Merry Christmas! just a quick question, does everyone drink alcohol? does it effect the thyroid at all?

[Francisneat]

I only ask as I have not had a drink since I was diagnosed, over a year ago and I use to like having a drink with friends and family. I am a bit wary of having it again as I don't think I was very well just before diagnosed and I had some wine, and I had palpitations, shakey and it just brings be right back to that moment.

[Lora7again]

I think one or two small glasses of wine are ok but as we get older our liver cannot cope with a large amount of alcohol and thyroid disease does have an impact on our liver. I add soda water or ice to a glass of wine which dilutes it and makes it last longer.

[Francisneat in reply to Lora7again]

Thanks Lora7again yes you're probably right

[RedApple Administrator]

Francisneat, In theory, there's no reason not to drink alcohol simply because you're on thyroid hormone replacement. However, many of us find we cannot tolerate it as much as before. One glass of red wine with dinner is my limit now. More than that and I don't necessarily feel typically drunk, but I do feel unwell.

[Francisneat in reply to RedApple]

Thanks RedApple, it's just interesting to read about everyone not feeling so well after drinking some alcohol. I kind of wanted to confirm if it was just me out there over Christmas not enjoying a drink, so maybe it is more of us. x

[Miffie]

I enjoyed any amount of wine, a few spirits the odd cider or beer from teens to my early sixties. All with hypothyroidism, it didn’t seem to be a issue at all. Now at close to seventy I couldn’t care less whether I have a drink or not having had a long spell on tablets where alcohol was a no no!

[Francisneat in reply to Miffie]

Ok Miffie so you had no issue apart from the tablets then stopped you but like you say you could not care less which is a great attitude. I think I care as everyone around me drinks and I feel so left out, stupid I know.

[Buddy195 Administrator]

I couldn’t handle alcohol when I was under medicated as, like you, it made me jittery and my heart race. Now I’m better medicated/ vitamins more optimal, I can have a few drinks with no palpitations. Like others have advised, dilute your alcohol with mixer or drink a glass of water between alcoholic drinks. Hope all goes well!

[Francisneat in reply to Buddy195]

That is good advice Buddy195, I will try mixers and water etc. and see how I get on. thank you x

[Hidden]

I drink about once a week and I dont think it makes much difference. It can dry your mouth out a lot though in combination with levothyroxine and other meds.

[Francisneat in reply to Hidden]

That is good to know, (apart from the dry mouth part ) maybe I can build up to it again.

Thanks IamWearyLetmeRest. I know this question is hardly high priority in the big scheme of thyroid issues but sometimes a bit of normality makes things better.

[Hidden in reply to Francisneat]

Glad I could help🙂

[Cat013]

Hey Francisneat.

I drink wine, prosecco, cider and the odd cocktail (not in one go of course 😂) and it has no impact on my thyroid whatsoever as far as I know. I don’t feel any different when I do or don’t drink. I do make sure I drink water now where as I didn’t before. I know people who can barely tolerate more than a glass who don’t have thyroid problems so I think it’s more about what suits you and your body. Perhaps now you’re medicated you may feel different. If you don’t then maybe it’s your body’s way of telling you no thanks.

I think for us it’s particularly sensible to limit it and have days off but for me personally I don’t see the difference at all that day or the day/s after a prosecco brunch with friends. Well back in the days we could see our friends!!! But we are all different 😊. Xx

[Francisneat in reply to Cat013]

Hey Cat013, that is great news! I was not a big drinker before all this but still liked some, so I am happy that you enjoy it and it has no effect gives me a lot of hope. This makes me happy and I have hope for some nice drinks in 2021 with friends and family .

I hope you are having a nice drink tonight to bring in the New Year x

[Cat013 in reply to Francisneat]

I guess trying it is the answer. Just go slowly and see how you feel, hopefully great ☺️.

I have just opened a bottle of prosecco so I shall raise a toast to you all. Best wishes and good health to you in 2021 xxx

[Francisneat in reply to Cat013]

I will go slow fingers crossed. Thank you! that is so lovely, best wishes and good health to you as well x I will also raise a toast to you (later when I am brave enough)

[Cat013 in reply to Francisneat]

Francisneat If you tried it as a toast last night I hope it went ok for you and you feel ok this morning xx

[Francisneat in reply to Cat013]

Well I did pour a glass of prosecco and had a toast, but I only had a very small amount and I stopped as felt a bit funny but it was a start xx I watched the London fireworks and light show it was very good.

I hope you had a lovely evening. xx

[Cat013 in reply to Francisneat]

Well that doesn’t sound great if it was only a small amount. Perhaps it’s wine. I hope you manage to get to the point where you feel ok.

I watched it too. It was so lovely and really got 2020 across perfectly. Made me a bit emotional! Xx

[Francisneat in reply to Cat013]

Yeah I know it was a bit annoying but I won't go teatotal just yet. I agree, me and my husband were balling our eyes out lol

[Jacs]

The biggest problem I have when I drink more than a glass or two is poor sleep - I wake at around 4am and can’t go back to sleep. That said, I regularly enjoy aG&T or two, or a couple of glasses of white wine with no problems. If drinking Red I keep that to a glass as I find it harder to tolerate

[Francisneat in reply to Jacs]

Hi Jacs, you would have thought the drink would make you sleep like a baby eh so that is a bit of a shame for you. Thank you! again you can enjoy it with no problems then I think I may be more tempted not to be so scared about it. I found too previously red wine was always a bit of a headache one for me.

