Just wondering I work 4 shifts a week and have probably 2-5 drinks per night. (7 hour shifts) How bad is this for me??
Just wondering I work 4 shifts a week and have probably 2-5 drinks per night. (7 hour shifts) How bad is this for me??
If everything you try is a sure thing, you aren't taking enough risks. If you never fail, you put a limit on the degree to which you can succeed. In short, the only way to win big is to risk losing
Medically speaking, studies have recently shown that small amounts of boo's consumption can actully help prevent things like cancer. Alot depends on what you drink. Hard liquor is harder on your system than beer or wine. Also mixing drugs in like cocaine can cause the body to have a harder time metabolizing the drinks. Your body is set up to process basic amounts of drinks. What you stated probably wont have a effect on your liver (which is pretty durable to begin with) in the short term, of course that amount of consumption over the next 30 years may do damage. Heavy drinking cannot just affect the liver but many GI related systems.
I wouldnt worry at this point but if you are worried, ask your doctor to have an abdominal CT scan or a ultrasound of your liver to be sure. Remember diet, stress and other factors also play a part in overall health.
Cap't
I don't know about the liver, but I know how hard you worked to lose weight. I just think that's a huge waste of calories!
It's like already stated, a lot depends on what you drink. Red wine isn't too bad for you if you aren't drinking a bottle a night. When it comes to the harder stuff, the clearer the better (ie Rum is worse than Vodka). Keep in mind taking aceteminophen or ibueprofen while drinking is asking for trouble liver wise (asprin and drinking thins your blood and increases clot time).

I don't think a few drinks a night is all that bad, but I think long term effects prob won't be great.
If you've seen varicose veins, you have an idea of what I'm talking about.
Long term drinking can sometimes lead to conditions like varicose veins in your esophagous.
Stuff like that.
what?Originally Posted by Underwhere
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You will gain weight. I had a potbelly from drinking. Beer is like precious Cristal Champaigne now, I can only have it once in a while (sniffle, cry)....
Alcohol is bad for your skin too, in excess.
Does anyone else get splitting headaches from red wine? Or am I drinking the wrong stuff?

It's called esophogeal varices.Originally Posted by Emily
A lot of alcoholics develop it as well. Coarse food can lots of times cause them to rupture, bleeding into your stomach.
But that's extreme.
Either way, if you work hard to stay in shape, there's really no point in having a few drinks a night, many nights per week.
i wish i could answer this. Some people drink ALOT every day all their lives and have no problems. Others drink a few a night and get liver cancer due to alcohol.
It killed my sister at 43 in Sept. She drank about 4 or 5 drinks every day (mixed drinks) for years. She depleted her magnesium to 0, and went into heart failure. She felt a hunger pain and poured a drink, she nursed her drinks, but still 5 a day of hard liquor was not good for her body.
Pamela

