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Posted 11/20/2011 1:21 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, I know I've read that alcohol should be avoided during treatment. But is there anyone out there that drinks and is still able to heal?

I, of course, mean alcohol in moderation. For my job, I travel a bit which leads to dinners and wine. I enjoy engaging in this and have no more than 1 or 2 glasses. Same for my husband and I going out to dinner, I'll usually have a glass of red wine.

I don't want this to get in the way of healing, but it doesn't *appear* to cause me ill effects. I also wonder if it hurts or helps yeast. I know that alcohol should be avoided on the yeast diet. But my ND told me that fermented foods actually kill yeast. I asked about red wine, and he didn't answer straight, just jokingly said that it's not a ticket to becoming an alcoholic!

I was having ear pain from yeast the other night (a common symptom for me, esp. if I eat bad), drank a glass of red wine, and the pain stopped, so it made me wonder...
Posted 11/20/2011 1:53 PM (GMT 0)
I am a big wine drinker. We love it and my favs are pinot noir and good old vine Zinfandel s. I thought I could continue drinking wine as well but soon found out it wasn't such a good idea. So, other than about 3 sips since July, I have had none. To me, yeast is not the issue. Rather, it's the alcohol and how it diverts the liver from its much needed detoxification process. I read somewhere that it takes 16 hours fir the liver to process a single alcoholic drink...that's 16 hours it could have been detoxing Lyme and other toxins.

I WILL get back to drinking my beloved wines, but I gotta let my body heal first. I did have a small sip last evening of my wife's pinot!

In general, you should know what your body can tolerate but everything you read about acute Lyme and alcohol says don't do it! I learned the hard way that we need to help all our bodily functions as much as possible while healing and unfortunately wine does not help. I have a nice bottle of Ridge 2007 Lyton Springs zin just waiting for the day I can drink it again!
Posted 11/20/2011 2:22 PM (GMT 0)
I agree. I think it depends on what your body tells you. For me, I could handle any and I was not a big drinker at all. Before I knew it was lyme, one bloody mary or one beer and I would feel like I had 20 drinks the next day.

I think between medications and bacteria our liver is already taxed enough to have to deal with alcohol. However, I still love a holiday drink and am so exhausted the next day anyway I just give myself some extra rest and fluids to get back to normal.
Posted 11/20/2011 3:18 PM (GMT 0)
I agree you should listen to your body.

Keep in mind that the travel itself is going to be a strain on your system as well.

Whereas a glass of wine here or there isn't going to do you any harm, moderate to heavy drinking is a tax on your body's healing and detoxing abilities.

Remember also that alcohol is not recommended with a lot of antibiotics -- with Rifampin it is a matter of strain on your liver. And of course Flagyl will give you a very bad reaction to alcohol. I ate some food that had been cooked with alcohol -- not nice!
Posted 11/20/2011 3:43 PM (GMT 0)
I've also been toying with this question. Once in a blue moon I have literally a sip of wine...and a while back I ran out oft abx so I let myself have a few drinks that weekend (after 6 months without it and being raised in a family that thinks heavily) it was a nice vacation from Lyme.

Achievinggrace, I don't mean to argue with you but do you really think a glass of wine here and there is okay? Because I would really love a glass of wine with my thanksgiving dinner, or a beer just once during a hockey game...but I've bee under the impression that I absolutely can't.

I we need to focus on healing our bodies...but sometimes I think indulging in something we like once in a while instead of constantly feeling impoverished by this disease and all its limitations can be so healing for our minds...of course that may be just an excuse as I'm sick of people asking me to "go get a drink" and having to say I can't...but then telling them to because I'm on abx because last time I told someone I can't drink he assumed I was a recovering alcoholic!
Posted 11/20/2011 4:04 PM (GMT 0)
i struggle with this question frequently. i just turned 21 in February, about a month after I started experiencing symptoms, and now the social thing to do seems to go out to the bars for a drink with friends! I don't want to miss out on the fun, but at the same time I have noticed that drinking 3 or more drinks really puts a toll on my body. I don't notice anything if I have 1 drink, though if I have multiple, my symptoms are grossly exaggerated for the next week! I have also been hiding my illness from the new friends I meet- I don't just want to come out and say "I have lyme disease!!" so it's hard for me to say no to going out or having a drink. I do say no, I just make up excuses to prevent myself from having to explain that I'm not going out because I feel unwell, don't want a hangover, etc. Another dilemma Ive noticed is that I feel best when I do drink! I forget that I even have the disease because it numbs the symptoms! And this I struggle with a lot because sometimes I just want to feel normal, my age, a 21 year old and have fun!!! But Ive decided health must come first, especially at my age, and that I am going to try to refrain from drinking anything for the next month or two and see if it helps! I'll still go out, but I will get a nice glass of water with a lemon instead :) at least i'll be detoxing, right? lol
Posted 11/20/2011 5:36 PM (GMT 0)
I know for me, I have to have a 'no no' once in a while, just so that I can stay the course over the long haul, but.....

