# Alcohol!



## Matt123 (Jun 14, 2011)

I have been diagnosed with IBS-C very recently and wanted to try to find out how much the syndrome is likely to effect the consumption of alcohol.I have always liked going to pubs and clubs with my mates and am pretty upset to hear from the doc that I might not be able to drink again. Is this likely to actually be the case?I have found that while there is a lot of information on IBS-D, there is little info on IBS-C in relation to alcohol consumption, and I gather that what is bad for one type of IBS is not necessarily bad for another.So is it possible to go down the pub and get drunk without feeling like you are going to die? Also, which types of drinks are likely to be better or worse in the experience of people who suffer from IBS-C? I used to go out drinking a lot, and while I realise that these days of excess might be resigned to the past somewhat it would be nice to know that my social life is not totally over! (I am in my mid 20s by the way and usually have a very active social life)Since I became ill a few months ago I have had some really bad experiences with booze - becoming ill for nearly two weeks at a time after a big session- although there have been times when it has not been okay to have a few drinks. So it would be good to know if there are ways reducing this recovery time! I would really appreciate people's feedback/opinions on this!


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Generally for long-term health limiting yourself to 2 drinks per day is a good bet. But that won't let you get drunk (tipsy sure, but drunk, probably not), and eventually most people find their bodies don't tolerate the heavy drinking they may have done in their youth. It may have caught up with you sooner, but it tends to cause most people to slow down the drinking eventually, hopefully before real health damage has set in.Typically there is more issues with IBS-D as alcohol increases diarrhea; however, getting really drunk and the physical stress from the dehydration and toxicity and detoxing byproducts as well as headaches, nausea, etc is not going to be good for any kind of IBS.See if you can become a moderate social drinker and tolerate that if it isn't OK to drink something non-alcoholic in your social circle. Also doing the 1 glass of water per every drink may help both with the total amount you drink, as well as with dehydration issues, and is something a fair number of social drinkers do so shouldn't stand out.


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## GUTted (Jul 2, 2009)

I don't think it's racist of me to assume if you like a pint it's probably Guinness you're drinking? (Your location says Dublin).Not drinking much nowadays is a major bummer for me too seeing as I love real ales. Particuarly frustrating that I live opposite a Wetherspoons with regular beer festivals. How I miss their £5 Beer & Burger with a Jager for pudding!When I was drinking typically the next day I'd be constipated. I put it down to the fact that drinking beer makes you pee alot, so it was the dehydration that was doing it to me. If you like spirits I'd give them a go. You're not drinking a fraction as much liquid so hopefully you won't end up as dehydrated - something I'm guessing you'd be eager to avoid if you have constipation anyway?!When I was on a really restricted diet to stop fermentation in my gut, the doc told me I could only drink spirits. Unfortunately at the time I didn't like spirits so I didn't drink for a year!Give Whiskey Mack a go - whiskey and ginger ale. I stopped drinking again recently but until then I'd developed a taste for gin, G&T is actually damn nice and very refreshing! I'm sure there's tonnes of research that says what alcohol is 'best' for you, but until you look into that I'd give spirits a go if you wanna carry on drinking. Not stuff like Jager and Tequila though, and try and avoid sugary mixers, just because their bad for you anyway.I think ultimately that drinking with IBS is kinda like squeezing a spot - it might be fun but the spot will take longer to go away.


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## em_t (Jun 8, 2010)

Spirits always worked better for my tummy, especially vodka. Wine seems to really upset my stomach which is a pity because I love it


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## Gail2011 (May 3, 2011)

Stay away from drinking for a month and see how you feel. You will probably last a lot longer without the booze. Alcohol of any form or format will irritate your system as you are already finding. Save the drinking for special occasions and limit yourself to one or two. I would load my system up with probiotics first then take a complex b vitamin directly after drinking. Even then, I wouldn't do it often as I will still experience some of the bad side effects like having hangover effects for three days or more. Just not worth it for a few hours of fun. Ask your buddies if they want to hang out with you once a week doing non-drinking activities. They might all enjoy a break from the pub. Best wishes, Gail


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## rellybelly17 (Jun 10, 2011)

i have had ibs since i was 12 (im 21 now) and i have never even considered giving up my social life so neither should you! i fluctuate between d and c, but i have found that alcohol really only affects the d part for me. when my tummy hurts and i still feel like partying a bit i have found that beer is the worst. try vodka and cranberry juice, the cranberry juice settles my tummy and the vodka doesnt make me as gassy. also, have you tried wine? red wine especially because it actually makes me feel better, gives you a bad hangover though so dont drink too much! what about the food you eat when you drink? i know when i go out it is always tempting for me to order greasy fried stuff maybe it isnt the alcohol its the snacks you eat while you drink. well good luck!


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## Badbackbun (Feb 13, 2011)

Im too in my 20s and when I was first diagnosed with IBS-C I found it was eventually my drinking alcohol that was upsetting me despite months of working with a dietician to work out foods that didn't upset me. I have found Rose or White wine I can drink unlimited without upsetting my IBS, however red wine gives me chronic diahorrhea the morning after. Similarly spirits seem fine but carbonated mixers (eg coke) or orange juice sets off diahorrhea the next morning. Bitter and fizzy cider also are no good for me. I can however drink flat scrumpy style cider. I think it's best to try 1 drink only at a time and in moderation to work out whats best for you, as all us IBS sufferers do seem to differ slightly! But dont give up on you're social life, IBS once you 'get used to' managing it shouldn't have to ruin your social life (most days at least anyway!)


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## Matt P (Jun 21, 2011)

I've done a lot of experimenting with alcohol and my IBS-C, the bad news I'm afraid is that I really don't drink much anymore because NOTHING in the world is worth the IBS-C symptoms for 2 weeks afterwards (same as you). That said I have found that lager definitely seems to be at the worst end of the spectrum (yeast?) and Jack Daniels on the better end of the scale (in moderation no more doubles!). My nutritionist who I saw in 2008 told me that alcohol kills bacteria good and bad in your gut - as well as dehydrating you. So my advice is after a booze up, drink 4 litres per day for 2 days and stock up on some heavy duty pro-biotic pills to replace the bacteria in your gut. I use 30billion pills - heavy duty Matt


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## Poolie (Aug 30, 2011)

I can only drink vodka with my ibs c but the next day is quite painful


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## Berry (Sep 3, 2011)

Matt123 said:


> I have been diagnosed with IBS-C very recently and wanted to try to find out how much the syndrome is likely to effect the consumption of alcohol.I have always liked going to pubs and clubs with my mates and am pretty upset to hear from the doc that I might not be able to drink again. Is this likely to actually be the case?I have found that while there is a lot of information on IBS-D, there is little info on IBS-C in relation to alcohol consumption, and I gather that what is bad for one type of IBS is not necessarily bad for another.So is it possible to go down the pub and get drunk without feeling like you are going to die? Also, which types of drinks are likely to be better or worse in the experience of people who suffer from IBS-C? I used to go out drinking a lot, and while I realise that these days of excess might be resigned to the past somewhat it would be nice to know that my social life is not totally over! (I am in my mid 20s by the way and usually have a very active social life)Since I became ill a few months ago I have had some really bad experiences with booze - becoming ill for nearly two weeks at a time after a big session- although there have been times when it has not been okay to have a few drinks. So it would be good to know if there are ways reducing this recovery time! I would really appreciate people's feedback/opinions on this!


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