# Alcohol and Irritable Bowel Syndrome



## volatile (Jun 20, 2005)

With Irritable Bowel, how much alcohol, how often per week, can you drink alcoholic beverages with aggravitating the situation?I am a college student, and my social life has suffered immensely ever since I severely cut down on drinking.I can not take this anymore, and am going to begin living again, which means I will be drinking, heck I am 21, I should.What I want to know is how I can drink, and not make the IBS worse.I want to know how many drinks a night, how drunk, I can get without making IBS worse, and how often a week I can get this way,I also want to know how often a week I can have a few drinks just to relax with friends. Say I come home from work and want to have a few drinks at the bar, not to get drunk, but just to relax. Is this ok, how many can I have, and how often a week can I do this?An example, if I get drunk 1-2 times a week, and 3-4 times a week drink to relax, is this alright, and what alcoholic drinks should I be having?White wine? Rum, what rum or hard drinks?What about martinis, what are safe mixed bevergaes?I take it beer is no.Thanks.


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## 21286 (May 7, 2005)

NONE. This is my experience. I become ill for 2 days.


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## Lagomorph (Mar 4, 2005)

Alcohol and IBS tends to have individual results. I can have a couple of drinks and be fine. But as soon as I have more than that, I get really sick for two days. You may just want to experiment and see what works for you. Some beverages may not make you sick while others will.


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## Fed Up (Jun 5, 2005)

Generally if I consume a large quantity of alcohol then I get bad on the night and for a day or so after. I find drinking some spirits I'm ok, others (mainly vodka) I get real bad real quick! it's a matter of trial and error, and being at college, you need to mix with people. I understand how your feeling, as I dont get out much, so like to go out and have a few bevvies just to meet some people! Like I said trial and error. If you get bad on one drink, try another on a different night and so on. Generally though, you will get bad it;'s just a matter of how bad...Alcohol is a known trigger for IBS from what I've read here.


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## Neilers (Jun 2, 2005)

I think everyone with IBS reacts differently to alcohal, just like they have different trigger foods that make them ill, but here are some tips that may help you out. I'm a bartender in downtown Madison, Wisconsin--where everyone drinks, so you feel real left out if you can't participate. I hope some of these help:1)avoid beer, especially good microbrew beer (i know it's way better than Miller/Bud....too bad). One or two pints won't ruin it for me, but I stay away whenever I can.2)Never eat and drink at the same time. I make it a rule that after 7:00pm, nothing solid goes into my stomach on a drinking night. Alcohal + Food = big problems the next morning. This means no late-night pizzas either.3)Wine and hard alcohal work for me. I usually feel fine in the morning (aside from a hangover once in a while), but sometimes get stomach cramps the next evening (around 5-7pm) if I drink a bit too much (around 10+ drinks). Gauge yourself, and check out peppermint capsules and calcium carbonate (minus the magnesium) to see if they'll take your cramps away. They both work very well for me.4)A note about mixers: if you have a bad problem digesting corn syrup and fructose, stay away from the fruity drinks (no long islands, sex on the beaches, mai tais, etc) and liquers (amaretto, ouzo, midori, schnapps). In fact, if you can handle or develop a taste for hard liquor, go with a near sugarless drinks (scotch and water, brandy press, vodka gimlet (no rose's, just lime juice), manhatten)coupled with a big glass of water to keep you hydrated. Stay away from gin, it has a lot of additives that can rip your insides up....Vodka, any whiskey, brandy, tequila, rum should work best. Drink slow; hard liquor will sneak up on you fast if you're not careful!5)Experiment and see what works. Also keep in mind that my IBS may be milder than yours, so if it isn't working, don't aggravate yourself. Best of luck, and if it doens't work, don't get too disheveled, you'll work something out eventually.


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## legbuh (Jan 9, 2005)

For me I can drink all the beer I want and the worst I get is a hangover.Spirits are normally ok, depending on what you mix them with. I stick with Scotch and Soda or water or Rob Roys. Mmm... Fruit mixed drinks aren't good for me. Wine kills me (even a couple glasses).Beer.. heck... lets just say I drink more than I used to simply for it's calming effects. Eating while I drink doesn't make things better or worse for me that I know of... Just watch how much you drink... I have 2-3 a night... maybe a few more once a week with friends playing poker. I don't feel I'm addicted.now, cigaretes on the other hand.. ugh.. I want to quit.. and I don't.


