Alcohol Intolerance in Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
How have you changed your alcohol consumption since you started living with fibromyalgia (FMS) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS or ME/CFS)?
Notice I didn't ask whether you'd changed it, just how. That's because most of us discover that we just can't handle alcohol like we used to. During the holidays, it's harder not to enjoy a drink now and then - a glass of wine with Thanksgiving dinner, a champagne toast, or a beer to unwind after shopping. As with so many other things, the key is knowing your body and your limits. Some of us can handle a drink or two OK, while some can't handle any at all.
So far, this aspect of our conditions hasn't gotten a lot of attention from researchers, so we don't know why we tend to develop alcohol intolerance. What we do know about alcohol, in general, is:
- It's a toxin, and we don't deal with toxins well.
- It has an inflammatory effect on your body, and inflammation can increase pain as well as reduce blood flow to tissues.
- It disrupts sleep patterns.
- It's a depressant.
These are all good reasons to stay within your limits. If you do choose to drink, do what you can to mitigate the negative effects:
- Think moderation!
- Stay well hydrated.
- Take an anti-inflammatory.
- Give yourself extra time to sleep and recover.
- Be aware of how it may interact with your meds, and don't combine it with pain killers.
How has your illness impacted your alcohol tolerance? Share your experiences here, or in About.com's Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome community forum (under Newsletter & Blog topics.)
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Comments
Alcohol by its nature causes many of the same symptoms of a FM/CFS-related condition which often remains undiagnosed in people with FM/CFS.
Alcohol is a vaso-dilator, slows down blood pressure. Red wine is often recommended, per research, for its antioxidants and ability to lower blood pressure, though there are plenty of other food sources for both.
People with FM/CFS have a 40 percent chance of having OI (orthostatic intolerance) particularly NMH (neurally mediated hypotension).
Alcohol mimics the symptoms of NMH. I have sometimes awakened with a feeling of a hangover when I have had no alcohol for years. I have the OI condition of NMH, haven’t been able to handle alcohol for 25 years.
Starchy, sugary carbohydrates also dehydrate and lower blood pressure with symptomatic consequences for OI-NMH/CFS/FM people. Starchy carbs like bread, potatoes, beans, even fruits, cause release of insulin, another vaso-dilator.
Lowering blood pressure in NMH patients causes similar feelings to suffering from binge drinking or feeling incredibly depressed when we are suffering exceedingly low blood pressure rather than depression.
Exceedingly low blood pressure for an NMH patient makes it nearly impossible to want to do anything, may cause feelings of hopelessness similar to but not depression.
I wish to heal and feel better, so alcohol can wait for a day I no longer have daily symptoms of a condition, OI-NMH, mimicking symptoms of alcohol consumption.
I learned a long time ago that alcohol doesn’t agree with me…so I don’t drink.
Happy Holidays all.