Alcohol

[Poppylicious]

Firstly, apologies if this is a) in the wrong place, or b) it's already been asked before and I've simply missed it ...

Neither myself nor Blokey have ever been major alcohol drinkers (well, ok ... not since studenthood!) and since he began dialysis back in June we only drink occasionally.  He's certainly never been one to drink more than he should if he needs to drive, either immediately or the next morning.  However, he had a few drinks (shots mainly, due to fluid intake!) last night in celebration of a brand new decade and then wondered how much the kidneys help to clean the blood of alcohol ...

So, despite the fact this may be a silly question, and because Googling it doesn't offer much info, does being on dialysis and having non-working kidneys affect the way that the body processes alcohol, and more to the point does alcohol stay in the blood longer? 

 

[jbeany]

I haven't had a drink in a couple of decades, and didn't like it much then, so I haven't got much experience with it.  I thought the liver was responsible for clearing alcohol, though, not the kidneys.  There are plenty of D patients on here who do indulge, and don't seem to suffer any ill effects.  Anyone notice a difference between pre and post ESRD?

[Poppylicious]

I thought the liver was responsible for clearing alcohol, though, not the kidneys.

That's what I thought (hence the reason I thought it sounded like a silly question!).  I read somewhere that the kidneys are responsible for clearing just 5% of the alcohol we consume.  I think that Blokey was just worried that it might take longer to clear alcohol from the blood and he could therefore be over the limit, or slightly merry, without realising.  If others confirm that the kidneys really play very little part in the process that will make him a happier bunny.

 

[Ken Shelmerdine]

Since I started dialysis I have developed what you might call a reverse alcohol problem. If I take a small to moderate amount of alcohol on an empty stomach, I enjoy it and don't feel any ill affects. If I then eat a meal and drink any alcohol during or after the meal, I start to feel nauseous and  just the taste of alcohol from then on almost makes me gag.

Don't get me wrong I don't want to get rat arsed but the way things are since I started dialysis I can't even get tidley. 

Has this happened to any one else?

[kristina]

I don’t know if this is of any help,
but when I recovered from the coma of my first kidney failure in 1971
& my kidneys started to pick up and function again, I was told by a Professor of Medicine,
that he believed that if I wished to keep my kidneys to function longer, I should eat only vegetarian easy digestable food and avoid any alcohol.

I have been a vegetarian every since and only allowed myself a glass of wine on very rare occasions and over recent years having been in ESRF since 2006, I have not had any alcohol at all.

Of course, there is no accurate research on this but for me it seems logical, and we can only follow our own instinct and logic and do the best we can.

I would also like to add that advice seems to be of a general nature and in reality we seem to be individual,

so one just has to work it out, whether something is good or bad and whether it works for us or not.

Good luck, Kristina.

[del]

My husband enjoys his beer.  Usually has one before supper but over Christmas there have been a few nights when he has had 2 if we have gone out somewhere after supper.  He was never able to drink beer with a meal or immediately after.  It has not hurt him at all.  Dialysis will take off the fluid from the alcohol but the actual alcohol is filtered through the liver. We have been told though that if you get drunk and then hook up to dialysis you will have a very bad hangover because you dehydrate .

[hurlock1]

From the time I was 30 till I was forty, I drank everyday. Mostly Budweiser but I drank Whiskey and wine too. I think that I drank as many as 18 beers in one sitting (at night) every day. I never drank at work. I think that alcohol is filtered by the Liver. One way or the other, (nobody has told me this) I think that processing all that fluid with alcohol in it, is one of the reasons that I have ESRD today. I don't think that a couple a' shots is gonna do any harm. I quit drinking in 1990 because I found out that I was allergic to alcohol. It made me break out in spots. Spots like the county jail!

[GratefulDad]

The other thing about alcohal is that it acts to dehydrate the body.  How does this work when on dialysis and limiting fluid intake?

[dwcrawford]

I was allergic to alcohol. It made me break out in spots. Spots like the county jail!

I'm sorry and don't mean to offend, but I find this really funny.

Don't drink any more or less than before dialysis and it still makes me a little silly.  (or maybe that's the air)

[Hanify]

When I got sick a couple of years ago my taste buds were badly effected by chemo etc.  I have only just started to drink bubbly again and had 4 glasses on New Years Eve.  hee hee - that was enough to send me off into happy la la land.  So I'm very interested in your question.  If you could please tell Blokey that we need him to run some tests using himself as a guinea pig that would be great.  Yell him to get really pie eyed and we'll all follow what happens ok?  Excellent.

[pamster42000]

This site offers advice about drinking alcohol:

Alcohol and chronic kidney disease
http://www.davita.com/diet-and-nutrition/lifestyle/a/527


Also I read an article that states the liver is responsible for elimination of  95% of alcohol through metabolism. The remainder is eliminated through breath, urine, sweat, feces, milk and saliva.

Sorry I couldn't find any other information either on my searches.

[RichardMEL]

I agree that the liver does most of the work alcohol wise and the biggest issue with drinking booze is the fluid one (although beer does contain some Potassium, and a mixed drink like a bloody mary or screwdriver contains much more - because of the tomato/orange juice components!). Seems to me a clear spirit like vodka is the "safest" and best "bang for your buck" so to speak - given a shot is 30ml vs. a beer which could be 250-350ml. The other thing is mostly when I have a ice cold beer on a hot day... you just can't have one!!! It's like seeing a girl in a cute outfit.. you wanna see more!! 