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## volatile (Jun 20, 2005)

> quote:Originally posted by Neilers:I think everyone with IBS reacts differently to alcohal, just like they have different trigger foods that make them ill, but here are some tips that may help you out. I'm a bartender in downtown Madison, Wisconsin--where everyone drinks, so you feel real left out if you can't participate. I hope some of these help:1)avoid beer, especially good microbrew beer (i know it's way better than Miller/Bud....too bad). One or two pints won't ruin it for me, but I stay away whenever I can.2)Never eat and drink at the same time. I make it a rule that after 7:00pm, nothing solid goes into my stomach on a drinking night. Alcohal + Food = big problems the next morning. This means no late-night pizzas either.3)Wine and hard alcohal work for me. I usually feel fine in the morning (aside from a hangover once in a while), but sometimes get stomach cramps the next evening (around 5-7pm) if I drink a bit too much (around 10+ drinks). Gauge yourself, and check out peppermint capsules and calcium carbonate (minus the magnesium) to see if they'll take your cramps away. They both work very well for me.4)A note about mixers: if you have a bad problem digesting corn syrup and fructose, stay away from the fruity drinks (no long islands, sex on the beaches, mai tais, etc) and liquers (amaretto, ouzo, midori, schnapps). In fact, if you can handle or develop a taste for hard liquor, go with a near sugarless drinks (scotch and water, brandy press, vodka gimlet (no rose's, just lime juice), manhatten)coupled with a big glass of water to keep you hydrated. Stay away from gin, it has a lot of additives that can rip your insides up....Vodka, any whiskey, brandy, tequila, rum should work best. Drink slow; hard liquor will sneak up on you fast if you're not careful!5)Experiment and see what works. Also keep in mind that my IBS may be milder than yours, so if it isn't working, don't aggravate yourself. Best of luck, and if it doens't work, don't get too disheveled, you'll work something out eventually.


Wow, talk about a valuabe resource, I'm talking with a bartender!I notice that beer kills me.I have not had too many problems with Jack Daniels, and even a few martinis, but I want to have about 5 to 10 options, because having Jack alone is kinda hard and expensive.Since you are a bartender, maybe you can help me figure out a good collection of alochol drinks to try.What alcoholic drinks would you recommend I try, do you have 5 to 10?How about brands other Jack Daniels?Should I avoid hard liquour that is wheat based, and what hard liquour is wheat based, do you have a list of hard liquours besides gin to avoid?How about Rum, Captain Morgan's?What about cheaper drinks and alcohol, which ones are fine to have?What about white wine?Is there any reason why beer is so bad for IBS as opposed to Jack Daniels?


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## volatile (Jun 20, 2005)

> quote:Originally posted by legbuh:For me I can drink all the beer I want and the worst I get is a hangover.Spirits are normally ok, depending on what you mix them with. I stick with Scotch and Soda or water or Rob Roys. Mmm... Fruit mixed drinks aren't good for me. Wine kills me (even a couple glasses).Beer.. heck... lets just say I drink more than I used to simply for it's calming effects. Eating while I drink doesn't make things better or worse for me that I know of... Just watch how much you drink... I have 2-3 a night... maybe a few more once a week with friends playing poker. I don't feel I'm addicted.now, cigaretes on the other hand.. ugh.. I want to quit.. and I don't.


See, I'm in college, that is exactly what I want. I want to drink to relax 2-3 times a week, and then go out and drink to have fun 1-2 times a week with friends. I have basically sacrificed this the last 2 months, and have had enough and will not do so any longer.I just want to know what drinks to avoid and try, and a general drink guideline before I rush back into the water now.I don't think what I am asking for, drink to relax 2-3 times a week, drink to have fun 1-2 times a week, is unreasonable, christ I am in college people, let's not ruin the best years of our lives already.


