alcohol helps me?

A

Anetta

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31
it is so weird but I've noticed that drinking moderate amounts of alcohol helps my symptoms. what can I take out of it?

I have ME for one year triggered by mono and while for the first 7 months I couldn't stand a thought of alcohol (I used to be a frequent drinker) I recently started drinking again and enjoying its benefits. My sound sensitivity is gone when I am tipsy, I can walk way further and dance, bear being in a bar etc. My energy is better etc. And while hangovers are bad even from relatively small amount (3 pints) I don't have a relapse after drinking.

Wish there was a drug I could take that brings me the same benefit without being drunk and damaging my liver etc. Is there any?
 
JES

JES

Senior Member
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1,296
I notice significant improvement in POTS symptoms, blood flow and energy even after something like one pint. If I drink moderately, something like 3 pints as you describe, I also have certain improvements carrying over to the next day (with the caveat that there is a period where I feel slightly worse six hours after drinking, I guess this is the standard negative effect one can expect after alcohol consumption).

So yes, alcohol is another way I can achieve temporary improvements, but it's yet another thing on my list of interventions that seem to be difficult to maintain in the long run. In my case, I'm not concerned about the addiction part. Since my ME/CFS symptoms got worse, my mind is almost immune to developing addictions/cravings, but obviously the health effects of long-term daily alcohol consumption are more concerning.
 
M

MikeK

Messages
5
Alcohol is also beneficial for me - I only drink once or twice a week too but notice very similar improvements! I feel like my brain also becomes much clearer too.
 
Rufous McKinney

Rufous McKinney

Senior Member
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12,531
I am not a drinker...had to stop as it triggered IBS issues....but occasionally I have discovered that one beer can be really outstanding.

The hops can be very relaxing and help with sleep. Too much and bladder is triggered.

Sometimes I'm anxious out...part of all this...(being out of the cave, you all know...)and handed one beer has really helped me feel better and not spiral downward.
 
Wolfcub

Wolfcub

Senior Member
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7,089
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The nice thing about alcohol is it can smooth things out (generally speaking) and make us feel a bit warmer inside, a bit better.
But beware because it can be a bit of a false impression, and it's tempting to push beyond limits. It can mask the body/mind signals that are trying to tell us we're tired, or overworked, or staying up way too late, are stressed, or are in some form of discomfort, or haven't eaten....etc etc.

I love alcohol! But no it doesn't really always suit me nowadays. I either (if I am in a phase when I can drink it without ill-effects) feel just the usual buzz, or even a little sleepiness. But if I'm in a phase when it's not suiting me it makes me feel kind of poisoned in a peculiar creepy kind of way (not nauseated but just horribly dragged down generally.)

I was thinking this the other day. And I was remembering that years ago in the past (before ME/CFS), whenever I was just starting with an infection of some kind, my body had the same reaction to alcohol, and it made me feel weird. No fun in it at all. I could always tell when I was "over it" because I could enjoy a drink again.

Well it's been that same way all through this ME/CFS for me. Except during certain times when I have remissions. Then it's fine. I really like a good cognac, or any kind of beer.
But I wonder about my reaction to resveratrol or something that red wine contains because I don't do so well on a lovely smooth Merlot any more. :aghhh:

I wonder....if you drink red wine....could it be the resveratrol which is having a positive effect on you?
 
A

Anetta

Messages
31
JES said:
I notice significant improvement in POTS symptoms, blood flow and energy even after something like one pint. If I drink moderately, something like 3 pints as you describe, I also have certain improvements carrying over to the next day (with the caveat that there is a period where I feel slightly worse six hours after drinking, I guess this is the standard negative effect one can expect after alcohol consumption).

So yes, alcohol is another way I can achieve temporary improvements, but it's yet another thing on my list of interventions that seem to be difficult to maintain in the long run. In my case, I'm not concerned about the addiction part. Since my ME/CFS symptoms got worse, my mind is almost immune to developing addictions/cravings, but obviously the health effects of long-term daily alcohol consumption are more concerning.
Click to expand...
that's really interesting isn't it? I am trying to figure out which effects exactly alcohol has on ME. I understand when alcohol can mask pain, but to mask fatigue it's pretty weird. Must be something it is doing to make me feel better.
 
A

Anetta

Messages
31
Wolfcub said:
The nice thing about alcohol is it can smooth things out (generally speaking) and make us feel a bit warmer inside, a bit better.
But beware because it can be a bit of a false impression, and it's tempting to push beyond limits. It can mask the body/mind signals that are trying to tell us we're tired, or overworked, or staying up way too late, are stressed, or are in some form of discomfort, or haven't eaten....etc etc.

I love alcohol! But no it doesn't really always suit me nowadays. I either (if I am in a phase when I can drink it without ill-effects) feel just the usual buzz, or even a little sleepiness. But if I'm in a phase when it's not suiting me it makes me feel kind of poisoned in a peculiar creepy kind of way (not nauseated but just horribly dragged down generally.)

I was thinking this the other day. And I was remembering that years ago in the past (before ME/CFS), whenever I was just starting with an infection of some kind, my body had the same reaction to alcohol, and it made me feel weird. No fun in it at all. I could always tell when I was "over it" because I could enjoy a drink again.

