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Original poster

Sick of feeling awful after drinking

70 replies

Lottapianos · 21/08/2020 10:22

I went to the pub last night and had 2.5 pints of ale, then went out for dinner and only had fizzy water. Today I feel tired, spaced out and have a faint headache. God its PATHETIC! This is a regular thing for me - I have 2 or 3 drinks, plus food, plus water, and yet can still really feel the booze the next day.

I'm 40 and this has been a thing for several years now. I dont want to go out on the lash, I just want to have 2-3 drinks, a couple of nights a week and not know about it the next day. I REALLY enjoy a drink and dont want to have to give it up. I eat really well and exercise, and drink plenty of water and I'm generally in good health. Can anyone relate, and does anyone have any advice? Thanks!

OP posts:
AnneKipanki · 21/08/2020 10:23

Try bottled beer instead .

Original poster
Lottapianos · 21/08/2020 10:32

Why bottled beer?

OP posts:
JadesRollerDisco · 21/08/2020 10:34

Could it be an issue with yeast? Or barely? Do you get this with other drinks or just ale? Might be time to change your drink of choice ?

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General food
Darkestseasonofall · 21/08/2020 10:35

Me too, except that I don't enjoy drinking now as I know I'll suffer so much the next day. I've pretty much just resigned myself to a life of sobriety.

Namechange6005 · 21/08/2020 10:35

What about having a different drink? I spent years feeling like shit from drinking cider or beer. Now drinking echo falls which tastes like juice and doesn't make me feel crap from drinking it.

IDontWantToGoToBed · 21/08/2020 10:37

Try a different alcoholic drink

Original poster
Lottapianos · 21/08/2020 10:38

It's the same when I drink wine. I only really drink wine or ale, occasional cocktail. Echo Falls absolutely not for me, sorry!

OP posts:
JadesRollerDisco · 21/08/2020 10:39

How is your health generally? A lot of people with other health problems find that they can no longer drink, but when on the right treatment find they can again moderately. How is your liver? People with liver damage struggle to process even small amounts of alcohol, and it's not always obvious. Are you a healthy weight? Are you in good general fitness? How do you metabolism medication? There are so many factors. Some people develop an allergy to alcohol and many people do not drink for many different reasons. But sometimes a new intolerance for alcohol can be a s

CityDweller · 21/08/2020 10:39

Are you a woman? I found that when I turned 40, or thereabouts, I could no longer tolerate red wine. It made me feel rubbish while I was drinking it. Luckily, most other booze is/was ok (although I don't really drink beer). So perhaps try something else? Gin was my go-to for a while...

Happily the red wine thing isn't so bad now (I'm 45) and now I find I can usually tolerate it ok.

JadesRollerDisco · 21/08/2020 10:39

Can be a symptom of an underlying condition

Original poster
Lottapianos · 21/08/2020 10:48

'How is your health generally?'

All in my OP - fine, fit and healthy, no conditions that I know of. Used to be a big binge drinker but knocked that on the head about 10 years ago. Maybe I need to see GP

OP posts:
IHaveBrilloHair · 21/08/2020 10:53

I'm sure you're perfectly fine, some very odd replies on this thread, it's just a symptom of getting older.
Plan your nights out around lazy days the day after and all will be fine Smile

BigBadVoodooHat · 21/08/2020 10:59

Same thing happened to me when I hit perimenopause. I'd been happily able to knock alcohol back without too much issue and then suddenly it made me feel like crap. Not even hungover crap, just generally very unwell. From what I've read online it's quote common with perimenopuase.

I've given up all together now, it wasn't worth ruining the whole of the next day, plus worrying that I was going to feel rotten meant I didn't enjoy it while I was drinking anyway.

Now all I have to contend with is the sheer disbelief, badgering and sarky-arsed comments I get from a surprising number of people when I say 'Not for me, thanks'. For some reason someone not drinking alcohol pisses quite a lot of people right off. ]hmm]

Fluffycloudland77 · 21/08/2020 11:03

It happens to a fair few of it. I used to drink 50 units a week in my early twenties. I can’t have a single drink now and daytime drinking is even worse.

I don’t even bother trying now.

PersonaNonGarter · 21/08/2020 11:04

Sorry, that’s just age.

Ask around. Most women in their 40s drink a lot less than they did in their 30s cos the hangovers are now so shit.

Original poster
Lottapianos · 21/08/2020 11:06

'Most women in their 40s drink a lot less than they did in their 30s cos the hangovers are now so shit.'

Its been a thing since I cut back from binge drinking in my 30s. Like I say, I only want a couple of drinks a couple of times a week. It's so bloody depressing to think that that's too much to expect, without suffering the next day Sad

OP posts:
cosmo30 · 21/08/2020 11:11

Well I'm only 30 and drinking makes me feel horrendous too! I think it's part of getting older. Some people can handle it better than others aswell.
I haven't drank in 8 months purely for the fact it makes me feel like shit so I don't get anything out of it anymore

Foxyloxy1plus1 · 21/08/2020 11:13

Just have one drink instead of a couple and see whether that has a bad effect. If it does, then you have to decide between enjoying a drink and then feeling shit p, or not having a drink and feeling fine.

I can only drink a well diluted G&T these days.

girlywhirly · 21/08/2020 11:24

It doesn’t help that so many wines and beers are much stronger now. You could ‘dilute’ white wine into a spritzer with soda or lemonade, equally beer into a shandy, this gives you a larger drink that you can take more slowly. Do make sure you eat before you start drinking, and have plenty of water as well, dehydration makes people feel crap.

TheFaerieQueene · 21/08/2020 11:27

Try a colourless spirit - vodka or gin, with tonic/soda and lime. I find I don’t suffer if I stick to this.

Bloodylush · 21/08/2020 11:30

I used to be able to have eight drinks and get up for work the next day as normal. Now I only have to look at a glass of white wine and I feel ill. I am better with just a couple of short drinks these days.

RNBrie · 21/08/2020 11:31

its the reason I gave up drinking too... over 2 years ago now. I don't really miss drinking at all any more and I bloody love not having hangovers!! There is a massive range of non-alcoholic beers you can buy now and some of them are really good (fairly low cal too).

Non alcoholic wine is still a disaster but there are some interesting non-alcoholic spirits around as well... though I will never be able to bring myself to pay £40 for a bottle of flavoured water.

Cuddling57 · 21/08/2020 11:35

Yep me too!
I'm imagining going to the doctors about it and demanding she fix me so I can drink again 😂

Original poster
Lottapianos · 21/08/2020 11:49

'I'm imagining going to the doctors about it and demanding she fix me so I can drink again'

That would be wonderful!

OP posts:
crimsonlake · 21/08/2020 11:51

I have always suffered more than my friends with a hangover as far back as I can remember.
I now get undeserved hangovers and by this I mean after one drink which could be drank early evening.
I know I cannot have one drink on a worknight as I would feel the effects the next day.
Someone once told me that it is because I do not drink enough... as in only have a few a week.
I am sorry I do not have the answer, then again I would probably be rich. I still enjoy a couple of long gin's at the weekend, any more thn two and I am good for nothing.