When a doctor asks how much you drink, what do you say?

[Sheamie]

You know the usual questions when you’re at a medical appointment- do you smoke/if yes, how heavily, do you drink/if so to what extent etc.

If you drink alcohol, how do you answer, and what does your drinking pattern actually look like?

The truth. Which is probably about 2 bottles a week. Largely over the weekend. It's my only vice and I balance this with exercise, not eating meat and not eating takeaways.

Something has to kill you, so I'd rather enjoy the time I have than abstain from everything fun and end up with a ridiculously healthy body and dementia anyway.

I tell the truth, but I think it’s a hard one ,

mainly because the answer changes . I can take or leave it , and tend not to buy it in the shop because of the expense. At the moment it’s been about two months since I had an alcoholic drink, so that would seem that my answer would be rarely.

however , if we had a bottle in my husband and I would think nothing of finishing it in an evening, which is quite a lot of units

I drink very little. I occasionally binged but since I went NC with my mum I no longer feel the need/urge. Most weeks I drink no alcohol. I might have a nice gin or port maybe once a month but I’m really not fussed and would rather blow the calories on cake 😅

If I’m honest I can’t remember the last time I was asked!

I tell the truth, although I can't remember the last time I was asked tbh. Most weekdays none, but maybe a few glasses of fizz/red wine with dinner at the weekend. Some weekdays the odd glass. I don't have a set schedule, but I'm conscious of what I've had and it's very rarely an excessive amount.

I tell them the truth. I rarely drink but when I do I drink a ridiculous amount. I drink at the moment maybe one weekend every couple of months but I'll drink a bottle of vodka, whisky or tequila over the course of that weekend.

I don't see the point in lying to medical professionals who need to know the truth. It'd be like claiming my arm hurt when it was actually my leg. Utterly pointless and only harming myself..

Well it’s not a recommended amount is it? No one is recommended to drink alcohol. I thought it was 14 units and it’s the safer level

You say that as if you think there is something wrong with not drinking a lot, and telling a medical professional the truth about how much you drink, @AnonymousBleep.

I don't think anyone on here is saying they are better or more virtuous than anyone else - we are simply answering the question put by @Sheamie, honestly.

I don’t drink at all and never have so it’s easy for me to answer that one, nor have I ever smoked. I sometimes wonder if the doctors actually believe me although one once said, yes I can tell from your skin that you don’t drink, which I took as a compliment.

1 bottle of wine at the weekend which is true.

Because - an employment lawyer told me this - your records can be pulled and used against you in future litigation. My EL friend would always lie to the GP, and if he did actually need help with substance misuse (he doesn't), he'd go private.

yes I tell the truth I hardly drink at all

not always been so honest about how much I eat when I have been asked as I felt ashamed

I drink about 2 bottles of wine most weeks which is 18-20 units. In a general health check I would admit the truth, as they are trying to establish a whole picture of health. However, if I've gone for a specific reason/issue that I don't believe is connected to my slightly over the limit alcohol intake I say 'about 14 units' (recommended limit). People who are asking 'why lie' - because its a bit like when you're overweight, you find a lot of doctors want to blame every health issue on that in the first instance, rather than investigate. The same can be true for alcohol.

What's your interest @Sheamie - doctor, journalist or someone with a (possible) drinking problem?

I tell the truth. Not every week but tend to have a glass of wine on a Friday, Saturday, Sunday night (one bottle). Pint of ale in the pub on a weekend occasionally (maybe once every 2/3 months). More on holiday sometimes but again that's rare (couple of times a year).

This is the same for me. I don’t drink wine or spirits at all, only beer or cider and the only time I really fancy it is on a sunny afternoon or evening, or on holiday.

The midwife didn't believe me when I was in my 20s having DD1 and I said I had ten units a week (before knowing I was pregnant obviously). The thing is the only way I can keep my weight down is keeping an eye rather closely, one way or another, on what I eat and drink, usually by some kind of tracking on an app, on a desktop computer rather than phone back then, so it was actually pretty accurate.

If he asked, I'd tell him the absolute truth - and he'd be horrified. Kind of worrying that they apparently double it in their heads!!

Truth. Don't drink

I tell them I don’t drink… because I don’t drink and haven’t for over three years. They never look like they believe me though 🙄

This is an example of mumsnet not mirroring my life where pretty much most of the people I know can put alcohol away when they want and drinking patterns vary wildly depending on the time of year.

I know medics want to write down a number of units so I tell them to stick a mid number whatever they like. I describe my drinking pattern in recent weeks and what's typical. I most often don't drink a lot in the week (ha, like mumsnet) but then holidays or work events can change this to be quite a lot of booze. At weekends I will vary from nothing to a binge drink depending on parties or gki g out with friends. I have a good social life but I'm 46 so I have a lot of time at home too. I'm well off but I don't want to spend all my cash on booze so I rein it in frequently.

Maybe I should keep a booze diary so I know but it would be hard at parties or meals out.

I thought the older generations drank more - my IL have massively cut down but still drink more than recommended amounts.

I drink less than my DMum at same age who still rarely drank and way less than MIL at same age. I think DH drinks less than my Dad and FIL as well though being brought up by heavy drinkers drinks more than others.

It's partly money, partly social shifts and partly more non acholic options.

if we had a bottle in my husband and I would think nothing of finishing it in an evening, which is quite a lot of units

@Changingagang I don't think half a bottle of wine is excessive (unless it's a frequent thing)

@Birchlarch, you probably already know this, but just in case: some types of dementia are strongly linked to heavy alcohol use. Although it doesn’t sound as though you’re drinking a crazy amount anyway.

No-one should shy away from telling their doctor that they drink- drink and drug abuse is rife amongst them as a group.