How does everyone feel about having a glass of wine occasionally? I really miss having an evening glass of wine, but not sure if I

[Rosi1213]

should. My Rheumy says it's okay to an occasional drink....I have only had 2 glasses of wine since I started MTX on Feb 22...but I sure do miss it....Does anyone have an occasional drink???

[kizzy12]

i have a drink when i want one but have never been a heavy drinker...we suffer enough with this disease so i think we should have a treat when we want one

[Hidden]

I am having a couple of glasses of lovely cold Sauvignon as we speak. Am celebrating that my rheumy agreed today enbrel has stopped working so I am going to have abatacept. Yaaaay, very pleased hence the wine celebration. Enjoy the odd glass when you want to and don't feel guilty. Life is about more than RA meds. Xx Virge

[cathie in reply to Hidden]

Can you share what happened with enbrel?

[Hidden in reply to cathie]

Will pm you

[wishbone]

I was a moderate drinker for 8 years after I started taking MTX, without any obvious side effects. I stopped taking MTX about a year ago and gave up alcohol about a year before that. Not because of health concerns - I simply lost interest in drinking. So I don't think the odd glass of wine will do much harm...cheers...

[jeanjack]

I totally understand as I love to have a glass of wine. Instead of just having a glass when I feel like it I have to restrict myself to 2 glasses on a Friday evening. I recently had a lot more than that over a few weeks and my liver test levels shot up from 22 to 91. Rheumy said it was alcohol related so I am now being careful but it's a real pain not to be able to enjoy a drink when I want to. The only thing I won't do is restrict myself on holiday. I feel that it's my holiday and I'm going to enjoy it so I'll have wine every night. As long as I go back to being practically teetotal when I get back then I reckon I will be okay and will not have done too much damage. I am on 17.5 MTX. Jean

[helixhelix]

It stopped drinking alcohol when I first started MTX as I wanted to give it the best chance to work. After a few months I tried having one small glass of wine a week, and that didn't seem to mess up my liver as blood tests stayed ok. And I slowly increased, so now I have 2 or sometimes 3 glasses a week and that seems to be ok. I never drink on MTX day or the day after, or without eating at the same time. And I never, ever drink more than 2 small glasses on one night as bingeing is supposed to be the absolute worst thing. So just be a bit careful, but don't stop doing everything you enjoy!

[earthwitch]

It really depends on what your liver function results are like. If they are staying OK, then having one or two units of alcohol every now and then should be OK, as your rheumy says. If your liver function tests are borderline or bad, then I personally wouldn't risk making it worse. I think it would also be important to really stick to a very small amount, especially when you realise that most folks idea of a few drinks is actually well over the recommended daily limit.

[hatshepsut]

I don't drink regularly, but do enjoy the odd glass of wine. My mantra is to keep it to 4 units per week maximum. I'm on 20 MTX injections, and my doc is happy with this limit. So far I've had no problems, touch wood! I think it's a matter of being sensible, and then enjoying a little of what you fancy. ---and hopefully it does you good! Cheers! M x

[Beaches2]

Hi

I started mtx at Christmas time. I haven't had a drink since diagnosis as i want to give everything the best possible chance of working. My plan is to wait until things are under control and I have settled on the drugs......I have recently had to increase mtx so on weekly blood tests again

Once I know for sure that my liver is coping then I plan to have the occasional drink again. For me personally I don't think I could enjoy a drink right now without worrying about any negative effects and would be so mad at myself if it affected anything.

X

[Jane06]

I have a drop of red wine diluted with red grape juice every evening. I had a liver prob a while ago - autoimmune - but doc says it's fine so long as bloods ok - which they are! Medical people always make rules without looking at the whole picture. I think drinking in moderation is fine! X

[magglen]

I love a glass of red wine and would have one every evening with my supper until I got RD. I told my elderly consultant how much I enjoyed that glass and he told me I could have three a week [I am on Enbrel]. My younger consultant has told me I shouldn't have alcohol at all because the liver has to work hard already dealing with the medication. So who do I believe? I only have a small glass [sherry size glass] every now and then and savour every drop!!

[Jane06 in reply to magglen]

I think Dr.'s give a standard answer to this without any real evidence. I'm sure it would be different if it was them!

[nomoreheels in reply to Jane06]

Nope, sorry disagree with you, not often I'm so brazen! There is much well documented evidence on this subject specifically relating to MTX. Many people have problems with their liver because of the meds they're on, me included if my MTX is upped by 5ml & even being careful with how much alcohol is consumed ALT results can increase & add to any problems already affecting the liver.

Just had to add my twopenn'th on this one!! If you'e ever had liver problems & the pain that goes with your viewpoint may alter!

