The study making the rounds this week seems to show that drinking a few drinks a week (up to 1 a day) can help those of us with Fibro feel better. I’ve posted in the past that during some of my worst days I craved alcohol and having a drink or two definitely made me feel better.
Of course, it’s also important to really look at what meds you are on and consider any contraindications regarding combining your meds with alcohol. In some cases, the affect may be just a matter of increasing a feeling of sleepiness, but in other cases alcohol may actually prevent your meds from working properly.
The other side of the study is that too much to drink can undo any of the positive effects of having a moderate amount, which any of us who have drank too much know all too well!
The current belief is that a moderate amount of alcohol may help because it works with GABA receptors to turn down pain transmission. I know that when I drink too much I feel NO PAIN! LOL. The important thing is to remember to keep the drinking to a minimum (or moderate) amount. Of course, I also feel that a large part of what made me feel better was getting out and being social, which definitely helped my mood.
There are many things we can do that help us feel better, the key is to find a few of them and do all of them in moderation. It’s too easy to get focused on what we CAN’T do with Fibromyalgia, so it’s nice to focus occasionally on what we can do, and we can all be social and enjoy time with friends… and maybe even a drink or two.
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-alcohol-fibromyalgia-quality-life.html
http://www.sciencecodex.com/alcohol_fibromyalgia_and_quality_of_life-108647
http://americannewsreport.com/nationalpainreport/alcohol-use-linked-to-fibromyalgia-pain-8819127.html
http://www.inquisitr.com/573306/fibromyalgia-helped-by-drinking-alcohol-new-study/
Karla Eldridge says
Thanks for actually bringing up topic of alcohol relief and Fibro. I found that having a gluten-free vodka drink (Titos is my brand of choice) helps de-stress and release the pain. I worry that I seem to need one drink a night – but my friends tell me one drink a night does not make me an alocholic….esp when it eases the pain and starts the sleep. Also helps with hyperacusis / mysophonia, which I think is fibro related.
Julie says
It seems like there have been plenty of studies showing that a drink a night can be a healthy thing. I definitely wouldn’t worry about it making you an alcoholic.