Something that is never mentioned on this site is the effect, if any, of alcohol on COPD.
Is there any relationship? Do heavy drinkers suffer more? Has anyone tried cutting out the booze and found their symptoms got better? It would be nice to know. Maybe en extra motivation for me in the "battle of the bottle". 
i don't think so,smoking bad air so on, alcohol is good for me nothing to loose not every day
This is an interesting topic, John. Recently I was put on an antibiotic which forbade alcohol. I missed my evening glass of wine (small) but the antib. didn't agree so back to my glass. I cant help that alcohol could have an effect of any med. I did cut down on my wine successfully, providing I can have that one glass! I dont have COPD but do have asthma and brochiectasis.
missed word: I cant help think -- study my blogs before I send. Naughty!
Don't know, I'm teetotal...will try drinking for a few days and let you know, probably from a crumpled heap at the bottom of the stairs mind!
I haven,t heard of it having any effect on copd, i bacame alcohol dependant up untill last november, my copd was no worse nor any better. Im now tea total,
Some things to consider. Gassy drinks, like lager, beer dispensed using gas, bottled beer, fizzy soft drinks and so on will have a noticeable effect in putting more pressure on your diaphragm. Burping and passing wind in other ways are a by-product too 
Cask conditioned beer, dispensed through hand pumps does not give the same problems, but not many of us have our own bar at home with that option.
One of the other side effects is that by adding more liquid to the body you're going to want to dispose of the recycled water content at some point, and some of this may well produce additional sputum and alcohol in the body may dull the senses a little so you're not as aware of the need to cough it up. Of course, you need to take note of your medication and advice not to have alcohol when on certain drugs.
There have been some minor studies, especially on the effects of drinking when using certain types of medication, but those about COPD and alcohol have tended not to find any adverse effects. Drinking in moderation make even be beneficial, but don't quote me on that, it's just what I find in researching the topic
If anything it's the other way round, I found one study that supposed COPD was perhaps caused by excessive binge drinking in our younger years. That the effect of being sick through drinking too much was bringing stomach acids in to the gullet and so into the lungs ! For those that suffer this later in life it's referred to as GERD or Acid Reflux and isn't nice at all.
In attempts to cut costs over recent months, we decided to do away with many branded bottled of pop. We used to buy perhaps a dozen bottles at a time and it was quite expensive. Instead we now buy squash, mainly the 50% juice variety. For myself I like a drop of Vimto and tend to use tap water, which has to be filtered in our area as it's quite 'hard', although we get bottled of fizzy water for if others want theirs carbonated. The cordial is about £1 a bottle the fizzy water is 18p for 2 litres, I saw a well known brand of cola advertised in a supermarket at £2.09 a bottle, or 2 for £3.50 - ouch!
I mention that as I've noticed my GERD is not as bad as it used to be since cutting out the fizz., although I take Lansoprazole as well.
Overall, alcoholic drinks are not going to be a problem unless you're a heavy drinker, if the info I've seen is right. 
hi had to stop drinking 25 years ago only had a drink when in company,however developed allergy to anything with alcohol in have to carry epe pen around .
Yes did make me breathless
Gave up smoking !!!!!!!! dont care now,,I AM NOT GIVING UP MY ODD GLASS OF WHATEVER I FANCY... in moderation of course,,life req us to be happy and stress free,,my excuse...
Good for you!!!! I also stopped smoking without help 10 weeks ago. This is after 60.yrs
of smoking, But like manymore people who find it hard to leave the house to go out especially at night my 2 Whisky and 7ups are mysalvation. The only comfort left. The Hospital told me to carry on in moderation. Good luck
Well done on giving up the smokes! x
I'm with you on this one!
Interesting that gassy drinks have already been mentioned. I like real ale but find every now and again I will try a new one that makes my breathing quite a bit worse. Any can at all with a 'widget' in does the same. I find it assists to keep to lower strength beers as well.
Funny you should say that but after reading Gordon's post I started to think about fizzy drinks and the fizz is made by adding carbon dioxide (CO2) which is what and why we exhale. Jury is out (hubby and I are both scientists) as to whether ingesting CO2 through the stomach will have any effect on breathing...unless you burp a lot!
I personally think that it will cause anyone to breath heavier to get rid of any excess but I could be totally wrong.