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## eric (Jul 8, 1999)

Just fyiDr. Drossman is a Co-director of the Center and Professor of Medicine and Psychiatry at UNC-CH. He established a program of research in functional gastrointestinal disorders at UNC more than 15 years ago and has published more than 250 books, articles, and abstracts relating to epidemiology, psychosocial and quality of life assessment, design of treatment trials, and outcomes research in gastrointestinal disorders."Dr Drossman's comments on foods for IBS Health.Shawn,To say that people with IBS may get symptoms from food intolerances is an acceptable possibility, since the gut will over react to stressors of all types including food (high fat or large volumes of food in particular). Futhermore, there can be specific intolerances. So if you have a lactose intolerance for example, it can exacerbate, or even mimic IBS. Other examples of food substances causing diarrhea would be high consumers of caffeine or alcohol which can stimulate intestinal secretion or with the latter, pull water into the bowel (osmotic diarrhea). The same would be true for overdoing certain poorly absorbed sugars that can cause an osmotic type of diarrhea Sorbitol, found in sugarless gum and sugar substituted foods can also produce such an osmotic diarrhea. Even more naturally, people who consume a large amount of fruits, juices or other processed foods enriched with fructose, can get diarrhea because it is not as easily absorbed by the bowel and goes to the colon where it pulls in water. So if you have IBS, all of these food items would make it worse. However, it is important to separate factors that worsen IBS (e.g., foods as above, stress, hormonal changes, etc.) from the cause or pathophysiology of IBS. Just like stress doesn't cause IBS, (though it can make it worse), foods must be understood as aggravating rather than etiological in nature. The cause of IBS is yet to be determined. However, modern research understands IBS as a disorder of increased reactivity of the bowel, visceral hypersensitivity and dysfunction of the brain-gut axis. There are subgroups being defined as well, including post-infectious IBS which can lead to IBS symptoms. Other work using brain imaging shows that the pain regulation center of the brain (cingulate cortex) can be impaired, as well as good evidence for there being abnormalities in motility which can at least in part explain the diarrhea and constipation. So finding a specific "cause" of IBS has grown out of general interest in place of understanding physiological subgroups that may become amenable to more specific treatments. Hope that helps.Doug http://www.ibshealth.com/ibs_foods_2.htm


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## Neilers (Jun 2, 2005)

You can see that everyone reacts differently to different alcohals just from reading this message board. It'll definately take some experimenting to find what will work for you, but don't sweat it. Here's a bit more info to help you out:Most hard liquor doesn't give me problems. However, if you experience problems from some and not others (even amoungst different whiskeys or vodkas, etc.) do some research on the internet to find out their main ingredients. Vodkas, in particular, are distilled from grains ranging from straight rye (belvedere), potato (chopin), wheat (liskar), corn (iceberg--yuck!), barley and a mixture of all of the above. Whiskeys are somewhat similiar in their heterogeneity. My suggestion is to start out with Bourbon (mixed with water or seltzer). Bourbon is Kentucky whiskey that has a somewhat strict standard as to the composition of the liqours that bear its name (this means no additives for flavor or color and at least %51 corn for fermentation). Bourbon has a slight sweet flavor from the corn mash and goes very well with non-flavored mixers like water. Here's some examples to try out: Jim Beam, Makers' Mark, Carl Williams, Woodford Reserve. If you don't want to drink as much alcohal, but still want your cocktail to last, order it as a "Tall" which is the same amount of alcohal, just more of the mixer.If Bourbon doesn't do the trick, try out Scotch whiskeys (johnny walker, dewars, macallen) or canadian whiskeys (crown royal, seagrams, canadian club) and on to rums and vodkas, etc....it's all trial and error, but i'd personally start with bourbon and work from there. I really don't know which hard liquors to avoid, because none of them really affect me adversely. Wines are alright too, but i stick with the dryest i can find of both red and white. If you're concerned about money, order "tall" drinks; they should cost the same, and you'll have more drink (although a weaker drink) to work on. I hope this helps, best of luck.


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## 21286 (May 7, 2005)

No wonder I feel like ####. Saturday my husband made me two vodka tonics. If I am allergic to wheat would this be why I feel like #### today?


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## eric (Jul 8, 1999)

alcohol, can effect the regulation also of the bodies serotonin system, which is out of whack already in IBS. Although I don't know of any studies directly on that itself.FYIEffects of Drinking Alcohol on IBS and IBD From Amber J. Tresca,Should you steer clear, or is the occasional cocktail all right?http://ibscrohns.about.com/cs/faqs/a/drinkingibsibd.htm"If I am allergic to wheat would this be why I feel like #### today?"Or just from the Alcohol itself, which is a known gut irritant and has other major properties that would effect IBS.There is also a difference of course in drinking to "get Drunk" and an occasional drink to relax and how much drinking a person can tolerate in a given week. Or why they are drinking in the first place.