As far as detriment to the body there are miltiple problems that develop with drinking...especially drinking hard stuff. The biggest concern with having a few drinks per night is that your body starts to adapt and you begin drinking a little more then a little more then a little more and eventually you're a raging alchy. The calories are worthless. Long term drinking will cause damage to your liver. Brain cells are damaged with exposure to alchohol. You're body gets dehydrated with alcohol and the list goes on and on and on. Advice? Drink water while at work!!!! Have a small glass of red wine with dinner and live life to the fullest.
Having more than 2 units of booze in one go probably isn't all that great for your liver though its unlikely to do any harm in the short term, IMHO i'd say don't drink but I don't expect many people to listen to that! but 1 glass of wine at a time could possibly be good for health in some ways, (possibly helps to prevent heard disease and cancer) and two is ok -apart from all those calories!
I used to drink everyday (5-6 shifts a week) when I worked with alcohol. Heavily. My tolerance got so high I was drinking like crazy. It was out of control. I tried to stop but I just couldn't stop drinking. I was known as a party girl. Guys would buy me shots and drinks all night. I would be so hungover the next day that I would just go to work and drink it off.
I worried about my liver. I went to the dr. for bloodwork and my potassium and magnesium were low from the drinking. I got scared, since I already don't have a gallbladder and alcoholisim runs in my family. I have also struggled with my weight for a long time. I wasn't making the money I should have been making, because I was hustling drinks, too drunk to function, or doing bumps of cocaine ( which i had never done before in my life) to sober up.
I finally made the decision to leave and work in a juice bar. It was so hard at first. I went through terrible withdrawal. My skin broke out terribly, I had trouble sleeping, night sweats, and the shakes. I didn't realize how much damage I was really doing to my body.
It was hard for me not to have alcohol as my crutch, especially since i went from doing bikini being shitfaced all of the time to nude dead sober. As hard as it was leaving that environment was really the best thing that ever happened to me....
After a month, my skin cleared up, and I finally lost those pesky last 10lbs. that I had been struggling with for months. My face and stomach were no longer bloated all of the time. I can finally focus more on making money instead of getting sloshed. I have become the hustler that I should have been. Whenever old customers come into where I work now, they compliment me on how much better, healthy and more alert I look.
My only regret is that I didn't do it sooner.
I'm not saying that you have a problem or anything, but if you think that working with alcohol is a problem. Maybe changing clubs or quitting drinking so much is something you might want to consider. Some people can manage drinking fine and be healthy. I am not trying to preach to you or anything. I just wanted to share my story and give you something to think about. I would recommend going to a dr. and having some bloodwork done, just to be safe. Don't get me wrong, I still love to drink. I still drink occasionally, but my tolerance is much lower, and I enjoy it much more as a treat when I go out. Good luck in whatever you choose. Stay healthy. If you want to talk PM me.
xoxo
heidi
....i did not design this game...i did not name the stakes...i just happen to like apples...and i am not afraid of snakes... -Ani Difranco





Heidi, I'm glad to hear you feel better and happy to hear you had the strength to make a change that was right for you.![]()
madmaxine, I only get a splitting headache if I drink the whole bottle. I was doing some headache research yesterday though (because I think chem lab is triggering headaches for me) anyhow found out that red wine is a trigger for migraines. Do you ever suffer from migraines?Originally Posted by madmaxine

Good for you. It's nice to hear someone could turn it around like that.Originally Posted by heidi
What Heidi said.......
your tolerance level will increase in a few weeks/months and then you've got a big fat can of worms to deal with. I've been totally sober for 2 months now and I'm amazed that I used to put away 5-10 classes of scotch and soda nightly.
I started off never drinking, then went to Amaretto Sours then 151/Goldschlager etc.....I can remember when the Sours used to give me a buzz-- towards the end there I was pretty functiaonal after 7-8 Glenlivet's... It just sneaks up on you.
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With chronic use, yes, it can be bad for your liver and can lead to a lot of other complications--cardiac myopathy (a weakening of the heart muscle); cancer of the stomach, liver, pancreas, esophagus, and increased risk of breast cancer; increased risk of osteoporosis (especially if you are of Caucasian or Asian descent); reproductive system damage; damaged brain cells; obesity, and more.
Red wine has antioxidants, and it is also true that a very small amount of red wine may help ward off coronary heart disease and diabetes; but for women, the amount would be about 1/4 of a glass, once per day.
Madmaxine, I have noticed headaches after drinking red wine, too! I haven't had a drink in about a couple of months, though.
And congrats to Heidi! Good job! Alcoholism runs in my family, too, and I must admit that it is pretty hard to stay away from the stuff. But once you get over that withdrawal hump, the rest seems pretty easy.



