Alcohol If You Drink, How Much?

[CookieJoe221]

Hi all, first time poster. Just a quick question. I know you all aren't doctors and everybody's bodies react differently. But I'm 31 and I was pretty much mostly a Thursday-Saturday drinker throughout my 20s and I still pretty much stick to those days and have zero alcohol any other days unless its a special occasion. My intake is usually about 8 light beers or so and a couple shots of fireball on Thursdays. And on Fridays and Saturdays id say I consume probably 10-12 light beers and 2-3 shots each night. So roughly 40 drinks a week. I never really drank that much at home until quarantine, used to be mostly at bars.

Let me also say I workout 5 days a week and have for years, also take vitamins and supplements, drink a lot of water, and for the most part watch what I eat during the week. What are your thoughts for my long term health outlook? I feel fine right now but I tend to be a hypochondriac and worry about long term health effects of everything. But im really not interested in quitting drinking, it relaxes me and there's not much else to do where I live, everyone seems to drink a decent amount.

How much do you drink in comparison if you do?

 

[somnilicious]

Taking care of yourself and taking breaks definitely helps but that is some pretty serious binge drinking and consuming large amounts in binge patterns is actually a lot harder on your liver than drinking a few drinks every single night. Just something to think about.

 

[CookieJoe221]

Taking care of yourself and taking breaks definitely helps but that is some pretty serious binge drinking and consuming large amounts in binge patterns is actually a lot harder on your liver then drinking a few drinks every single night. Just something to think about.

Daily Drinking Rather Than Binge Drinking Is Biggest Risk Factor In Serious Liver Disease, New Study Finds

Long-term daily drinking, rather than weekly binge drinking, is by far the biggest risk factor in serious liver disease, according to a new report. The study concludes that increases in UK liver deaths are a result of daily or near daily heavy drinking, not episodic or binge drinking, and this...

www.sciencedaily.com

 

[Gormur]

Hi there. I'm 37 and I decided on my 30th birthday when somebody at the bar was buying me shots that that was the last of hard liquor for me. I had also had a couple years off booze before that just because I don't like it that much. Anyway, I drink beer and either Budweiser or Corona, nothing too strong. I drink on average 3 days a week and anywhere from 24 to 36 cans. I don't feel bad or anything. It helps me to relax. I've learned to pace myself so it takes me a while to finish a can. I also drink water here and there which is important

 

[CookieJoe221]

Hi there. I'm 37 and I decided on my 30th birthday when somebody at the bar was buying me shots that that was the last of hard liquor for me. I had also had a couple years off booze before that just because I don't like it that much. Anyway, I drink beer and either Budweiser or Corona, nothing too strong. I drink on average 3 days a week and anywhere from 24 to 36 cans. I don't feel bad or anything. It helps me to relax. I've learned to pace myself so it takes me a while to finish a can. I also drink water here and there which is important

Thank you for the reply! Do you ever worry about health consequences? I've been a huge hypochondriac my entire life so I tend to worry about anything that can effect health, but that's just not a way to live. I can't tell if im overyhinking or if I have a reason to be concerned

 

[Gormur]

Thank you for the reply! Do you ever worry about health consequences? I've been a huge hypochondriac my entire life so I tend to worry about anything that can effect health, but that's just not a way to live. I can't tell if im overyhinking or if I have a reason to be concerned

I'm not worried about it. I think as long as I take care of myself in general I'll be fine

 

[somnilicious]

Daily Drinking Rather Than Binge Drinking Is Biggest Risk Factor In Serious Liver Disease, New Study Finds

Long-term daily drinking, rather than weekly binge drinking, is by far the biggest risk factor in serious liver disease, according to a new report. The study concludes that increases in UK liver deaths are a result of daily or near daily heavy drinking, not episodic or binge drinking, and this...

www.sciencedaily.com

If you notice in the study it says daily heavy drinking. I'm talking about a drink with dinner. I just pulled up a bunch of articles stating that binge drinking(especially 3 nights out of every week) is much worse than a glass of wine or a beer with dinner every night. I don't really have the patience or time to find a proper scientific study but this has always been the consensus.

As it stands you are heavy binge drinking for half the week and every time you binge drink it does a lot of damage to the liver because it has to work over time to clear out all the alcohol and this will eventually result in fatty liver.

 

[Snafu in the Void]

my heaviest was 750ml of liquor per day (every day). A few shots at morning and lunch but mostly night time.

These days I usually drink 400-500ml. Or about 8-10 beers at 8.5-9% abv.

I'm trying to quit. After 7 years drinking that much daily is killing me (literally). I'm 32 years old and my liver is damaged.

