I am curious what everyone was told regarding alcohol intake and methotrexate. My doc told me she is ok with 1 drink a week. I don’t drink weekly but I would like to at least have 2 drinks maybe 2x a month. I asked the pharmacist and be said he thought the doc was being conservative. What have others been told?
I was told don't drink at all. But when I asked if I could have my one glass of wine a week, the rheumy said this was fine. This is pretty typical. That said, some people are going to be more sensitive, and may indeed need to not drink anything at all. You would probably know if you fell into this category pretty fast. You'll be going back and getting blood drawn in two months probably?
I have to admit, this year for Passover I had 4 or 5 glasses of wine. And then I had my blood checked a few days later. My liver values were just fine. But that is me. And it was a one time event. I certainly wouldn't do it on a regular basis.
Thank you Stoney. If she is saying I can technically have 4 drinks a month, I just would like to have more than one at a time. Like 2 or 3 one night and then nothing else for the month. I can’t see that being a huge issue but who knows!
I have heard people here discussing this before, you might want to do a search. I do know some people have 4 drinks once a month and may have 2 in 2 events. Some people try to avoid the day they take their mtx to minimize the damage to their livers.
Mine didn't say anything about it, and I kept forgetting to ask. I don't drink regularly, but do enjoy a glass of wine or a good cold beer here and there. From what I can find, doctors in Europe are much more liberal about this than American doctors. Maybe because they have a different attitude about alcohol to start with, maybe because their patients aren't lawyer-happy, who knows.
Many rheumatologists like to suggest acetominophen on a regular basis, and that stuff is wayyyy worse for your liver than the small weekly doses of meth we take.
I was told by the pharmacist not to drink at all, but my doctor said I could have a drink every now and then. I found out that I cannot drink hard liquor anymore, makes me very sick. I can handle a glass of wine, or bottle of beer. I am not a big drinker anyway, but every now and then I like to have a glass of wine with my friends. I get blood tests every 3 months and so far they have been ok. By the other replies seems it all depends on who you talk to and how your body reacts. Good luck!
It seems to depend on where you live. Our friends in Australia and the UK seem to have much less stringent rules than we do here in North America. I guess it all depends on your liver, and that tale is told by your liver enzymes.
i'm on another medication, as well as methotrexate, that i was told i shouldnt drink alchohol. If it was just one medication, i would be tempted to cheat a little, but on two medications, i think i will tee total. I like beer, so it will be hard, but if you arent gonna do what the doctor says, why bother going??