Why can’t I drink alcohol as I get older?!

[Holidaytime8]

Anyone else?

I’m mid-forties and can’t even drink a glass of wine without feeling rubbish the next day (headache, feel a little nauseous, also feel anxious).

I miss the buzz of having one glass of something! And the social tension I felt like a g&t or a glass of wine broke for me (I’m v shy).

Anything I can do to get the ability to drink back?! I have some lovely social events coming up in the next month, and I’d like to be able to have a small drink at one or two of them without ruining the following day.

I get the same with wine which is a pity as I love a glass of bubbly.
Have switched to a good quality crisp cider which is refreshing and light. I don't feel like that I'm missing out and can have up to 1 pint without feeling any ill effects.

Wine is definitely worse than gin for me. I was at a party last night and a woman who is prob about 53 told me she’s now out the other side and doesn’t even get hangovers anymore. So there is hope!

I had 5 drinks out last night and think I'm dieing 🤢 definitely cannot drink like I used to.

I am in denial about it in that I still drink, but I definitely suffer more. Hangovers are horrific. The anxiety and depressed feeling, doom and gloom omg! My preference now is 2 drinks max.

I had this with red wine (main drink of choice) but I was advised to try organic wine and it was a game changer. No terrible hangover, no heartburn. I also found I was fine with tequila and a mixer. Tequila is the only non depressive alcohol apparently - not sure if that is the reason, so when I'm a pub that doesn't sell organic wine I get a tequila and lemonade or ginger ale.

I have become a day drinker. A glass with lunch and maybe one more is my limit. That doesn't effect my sleep. Cannot drink in the evenings anymore though. I'll be up all night, finally fall asleep at 5 and be dying for days.

Yes second advice about antihistamine. I also take two paracetamol as I start drinking, then two before bed with an omeprazole. Take gaviscon also just before sleep and two ibuprofen and then two paracetamol two ibuprofen in the morning.
I rarely drink now but that sorts me out when I do. I was being terribly sick in the mornings to afterwards but the eprqzole seems to have sorted that.

I'm only 39 and just recently have noticed a huge difference in how alcohol affects my energy levels. Used to be fine having a night out and then powering through but had a late night and three glasses of wine one evening this week and I am wrecked! Falling asleep on the sofa all the time. I feel like double my age this week and probably look it too. Beginning to think I need to seriously cut back. I'm not a nightly boozer or anything, but I love booze! So it is sad

Yes, DH feels rubbish after wine or any alcohol now. He’s 61. I’ve felt like this for ages. We’re like Roy and Hayley from Coronation St because we order half bottles of wine or a glass when we eat out or buy them at the supermarket for a wild night at home.

This is me, aged 50. I just can't do a big night anymore and haven't for a while. I put it down to being pregnant x 2, then bf x 2, then dealing with little ones......means being sensible and limiting drinks to be able to cope with early mornings etc.

Then it just becomes a way of life, so that when you do indulge a little, it hits you like a sledgehammer the next day and you realise it's just not worth it.

I can't drink wine, it makes me feel so ill. And I've never been a spirits girl aside from him but even that makes me feel grim now. I like lager though and can cope with that if I pace myself. I also quite like the non alcoholic beers so will happily drink those. I have also discovered this fruit ciders which I can eek out if I drink them in a pint glass with lots of ice.

IfI do drink (like at weddings etc) then I'll have a few but then hit the fizzy water big time later on. So by the end of the night I've almost drunk myself sober. Which is handy when trying to get my dh home!!

I do feel like this is only me though. Other friends/colleagues seem to still be able to drink like fishes. I feel I might appear boring to them but I suppose long term, my health might fare a bit better!

*him = gin

It's weird isn't it? A friend of mine was telling me that when she drinks now, she wakes up in the night feeling sick and having panic attacks (doesn't matter if it's a couple of halves of cider or several gins, effect is the same)

If alcohol is giving you sleepless nights, anxiety and makes you feel like crap for days after it’s time to reconsider consuming it for ‘pleasure’.