my freind is an alcoholic. you don't want to go down that road. try to quit while you're ahead. my freind, i love her. but she looks like hell. her teeth are wrecked and she's only 23. if it's already ruined her teeth can you imagine what her insides look like? i'm not being a smart ass, but maybe if it's got you this worried, you already know what you need to do. good luck.
I had read that any more then two a night or 12 a week was bad for you.
Also wines will give you headacks from the sugar content.
You say psycho like it's a bad thing
Try a red wine less tanneny (sp?) or phosphates. I was the same way, could drink only a couple glasses and feel headachy, until I started buying better wines. Still can't do a wine tour with reds, though, lol.Originally Posted by madmaxine
...and the day came, when the risk it took to remain closed in a bud became worse than the risk it took to blossom.
I don't know exactly how much he used to drink, but my dad has done a lot of long-term damage to his body due to drinking. He depleted his sodium a while back and almost ended up dead. That was his wake up call and he cut back a LOT. He also has just had to have knee replacement surgery and my mom is convinved that his drinking contributed to the problems with his knees too. He used to drink liquor and beer on a daily basis for years. I don't know at what point it becomes too much but it can creep up from 1-2 drinks a night to 3-4 or more I guess due to developing a tolerance. Just be careful.
well, I don't drink to get drunk. Ok. maybe I get a good buzz once a week. So I don't think I'm worried about developing a habit...but It's more of a social thing. I was just worried that it was more than a liver was supposed to handle...
P.S. where do the nutrients go? (magnesium, sodium ect.)
If everything you try is a sure thing, you aren't taking enough risks. If you never fail, you put a limit on the degree to which you can succeed. In short, the only way to win big is to risk losing





I doubt a couple of drinks a night are going to have a major effect, but I'd watch that the 5 doesn't start creeping up to 6, 7 or 8.
I was going to post my thoughts, but I found the following at http://www.diagnosishealth.com/hangover.htm
The advice accords with my understanding of drinking, hangovers, etc.
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Despite our best intentions, once in a while we all consume a little more alcohol than we should. The result is that inevitable hangover and a false promise to yourself, "Never again."
What is a hangover?
Although there is no precise scientific definition, we all know it when we have it. In general, an alcohol hangover involves two or more the following symptoms: headache, nausea, diarrhea, lack of appetite, shakiness, feeling tired and an overall feeling of being unwell. Simply put, it feels like the "flu".
There are numerous changes in the balance of hormones, neurotransmitters and other biological substances in the body. This neurobiological imbalance leads not only to the symptoms described above, but also in a rapid heart rate and increased work load on the heart. The latter is responsible for increased cardiac mortality.
There is a diffuse slowing of the brain waves as seen on EEG several hours 16 hours after all alcohol has cleared the body. Neuromuscular performance is also impaired long after alcohol is undetectable in blood.
Socioeconomic Consequences
Alcohol hangovers are not just a nuisance, and their socio-economic impact is not insignificant. In the U.S. alone, the cost of alcohol use is a staggering $148 billion dollars each year, much of it due to work missed or decreased occupational productivity due to hangover.
Hangovers account for an average annual opportunity cost of $2000 per working adult. Contrary to popular misconception, light to moderate drinkers account for the most work related costs.
Causes of Hangover
Hangovers are a poorly understood clinical entity despite their existence since ancient times. Scientists now believe the cause is multi-factorial and their occurrence is not solely related to the amount of alcohol consumed.
Other factors include empty stomach, lack of sleep, psychosocial factors, increased physical activity while drinking, and dehydration. Persons in otherwise poor health have a greater likelihood of developing a hangover. Children of alcoholic parents report greater hangover symptoms than the children of non-alcoholics.
Beware, 6 drinks in an 80 kg male and 3-5 drinks in a 60 kg woman will almost always lead to hangover. Simply put, not drinking enough to get drunk will dramatically reduce the likelihood of hangover.
Some people believe that a hangover is nature's way of punishment to prevent future drinking. However, studies have found that hangovers do not deter drinking. In contrast, it may encourage the person to drink more, also known as an "eye opener". One study showed that many people with hangover, drink more alcohol to reverse its effects.
Prevention of Hangover
The only thing that can absolutely guarantee a hangover will not occur is to avoid drinking. Most of us ignore this warning.
1. Ladies, don't try to act macho and compete with the guys. I am not being sexist here. Just that biologically speaking, men can tolerate more alcohol than women, even if they are of same height and weight.
2. Do not mix different types of drinks. Avoid drinking on empty stomach. Food in the stomach prevents rapid absorption of alcohol into the blood stream. Thus, the more food you have before and during drinking, the less the impact of alcohol.
As much as possible, drink "clear" alcohols. One study showed that for the same amount of alcohol ingested, 33% of bourbon drinkers suffered hangovers, compared to only 3% of those who drank vodka. Brandy, red wine, tequila and rum are more likely to cause hangover than white wine, vodka and gin.
3. Dark or colored alcohols have small quantities of other toxic substances or congeners that are created during the fermentation process. Congeners are implicated in the causation of hangovers. These congeners include methyl alcohol, aldehydes, histamine, tannins, iron, lead and cobalt.
4. Drink plenty of water. Make sure to drink water or other fluids such as apple juice or Gatorade before going to sleep, in order to prevent dehydration.
5. Do not drink while using sauna. Saunas and alcohol do not mix well together andlead to increased health risk.
When You Have a Hangover
It is never too late to start damage control. The preventative measures described above are still helpful.
1. Do not drink more in order to reverse the hangover. It will make matters worse.
2. Drink plenty of water or other fluids but avoid orange or grapefruit juice. Many people drink coffee; its efficacy has not been studied but many people recommend avoiding it as its diuretic effect may further worsen the fluid imbalance in the body.
3. Eat light, nutritious food and stay away from greasy, fatty foods. I recommend bananas and yogurt etc.
4. Avoid sauna to relieve hangover. It may sound appealing, but can have adverse effects on your heart and blood pressure.
5. Liv52, an herbal remedy (Himalaya Drug Co., India) has been demonstrated to decrease the symptoms of a hangover. Another study showed that prophylactic use of pyritinol (similar to vitamin B6) reduces the symptoms of a hangover by about 50 percent.
6. Over the counter medications like acetaminophen, aspirin and ibuprofen are frequently used by hangover sufferers, although their effectiveness has not been studied. Tolfenamic acid, a drug with similar pharmacological action, has been shown to ameliorate the symptoms of hangover. Its best to check with your doctor before trying any such remedies.
---------------------------------------
Phil.





