In mid 40s it is getting harder and harder to enjoy alcohol

I had two glasses of sangria and a glass of wine the other week and woke up with palpitations

It's just not worth it

Depends what and how I drink. Prosecco is a recipe for disaster. I've not had a wine hangover in years because I know how awful it can make me. Best route for me is cider- cocktail- gin. Few Proseccos in there can be OK. Shots are never a good idea.

My hangovers are unpredictable though. Had a big day/ night out the other week: fine. Girls' boozy holiday: 1 bad day. Few hours our in a pub: shocking. I'm scared of the menopausal booze reaction starting though.

I used to drink quite a lot, socially. Pint of Guinness after lockdown made me sick. I checked out the sugar in alcohol. Stout is about the highest- over 30 grams of sugar in a pint! That’s most of the daily recommended amount. So daily glass of red wine and a very occasional half lager now does me.
Spirits and red wine have the lowest sugar btw.

I hear this a lot, menopausal women. I'm the opposite, enjoying it more and more, no hangovers, no problems, all good.

This happened to me in my mid 30s. Hate drinking now. I can be literally one small glass of wine in and feel I need to lie down. Haven’t properly had any alcohol since 2019. Occasionally I mix some red wine and Diet Coke if I’m feeling adventurous 😆. Like once a year on Xmas day.

52 and I enjoy it at the time but around 45 I started to realise I would feel exhausted and look older the day after a few glasses of wine. It’s also empty calories - half a bottle of wine is about 350 calories.

Growing up in an industrial culture where beer was accepted along with smoking I spent much time in Pubs. I liked that milieu, I am now nostalgic for it.
It was not until I was mid 60s that hangovers became so fierce.
But don't worry we shall soon be gone.

48 and struggling to enjoy booze! Sometimes I fancy a glass of wine or a small bottle of beer. I end up with a nasty headache the following morning. Or feeling sick. It's not like o even drink a lot. I've reined it right in now. Hardly drink at all now.

I will very occasionally have 3% beer but other than that I don't drink. I used to love dry white wine but about 3 yrs ago I felt the headache starting after half a glass. Wasn't worth it. I still like pubs but never get to go.

I'm 44. Red wine is just no longer worth it, even a single glass gives me a raging headache. White isn't as bad, I can have a few glasses. Gin is generally ok but if I drink anything at all in the day or two before my period starts, I wake up the next morning wishing I'd just died in my sleep.

Yes same, and I absolutely do miss it

I'm actually so glad you've posted this. None of my friends of a similar age seem to be affected in the same way. So glad it's not just me and it's a biological thing!

I’m 59. No such issues here.

YANBU I’m early 50s and have given up altogether. It was no longer enjoyable due to hangover/sleep disturbance and I find people pressure me less if I simply say I don’t drink rather than I sometimes drink. I thought it was to do with my menopause. I don’t even miss alcohol.

I can totally relate to this! I'm 42 and have experienced this for a few years now. I miss being able to get a little bit pissed without a thumping headache 😫
I do still drink but more than 2 and I really pay for it. It sucks.

Yes my hangxiety is so much worse these days, I feel very alone and unloved for no reason.

Yes I hear of so many women use alcohol to help with the psychological changes of peri and also life stresses, but that it makes everything physically much harder to deal with and makes peri symptoms worse.

I stopped at 51 - it wasn't so much hangovers with me as the fact that I started to feel depressed the day after drinking. I decided this wouldn't sit very well with menopause so decided to try abstinence and haven't looked back. Not suggesting you give up but it's not a bad idea to pay attention to the signs your body is sending.

Mid 70s. Haven't noticed any difference. But then I gave up drinking to the extent of a hangover in my 30s, just decided I didn't want to experience a hangover ever again. So kept to a small glass or perhaps 2.

I have been cutting down for health reasons, and haven't noticed its absence.

YANBU.
Alcohol is mainly metabolized by an enzyme, alcohol dehydrogenase. As women we are significantly lower in this enzyme than men, and it also dips dramatically as we hit our forties (which also coincides with other body composition changes which exacerbates the problem). We just can't process and eliminate alcohol properly. We're not meant to, I guess, but it is a bit of a downer when our 40s tend to come with other challenges and the odd glass of wine might help take the edge off!
I don't drink any more- initially driven by no longer wanting to feel rotten and anxious and then that decision was solidified when I got some bad health news. Life is actually so much easier and everything brighter than it ever was when I drank. That's not to say that it wasn't tricky at first.

😂
Yes, I had to become an abstinent at 42.
It's got its good points.

I have had to cut right down as if I had a big night out I would be sick every half an hour the next day - all day!!!

It wasn't worth that at all

Even after 3/4 drinks now I'm dizzy, can't shift a headache the next day.

The only thing I can actually drink now is gin and tonic, but can have loads of it and not want to die the next day. Pretty much everything else makes me feel shocking.

No, mid 50's, but I drink far more than I should, bottle of wine is a regular occurrence and I don't get hangovers. I am thinking of massively cutting down, purely for vanity reasons as my skin is pants as menopausal and I am fat and those extra empty calories won't be helping !

44 and can’t drink the way I used to atall. I haven’t drank this year. Last year I just had a drink of fizz on fancy occasions so 2-3 times over the year then a few over Christmas . I feel dreadful after it’s just not worth it. I find my skin looks dreadful after too, bloated and Unwell looking

On the upside I’m a bit thinner which feels better than a bit fatter gad I kept up the booze!