Lorraine
5pm is my favourite time of the day and I look forward to it, my first drink and then my second and sometimes a third and I don't care, for two hours I am relaxed and it gives me an appetite which I definitely need, I do have to be careful as I'm on ADs, but I did ask my GP if I could still have a drink when i went on ADs, and she said 'why not', nice GP.
I don't suppose it helped in the old days to go boozing in a smokey pub, but as they are smoke free now we can all go. See you all later! Seriously it was never a vice of mine. Now I am ill the nurse says a nice glass of wine at night would do you the world of good...Shame I don't like it. Do have brandy in a coffee if im having a really bad day and doc knows this.
CO2 is used in fizzy pop, and in dispensing or bottling beer. Drinking any liquid with added CO2 is going to carry that into the stomach, where it eventually escapes and adds to the pressure against the diaphragm.
This then causes the burps and GERD in some as you try to get rid of the excess.
Real Ale is that which is not dispensed under gas pressure, but via a hand pump, which draws the beer from the cask and through the pipes. In the South it's common to serve beer with no head, in the North a 'sparkler' is used to create a foamy head, but it's not CO2.
Red wine is reported as being helpful in heart conditions too.
The only alcohol I drink is wine (or champagne given half a chance), but I do have 2 or even 3 glasses most nights unless I am driving. I don't really care what they say about safe unit levels, even the experts say that figure was more or less made up.
I reckon I've done the big thing, smoking, I am not stopping my wine. I don't find it makes any difference, but I spect that fizzy drinks would.
Lynne xx
John, I had a "Battle with the bottle" as you put it 29 years ago and nearly died of alcoholism then. My only saviour was AA but maybe you aren't an alcohol like me ( now sober for 28 years). That was long before I was diagnosed with COPD so not sure if you want to give up the drink if it only affects your breathing. My downfall was still carrying on smoking after I gave up the booze and that is what did the lung damage. I had a choice back then - my lungs or my liver. Happy to say my liver is ok as far as I know but my lungs- rubbished.
I've stopped drinking beer simply because the gas bloats me and I struggle to breath. Instead, I now settle for a few double whiskys instead
There are some preservatives added to many bottled fizzy drinks, including beers etc. I can't remember which ones [sorry], but some have an almost instant bad effect on my breathing [may be allergy]. I was told it was the preservatives in cheaper drinks by my gp. He said to only buy the 'better' brands of beer and enjoy!!
I took his advice. Can't afford so much, but enjoy more!
Also, to get rid of the fizz in beers, add a tiny pinch of salt. Stand back and see the 'fizz' go away!!
Good health!
You can do it by adding a mint imperial too!
Hi John, writing as a reformed alcoholic (on the dry now for ten years) and also with copd I can assure you alcohol and medication do not mix ! Do try and go to an AA meeting, you are not alone !
Many thanks to all of you who have replied. I now feel a lot wiser and better able to make an informed decision.
I did try the AA route. It drove me round the bend. It was like going to church only worse.
(This is an off-topic comment not me trying to start an irrelevant thread.)
Thanks again
Cheers everyone, gave up the fags three months ago, damn sure I ain't giving up my other pleasure of a tipple or two or even three, hic xx
Hi John, like the reply ! Speak to your Doctor re other routes !
i have give up the fags and i exercise but i do like a few pints twice a week and not giving that up has i dont think this harms me with this COPD hope not anyway
First time posting so hello.
Got diagnosed Dec 2011 and gave up smoking straight away. (40 a day for 35years)
Took the Grand kids away over Easter and noticed after 2 pints i felt breathless.
Struggled to get the second one down to be honest.(traditional real ale)
Spoke to my GP on Tuesday and said he couldnt think of any connection.
There could be a connection. I see from the above posts that a few (including myself) have had a drink problem previous to being diagnosed with COPD. I found that alcohol gave me bad catarrh (along with a hangover) and much of this probably went to my lungs. Coupled with smoking, this might have accelerated the onset of COPD. Anyone know of any studies to this effect?
There is a strong connection between alcohol and allergy, for example hayfever sufferers are advised to avoid alcohol especially red wine because of the high histamine levels.
Then my own experience too: when I had whooping cough, even a chocolate containing alcohol (so really a tiny amount) would trigger a coughing fit and those whoops you can get with that illness.
Another personal anecdote is that alcohol triggers my asthma somewhat.
So I don't know about COPD, but I do believe that the lungs aren't too keen on alcohol.
koala
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