To be blindsided by doctor's comments about my alcohol consumption?

[omafiet]

I am 42 and overweight. Since having my third child and injuring my back I've gained 2.5 stone. The weight gain hasn't been linear - in fact this time last year I was in reasonable shape and doing a triathlon - but I know I need to do something. Now.

I have been having some unusual stomach symptoms recently and after my friend was diagnosed with ovarian cancer I figured to be on the safe side I should get checked out. I have a great reply with my doctor and respect her advice.

After doing the physical exam she asked me about my drinking habits. I replied that I drank half a bottle of wine, two or three times a week. So, up to 1.5 bottles a week. She put her pen down and told me that this was really excessive and I needed to cut down, if not stop completely for a while.

I'm a little freaked out and have decided to do a 90-day booze-free challenge. But is 1.5 bottles a week really so bad? When I was in my twenties I'd drink that in a night . How much do you drink?

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OK Computer

I must admit I immediately thought - how much? - you have 14+ units a week - every week? That's not good for you.

but I am speaking and judging as the tee-total daughter of a dead alcoholic...

OP, do keep an eye on your stomach problems, though! I had niggles in my upper right side, under my rib cage. I blew it off. I already had GERD that had been diagnosed by endoscopy, but then my acid reflux started to get worse for no apparent reason. This went on for about 3 weeks before I thought about seeing a doctor, I just added ranitidine to my prescribed omeprazole. Then I ate a full English one morning at a restaurant. About 6 hours later I had the most awful diarrhea. I thought I had been poisoned, but had no vomiting with it. It improved, but I started to react to just about everything I ate with terrible gas/belching and orange/yellow diarrhea and much worse acid reflux before going to see a doctor. I had a gallbladder full of stones and finally had an awful attack. It was not caused by drinking! I had last had a glass of wine about a year before that and have never drunk much alcohol. I was, however, about 1.5st overweight, over 40 and female, all risk factors for gallbladder disease.

Don't be fobbed off if symptoms persist or worsen.

1 and 1/2 bottle of wine a week (what the OP drinks) is the same as the weekly healthy limit .

Some doctors or consultants are just totally anti-alcohol. I had one like that. I think it was for his own (religious) reasons. But it was ridiculous. As I drink about 10 units a week.

Nowadays I never tell these doctors what I drink, as they are not the expert at all. Some of them have a complex and think they know everything. Or bring their own religion, etc into it.

OP, your doctor might actually be very good and I would stick with her advice. It takes approximately 10 years for medical research to be translated into a change of protocol .
The Lancet last year, published a very big study that concluded " Our results show that the safest level of drinking is none. This level is in conflict with most health guidelines, which espouse health benefits associated with consuming up to two drinks per day. Alcohol use contributes to health loss from many causes"

Full study here www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(18)31310-2/fulltext

Why is the change not happening quicker? Think about the lobby of alcohol manufacturer. In Australia , alcohol manufacturer take part in the drawing of strategies for alcohol policy.
"Australia's plan for tackling alcohol abuse and harm has been compromised because of meddling from the alcohol industry, health experts have warned* www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-26/national-alcohol-strategy-leaked-draft-lobbying-involvement/11346054

I think @omafiet your doctor cares

I just thing doctors have some kind of NHS obligation and tick sheet regarding drinking alcohol. Even my dentist now asks every time about units consumed in a week.

A consultant told me that a bottle of wine with a dinner was like eating two meals- but I'm not sure your moderate consumption would be the most significant contributor to any weight gain.

Also the, I think the (14 is it now?) unit limit quoted used to be 21 and before that maybe even 30 odd.

So it does seem arbitrary- what about size of the person, and all sorts of other factors.

For me the only really clear thing is not to drive with any alcohol consumption, or even the next day, if at a social event and drinking late.

Why is it that regular drinkers are seen as fun, interesting, relaxed, happy, joyful, but non drinkers are seen as dull, uptight, boring, hysterical and so on?

Us non drinkers are so dull and uptight, yet we don't feel any need to use a mind altering drug/substance on a regular basis.

My best friend is an A&E consultant and she automatically triples, in her mind, whatever anyone self-reports in terms of alcohol consumption, and offers advice relevant to that amount, which is what your doctor has done.
If you really are drinking what you say, and you don't feel bad or hungover, then you're fine. Maybe cut it out for a week to see if you feel better but only if you want to.
Doctors aren't magical geniuses and they're very often stressed, harried, and irritated and they believe exactly 20% of what you tell them. They think the rest is either delusion, confusion, or manipulation on the part of the patient. It's ugly but it's how things are when they are so under-staffed.