Heidi that is a great story, so nice to read about someone turning themselves around like that!
I've seen waaaay too many girls go from a couple/few a night just like you describe Heaven, who wound up graduating to SEVERAL, to get the same effect as the few gave in the beginning. It doesn't matter if you're drinking to get drunk or not, doing it several times a week WILL build your tolerance and then you'll have to drink more just to get the same buzz or loose feeling as before, no matter how slight. Then you've really got a problem. Lots of people who never really were drunks wind up with health problems later, just because drinking often over extended periods of time does tend to wear things out healthwise.
I agree with the other poster who said that if you're questioning whether it's bad for you, you already know it is.
I used to drink a fair amount at work also, mostly not getting drunk but enough to loosen up or get a little buzz on. Over the years my tolerance built up to where I could put away ALOT more before feeling it; thankfully I realized it was a bad habit and have cut it out. I feel much much better at work (and after, and the next day) now. I have alot more energy, perform better and focus better. I actually make more money more consistently now because I don't waste time drinking and socializing. And I don't wake up the next day feeling exhausted and needing to recover. Even though I wasn't getting drunk most of the time, the alcohol still wore me down.
My advice is to try cutting it out altogether. Since you're not really getting drunk at work, it shouldn't be hard at ALL to get used to working totally sober. It wasn't for me. Once you get used to it, I really think you'll like it better. Alot of people often drink more than they should just due to having a habit of putting a glass to their mouth (same with cigs) - keeping a bottle of water or soda/juice around satisfies that habit and makes it MUCH easier to stay away from the alcohol. When customers want to buy you a drink, tell them "thanks I'm really thirsty!" and order water or soda.
Best of luck.




Originally Posted by madmaxine
you know, ive never got a headache from red wine....but...a white or a blush wine and the next day i have a killer headache...dunno y???![]()
It also depends on your genetics, too. I recently went to the doctor because I was having heart palputations and trouble breathing. Doctor ran a bunch of blood work and found that my liver levels were 3 times higher than normal... We think it's genetic cuz my dad's had some liver probs... Anyways, I had been drinking 4 a day or so. They started dropping dramatically after just one sober week. So, if you're really worried about it, just have it checked out. 2 a day may be okay for some people but not others.
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