[serenfach]

I like a nice glass of red in the evenings. A woman has to have one vice.

I have forgotten what the other vices are though.

[Lora7again in reply to serenfach]

I have several vices and one of them is chocolate....

[Francisneat in reply to serenfach]

ha you're right we do have to some vices, chocolate is also one of mine as well, might need to have less of it going in to the new year for sure.

[tattybogle]

I used to cheat , (so i didn't have to deal with people knowing i was drinking very little, because actually ,they often act like you are spoiling THEIR fun and keep insisting you should join in)

I used to be able to drink properly, but can only handle only a VERY little amount nowadays before i feel dreadful and regret it the next day.

So i'd have half a bitter when i arrived somewhere, take my time about it, and then have tonic water in a gin glass with ice and lemon all evening.... nobody could tell the difference, i didn't feel left out , and if i felt up for it later i would maybe have one 'real' one, and if i didn't.. i could still drive home.

I found i could have just as much fun as everyone else as long as i fooled everyone (including myself !) that i was drinking like the rest of them. And felt really smug the next day when i woke up feeling fine , having done nothing more than increased my water intake and sucked a bit of vitamin C from the lemon. And only spent a fiver.... what's not to like.

[Lora7again in reply to tattybogle]

I think the last time I drank too much was in Ibiza in the 80s. I was in a club and there was all these foam bubbles being squirted everywhere and I hated it .... several years later I went to a Killers concert and they started to squirt the same foam bubbles out again! I hate getting wet or covered in stuff lol I am too old to go to concerts now thank goodness.

[tattybogle in reply to Lora7again]

Lora7~pissedandrollingaroundinpinkbubbles~again

What a picture.

I once got called a nuisance by some pretend pirates having a party on a ship in Whitby Harbour... i only suggested we nick the boat....

[Lora7again in reply to tattybogle]

I hope some of them looked like Jack Sparrow

😉

[tattybogle in reply to Lora7again]

Yes , about 15 of them if i remember correctly ... but none of them were up for nicking the boat....and i'm sure the real Jack would have been.....

[Francisneat in reply to tattybogle]

That tattybogle is a brilliant idea for going out! x I must admit when people 'used' to come to the house I did do that myself (so great minds but when I go over to there houses this is when it gets awkward as they do the drinks and there is no way of pretending. but hey we can't get away with everything can we. But it is a shame like you say when people feel like we are spoiling their fun as it really is not the case.

[hjh88]

Definitely can’t drink as much as previously. It makes me feel pretty unwell after a point before factoring several days of hangover (made the mistake of thinking I was capable of drinking as much as I used to early on in my treatment and regretted it)!

I now take the opportunity to order something much more expensive from the drinks list knowing it will be my only glass of wine or cocktail. If I’m only drinking one or two, I want them to be the most enjoyable drinks possible! 🥂

[Francisneat in reply to hjh88]

Sorry to hear you feel quite unwell after having drinks.

But I do like your style hjh88 for getting an expensive drink as it is most likely to be the only one. You know I am going to adopt this. Cheers to you x

[hjh88 in reply to Francisneat]

All about making the best of what you’re working with! Cheers and happy new year! 🥳

[Francisneat in reply to hjh88]

So true, Happy New year

[NWA6]

I’m optimally treated and have a glass or two most nights. I rarely go overboard cause I don’t like feeling drunk or hang overs.

A bit off topic but when I wasn’t well treated I used to be such a chocoholic! Huge bars of chocolate and many of them a week. Now I rarely ever eat chocolate, if I do it’s a little square of dark with a coffee after dinner. My sweet tooth just vanished.

[Lora7again in reply to NWA6]

I am going to have a couple of glasses of champagne tonight and hope that next year things will be a lot better for all of us.

[NWA6 in reply to Lora7again]

I’m going to make a mojito and a strawberry daiquiri 🥳 I used to absolutely love spiced rum and coke but I can’t for the life of me tolerate caffeine and sugar like that! I’d be awake all night and feel like I was on a come down the next day. Such a shame as I was hilarious after a ‘fun Bobby’ (our nickname for spiced rum and coke) 😂

[Francisneat in reply to NWA6]

Love strawberry daiquiri, enjoy! maybe you might be hilarious after your mojito and daiquiri

[NWA6 in reply to Francisneat]

Oh god! 😱 I was hilarious! Very very drunk on daiquiri’s and a mojito! Prosecco at midnight finished me off, we danced and sang and had a throughly fab NYE but I’m a little worse for wear today 😬

[Francisneat in reply to NWA6]

Ha that sounds like right laugh! I hope you're in pj's and sipping tea today

[Francisneat in reply to Lora7again]

Enjoy your champagne!

[Lora7again in reply to Francisneat]

Thank you ... I am not having it until a lot later because I might fall asleep!

😀

[Francisneat in reply to NWA6]

How strange that you craved sweetness when you were not so well. Maybe everyone has little signs, and now you are ok your sweet tooth has gone. Wish my signs were like that

I am glad to hear you can have a drink, that is good to know.