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?

It really grinds my gears when health professionals don't believe you, especially if they then go on to record the result incorrectly! It's one reason why I'm a BIG fan of being able to access your own health data.

Anybody who is lying to their doctors about their alcohol consumption is a damn idiot. Clearly not all doctors consistently overestimate what you're saying, and if you're downplaying it it's because you KNOW you're drinking significantly more than is healthy for you. Cut back, and you won't have to bloody well lie!

My answer is somewhere between 0 and 2 glasses of wine per year. When I had my liver go haywire I wasted far too much time with doctors who kept on asking me "was I sure" that I didn't really drink alcohol. Funnily enough I was sure, and it was a waste of their time and mine in finding the correct diagnosis for me. Which, surprise surprise, turned out to be something that wasn't caused by alcohol.

No shit Sherlock! Who knew it was that easy 😂.

I don’t think you should lie about it. It could affect medical attention or outcomes.

I drink about six times a year so I just tell them that.

I tell the truth, that I have 5 or 6 units of alcohol a week, but that’s an average and it’s usually on two nights. On holiday I drink more.

So you’re suggesting all the people lying have a drinking problem?

Between 0 and 1 a year I think. The 1 being a small drunk at Christmas. I just don’t like the taste or the effects of alchohol (sleepy, headache).

I say zero in a typical week. Occasional beer/cider on sunny days (very rare in last 2 years) when I can sit outside with a book. Occasional wine when there's some left over from cooking. Consumption will average less than 1 unit/week across a year.

Doesn't stop me being unhealthy, though.

Why else would you lie about it if it’s not a problem?

Anyway, that’s literally what you said ffs

Surely that’s what you suggested?

I say 14, unless they look at me as if that's too much and then I renegotiate and go under. I don't care I've lost 6 stone / I do regular exercise & dont smoke they can be happy with that.

I think doctors can tell who is in denial about their lifestyle!

I'm a pretty inconsistent drinker so it's hard for me to give weekly units. Plenty of weeks, it would be 0 - 2 units. But if I went out for drinks after work one night and then out for a meal with my partner another night in the same week, it could be 20 units.

How have I suggested that? I said just drink less and you don’t have to lie. Most people can drink less unless they have a drinking problem.

Virtually none.

Maybe once a month I have two ciders on a Friday night. We also go on holiday abroad twice a year and I drink (not to excess) on that.

If it wasn’t for enjoying an alcoholic drink in the sun I could easily go TT

You said that if they’re lying it’s because they drink too much. If they drink too much then they have a drink problem… the problem being that they drink too much.

Because you don’t want a lecture from the doctor. People lie about all sorts of things they don’t want to change.

I tell the truth as don’t drink much at all anymore. The people I know who drink a lot all underestimate how much they actually drink…

Doctors never ask how much sugar, cakes, chocolate etc I eat though, which is totally my downfall!

Right I’m going back to look at my original post.

I am almost teetotal and they often look incredulous.

I’ve just read your post. You said that if someone is lying, it’s because they drink too much. I’m saying that if someone drinks too much then that means they have a ‘drink problem’… the problem being that they drink too much!

I would say the truth, I drink once/twice a month but on a night out so to excess

If you are lying it’s because you drink too much. Stop drinking so much and then you don’t need to lie.

I said the first bit of your post, you added the second sentence through extrapolation.

🙋Here! There's a few on this thread.

I binge drank once or twice a week as a student, and my alcohol consumption tailed off over the next decade and has remained at 0 or extremely rarely since then.

I prefer coffee shops to pubs, and sober company to the company of drunk people. It helps that alcohol was not really a feature of my social hobbies for a good decade or more, and that we all drove to reach the hobby venues anyway. I'm into another hobby now where there's often a bar with alcohol being served, but whilst one or two alcoholic drinks is quite normal there, people don't really get wasted, and nobody gives you any grief for not drinking. Not that I'd tolerate that, anyway!

So you said that not me 🤣

Why lie your an adult what do you think their going to do ground you pack you of to rehab. As someone who has admitted drug and alcohol abuse to many different doctors. I promise they don't even bat an eyelid the most I get is, is that something you would like help with then if i said yes here's a phone number/website. If I say no that's the end of the conversation.