Well it's been that same way all through this ME/CFS for me. Except during certain times when I have remissions. Then it's fine. I really like a good cognac, or any kind of beer.
But I wonder about my reaction to resveratrol or something that red wine contains because I don't do so well on a lovely smooth Merlot any more. :aghhh:

I wonder....if you drink red wine....could it be the resveratrol which is having a positive effect on you?
Click to expand...
I don't drink red wine....Never liked it actually. Also it's the worst for MCAS as far as I know. I am a beer lover.
 
A

Anetta

Messages
31
marlunette said:
It had similar effects on me. If you do end up drinking more frequently because of symptom relief AND you are on a restricted diet from stomach problems, be careful of your B1 intake. Alcohol can deplete B1 and some restricted diets can be low in B1 so it could be a double whammy.
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thanks for your concern, i'll keep that in mind. I don't have stomach problems so far and eat pretty normally....
 
stefanosstef

stefanosstef

Senior Member
Messages
528
I've seen this written many times.If it is POTS issues improvement blood circulation comes in mind, perhaps nimodipine could help.
If it's brain fog improvement it could be due to excessive glutamate, you can look it up and try avoiding foods that increase it and take some supplements that balance glutamate/gaba such as l-thianine, ashwagandha, vit c, ginger, coq10, pqq, b6 and others.
 
percyval577

percyval577

nucleus caudatus et al
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Ik waak up
I too had good effects, for three dark seasons, now the effect has gone and even changed (probabaly due to further improvement or supplementation with some B Vit´s for quitea time, I think).

I could only drink beer though, so the hops seems to have been important in my case. I reasoned:
  • hops is a iNOS inhibitor (reducing NO)
  • alcohol has been shown to be a NMDAR blocker (reducing NO from nNOS)
  • it has been guessed to bind to GABA recptors, inducing its action, I think
  • known to have a dopmaine action (in my case a rather unhelpful effect, I guessed)
Funnily I could drink amlost exactly 0.9l beer, then I got an aversion to it, and also only when having not eaten anything (so I drank beer in the early day! cheers!).
 
AnnieT

AnnieT

Senior Member
Messages
157
I haven't had alcohol in many years, then I had one glass of wine, and the next day felt so so low .... I am on antidepressants and it isn't a good mix for me.
 
Prefect

Prefect

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307
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Canada
I posted a thread on it here a while back:

https://forums.phoenixrising.me/threads/oh-alcohol.55862/

Don't take the direction on it I did though, as my tolerance went up my binges got more and more severe (a litre of whiskey a day) and I've been in and out of detox over the last year, my driver's license is suspended, have an inflamed fatty liver, and likely have brain damage. Nowadays I no longer know if my cognitive deficits are from this condition or brain damage from alcohol abuse. Just sayin.
 
A

Anetta

Messages
31
Prefect said:
I posted a thread on it here a while back:

https://forums.phoenixrising.me/threads/oh-alcohol.55862/

Don't take the direction on it I did though, as my tolerance went up my binges got more and more severe (a litre of whiskey a day) and I've been in and out of detox over the last year, my driver's license is suspended, have an inflamed fatty liver, and likely have brain damage. Nowadays I no longer know if my cognitive deficits are from this condition or brain damage from alcohol abuse. Just sayin.
Click to expand...
thanks!!! I couldn't find anything. and thanks for heads up! don't think I am able to drink that much with ME though.... :)
 
Wolfcub

Wolfcub

Senior Member
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Location
SW UK
Anetta said:
I am a beer lover.
Click to expand...
Just experimenting with thoughts.....is it the alcohol, or could it be the hops? Or something else contained in beer?

Or maybe it's the buzz itself. But how that works I don't know. It would be interesting to understand.
 
L

laxative_mess

Messages
17
Anetta said:
Wish there was a drug I could take that brings me the same benefit without being drunk and damaging my liver etc. Is there any?
Click to expand...

Have you tried LYRICA (pregabalin)? I am the same way in that drinking hard liquor (not beer) improves my brain fog and energy levels. Lyrica actually gives me a VERY similar feeling (feel intoxicated without being sloppy), and it's the med that's helped the most for me. My memory is sharper and my attention-span, verbal fluency, and ability to absorb information improves greatly (just like on alcohol). I've tried so many meds (SSRI, SNRI, stimulants, POTS medication, LDN, etc.) and nothing helps me more than alcohol or lyrica (not together, of course). I'm wondering if you might be in the same boat as me? I find it strange that more people aren't talking about lyrica on this forum...
 
sb4

sb4

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United Kingdom
Alcohol as far as I am aware is turned into ketones, these ketones would provide energy and bypass and problems in glucose metabolism (PDH?). Do those who have found alcohol to help also find low carb helps?

Indeed I came up with an idea that alcohol could help me tolerate carbs better but after trying one shot it felt like my entire nervous system was fried and I had a killer headache the next day. Perhaps this is because I hadn't drunk anything alcoholic in 7yrs and my body needs to get used to it, but I think it is more likely that my body cannot tolerate it anymore.
 
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