Help - I love a glass or two of red wine. I almost never drink more than a bottle, if I did it would be a beer earlier the a bottle shared.
Im finding as Im getting older 48years I just cant cope with it. I love it when Im drinking it and feel totally fine but a few times now Ive woken up with a hangover!!!!!

This week I didnt even have half a bottle and woke up feeling squirmish!

Whats going on?

Vanessa

Warning sign! It's your liver protesting. I like to go out for an evening with friends and it's usually at each other's houses, so it's no problem to take a bottle of wine, but I've begun opening it beforehand and watering the wine down a bit. It doesn't taste much different, no one knows I've done it, and I can happily drink it for most of the evening with no evil consequences. I have even been known to take a bottle of grape juice instead of wine. It seems as long as I have something in my hand, it doesn't really matter much what it is!

Oh dear! That slippery slope!

Its actually a good thing as it stops me feeling like a wine and helps me get out of that habit of a wine after a busy day.

I'm 43 and in my mid 30s something changed in me and I can't really drink at all anymore without getting a headache nearly immediately, or having hot flashes and getting really tired within the hour. So I've stopped drinking and it's boring. I also miss having the help relaxing after a crap day. Wine has never agreed with me, but I miss a cold vodka and lime.

About four years ago I decided I was drinking too often and sometimes too much, so I gave up alcohol for a month. I felt so amazingly better that I carried on being teetotal for at least a year. I then decided to ease up a little and have the occasional glass of wine at the end of the day, and what I discovered was that my tastes had changed. I couldn't bear white wine (too acidic) or red wine (smelt like rotten grapes), my drink of choice became Champagne or good quality Methode Champenoise. And I was thrilled to discover that one glass is all I want, any more and I feel woozy and uncomfortable.

So Vanessa, maybe try a month or two teetotal then see how you go with a much reduced level of alcohol. It helps with the budget too!

I find different wines have different effects, regardless of their alcohol content - something to do with sulphite content possibly? Even though I always drink sauv. blanc, I now know which labels I can drink and feel perfectly fine the next day and which to avoid.

I agree that age is a factor in one's reaction to alcohol and the older you get, the less tolerant you get of feeling anything less than right on top of your game. We oldies have enough to worry about - aches, pains and the failure of parts without imposing pain voluntarily!!

The other thing is hydration - if you are well hydrated before you have a couple of wines, then it is less likely to cause you any problems the following day, as a hangover is essentially dehydration. Some people I know even drink a glass of water between glasses of wine (a variation on Lorna's theme although I am sure I would detect watered down wine!).

Edited to add - of course substantial food with wine is essential - if you're not having a meal, then substantial snacks eg cheese, meat and seafood, not 'empty' food like potato crisps which only make you thirsty. These not only help to absorb the alcohol but slow down your intake.

Regards,

Barbara Anne



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/28/2019 06:58AM by Barbara Anne.

Wow - you guys are my soul mates!

I was thinking you may have all thought I had an alcohol problem but to be honest have in the past found myself looking forward to a glass of wine at the end of the day and the glass ends up being half a bottle over the course of the evening. Im really good at stopping there but when if felt like I was doing this frequently ( like most days ) it played on my mind. I also did find it hard to quell the urge and if I had a bottle in the house, would eventually pour myself one.

After a couple of hangovers like I mentioned from not drinking that much I have started to do a bit of a stocktake of my lifestyle.

Im actually healthy and enjoy food - probably a bit to much! Im not particularly controlled and over the years have put on a at least 5-10-kgs. Cutting back on alcohol is definitely something Im going to do and the hangover feeling is a great kick start as it makes me NOT want a wine at all. Im not even talking BIG hangover, just that foggy, headachy feeling.

Last week I didnt buy any wine with the shopping so didnt drink anything. I didnt even have the urge. I thought Id have a Friday night wine and woke up Saturday not feeling 100%. I will do the same this week and save my wines for the weekends and make sure I drink alot more water.

I used to drink big oaky Chardonnays but cant stomach that anymore and love gutsy red wines. A cold beer on a hot day or a G and T is great too.

I think this is a timely reminder of looking after myself, making a few changes to my waist and wallet and seriously cutting back.

