of wine or a bottle of beer. Kinda sucks. There are times I'd like to open a bottle of wine & stick a straw in it! Drink the whole thing, and then pass out. But, my body/digestive system says "No!"... (sigh)

    Kind regards, Susan
  • camul
    camul Member Posts: 2,537
    #5
    Yes.
    My oncologist told me that I could have one or two occasionally while I am going thru chemo. I had a couple of margaritas shortly after starting chemo when we went out to dinner and there was no problem, about 7 months into to chemo I ordered an ice cold beer at a rodeo, and couldn't even get through it, then had a stomach ache all night.

    So I am thinking that he told me not an issue to have one or two, because he knew I wouldn't be able to! (laugh) Not a big deal for the most part, I have always enjoyed an ice cold beer on a hot day!
  • Clementine_P
    Clementine_P Member Posts: 518 Member
    #6
    camul said:

    Yes.
    My oncologist told me that I could have one or two occasionally while I am going thru chemo. I had a couple of margaritas shortly after starting chemo when we went out to dinner and there was no problem, about 7 months into to chemo I ordered an ice cold beer at a rodeo, and couldn't even get through it, then had a stomach ache all night.

    So I am thinking that he told me not an issue to have one or two, because he knew I wouldn't be able to! (laugh) Not a big deal for the most part, I have always enjoyed an ice cold beer on a hot day!

    Thanks everyone.
    I am glad that, it is not just me at least. Had 2 drinks last night and felt like a wine-o trying to walk back to my apartment. Today, I'm in a bad way. LOL.

    @Grams2jc, I LOVE that you too are a supporter USA agriculture! I really like to support the economy whenever possible when it comes to alcohol consumption. Ha ha!

    @ Lighthouse, Christmas Girl, and Camul - all I can say is that let's all get together one time for a drink! I bet we will make a very fun crowd. :)

    Yours in hangover,
    Clementine
  • disneyfan2008
    disneyfan2008 Member Posts: 6,583 Member
    #7
    no comment on this
    no comment on this one...hehe LOL..I have never tasted, sipped etc any alcohol in my 52 yrs..

    ODD I know

    Denise
  • TraciInLA
    TraciInLA Member Posts: 1,994 Member
    #8
    Clementine_P said:

    Thanks everyone.
    I am glad that, it is not just me at least. Had 2 drinks last night and felt like a wine-o trying to walk back to my apartment. Today, I'm in a bad way. LOL.

    @Grams2jc, I LOVE that you too are a supporter USA agriculture! I really like to support the economy whenever possible when it comes to alcohol consumption. Ha ha!

    @ Lighthouse, Christmas Girl, and Camul - all I can say is that let's all get together one time for a drink! I bet we will make a very fun crowd. :)

    Yours in hangover,
    Clementine

    Clementine, are you sure...
    ...it's not just age? I hear we have less tolerance for alcohol as we get old(er)....hee, hee :-)

    Traci
  • Clementine_P
    Clementine_P Member Posts: 518 Member
    #9
    TraciInLA said:

    Clementine, are you sure...
    ...it's not just age? I hear we have less tolerance for alcohol as we get old(er)....hee, hee :-)

    Traci

    WOW
    Traci, I am afraid that I will need therapy after your comment! Ha ha ha. Can it be age? I mean, if that were the case then i would think that I would see drunken older people on the streets everywhere, all the time! No no no, plus, I am barely out of my 20's (in my mind).

    ;)
  • TraciInLA
    TraciInLA Member Posts: 1,994 Member
    #10
    Clementine_P said:

    WOW
    Traci, I am afraid that I will need therapy after your comment! Ha ha ha. Can it be age? I mean, if that were the case then i would think that I would see drunken older people on the streets everywhere, all the time! No no no, plus, I am barely out of my 20's (in my mind).

    ;)

    Yes, I'm barely out of my 20s, too!
    Clementine, the only reason I can get away with teasing you about your age is that you and I are about the same age -- so girl, if we're going down, we're going down together!

    :-) Traci
  • Lighthouse_7
    Lighthouse_7 Member Posts: 1,566 Member
    #11
    disneyfan2008 said:

    no comment on this
    no comment on this one...hehe LOL..I have never tasted, sipped etc any alcohol in my 52 yrs..

    ODD I know

    Denise

    Clementine,
    We would be
    Clementine,
    We would be cheap dates anyway! LOL
    The pink bus is obviously rowdy because of our low tolerance :)
  • natly15
    natly15 Member Posts: 1,941
    #12
    Lighthouse_7 said:

    Clementine,
    We would be
    Clementine,
    We would be cheap dates anyway! LOL
    The pink bus is obviously rowdy because of our low tolerance :)

    Wanda love your rowdy
    Wanda love your rowdy response. When I drink it is wine, and so far it hasn't bothered me.
  • Chickadee1955
    Chickadee1955 Member Posts: 355 Member
    #13
    natly15 said:

    Wanda love your rowdy
    Wanda love your rowdy response. When I drink it is wine, and so far it hasn't bothered me.

    As for me....I gave up hair,
    As for me....I gave up hair, eyelashes, eyebrows, breasts, estrogen....I'll be d----d if I'm giving up my wine!! Or my whine, either!