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## 18659 (May 16, 2005)

Stop Drinking for Christ's sake !!!Listen, take it from a experienced IBS person, Drinkin Alcohol has made me soo sick you would not believe. IF your going to drink, just do it once in a while, say when you go out, have 1-2 drinks no more than that. Alcohol, Greasy Fatty Foods, Dairy products are NO NO's for IBS. Just be deciplined, isn't it worth feeling good or better than feelin like #### that night or nxt day. I learned my lesson very well, when I would come to work the nxt day doubled over in pain. I would drink saturday all day,then proceed to drink all day sunday,and Man, did I pay for it. I eventually realized after doin it time and time again,It wasn't worth it. Just stop, there are lots of people that don't party and drink every day, or several times a wk, it's no big deal, you get use to it after a while. When I was off on MOnday, by myself, my husband had a whole cooler full of beer, and I didn't even touch it, before I would have definately drank them beers, but instead I was drinkin Pepsi, and water and lovin it, didnt' miss it. So Everyone with IBS, JUst STop DRinkin so MUch, have dicipline, IT aint' that Hard !!!!!!!


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## 21286 (May 7, 2005)

You are right. It isn't that hard. Still trying to figure out that. I get weak and so the hell cares, I already feel like ####. But I agree, no booze whatsoever. It's not worth it. Eventhough I love the feeling of a good buzz.


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## 17309 (May 7, 2005)

As a 22-year-old grad student, I would say that it IS worth it to drink, even with IBS. I have IBS-C, and after drinking I often have more C than I normally would. But who wants to go through college or youth without being able to throw back a few drinks with friends? Volitale, you should definitely experiment to see what works for you, don't give up quickly. There's nothing like a cold beer on a warm summer night, or a mixed drink if beer doesn't work for you.Or if you can't tolerate any alcohol well, you can always save drinking for special occasions, and start smoking pot instead


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## 18659 (May 16, 2005)

Good God, PLs don't take the above advice at all !!!! Some people gotta a lot of growing up to do, How many times do ya have to be knocked up, hit in the head. HOw many times you gonna abuse your body, when you should know better, and why, cause you wanna have drinks with friends, You don't stop living, because you don't drink, or drink as much. Some people gotta drink to feel good, or feel they belong, I"m my Own person, I dont need it, do what's best for you, and don't listen to some of the Kids on this board.......


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## Neilers (Jun 2, 2005)

> quote:Originally posted by cvoorhees:Good God, PLs don't take the above advice at all !!!! Some people gotta a lot of growing up to do, How many times do ya have to be knocked up, hit in the head. HOw many times you gonna abuse your body, when you should know better, and why, cause you wanna have drinks with friends, You don't stop living, because you don't drink, or drink as much. Some people gotta drink to feel good, or feel they belong, I"m my Own person, I dont need it, do what's best for you, and don't listen to some of the Kids on this board.......


I am trying to provide information and help out these folks that just want to have a good time with their friends and are sick of being marginalized and excluded from a perfectly normal social activity for young adults over 21yrs. Everyone realizes that drinking alcohol in excess is not a healthy thing...that's not the point. And it's not about whose "grown up" and who doesn't have the "will power" to do what's best for them. This is a support group bulletin board; there's no reason to be condescending to others. I have been diagnosed with IBS since I was 12 years old and have spent the last 14 years of my life trying my best to live a normal life where I can participate in most of the things my friends can. I have no problem with helping out those who are going through some of the same issues I went through just a few years ago.


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## legbuh (Jan 9, 2005)

If you have IBS-D and alcohol helps then not drinking you DO stop living!For me, alcohol works wonders. Why, who knows. Just not wine... (fruit sugars.... get me every time).Today around 2pm I had an IBS-D attack (first time in a long time).. I still feel cramped. I had a beer. I feel better already. I'm gonna have another. And I'll probably have a couple more tonight.My wife saw me drinking the beer and said "what do you think it was? The pizza we had for lunch?" lol.. she knows me TOOOO well.Actually, I'm quite certain it was the olive oil and rosemary flavored triscuits I had with my lunch and supper yesterday.. (just bought some krab salad... didn't have any other crackers...) Have your fun. I say if it helps, do it. I only say to watch out because it can become a problem, as can anything else. Beer is mostly water anyhow.







