Drinking Alcohol after Bacterial Meningitis

[Vickybell]

Hi there

I had bacterial meningitis at the beginning of July this year. I am definately on the road to recover, but still have some side effects such as memory loss, confusion, headaches and pressure in my head and ears.

On Friday I went to a friends wedding reception and only have 4 alcoholic drinks during the entire evening. I then spend the night being sick and was really ill. It was the first time I had drank anything in 3 months, but I can usually drink more than that and I did not feel drunk or even really that tipsy!

Do you think that my body is struggling to process the alcohol due to my illness, and have any of you experienced the same after drinking?

Thanks

[Tiga]

it could be your body went into shock, as you have been living a clean life, also the heat and noise that would have come with it would not have helped, or maybe you also ate somthing that just did not like you, the problem with BM and VM we are all on high alert and anything that happens we blame the BM or VM

memory loss, confusion, headaches and pressure in my head and ears. these are normal, just think of yourself as a computer, your poor brain has been re booted and will take time to heal.

re pressure in your head, haev you gone to your doc about this? have you tried having your had over a bowl of ht watre and vic and towel, just like when you was a kid with a cold, this may help or may not but worth a go

just take you time

your body is on fear alert, since my VM i think i have had 100000000 illness that i blame on VM, LOL, the last one turned out to be a SVT and had to have a heart opp 3 weeks ago, no big deal, but had to laugh as i was blaming illness on my VM, so now i have to tell myself, if i am ill, i am ill and treat each new illnes as something new .

best of luck hon

[paul1224]

hi

i had bm 8 years ago and i have not drunk alchol at in that time on medical advice because of all the medication i know take

i have tried twice but i had the same reaction as you so never touched it since

my consultant said it was best to stay off

don't rush take your time our bodys have had a big kick as i say 8 years on still haveing physiotherapy

best of luck to all for the future

[Vespalover]

Alchohol dehydrates you. It robs the menigies of fluid and that is why meningitus feels like the mother of all hangovers. I used to drink 2 glasses of wine of an evening but now about 1/4 of a glass and I feel the hangover head coming on. Try and keep hydrated at all times.

You are actually doing extraordinarily well to be out and about and able to go to a wedding. I had Viral M in April and I am not sure I could manage a wedding and reception in one day. If you over do it you will have relapses so it may have been too much alchohol and/or too much activity in a day for you.

Stay well and be kind to yourself. It will take 6-12 months to start feeling right so don't rush.

[hannah88]

i've had 3 coma's with bm, and at the time i was 5-19 and didn't drink alcohol.

I do drink socially now occasionally however certain drinks are completely of the cards, vodka, jd, wisky.

I had to gradually build up a tolerance, as i have long periods of gaps in-between drinking it's similar to when you first drink.

for me it took a number of years to find a drink i could drink without side effects you may be the same it may be the case the drink you drunk before you no longer can.