    Chickadee :D
  • Heatherbelle
    Heatherbelle Member Posts: 1,226 Member
    #14
    Lemme tell ya...i could put
    Lemme tell ya...i could put back a few in pre-cancer & am a beer + jagermeister kinda gal. Not only has my tolerance went way down, but i just don't have the desire to drink much anymore. Like, before, having an icy cold beer on a hot summer day was almost routine around here, but I just don't get the urge, or desire, to drink, hardly at all anymore! And absolutely the hangovers are worse too!
    *hugs*
    heather
  • mamolady
    mamolady Member Posts: 796 Member
    #15
    TraciInLA said:

    Clementine, are you sure...
    ...it's not just age? I hear we have less tolerance for alcohol as we get old(er)....hee, hee :-)

    Traci

    Gin and Tonic
    At my husband's grandmother's 105th (not a typo) birthday, my son in law asked her what her secret was. She said it was the gin and tonic! So alcohol actually may help you live longer!
    Of course by then she had to use the walker, not sure how much of that was due to being liquored up.

    Cindy
  • carkris
    carkris Member Posts: 4,553 Member
    #16
    Heatherbelle said:

    Lemme tell ya...i could put
    Lemme tell ya...i could put back a few in pre-cancer & am a beer + jagermeister kinda gal. Not only has my tolerance went way down, but i just don't have the desire to drink much anymore. Like, before, having an icy cold beer on a hot summer day was almost routine around here, but I just don't get the urge, or desire, to drink, hardly at all anymore! And absolutely the hangovers are worse too!
    *hugs*
    heather

    funny I rarely drink at all.
    funny I rarely drink at all. My friends think I'm weird. But I figure my liver has been through enough. However when my crazy brother came to visit, I could not deal, so I had my husband take me out for a drinK it was soooo good and did the trick. so I guess my stress tolerance is down so drinking may get worse for me!!!
  • laughs_a_lot
    laughs_a_lot Member Posts: 1,368 Member
    #17
    Two substance use comments here.
    First of all I have been a coffe addict for a good many years but once I started chemo I no longer needed coffee. I had no withdrewal symptoms either like I used to have in the past.

    Regarding alcohol. I rarely drank before bc and was only drunk once in my life. I was not advised on drinking prior to chemo. Just before my last chemo treatment I went down south to see my son. His father in law offered me some of his corn liquor. I considered the offer and decided to give it a whirl. I figured if the chemo did not kill the cancer perhaps the corn liquour would. Had a double shot of corn liquor. It seemed to have about the same effect as a double shot of anything that strong would have had prior to chemo. So go figure. For me it's the same old, same old, I guess.
  • Double Whammy
    Double Whammy Member Posts: 2,832 Member
    #18
    laughs_a_lot said:

    Two substance use comments here.
    First of all I have been a coffe addict for a good many years but once I started chemo I no longer needed coffee. I had no withdrewal symptoms either like I used to have in the past.

    Regarding alcohol. I rarely drank before bc and was only drunk once in my life. I was not advised on drinking prior to chemo. Just before my last chemo treatment I went down south to see my son. His father in law offered me some of his corn liquor. I considered the offer and decided to give it a whirl. I figured if the chemo did not kill the cancer perhaps the corn liquour would. Had a double shot of corn liquor. It seemed to have about the same effect as a double shot of anything that strong would have had prior to chemo. So go figure. For me it's the same old, same old, I guess.

    No longer very interested
    I loved vodka martinis and wine, wine, wine (did I say wine?) before cancer. Margaritas? You betcha. Kalhua? Best use of coffee I know (other than coffee icecream). I'm seldom interested anymore. Had friends for dinner tonight and I had iced tea while they all had wine. I have no idea why the change. Oh, I've had alcohol since treatments, but there is a definite difference in my interest level. Tolerence level seems the same. What the heck has happened to me? It's not a bad thing and I was not a big drinker, but there is a definite difference now.

    Suzanne
  • skipper54
    skipper54 Member Posts: 936 Member
    #19
    Double Whammy said:

    No longer very interested
    I loved vodka martinis and wine, wine, wine (did I say wine?) before cancer. Margaritas? You betcha. Kalhua? Best use of coffee I know (other than coffee icecream). I'm seldom interested anymore. Had friends for dinner tonight and I had iced tea while they all had wine. I have no idea why the change. Oh, I've had alcohol since treatments, but there is a definite difference in my interest level. Tolerence level seems the same. What the heck has happened to me? It's not a bad thing and I was not a big drinker, but there is a definite difference now.

    Suzanne

    no difference, no problem
    I was never much of a drinker, except in college of course. Nowdays it's a glass of wine with dinner when we're out and I'm not driving. (Okay, I admit, I"m a real fanatic about that but my husband's cousin was killed by a drunk driver.) I've had 2 glasses of wine since chemo was over last Thanksgiving and only 1 beer (while at Anheiser Busch in St. Louis in July). I don't see any difference in my tolerance but then I didn't push the envelope. Still tasted good, etc. I did some checking on the internet about alcohol and cancer recurrance and I'm just as glad I'm not really into it. Will stick to my moderation. Found nothing about coffee and have no intention of giving up my morning cup of brew!
  • CypressCynthia
    CypressCynthia Member Posts: 4,014 Member
    #20
    I'm a Party Pooper
    I drink very, very rarely now. I try and avoid alochol like the plague, because, as my physician sister has pointed out many times, there is no good news regarding breast cancer and alcohol.

    It took me a long time to accept this fact and I pooh poohed the early studies, but now there is such a preponderance of evidence, I have decided to really look at how important alcohol is to me. Since Danny doesn't drink, it really hasn't been that hard to avoid.

    BTW, one of the first things that they questioned me about at MD Anderson was how many drinks a day, how many drinks per month, etc.

    I really hate to be the one to bring this up, but as an NP, I feel obligated....
  • RozHopkins
    RozHopkins Member Posts: 578 Member
    #21
    Alcohol
    Yes, one evening I had two large glasses of wine and was actually sick. Cut way, way back now. Felt exactly the same as you. We dont realize how many things happen afterward, quite a lot if you actually sit down and count everything up.

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