Alcohol - yes or no to occasional drink?
Erika888
Member Posts: 8 ✭
Hi I had a lumpectomy 3 weeks ago and going through the paranoid phase re bc - this caused it, that caused it etc. As my confidence comes back and knowing that nothing I did or didn't do caused my bc - I'm now blaming stress, lowered immune system, environment, drinking tap water - possibly covid vaccine - who knows?? I used to enjoy a glass of Rose wine pre-diagnosis but now don't feel like it. I did have a couple of glasses of prosecco recently which I thought I deserved after all this turmoil! Has anyone given up alcohol altogether, still having the occasional glass - drinking only organic? I've decided to only drink organic because I'm paranoid about wine preservatives now - sulphites etc.
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No-one really recommends alcohol. I drink non-alcoholic wine to avoid the real
stuff a lot of the time. The main dilemma is what to have with a meal instead - carbonated water is too fizzy, fruit juice full of sugar, tap water too - well, watery!
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It is a very personal decision @Erika888- I enjoy a wine or 2 with my evening meals and would never tell anyone not to. Moderation is the key, I think.
I used to actually make my own fruit wine 30 years ago & I know they had no added sulphites in them .... and boy, they were high level alcohol as I wouldn't bottle them til they had finished fermenting!! They were VERY tasty tho - and they also never gave me a hangover!
Organic wines (no added sulphites) are gaining in popularity, specially those with allergies. (Sometimes sulphite is added to stop the fermenting process & also prevent wine from going 'off'.) It appears sulphite can be naturally occurring during fermentation - so in wines whether added or not.
White wines usually have less than red wines.
There are quite a few brands:
https://www.google.com/search?q=wine+without+sulfites
Enjoy your meals & if you enjoy a bit of wine with it - enjoy that too!
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Hi @Erika888 I have decided to stay off alcohol mainly because my taste buds are still not 100% and therefore I have found it reasonably easy to give up.I was a one glass of wine a day with my evening meal maybe 4 times a week. Coffee on the other hand … I would really struggle to give it away …!
There’s a lot that comes down to personal choice, moderation and your other health attributes.3 -
I have mets and enjoy a glass or two once a week and my oncologist is ok with that. I think everything is moderation is ok. Live your life without fear. You will never really know the causes of bc. All I can conclude is there is no one thing that you can pin point.
People sometimes talk about stress and stress isn't helpful for anyone however there are people who live in a constant state of stress like war who never get cancer. Try not to over think it or go down the rabbit hole of looking to blame yourself. Cancer is no one's fault.4 -
Everything in moderation
Personally not an issue, don't drink alcohol.
12 months ago had surgery and as a result can't cope with coffee, was my drink to start my day......body changes as we go along!2 -
I'm a 'one drink a year' gal and have quite the stockpile of moscato here. Somehow my clients worked out it was my favourite and I received 7 bottles of it for Christmas, haha!! Recently I turned 50, right after I finished chemo, so I indulged in a glass. I figured it couldn't damage my liver any more than the chemo did! Then last week my partner and I celebrated getting the all clear from pathology with a glass of champers. It was so dry!! Much prefer my moscato
That will likely be it for me until I celebrate something next year.
You do you, but live! And enjoy that occasional glass xo3 -
I stopped drinking altogether after diagnosis. I wasn't a heavy drinker, just a glass or 2 of single malt at the end of the work week. I have always had anxiety, plus Tamoxifen makes me feel quite 'agro' from about 10am-12pm each day. After a few months of not drinking, my anxiety and stress got to the point that I was going to see my GP about anti-anxiety meds - something I have been able to avoid through psychology and lifestyle changes up to this point of my adult life. Then I went down the research rabbit hole of all the meds you can't take on Tamoxifen and the anti-anxiety meds you can take are really hard to wean off and have their own list of side effects.
In the end, I decided to give myself a weekly dose of scotch. I've spoken to a few of my specialists about this choice (I also see a gastroenterologist and a rheumatologist) and they agree that in my case the benefits probably outweigh the risks.
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Hi @Erika888,
A little late to the conversation but no one can say for sure what caused the cancer so no point in beating yourself up about it - I have met vegans, vegetarians, teetotallers , people who are very calm and relaxed, people who do plenty of exercise etc, all of whom ended up with breast cancer.
Any Dr will tell you moderation is the key, often a BC diagnosis leads to a re assessment of all sorts of priorities - for myself I drastically cut down on wine ( the only alcohol I drank) and I often have a pre dinner drink of Lyres non alcoholic - there are many types , my favourite is the Lyres Agave which makes a really great Margarita.
i still love to have a nice glass of wine with a special occasion meal ( like Chardonnay with oysters or Pinot noir with duck).
Enjoy🌺2 -
It’s really hard to say @Erika888, I’m 10 years alcohol free and yet we are in this beasty club together. My vice is sugar but I made a choice to reduce 3 months before my diagnosis. My body probably knew what was happening before my mind did. Echoing what everyone is saying, moderation is key.I follow an oncologist/ stage 3 ovarian cancer thriver who talks about different things to consume and mentions that alcohol and processed meats are the ones to avoid but not necessarily eliminate. It’s okay to enjoy these things once in a while and maybe check in with the nutritionist at your centre…
hope this helps.0 -
This is an each to their own. And yes moderation is the key to just about everything in life.I love a smooth port and coffee and nibbles on a dark fruit cake. Might indulge on new years with it.3