 

[Gormur]

These people who drink wine crack me up. Wine contains more alcohol than most beer does. Just saying People forget that there are good ingredients in beer too

 

[CookieJoe221]

If you notice in the study it says daily heavy drinking. I'm talking about a drink with dinner. I just pulled up a bunch of articles stating that binge drinking(especially 3 nights out of every week) is much worse than a glass of wine or a beer with dinner every night. I don't really have the patience or time to find a proper scientific study but this has always been the consensus.

As it stands you are heavy binge drinking for half the week and every time you binge drink it does a lot of damage to the liver because it has to work over time to clear out all the alcohol and this will eventually result in fatty liver.

I get what you're saying and im not disagreeing. Alcohol is toxic, I get it.. But humans are imperfect beings. Id argue that it's much worse having a diet high on processed foods, soda and fast food than it is to drink 3 days a week. I have my vice and im hopefully that me being cognizant of it will help me cut down and take care of myself in other aspects of my health. Not trying to argue that its healthy. Damn near everything is bad for us in one way or the other.

 

[Snafu in the Void]

I get what you're saying and im not disagreeing. Alcohol is toxic, I get it.. But humans are imperfect beings. Id argue that it's much worse having a diet high on processed foods, soda and fast food than it is to drink 3 days a week. I have my vice and im hopefully that me being cognizant of it will help me cut down and take care of myself in other aspects of my health. Not trying to argue that its healthy. Damn near everything is bad for us in one way or the other.

You both have points.

Yes alcohol is toxic, yet our bodies also have the tools to deal with it.... in certain amounts.

I would say that the majority of alcohol's severe detrimental impacts on ones life come when alcohol becomes more important or needed then basic nutrition, groomimg, exercise...

When you stop living to drink and instead drink to live.... that's the ugly side of alcohol.

If someone came to me and said I drink 12 beers 3x per week I would be like cool. Ok. As long as you are taking care of your self, your life, your responsibilities. More power to you.

Someone who drinks 3x per week and someone who drinks every day are two very different people to me.

 

[SunriseChampion]

You sound like me in a lot of ways, @CookieJoe221

I'm also a binge drinker and have been with some breaks pretty well since I was 18. I'm 35 now. I also get mad exercise, eat very clean and well, get good and proppa sleep, and all that wonderful proper self-care bollocks.

I don't regularly drink like you do, and I was always only a Friday-Saturday (and Sunday when it's still from Saturday, if you know what I mean) kind of drinker. Still am. I drink less often now as some periods of my life it was every weekend for a year or so straight before I would take a 1-3 month break.

On a typical drinking day/night I drink for somewhere between 12-16 hours....amounts vary, depending on what's up. If it's a home match day (football) and there's a rave that evening then I'm doing 15ish pints, and a good 5 shots, bottle of wine. Thereabouts anyway.

No way it's good for me. I don't even pretend it is. From what I've read, binge drinking can be a lot worse for your health than steady drinking at lower levels. This goes way beyond just liver health by the way. It can be cardiotoxic. It can be neurotoxic.

It's bad joo joo, in any case.

You've already slowed down so just keep doing what you're doing with a mind to taper down to more reasonable levels (what that might look like I'm clearly not the guy to ask) and you should be fine if you aren't experiencing any negative health effects now. Hey, at least you don't smoke, right? Right? Cause now we're getting into the unholy combo and that shit will end us all.

How are your hangovers?

 

[CookieJoe221]

You sound like me in a lot of ways, @CookieJoe221

I'm also a binge drinker and have been with some breaks pretty well since I was 18. I'm 35 now. I also get mad exercise, eat very clean and well, get good and proppa sleep, and all that wonderful proper self-care bollocks.

I don't regularly drink like you do, and I was always only a Friday-Saturday (and Sunday when it's still from Saturday, if you know what I mean) kind of drinker. Still am. I drink less often now as some periods of my life it was every weekend for a year or so straight before I would take a 1-3 month break.

On a typical drinking day/night I drink for somewhere between 12-16 hours....amounts vary, depending on what's up. If it's a home match day (football) and there's a rave that evening then I'm doing 15ish pints, and a good 5 shots, bottle of wine. Thereabouts anyway.

No way it's good for me. I don't even pretend it is. From what I've read, binge drinking can be a lot worse for your health than steady drinking at lower levels. This goes way beyond just liver health by the way. It can be cardiotoxic. It can be neurotoxic.

It's bad joo joo, in any case.

You've already slowed down so just keep doing what you're doing with a mind to taper down to more reasonable levels (what that might look like I'm clearly not the guy to ask) and you should be fine if you aren't experiencing any negative health effects now. Hey, at least you don't smoke, right? Right? Cause now we're getting into the unholy combo and that shit will end us all.

