Alcohol and IBD
Let’s discuss how alcohol can affect IBD. And I share why I have given up alcohol to help manage IBD.
We will discuss
- Is alcohol bad for IBD?
- My experience giving up alcohol
- How I feel now 9 months sober
- Has alcohol caused me to flare?
Let’s look deeper into each of these topics. And learn how alcohol and IBD interact. And why I quit alcohol to manage my IBD.
Is Alcohol Bad for IBD?
The short answer to this question is yes. Of course, it is. Alcohol is bad for everyone. If you have IBD, alcohol can and will worsen your symptoms.
Alcohol does not cause IBD. But once you have IBD, it can worsen your symptoms. Alcohol can worsen inflammation. And cause bleeding in the gut. Which is one of the most terrifying symptoms of IBD.
Alcohol irritates and inflames the GI lining. Drinking often will disrupt the balance of the gut bacteria in your intestines. It feeds the bad bacteria, and disrupts the growth of good bacteria. Creating and further gut dysbiosis.
Alcohol causes acute and chronic inflammation in many places in the body. It can cause many organs including the GI tract, brain and liver to deteriorate.
My Last Drink
February 2022. I was experiencing a pretty bad flare. Diarrhea, weight loss, fatigue, and nausea. I was working 12-14 house shifts outside in the Australian summer sun.
I had been flaring since September 2021.
I used to try not to drink alcohol during a flare. I knew that it hurt my stomach.
But one day, my coworkers and I unexpectedly get off work early. We all headed to the bar to celebrate.
I was so happy to be off work early. I remember ordering a glass of bubbles (Australian ‘champagne’). After my first drink I got the familiar twisting, painful gas, and slight nausea.
I ran to the toilet for a BM. It was completely liquid, and made me feel so sick. I hid in the bathroom for 10 minutes while the symptoms subsided.
This had happened to me many times in the past. With the first few sips of my drink, I would be rushing to the toilet.
Then after the first drink, I would usually feel okay.
I continued to have drink after drink with my friends. I stuck with the bubbles which is one of my favourites, and usually a relatively ‘safe’ drink for me.
We took cabs home. And as soon as I was back home, I passed out in my bed. Drunk, and having had a fun night out with my friends.
I was pulled out of bed at 3am to have a BM. Then again at 5am. I tried to fall back asleep but my horrible belly pain kept me awake.
I spent the rest of the day with a wicked hangover. And IBD symptoms, that had been made so much worse because of the alcohol.
I must have gone to the toilet more than 15 times that day. I felt so horrible. And stupid.
Was it really worth it? How could I do this to my body?
Why was I continuing to do this to my body?
Deep down I have always known that if I wanted to heal my body from IBD. I would have to give up alcohol. I have always known that alcohol and IBD, don’t really mix well.
But I have always held onto drinking. At this point I had already completely cleaned up my diet. I was eating DF, GF, RSF, and additives free. But I still held onto the alcohol.
Why?
Mostly because I liked it. And because every single person I know drinks alcohol.
And Australia’s drinking culture is massive. The only reason people get together is to share a few drinks. I do not know a single person in Australia who doesn’t drink.
I can also be a bit shy sometimes. Especially in a large group. Alcohol is a social lubricant. It helps me to feel comfortable and confident in a social situation.
But I could no longer escape the way that alcohol and IBD were interacting. It was without a doubt making my IBD symptoms worse.
If I food was doing this to me, there is no way that I would continue to eat it.
So while sitting on the toilet having my 10th BM of the day. I swore off alcohol. I decided to commit myself to a full year alcohol-free. Which seemed more manageable than a lifetime. But I knew that once that year came up, I would continue to stay away from alcohol.
How I Feel Now 9 Months Sober
The short answer to this is that I feel so much better. And I am in remission, and I don’t think that would have been possible with my previous levels of alcohol consumption.
I used to drink about 3-4 times per week. Almost all of these times I would binge drink. I drank at all social occasions. And sometimes, when it was just my partner and I at home alone together we would drink.
I was in the habit of seeing drinking as linked to relaxing, and socializing. I saw having fun and drinking alcohol, as the same thing.
Now that I am 9 months sober, I don’t miss alcohol nearly as much as I thought I would.
Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely times I would love to have a drink. I miss the taste, and the way it would give me confidence in social situations.
But I am realizing now, that I am confident socializing without alcohol. I don’t need it to talk to my friends.
If I am socializing around people who are drinking. I usually make sure that I am there early. Then head home early. That way I miss most of the debauchery, but still get to see my friends.
I have even had a few people say to me that they envied me being sober. That they feel trapped in their habit of drinking. That it is putting a strain on their finances, their health, and their relationships.
I am working on meeting new people who do not drink. And I am inviting my current friends to daytime activities that do not promote drinking.
I am so proud of myself for giving up alcohol. Even after years of suffering from IBD. And many years after drastically changing and cleaning up my diet. I never wanted to stop drinking. It was always something that I held onto.
But now that I have stopped drinking, I feel great. I feel crisper. I have more energy. And of course, my IBD symptoms have become easier to manage. The bottom line is, in order to heal IBD, I knew that alcohol and IBD do not mix.
Most importantly, I feel good about putting my health first.
Has Alcohol Caused Me to Flare?
In my experience, I know that alcohol, in combination with other factors, has caused an IBD flare-up.
In August 2021, I celebrated my birthday with friends. We went out to a bar, had lots of drinks, and danced the night away.
Afterwards, we all got kebabs from a local takeaway. I refused the kebab because it was clearly not gluten free. But instead got French fries, covered in questionable meat, and sauces. I shudder thinking back on it.
In combination with other lifestyles factors at the time. This meal led me to have a flare that lasted for about 8 months. It was a turning point in my life.
And I know alcohol is at least partially to blame. Both for causing increased inflammation. And lowering my inhibition’s to make poor dietary choices.
I have always known that alcohol and IBD hurts my stomach. Whether I was in a flare or not. A night out drinking, meant more BMs the next day. And poorer lifestyle choices in general.
I know now that if I want to heal my body. Giving up all alcohol is a crucial step. I enjoy being alcohol-free. I love the way that it makes me feel.
And as always. I love prioritizing my health and putting my healing journey first.