Answer to Dr who asks stupid "lifestyle" questions: mind your own business. How I'd love to say that! Instead, I just tell them what they want to hear .

The research changes every 2 years.

Trust your own judgement.

Mine is way more than yours OP and I am trying to cut down as need to lose a few pounds

I was honest on my last well-being check though and the nurse said I was on level 2 out of 9, 0 being teetotal, 1 being 'healthy level' drinking, the rest various levels of unadvised drinking through to alcoholics

Some people are truthful though. So its patronising to hear that doctors do this. Whatever. Best to say zero! Then they can't get on their little hobby horses and tick their stupid boxes.

Of course if you have got a drinking problem and want help - its a different matter.

Ah, floribunda, you forgot kindness, MNers are all about doing the kind thing. Except when it comes to drinking and fat-shaming and all the eating orthorexia threads.

Oh, and don't forget, on MN, you must never: smoke, vape or have a BBQ in your garden (without first asking the neighbours).

LiveInAHidingPlace

stcharlotte you can win though, by cutting down on drink.

People on here will allllways say that their drinking habits are fine when they're not necessarily. No one needs to drink, it's really not that life enhancing and once you give it up, you realise how much better off you are.

Why the hell should I cut down?? I had three G&T's last Saturday, two of which were large so that's five units in a week. Hardly makes me a candidate for AA does it?

I have every respect for teetotallers (which I presume you are). I have no time for preachy joysuckers.

"The risk of developing a range of health problems (including cancers of the mouth, throat and breast) increases the more you drink on a regular basis"

There is no such thing as a weekly healthy limit - drinking under 14 units will (as of guidelines in 2019) for a HEALTHY person, keep health risks low. The OP is not healthy - she is overweight with a bad back and experiencing unusual stomach symptoms.

Best to say zero!

They still won't believe you unless you say it's against your religion, that seems to work well.

Wow, Pal, that's really eye-opening. I have a hiking partner who's an A&E doctor, makes me wonder what's going on in his mind when he's not at work and doing normal stuff like rambling.

Even my dentist now asks every time about units consumed in a week.

I'd tell her to wind her neck in. If I didn't have a drill in my mouth.

14 units is the maximum for women and men. It’s not a recommended amount. The recommended amount is as little as possible. You are probably drinking a bit over the maximum. Drinking any alcohol, except very low amounts is associated with some risk.

I'm always surprised by how many people don't drink at all. In real life I know a few people who don't drink, or very little, bu4t it's by far the minority.

It doesn't sound too much to me, but I do think it depends on how you feel. I have realised that I have to be careful about Friday drinking. Something about end of the week, having to get up with kids on Saturday means that anything more than a glass and I am a monster the following day. But out with girlfriends on Wednesday last week, we happily drank half a bottle each plus a cocktail and I was fine. I have no idea what that's about but a living by the limit booze o n a Friday rule.

My point is that on paper it's fine. But if it's affecting your health, reconsider.

Also your GP was probably wandering why if you have stomach symptoms, you haven’t cut back or stopped already. Alcohol isn’t going to help any gut related problems.
And alcohol will worsen any weight problems you have.

When my DS was diagnosed with cancer - brain tumour - I was a smoker. I remember having a long conversation with his oncologist about it. His advice was don't stop, do whatever you need to do to get though it. Stopping smoking is good, but not when you're going through the most horrible and stressful period in your life.

And then finding that they all smoked! Which quite frankly I couldn't care less about. If you're going to re-perform brain surgery at 2am because my boy has pulled out his drain that you spent two hours in surgery putting in, when you've already done a 12 hour shift, then you absolutely deserve a fag.

All this alcohol units consumption BS is ajoke. Fake news extraordinaire.

Most people underplay their alcohol consumption, often unknowingly, as people often miscount units or even underestimate glasses / drinks they have had.
Doctors usually think people drink a bit more than they say they do as this is so common.
Also many people who say they are not drinking much, are often revealed as being economical with the truth, from previous blood results or other tests etc, which may show markers of more heavy alcohol use.
As a society we drink a lot and it is often normalised.
But honestly OP, you have some health problems, maybe see your GP again for help with cutting back. Good luck.

Oh, BigFluffy, I used to live with a neurosurgeon, my last partner before I met DH. He used to smoke. I did, too, we used to share out fags (and fight over them when we got caught out and didn't have enough). It was rather nice, having a good shag and then lighting up in bed . . .