If you're not binge drinking and it helps, go for it. I do, and I have some "health nut" friends who think I'm an alky and unhealthy because I don't eat tons of fruits and veggies like they do, and I eat tons of red meat (they like boneless skinnles chicken.. ughh...)... but I just explain to them calmly and they subside with their ribbing.Anyone who finds something that helps IBS-D should only listen to their bodies.Time for that 2nd beer...


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## 21918 (May 16, 2005)

I don't have any problem tolerating alcohol (Black Velvet on the rocks) as long as I don't eat too. Of course I drink a pint of water betwenn drinks and usually don't have more than 5 drinks in a day(or night).Now that Pepsi would do me in. In fact, if I ever have any constipation, I use Pepsi(diet) instead of a laxative.


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## 20327 (Jun 5, 2005)

Volatile,First off, life isn't fair. When you tell us you are in college and deserve to have a few drinks a few nights a week, and get DRUNK a couple nights a week, that just doesn't mean anything to the universe or your body. You are finding out at a young age that the universe and your body just doesn't give a bleep what your mind thinks is its due. I do sympathize, but life just does not work that way. You think a diabetic child thinks it is fair that they cannot eat candy and have ice cream and cake on their birthday? No illness or physical dysfunction is easy for anyone, and it always involves some sort of impact on your life style at some level. I am just saying this because it is the truth. Now, obviously you can decide what the trade offs are. If drinking is very important to you (and I went to the University of Wisconsin - Madison campus, so I know all about drinking on State Street and what a big part of the basic jock frat life style drinking can be), then you must be willing to pay the consequences, even if that means pain or "D" or "C" later on. What you might try is an old family homily. My family came from England where Pub life is very important in the community. But the admonition was always to eat some soluble fiber to cushion the stomach/intestines before a night of partying. For example, eat some sour dough bread, or get yourself a baked potato, or have some oatmeal. I know, I know. You are rolling your eyes and think I am nuts, but if you have IBS you can get away with eating a lot that might normally cause problems, if you preface it by padding your stomach/intestines with soluble fiber, which turns into a jell in your stomach that sooths and coats the intestinal walls. Foods like white rice, potatos, pasta, oatmeal, sour dough or French bread help a lot (did you ever figure out why a lot of traditional restaurants put out bread to eat FIRST before your main course arrives? It is a well known ancient tradition because it does help you digest more rich foods later on!).For me, beer has always caused major problems including acid reflex reactions. Just awful pain in the entire chest. Coming from Wisconsin originally and not able to drink beer? Yeah, I was almost an outcast, but I'd have gin/tonics and I also loved rum/coke, but I'd nurse a drink for a long time because going back to the dorm to puke just wasn't my idea of the perfect ending for a night of fun. Good luck to you. But to repeat, life isn't fair. Life is what it is. I used to have acne, and no one deserves acne, and I would also fret about how unfair it was that I had to keep washing and drying my face with special ointments while my friends could do for days without washing, and still have perfect skin. Hey, I'd see street people (bums) who had better skin than me, and God only knows when they last washed. You might as well realize it at your young age: life is like that. I know a great looking guy who is 28. He has a 2 year old son and is dieing of bone cancer. Is that fair? Take care...........


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## 20327 (Jun 5, 2005)

Volatile, Hey, just an after thought. Cheer up! In a few years, you'll discover that there are people within your age group who are already recovering alcoholics! When your generation reaches that pinacle of "failure and recovery" that each generation (at least in the western world) reaches, then it becomes OK to go out, even to a bar, and order a non-alcoholic drink without feeling any peer pressure to drink. I no longer drink because it always eventually leads to a horrible "D" flare-up that lasts for weeks, along with abdominal pain that lasts for weeks. And the misery of going thru catscans and other intrusive tests just to prove for the 100th time that it is IBS, is not worth the savoring of a fine glass of wine or getting drunk. So, in the long run, your problem will subside, if you can't handle alcohol very well because your peers will respect your need to abstain, since it will be politically correct to support folks who state they can't drink.