[Jane06 in reply to nomoreheels]

I stand corrected!

[nomoreheels in reply to Jane06]

Then you may go to the top of the class!!!

[Shell1967]

I have been on Mtx for nearly two years,my consultant said keep to the recommended units a week and Attend monthly blood tests.i have a couple of glasses of wine every weekend attend my blood tests and not once has my liver function been affected.you must be able to enjoy life but never binge and never take on Mtx days.always attend your blood test appointments and if they are fine enjoy your couple of glasses of wine.even my rheumy nurse agrees as long as I keep to these rules to enjoy my weekend wine

[julie_warwick]

I am not on mtx now but when I was the consultant said it was ok in moderation , my bloods were fine on a couple of glasses a week but never drank on mtx day , on holiday I had more but went back to the occasional one afterwards , on leflunomide now and consultant again said be careful but nurse said none ! difficult to know what to do , I do have the odd one , got to have a life ! , and so far my liver isn't complaining , we're all different though.

[denvajade]

I too dilute my sauv blanc, I pop some ice in and it makes the drink go further. just watch your liver levels. enjoy

[Tessthomy]

Ditto all above, I agree to begin with take it steady to give your body a chance to adjust as mtx is a very toxic drug. I refuse to give up my glasses of wine but drink in moderation, as someone said above its binge drinking that's really dangerous.

I gave up completely at the start but now have small amounts of wine most eves, with v regular blood tests. Respect your body drink plenty of water at other times.. I refuse to give up something I enjoy with food, I am also a coeliac so have to give up quite a lot already! Chin chin ! X

[Redrooster]

I've been blessed all my bloods have been good from first taking mtx so I have a glass most nights. Drank normally while on holiday and again my LFTs have been fine. Think I was being defiant and pushing the boundaries as was so angry to have the diagnosis. Have calmed down a bit but still enjoy a meal out and a few drinks on Saturday night. Obviously if the LFTs go off. I'll curtail myself.

[nomoreheels]

I don't imbibe so really this post doesn't effect me but for what it's worth my thoughts are as long as your LFT remains stable & alcohol doesn't raise it too much enjoy the odd glass as long as you're well into treatment or not at the start of a new regime. It goes without saying it would be best to avoid alcohol until the first blood results to see how your liver's reacting to any newly introduced drug & if there's no significant rise enjoy in moderation. There's no point denying yourself simple pleasures when living as we do. Whenever my ALT is higher than normal it's suggested I reduce my alcohol intake which ticks me off because all alcohol does to me is make me ill, I never get the to "relaxed" point before I ppp - perform peristaltic pyrotechnics lol Just as well choc doesn't effect it otherwise I'd be off the scale!

[pm52]

I think it all depends on the person. I have been on MTX for 4 years and drink wine several times a week and my liver results are always OK but I know it affects some people more. i would have a glass when you feel like it and see how you go and always check your blood results and obviously stop if it is causing problems. I have PSa not RA, but I think we need a bit of a treat now and then with these horrible diseases!

[Zigzager]

I know how you feel, I didn't touch a drop of alcohol for two years following diagnosis & methotrexate . However, now I do occasionally indulge, on holidays & the odd night out. I still worry about the toxicity in my liver etc, so am generally v careful. My Aunt is on methotrexate for years & boy did she drink with it, she has Alzheimer's now in her 80s but her liver seems ok so I dunno. The only thing is when my ALTs are a little High, I do worry, but in fact recently I found out this was caused by my anti inflammatory tab diclac. ( the only one that works for me).. I say enjoy a few glasses of wine occasionally , thus disease robs so much.

[dcj14]

As long as your liver function tests are ok it should be fine to have the occasional drink. I drink wine quite regularly and my liver function tests always come back normal (apart from once when I did the blood tests just after new year, hm!). Everyone is different though. If you have a glass once a week and your liver is ok, then it should be fine to increase slowly provided that you stay 'well within the recommended limits', as they say, but it may be safest to run it past your rheumy consultant or nurse first just in case you had abnormal liver tests that you're not aware of. Otherwise, enjoy, life is too short!

[Shauns]

I have wine whenever I feel like it. This disease is bad enough so you should enjoy life when you can.

[Hidden]

I tend to have two glasses a week if my liver functions and GI tract are ok - my only problem is choosing from wine beer cider or my favourite bourbon.

[Rosi1213]

Thank you everybody for your response about drinking. I am glad to see I hopefully won't have to cut it out all together, but, I think I will wait a few more months , since I only started it Feb. 22nd.(although I have had 2 glasses of wine on my birthday in May...shhhhhhh)! Maybe I will be more daring in a couple of months, I don't want to interrupt anything that is now starting to work. But, I SURE DO MISS IT!