Quote:
Originally Posted by Jesse M
Smith -- Do you think that drinking 2/3 beers every day is better than drinking a 6 pack in one day? I would think that the alcohol build up would be worse, where as the one day scenario would at least give you time to detox it, (in fact, an entire week before your next drinking episode) especially if you drink a lot of water in between and afterward. -- Curious about your opinion on this.
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I don't think either one is a good idea for anyone with any kind of drinking problem, or people on certain kinds of medications, and I would (and do) stray on the side of caution with PN and certain other medical issues. Not singling you out here -- it's a blanket statement.
That said, the difference is that the former is moderate drinking; the latter is binge drinking. I also don't agree with your analysis. In moderation, the alcohol is assimilated & metabolized. With binge drinking, the liver has to work
much harder, and enough alcohol is being consumed to build up and cause deleterious effects.
Regular Drinking vs. Binge Drinking
I think you're actually lucky in a way because you know (with reasonable certainty) the
cause of your PN. Somewhere between 40%-60% of us (depending on the source) don't. It's been with me for... a few years now, and I've had to learn (like a lot of folks) by trial & error, and a lot of reading, what works for me that I have to keep doing, and what aggravates it that I have to avoid or pay the piper. I deal with stress in pretty much the same ways as I did when I drank (socialize, hobbies, recreation) except that now alcohol just isn't part of the equation. So what? Family & friends still drink -- I even have some beers in the house for them -- just not me. I quit caffeine for a few years too, and as it turned out (to my own surprise) I missed caffeine a lot more than I ever missed the beer! I'm drinking coffee again, but in comparative moderation, and it doesn't affect my PN. Things like sugar and hot spicy food raise hell with my PN, and those were a lot harder for me to give up than either beer or coffee. Giving up
chocolate was one of the hardest things I've ever done (and I would
KILL for some hot Mexican food), but my PN is under control, and considering the other medical crap I deal with on a daily/hourly/continual basis, life is still worth living.
Ultimately, the choice is yours whether to drink or not, and how much/often. I used to drink, so it's no skin off my nose. I don't have to live with you, your PN, or your spouse -- you do.
Doc