Dangers of drinking alcohol with a kidney transplant ?

[Qdog]

What are peoples experiences with drinking alcohol ? My son is 21 and doing very well 9 months post kidney transplant. I know he will feel peer pressure to perhaps imbibe on occasion. What are the dangers? I am worried he will make a bad decision and not much I can do about it.

[Rmatthew]

Hi there, I personally don’t drink alcohol and never did before I got my transplant, but my best friend (who is 8 months post transplant the same as me) has a few beers or wine or something along those lines at the weekend or maybe a week day, and all his results are brilliant when we go to transplant clinic. I think it’s best to just really be careful. Don’t over do it, and 100% talk to the transplant team, there the ones to give you a much more detailed answer etc.

Hope you are both doing well, and congratulations to your son for on getting a transplant!

[YorkyinNorfolk]

Hello Qdog, this is a good question as the affects on the younger adult transplant population are often overlooked, especially as so many of us are older when we have one.I’ve had my transplant for 19 years and having a drink now and then is not going to affect your son as long as he follows some basic, common sense rules (easier said than done when they’re 21!).

For me it has always been about my immunosuppressant drug regime. That can’t be affected in any way.

If I know I’m going “out”with friends I always take my drugs earlier in the evening with a good meal to make sure I’ll be able to cope with the alcohol better and I never drink to excess. What excess is will be personal to everyone but I like to be in control of myself and know how I’m going to get home (I need to be taking my next lot of drugs in the morning back at home) and I would never drink so much that I would become unwell (again, that could affect the absorption and amount of the drugs in my system).

Transplant patients are normal people who just need to follow some basic, common sense guidelines (and take the tablets!). It’s important his friends know that he’s had a transplant & that he has to take regular medication. I’ve always been “up front” on this, people will never egg you on to have “one more” and will generally look out for you if you’re honest about having to be careful.

Having been part of transplant sporting community where celebrating “the gift of life” annually is an important part of us getting together, having “a drink” is not an issue.

As with any normal person, rehydrating the next day will be important as well.

Like everything in life it’s about moderation and common sense.

[Qdog in reply to YorkyinNorfolk]

Thanks so much for the detailed reply. Really appreciate real life answers.

[Hidden]

Oh, very bad. I never drank alcohol prior to my transplant because water was the liquid I craved. Sometime after the transplant, I went out with friends and had 3 Cosmopolitans with vodka. I was dehydrated and very sick. Nephrology told me Azathioprine mixes badly with alcohol. Today I am on mycophenolate in place of Azathioprine and haven't tried alcohol again. Some people can drink in moderation and be ok. I have a hard time staying hydrated with water, so I haven't tried alcohol since.