Since starting my treatment, I have had such unpleasant experiences every time I drink just one glass of wine or just one beer!!! Last time I was still drunk the next day!!! It was really weird - I've never had that happen before!

Wine & beer are both bad for someone with yeast problems, and of course then there's the meds that don't mix with alcohol. I also agree with the whole thing about it being rough on an already taxed liver. Although, I see it the same way I see having some chocolate - every once in a while I have just a bit. It makes me feel soooo much less deprived!! It also really does make it much easier for me to stick to the straight and narrow if I allow myself a little time to cut up!!!

For Thanksgiving this year - all foods are okay for me!!Although I think I will be leaving the alcohol alone!! smilewinkgrin

Teeners,
I would agree with WWJD. Find something non-alcoholic to drink most of the time. A glass of Coke with lemon or Lime would keep some from asking why your not drinking also. Or try a "virgin" drink - it'll look just like the drink without the alcohol!!
Posted 11/20/2011 6:00 PM (GMT 0)
Borderlyme,

Hey, don't take my word for anything!!

All I know is that most people say it is not okay to drink while healing from Lyme.

I have had some drinks while I have been healing. No way to know whether it slowed my healing down. When on Rifampin I don't drink and on Flagyl I can't drink.

I view it like Traveler. Sometimes it's better to have the drink so you can relax and not feel deprived. Just like sometimes you have that cookie. But you know, if you eat pizza, have a beer and some ice cream after, you are probably going to feel pretty crummy the next day!! So if you want to feel good, stay on the straight and narrow!!
Posted 11/20/2011 6:42 PM (GMT 0)
I guess I'm just looking for an excuse...looking for someone to say its not going to hurt me, just because I feel so limited by what I'm not allowed to do. It's stupid anyway right now because my liver has been bothering me lately anyway! I kind of just wish my doctor would be realistic with me instead of saying "absolutely no alcohol," telling me what the risks are...
Posted 11/20/2011 9:31 PM (GMT 0)
I dont drink alcohol but I do like the taste of beer now and then so I will have an O'douls.. Most places carry some form of non-alcoholic beer.. If your worried about how you look keep the bottle facing you or poor it in a glass.
Posted 11/20/2011 10:47 PM (GMT 0)
man, i would limit myself to maybe 1 a week, and the occasional (once every couple months) party where i would drink more and just deal with it the next day. i think that's probably ok if you are in treatment and being relatively healthy and active otherwise. of course, it depends on the case and how long you've been sick, etc.

now that i'm on flagyl, i cant drink at all. it really sucks. i cant wait to drink again, not cause i do it all the time, but it's a freedom i like to have. it's just another one of those things that we take for granted, and when it's taken away, we realize how much we miss it. i will appreciate the alcohol after this for sure! haha.

i hate telling people my age (twenties) that i cant drink at a party. it's like automatically there's something wrong with you, even if they arent judging you harshly, it's just something kinda weird when someone says "i cant drink tonight." especially sucks cause i'm at a new school and let's be honest, it's harder to meet people without a little alcohol! i've kinda turned to coffee for social events.
Posted 11/21/2011 5:13 PM (GMT 0)
One good thing that comes from being the one not drinking (not to mention the health issues) - you can say that you are the designated driver for the evening!!!
turn
Posted 11/22/2011 10:37 PM (GMT 0)
Yes, I do drink a glass or two of wine almost every day. And I am on Flagyl too. I clearly have a good system. I want to be as normal as I can possibly be with having this diagnosis. I haul my butt to the gym (yes, I would rather sit on the sofa). But I think "being normal" is my key to getting closer to normal. I test my liver enzymes and they are great. I think being a vegetarian since 1993 and eating so healthy through out my life has really been my biggest asset.
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