4 months in to a decompensated diagnosis and managing reasonably well with symptoms and bloods etc.
Liver nurse very happy with progress and doesn’t see any reason why things will get worse but a possibility that compensation is on the cards.
no alcohol since December last year and sticking to the high protein diet as provided by the NHS. With summer coming and looking for some different refreshment, recently come across some alcohol free fizzy drinks. Nosecco etc.
At less tha 0.05% alcohol there is only a trace in these drinks. Less than a teaspoon. Has anybody had any adverse experience in drinking these? Liver nurse appears unconcerned Altho do recognise that if transplant listed these would be ano-no.
Had no issues with stopping drinking alcohol so this would not be a ‘thin end of the wedge’ situation.
For those who have alcohol as a causal factor of liver disease then they are best avoided as they'll never quite 'cut it' as regards their taste/effect and are seen as a potential 'trigger' as a return to booze. In pre-transplant patients with ARLD they are absolutely contraindicated to t/p listing as it doesn't prove a willingness to pull away from that drinking culture.
No alcohol at all is near impossible to achieve since there is alcohol in all manner of things including in ripe fruit etc.
It's the trigger effect that is the concern, would they lead you back into old ways. If drinking in a pub then as has happened to other members in the past - they've ordered so called alcohol free and ended up being served the real thing. Better to find totally different beverages.
I wouldn't personally bother with alcohol free they just taste awful in my humble opinion.
I mean it depends what you drink alcohol free wine don't bother I don't drink anymore not through illness just personal choice as I used to drink alot/daily to cope with stress at work and looked awful and lived in state of a non stop panic attack most of the time so I gave up and tried the alcohol free wine bleuu.
The beer/lager isnt great but admittedly i never drank beer as didn't like taste so 🤷♀️ Gordons 0% Gin is a pretty 'realistic' taste so much so it made me feel quite nauseous 🤦♀️
So tbh now I just have coffee or 'mocktails' weatherspoons used to do them I think they're OK but I seriously just either drink coffee or fruit juice if I'm out and still feel sociable there are alot more people who don't always drink alcohol when they're out than people realise 👍
I have to disagree with others on this thread about the N/A beers. As a long time beer drinker very many of the current alco-free beers are excellent refreshing drinks. I found the wines disgusting. Fruit juices are high in sugars and acidic while sugar-free 'fizzies' contain unfriendly sweeteners. Guiness 0.0 is practically indistinguishable from the real thing. I am in a weekly pub quiz team and haven't been 'triggered' to have a beer or wine since stopping drinking after cirrhosis diagnosos on Feb 1st. I understand the warnings of triggers but also think people need to choose for themselves if they want beer substitues. As for the alcohol content there's way more alcohol in a ripe banana than any alcohol-free beers.
Absolutely true about fruit juices they are high in sugar and my husband who has cirrhosis and (currently in surgery as I type to investigate/repair 🤞 his TIPPS as its blocked ) is also a diabetic so he can have little fruit juices occasionally
Beers 0% apologies if they've improved but as I said above I never liked alcoholic beer taste so I wasn't best judge on difference in taste. My husband has tried 2 but he was a bitter drinking man so he's not fussed and tries to avoid anything alcohol tasting these days as it makes him feel sick.
However I think it's wonderful that you can enjoy an alcohol free beer 👍and I'm sure people will read this train of conversation which has both sides of yes/no to 0% drinks 👍
I drink Nosecco all the time. I'm also on the transplant list. As long as you're not chucking pints of the stuff down your neck and you didn't have an alcohol dependency then you'll be fine.It's good to hear you're doing well x
Nonsecco surprisingly realistic although admittedly so much so I can polish a bottle off at an event so I stop myself after 3 flutes 🤣 and just drink something else (I packed in drinking because I was living in a non stop panic attack and doctors said it was the wine/alcohol I relied on it as a stress releaver too much.)Tbh I'm 12 years without a drink and I honestly don't crave it anymore in fact cravings stopped after about 6 months if I remember 👍
Hi, as others have said if tp on the cards dont drink the substitutes. Hubbie was decompensated now compensated it took 9 months of stopping the drink. So keep going with that it will change your life and you'll feel so much better. Having said that hubbie had alcohol issues and loved and missed his beers/ales and ciders, he too had no problems stopping as he was determined not to drink, 16 months now. He has found some good substitutes with no side effects. In fact I now drink them too. Thatchers do an non alcoholic cider, brewdog seem to do the best alcohol free ales and as someone else said Guinness 0 isn't bad. Bud and peronni for the larger. Gordon's the best gin we've found. I think his taste buds changed after giving up the drink and he now enjoys soda and lime or ginger beer if there are no good alternatives when we're out. He finds fruit juices coke etc too sweet. Happy tasting😀
Gordons is so realistic its scary 🤣 but tbh I feel sick after 1 as I never liked Gin but didn't want to appear rude to the host who'd bought it for me specially 🤦♀️as I don't drink alcohol anymore.
Hi Telecaster as I am an alcoholic I feel I know a little about this subject, I haven’t drunk in nearly 20 years,September 28 th to be exact. I would personally say don’t go down that road. I always say that giving up is like going down a road and you will come across little bumps, big humps and forks in that road. It’s always your choice to take different routes and if you hit a hump or bump or come to a fork it’s up to you to get back on the straight road again, oh people can give you advice but in the end it’s your choice . It’s true that the doctors won’t even consider you if you touch low alcohol for a transplant. I had mine on the 23/3/23 and I feel so good it’s worth it 👍. I wish you the best of luck with your journey and hope you always choose the best road.
I agree with Anxious Pete. I drink Nosecco and 0% larger (Moretti and San mIguel ) at the pub, but wouldn’t dream of moving onto anything alcoholic. Getting the alcoholic version would be impossible as the bottle to put into my glass is right in front of me.
It’s not for everyone if you don’t trust yourself and sometimes I will just have a pint of water but as someone who does drink the zero versions I find it much preferable to cola, lemonade or fruit drinks that are high in sugar a definite no no for the liver post transplant. Not sure the pubs cordial has any less sugar either.
Warning though for Guineas drinkers the zero free version is so good even my husband and brothers struggled to tell difference so if buy at pub always watch it’s been poured from a can. It’s not on draught yet
I enjoy an alcohol free beer or cider (recommend Thatchers Zero !) I didn't have a problem with alcohol literally could take it or leave it...not had a drop now in over 2 years but it is nice to occasionally have a pretend cider or Guinness!! I find the wines too sweet. I'm not on any transplant list and my consultant has said alcohol free is fine.
I myself haven't touched a drop of alcohol or any cigarettes since being diagnosed with decompensated cirrhosis back in September 2021. All my bloods and scan results ok, liver function normal, no ascites etc and my consultant was very pleased with my progress of abstinence of alcohol and cigarettes and weight loss through healthy eating and exercise. I was advised when speaking to the BLT nurse to ask my consultant if I was classed as compensated because of being symptom free. I also totally agree with Katie about this alcohol free fizzy drink you've discovered. It can be a potential trigger to return back to drink with ARLD patients and can affect any chances of pre-transplant procedures in the long run as this could be seen as an unwillingness to escape the drinking habit that caused their health problems. Give me a nice cuppa anytime All the best for the future
Nip1
Good afternoon all. Thank you all so much for your wide and varied feedback. Exactly what was needed. It's so good that you take the time to respond with always very relevant feedback. Triggers are not an issue in this instance but your detail and experience with different 'zero' drinks is very helpful.
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