Perhaps those that feel the effects are just more in tune with their bodies, I’d rather have this reaction instead of none at all thinking being pissed every weekend wasn’t doing my body long term harm…🤔

I haven’t drunk much alcohol since having kids and also I get massive depression afterwards, and I can’t risk my MH like that. I do occasionally have a blow-out which puts me off it completely for a couple of years again.

Anyway this means I’ve had years to get used to being able to have fun without alcohol. I like to go out, like to dance for hours, enjoy being able to drop friends home safely. It’s really all about practice, imo: unlearning the attitude from teenage years that you had to get hammered to enjoy a night out.

My female friends who actually still go out must have pigeonholed me as the non-fun friend though because they just don’t invite me anymore 😥It has been just over a year now, it was a Becky Hill concert,we danced all night…but had to leave before the end as one friend got so drunk she couldn’t stand/walk.I went back to get my car and got her home safe as her other friend and family members abandoned her.

Sorry that was a longwinded way of saying that unfortunately I do feel those who drink continue to judge those who don’t as “less fun”.

Happened to me in my early 40s. Wasn’t a big or regular drinker, but now I can have about half a glass of wine a couple of times a year, and that’s it. Went through the menopause at the same age, but I put it down to being diagnosed with C-PTSD at the time.

Yes we are. Started getting the Fear 😱 the next day in social interactions. I think eating or even nibbling something helps ?

This is me! It's a horrible feeling and not worth the relaxed/ slight giddiness a couple of drinks brings.. I agree with next poster who says if you're not listening to your body at this stage/ trying to find ways round the I'll effects to continue consuming alcohol, you have to ask yourself, why? It's so ingrained in our society it's weird!

Trial and error...see what agrees with You?
Sometimes it's the chemicals in beer that get me
Also bad wine will always give u a headache
Good luck

I can drink all night and feel fantastic the next day. It's a curse. I would swap with you as it would eradicate my drinking. I am perfectly functional, up for work at 6am every day, but I can put away two bottles of wine and be fine for it the next day. It must be doing damage but I wish it was overt damage that would stop me doing it!

100% JobzaGoodun

It's 'cos all those inner organs are not the pink, fresh and perky organs they once were.

The best description I've heard!

I'm 44 and peri. I used to be able to drink 2 glasses of wine but now I get flushed, it disrupts my sleep and I can feel it the next day. Was slightly more successful the other week with a biodegradable one.

Gin is ok.

This is why I quit 3 years ago. The key is to read all the quit lit and then you actually prefer not drinking.

I agree with this.
Myself and DP don’t get invited out anymore by drinking friends as we only have 1 or 2 drinks these days or even don’t drink at all. I feel quite sad about it sometimes. It’s very obvious. And like you we can have a good time without alcohol, I can happily dance for hours and have a laugh but no 😞
Sorry you feel this too x

Yep. Same here, it's very disappointing! I also miss the relaxation of just one when I'm feeling socially awkward. I don't remember my parents ging through this!!

@user1477249785 yes, I quite like sentia and it often makes me feel really good the next day too. But it is dry and an acquired taste and needs tonic or bitter lemon or similar as a mixer.

I've also started having trip drinks which are CBD infused, that helps to take off the nervous/stressy edge but I can't drink them too close to bedtime or I have really trippy dreams 😂

I’m the same, feel awful and anxious after a couple now. I still drink at social things as I’m so shy but my tips are, eat before and after, take an antihistamine, drink lots of water and stop drinking before 11pm and bed before 1am

@picturethispatsy Sorry you have the same experience. I think they must either think I’m judging them, or they can’t believe I’m actually enjoying myself (maybe because they wouldn’t)… There’s lots of “I can’t believe you’re up dancing and you’re not even drinking” 🤷‍♀️😥