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## 18659 (May 16, 2005)

Very well said, Drinking is not the most important thing in our lives. And if your friends are true friends, they will understand if you have a non alcoholic drink, why abuse your body, simply becuase you want to party and be in with the hip crowd, everyone else is doing it, so why shouldn't I, makes absolutely no sense at all. I'd rather feel good, and also you will soon realize you will not miss the alcohol, You can actually have Fun with No or little alcohol. I know a couple of alcoholics and guess how they got that way, By drinking one or 2 nights a wk, going out partying with friends, one night turns into 2-3 days or nights, which turn into drinking every day. Hang around a alcoholic, many of them started to drink when they were young, yes, in college, and before. Just remember alcoholism ruins your life and others,, and is so addicting. It has a hold on you before you know it. I know a friend who weighs about 140 lbs, skin and bones, no muscle tone, drinks and doesn't eat, is drunk all the time, passes out, and drinks again. Its a horrible vicious cycle. He looks like ####, is an embaressment, and is so addicted to alcohol he is impossible to be around him if he doesn't have his fix of alcohol. SAd, Sad...Is it Worth it to You ????????????


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## 18659 (May 16, 2005)

Also, what it does to your body, liver, heart, etc....What it does to you mentally, Sorry, I'll have a mixed drink once in a while, and that's it. Being around an Alcoholic, is enough to make me not want it that bad.....


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## 18548 (Apr 10, 2005)

> quote:Originally posted by cvoorhees: And if your friends are true friends, they will understand if you have a non alcoholic drink,


well said!!!! i don't honestly get this whole issue of needing to drink because of peer pressure. I'm 18 (yes that is legal in Britain!!) and my friends NEVER pressure me to drink. They know it makes me ill. Occasionally i'll have a glass of wine or poss cider. That's it, and normally only at home (bed and toilet







) Some of the best parties i've been at have been the ones where no one has been drunk. Saves having to look after drunk friends as well!







don't let anyone pressure you to do something, if you trully want to drink of your own free will thats fine, experiment. But really, you ain't missing much.


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## 18659 (May 16, 2005)

Well said, Cat, your not missing much. I have just as much fun, feel better, are aware and have control over what I"m doing. I"ve seen enough people make fools of themselves drunk, I"d rather do it sober, and feel good the nxt day. Alcohol entraps you, has caused so many problems in our society because people over use, feel they have to drink to fit in, or to have a good time. Also, it diminishes your better judgement, look at the poor girl in Aruba, drunk drivers, shootings, fighting, arguments, etc...the list goes on. If your going to drink, practice moderation, not drinking every night, or several times a wk, or getting stinking drunk. Like Cat said, your not missing much.....


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## 19721 (Jun 24, 2005)

I am 22 and went through college with IBS. I think it is different for everyone. I am like someone else in that I cannot drink beer, but can drink liquor. I know people will tell you that you do not need to drink, and you don't, but, I had more fun when I was drunk. I am VERY shy and so drinking helps take of the edge. Plus, it was hard for me to go out b/c I was always nervous about having an episode. But, I found what worked for me. My drink of choice is a Gin and Juice, with cranberry juice. Like everyone else has said, you will need to experiment. Sure, you may have some bad nights, but that is life. It will be worth it b/c you will eventually be able to go out and party like every other college student you know, which is a BIG deal (at least to me, it was). Again, I would reccommend staying away from beer. There is something about the combination of carbination and hops that just doesn't sit well. Try straight shots or mixed drinks without that fructose syrup stuff that that one person mentioned. That stuff doesn't sit well for me either. Good luck with everything and let us know how you are doing and what works for you.


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## legbuh (Jan 9, 2005)

I think the OP wasn't having issues about his friends ribbing him for not drinking. He wants to drink because it helps his IBS.I'm on the OPs side. Beer doesn't bother me... I can drink all I want with only normal hangover affects... it actually helps my IBS.We're all different. because one things affects you doesn't mean you should tell others to steer clear. (the type of beer i find makes a difference too... bud lite works best for me... miller lite is ok... mich golden lite seems to bother me a little - maybe the amount of carbs)Tried vodka the other day (was really hot and I wanted a more "refreshing" drink) and that worked ok too...Have your drinks. But, as I've stated before, watch yourself.