I was told a few times by dialysis nurses that drinking while on the machine was "good" because it got filtered out by the dialysis process - but I'm not sure if that is actually true or not. I've only once taken something into the unit and had it while on the machine (I had a hip flask of vodka with me for the football grand final).

[cariad]

I rarely drink alcohol anymore, not because of fluid restrictions or dietary worries, but because small amounts can make me feel pretty wrecked - a hangover without the light, silly part. I assumed that this is one side effect of worsening renal function. I'm not on dialysis yet, but I don't think I would dare drink alcohol before dialysis for the reason that Del mentioned. Hangovers are due in large part to dehydration, dialysis dehydrates a person, I would not want to see how those two mix for me.

[Hanify]

Another reason to consider PD???  Haha.

[RichardMEL]

Cariad - yes, I have noticed my tolerance has gone down.. or rather it takes less to give me a buzz (a good thing I guess if that were the aim)... back in my 20's before KD really gave me issues I could down well... a lot more than I can now. I can have 2 shots and be merry!! Talk about cheap drunk!! 

[RightSide]

My husband enjoys his beer.  Usually has one before supper but over Christmas there have been a few nights when he has had 2 if we have gone out somewhere after supper.  He was never able to drink beer with a meal or immediately after.  It has not hurt him at all.  Dialysis will take off the fluid from the alcohol but the actual alcohol is filtered through the liver. We have been told though that if you get drunk and then hook up to dialysis you will have a very bad hangover because you dehydrate .

Alcohol is a diuretic.  If your husband can still urinate (if his kidneys retain some residual function), then the diuretic effect of the alcohol should actually speed up production of urine.

[sico]

I rarely drink alcohol anymore, not because of fluid restrictions or dietary worries, but because small amounts can make me feel pretty wrecked - a hangover without the light, silly part. I assumed that this is one side effect of worsening renal function. I'm not on dialysis yet, but I don't think I would dare drink alcohol before dialysis for the reason that Del mentioned. Hangovers are due in large part to dehydration, dialysis dehydrates a person, I would not want to see how those two mix for me.

I really struggled to drink alcohol in the six months before starting dialysis. I think it was to do with my taste buds and the toxins in my blood.
Didn't touch it for six months after starting "D" either.

I've only once taken something into the unit and had it while on the machine (I had a hip flask of vodka with me for the football grand final).

I can't believe they let you drink alcohol at the unit. Thats cool though.

[RichardMEL]

I can't believe they let you drink alcohol at the unit. Thats cool though.

lol mate it was funny! My sister and brother are rabid Saints fans and they were at the GF and I was watching from my D chair. I actually took the hip flask of vodka with me to celebrate if they won, but when they lost I actually felt like drinking it for a wake (I knew how upset they would be)... anyway it was the nurses who egged me on to drink it!!! (I think they just wanted to see if I'd get tipsy so they could have a laugh  )

Of course this is the same crew who I shared a bottle of bubbles with last week for New Year's eve (don't worry, after everyone had finished dialysis and it was home time!)...

have I mentioned I have a really cool dialysis crew?! If I ever get a transplant I'll still go and visit them - I adore my nurses - they're the best.

[cassandra]

I think the alcohol is more likely to react with the medicines you take than with your kidneyfuncion or lack of. I'm without any kidneys and on D for 12 yrs now and drink a few shots every evening or when I'm for a drink with friends. I refuse to waste my 750 cc's on less enjoyable drinks.

[jennyc]

I occassionally drink, not very often though. Like Richard it hits me a bit harder now when i do have one. I prefer those crushed iced cocktails, i only get to have one but it's enough ( i'm not even a cadbury's girl anymore, can't even  get to glass and  half)

[Malibu]

HAHAHA hurlock1!!!

RichardMEL -- I recall another post you replied to that said you took a bottle of bubbly to your clinic. Just how much do you guys party while you dialyze???  ....laugh... 

Hubby likes scotch, good for diabetics too as it has no sugar.  Although he is not diabetic.  Sine being on dialysis for 1.5 months and feeling so much better he will have a couple scotchs' nodamniceorwater, except he is actually putting a couple ice cubes in there now... but he is having a couple a night.  He has not had a problem yet.  This morning he weighed in under his dry weight! 

My wine consumption has not changed at all since he started dialysis.    (But I am SURE it will when we start dialyzing at night after I am once again among the working!)

[RichardMEL]

hey dialysis at my unit is a party every day (NOT!) but we do have an exception for special occasions, and it seems the French Champagne for NYE is one I have started and the nurses are happy to continue(as long as I buy !  ). We had Veuve Clicquot and it wasn't too bad.....

Also we have one small nurse who had half a glass a couple of years ago and passed out a bit later with her hubby..... uh oh !!!

 

[Stoday]

i'm not even a cadbury's girl anymore, can't even  get to glass and  half

You mean a glass and a turd? Cadbury was fined £1,000,000 in 2007 for knowingly selling chocolate contaminated with salmonella. They got found out because they were found to be the source of a food poisoning outbreak.