How are your hangovers?

I do vape. I used to smoke only when I drank but I gave that up. My hangovers are usually nothing, nowhere near as bad as a lot of people I know get. Im not sure if that's due to my water intake or if I just got lucky, idk. A lot of activities around these parts involve drinking, concerts, sporting events, etc.

I know its not good for me, a lot of things humans do aren't good for them. We're imperfect. Hell people that do nothing but live healthy their whole lives can end up with diseases at a young age. Im not naive I know its unhealthy. Im just caught in a dilemma I guess. Alot of people can drink more than me and not think twice. Idk

 

[SunriseChampion]

Alot of people can drink more than me and not think twice. Idk

Yeah, that could be because they're no longer able to think even once, let alone twice....if you get me.

I like getting drunk with my mates, always will. But I'm slowly winding down the regular drinking session. It's just too fucky.

Yeah, I think not smoking and drinking lots of water do indeed help temper the severity of hangovers. At least in my experience. Mushroom tea as well, but that's a whole next level of "preventative maintenance".

Good on ya for quitting smoking. I quit over a year ago but started smoking again whilst drinking only this summer. I've smoked a lot less even during drinking time that I did before I first quit so it hasn't been a complete fail but it's still back to some of the grimiest shit health-wise.

 

[Iceman1216]

It’s a lot of alcohol on the drink day ! You have a pretty high tolerance, ( dangerous sport to be Good at ( drinking)
as I am Now 60 and stopped drinking at 27 ( I was very very..... good at it)
I have lost many peers, and a few still holding on with horrific physical damage done to there mind and body Who just keep it up till they could Not

 

[OpiateKiller]

If you exercise eat healthy and sleep and drink a lot of water I honestly say your health outlook is close to that of a non drinker.

ive watched my parents drink daily for 30 years, my mom 6-12 drinks everyday and she’s 56 now, I will say it’s starting to affect her health. But she doesn’t exercise and picked up smoking a few years ago.

Alcohol is an odd substance, but I will say it takes a damn lot of it to take you out

 

[TheInvisibleStoner]

Thank you for the reply! Do you ever worry about health consequences? I've been a huge hypochondriac my entire life so I tend to worry about anything that can effect health, but that's just not a way to live. I can't tell if im overyhinking or if I have a reason to be concerned

Get your liver enzymes checked. If they look good, and you are able to stop for 7 days with no ill effects, then you are good.

Taking care of yourself while drinking is the most important. It all goes downhill once you are abusing alcohol so much you are drinking morning to night and not eating right. Even with eating right morning to night is bad since you don't absorb all the vitamins.

After liver and vitamin levels are checked, you will know.

 

[Snafu in the Void]

Alcohol is an odd substance, but I will say it takes a damn lot of it to take you out

Agreed, mostly. But also disagree.

Alcohol IS a weird substance and the lines between a social drinker, a problem drinker and someone who is fucking dying from alcohol have become blurred over the years.

Alcohol has a seductive power to lure you in and slowly ruin your life under the guise of social acceptability.

I feel like shit when I drink too much.... I'll never be an alcoholic.... dead wrong.

It doesn't take an ungodly amount of alcohol to ruin/impact your life. It happens in lower amounts, too, yet escapes the judgement of being a hard drug because it's socially accepted.

I can only imagine the percent of people to say "wow alcohol ruined X day/moment for me". IDK... just playing devils advocate here.

 

[OpiateKiller]

Agreed, mostly. But also disagree.

Alcohol IS a weird substance and the lines between a social drinker, a problem drinker and someone who is fucking dying from alcohol have become blurred over the years.

Alcohol has a seductive power to lure you in and slowly ruin your life under the guise of social acceptability.

I feel like shit when I drink too much.... I'll never be an alcoholic.... dead wrong.

It doesn't take an ungodly amount of alcohol to ruin/impact your life. It happens in lower amounts, too, yet escapes the judgement of being a hard drug because it's socially accepted.

I can only imagine the percent of people to say "wow alcohol ruined X day/moment for me". IDK... just playing devils advocate here.

agreed. I personally am an alcoholic no doubt. I recently quit drinking but I’ve no doubt caused liver damage in my short career (I’m 26). I’ve definitely woken up after drinking 20-30 shots and had liver pains and serious cloudy in the head.

 

[TheInvisibleStoner]

Grats on kicking that liquor. Not going to help you get off opiates (continuing to drink).

Alcohol is poison for us hard addicts. We cannot handle it, as we abuse anything we touch. Only option is not to drink at all.