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## volatile (Jun 20, 2005)

I diagree strongly with those who say not to drink. I would stop drinking, or not start again, if it appeared not drinking eliminated my bloating.However, in the 2 months during which I dieted, avoided dairy, took a probiotic, exercised, and had no alcohol, guess what?I still was bloated.So why should I stop drinking?Why should I sacrifice my fun when it doesn't get rid of the problem?Drinking alcohol would not be worth it if not drinking alcohol I had no bloating.Believe me, anything to get rid of the bloating I will do, however I will not put time, money, or sacrifice into anything which does not work.Why should I stop drinking? Why? I did for 2 months, and I still was bloated.Conclusion? Avoiding alcohol does nothing, the bloating remains, therefore it is not worth it not to drink.I want to reiterate you would have a point about not drinking if I was not bloated, however, as I continue to be bloated, I have to ask where the benefit is. In my experience, all not drinking does is hurt my good time with marginal benefits.


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## volatile (Jun 20, 2005)

I wanted to add, I drank last night.I had a margarita, hard cider, and wine.Funny, but I was bloated before I drank, then right after the margarita I felt less bloated. I did feel a rush to go to the bathroom, but all I did was have a solid dump, it seemed the margarita helped clear out my system, and it did in peace.Any reason why this happened?Is there high fructose corn syrup in margaritas?To those who say not to drink, like Fresh1083, I am a shy person, I am uncomfortable with new people, so drinking really helps loosen me up.I therefore am going to drink, especially seeing as how not drinking I still was bloated.It is very simple, if not drinking I was not bloated, it would be worth it, but why should I sacrifice this when I still am bloated?


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## Neilers (Jun 2, 2005)

Margaritas have tons of high fructose corn syrup in them (bar sour and rose's lime), but if it works for you stick with it. Sometimes I can chill at a Jamaican restaurant, downing Mai Tais and Purple Meanies all night with no problem...sometimes not. Make sure you don't feel bad about going out and drinking. It's perfectly normal to want to participate in a social activity that all your friends are involved in (especially in College!).


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## 17176 (Mar 31, 2005)

i think vena was just jesting about the pot.. cant comment on alcohol as i never touch the stuff


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## 20327 (Jun 5, 2005)

Actually, when I'd have days when my stomach felt "bubbly" and I had gas, having a glass of white wine seemed to help calm the system down.However, I got in a habit of having about 2-3 glasses per night, and it caught up with me, I got a case of "D" so bad that I ended up in the hospital, needed a catscan to prove it was nothing but IBS, and it took a month for it to ease up. After that, I decided to give up alcohol because nothing is worth having a flare up of "D" that way.But each person is different. If my main symptom was bloating, and I was always bloated, I can understand the logic of thinking that drinking alcohol was perhaps irrelevant. Yet for some people it brings on a "D" flare-up, and no one needs that in a bar where the men's room maybe has 1 cubicle and it is occupied by some drug head for the night and you have to stand on one foot wondering what to do, and running down the street trying to find another toilet, and.....well, you get the picture.


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## legbuh (Jan 9, 2005)

Steer clear of the sweet drinks. develop a taste for good scotch.







scotch and water is yummy. if you like beer, find a brand that works and stick with it (for me, like i said, it's bud lite).the alcohol really helps my bloating as well, and helps me relax. We're doing construction on our house now and unfortunatley have no ac for a few weeks, and the weather decided to be hot and muggy... So beer helps me fall asleep in those cases where it's too warm out as well.. lolWish an alberta clipper would move through and chill mn down a little!


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## 18659 (May 16, 2005)

I"m glad ya'll can drink, it's not the bloating, it's also with me the horrible abdominal pains, and diarhea, extreme stomach upset, stabbing sharp pains, with horrible diarhea half the night. I"m always bloated it seems, which is bad enough, but Alcohol causes a lot of other problems for me, especially beer and wine. So after gettin sick time and time again, I finally learned to live without alcohol, and only drink on occasion. The wknds were the hardest, but the pain and after effects of alchol were no longer worth it to me.


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## 21286 (May 7, 2005)

I feel great while drinking but the next two to three days are MISERABLE. I am trying to quit it but I enjoy my booze once in awhile and the pain is worth it sometimes because I want a life and I want to be able to enjoy an evening that INCLUDES booze; however I am now going to only do this 2-3 times a year and not overdo it anymore.


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## 18659 (May 16, 2005)

oh man, you are so right on. I go thru the same thing, when I drink. That night and or the nxt 2-3 days I feel so ill, its' unbelievable, so I'v really had to refrain from drinkin, only on special occasions, and moderately at that, followed with water.


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