Arthritis Alcohol

Now, I'm not a doctor and I'm not telling you what you can or should do. Don't take it to heart. Talk to your doctor.

"Can I still drink with a chronic illness?" A question muttered in many different forms by many different people. And the answer is almost always yes. In the case of arthritis, you certainly can. It's not so much the disease we worry about alcohol affecting as much as the medications. Many medications do carry risks when it comes to alcohol.

NSAIDs are usually safe to drink in moderation, of course ask your doctor first. DMARDs like methotrexate are popular in treatment. Some doctors tell you that it's fine to drink, but to limit it. Others tell you to avoid it like the plague. It's mostly concern to protect your liver and kidneys. With biologics, it may be the same story: you might be told you can drink, you might not. Only your doctor knows what is best for you. Me personally? Well, I was about twelve when I started methotrexate and my parents were told "make sure you lock the wine up," before giving a laugh. It has been quite a number of years since then and I haven't taken methotrexate for a bit but the 'rule' hasn't changed much.

Personally, I don't drink. A bit shocking for a teenager, I know. But it's my reality. 'Why?' You may ask, 'With Enbrel you can drink in moderation.' Well, yeah. But I don't want to.

Anyway, a lot of people worry about if their health and treatments may affect their lifestyle. Alcohol is a huge concern. For some people, it's worry if they can have some wine with dinner. Others worry their party days may be at an end. The main concern in all of it seems to be 'am I having another part of my life completely changed? Or even taken away?' Sometimes it reminds me of being little when my parents told  me I couldn't watch a certain programme that I liked or could only have a little when I wanted a lot. Even though it doesn't matter now, it felt like the end of the world at the time. Isn't that how most situations play out though?