I drank a few diet tonic waters during the week and that really worked as a treat - just opening the slimline cold can, hearing the fizz, pouring it in to a nice glass with lemon or lime - actually I tried grapefruit and it tasted great and I didnt feel like I was missing out. I was however on the couch with Netflix ;-)

I will keep you posted!
Vanessa
'

Vanessa when my kids were young I could easily knock off half a bottle of wine a night - it saved my sanity.
In the last few years I had a few stretches of 5 months or so not drinking and I always feel so much better for it;.
I actually find it easier not to drink at all than to have 1 glass of wine as 1 glass almost always becomes 2.
I get hideous hangovers and always have, I guess that has been something that has limited my intake over the years.

During the last couple of years when my husband and I were still on the Auckland treadmill, we would come home and make straight for the fridge and open a bottle of wine to relieve the stress. Every day. After finally retiring and moving, we cut down immediately, partly because the stress was less, an increasing waistline and a somewhat reduced income. We have not looked back but treat ourselves to a good bottle of wine at the weekend. There is always wine in the house for unexpected visitors but we very rarely open a bottle during the week. I find that if I have more than two small glasses I drop off to sleep quite quickly but then wake up three hours later and will be awake for quite some time.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/28/2019 11:04PM by Chris.

I love not drinking. My eyes shine like limpid pools with health and voomnishosity. Sadly it doesn't happen very often these days but I do stop at two glasses. One glass of a very iced up G&T and one glass of wine. The only trouble with being on the wagon is never wanting to go to bed before I have to get up again. I don't mind waking up numerous times in the night - let cat in bed, let cat out of bed, let cat in bed, let cat out of bed. This is known as cat napping. Then it's her turn. We have synchronicity. I also like knowing what's going on in the dead of night and feel it makes for a longer night, rather than going to bed at some reasonable hour then waking up suddenly 8 hours later and wondering where the night went and what happened while I wasn't in it. They say you don't need as much sleep as you get older, much older so maybe just lying in bed humming along with nature is also acceptable. Works for me.

I like wine, particularly a good red. Several years ago my liver became damaged, no, not with wine but a problem called Mirizzi syndrome. Probably only someone involved in medicine or knows someone who has had the same thing would know what it is, without resorting to google help.
My surgeon says a glass of red wine is fine, just don't overdo it. I think the overdo word applies to a lot of things we like.
I don't get a headache with wine but I do if I eat much chocolate.
I am due to have much needed knee surgery next week and I am doing everything possible not to jeopardise that. I would be lucky to drink a half standard glass in a week now, the same glass lasts me for a couple of hours.
Wine at wine club? That is restricted to 30ml tasting pours, with a maximum of 8 wines in an evening. For me it is sip and tip, there is never any pressure to do otherwise.
I had to smile at Helen's half a bottle a night when the kids are young.

Oh, Marnie, there was an interesting bit of news about liver regeneration in ScienceDaily today:
[www.sciencedaily.com]
Liver transplants could be redundant with discovery of new liver cell
Date: July 26, 2019 Source: King's College London
Summary: Researchers have used single cell RNA sequencing to identify a type of cell that may be able to regenerate liver tissue, treating liver failure without the need for transplants.

That is an interesting article, J1. How wonderful. Thank you for that. It is now over 8 years since I had the problem and I still see the same surgeon for checks. Every so often I will go to a GP for another problem and after yet another blood test I am sent to hospital. Last time I was there a couple of younger doctors came to talk to me and said....do you have any idea why this keeps happening?...I told them I thought but couldn't be sure, it might have a lot to do with the painkilling drugs. They nodded and said, so do we. I know I digress from the topic, sorry, Vanessa.

Good piece in The Guardian this morning.

[www.theguardian.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/30/2019 11:51PM by TPANDAV.

Very good piece, thank you TPANDAV. I identify with so much of her experience. We're old now and usually do not drink during the week, but look forward to Friday! I have GERD and can get away with having one drink, but if I have a second will almost inevitably have an unpleasant attack in the night. Reason enough to give up altogether. BUT - the celebratory sociable aspect of having a drink is almost as addictive as the stuff itself. I might get there yet. What will life be like without the occasional clink of glasses and fizz and happy toasts? I have several good friends who manage it .

Tpandav, thanks for sharing, that is a great piece.
Its amazing how when you don't drink you suddenly have a realisation of wasted money, the health impact and wasted days feeling groggy etc... yet it is so easy to slip back into the habit again.
I am currently trying to be alcohol mindful, having just returned from a holiday where we drank daily, I am needing some time out.

When I look at the money involved, I definitely become less frustrated that I can no longer drink. However, having two very difficult teenage boys really, really, really tempts me sometimes. But the hour of relaxation before the sick feeling kicks in just isn't worth it!

I don't like wine and its taste.