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?

To say that 1.5 bottles a week is excessive is ridiculous. Even by NHS advice it’s not OTT. Nothing wrong with deciding not to drink, but the hysteria generated by some posters on here is truly overdoing it.

Still might be good to cut it out and see if your stomach issues improve, OP. Can’t hurt to give it a try.

It sounds a tad too much but definitely not grossly excessive. You are at or around the recommended limits and it sounds like that is every week?

If you enjoy it then have a drink, it's not like you are downing a bottle a night. But be realistic about the negative effects that it has also and remember that the guidelines are just that and everyone processes alcohol slightly differently.

I think it's a bit unreasonable to be shocked by them as I'd always expect a Dr to ask us to cut down on vices even if we are within the limits and I guess excessive, regardless of guidelines, is subjective.

Take no notice ... I bet your doctor drinks more than you. It is a well known fact a lot of doctors are alcoholics because of the pressure of the job. At my surgery we have a touch screen which asks if you smoke when you log in for your appointment. Last time I logged in I said I smoked but the time before I said I didn't because they are using us for data which I find intrusive. When I viewed my records on line they said I am an occasional smoker lol Which is rubbish because I don't smoke at all

There's so much stupid in this comment that I think I actually lost a few IQ points reading it, by osmosis.

OP, 15 units isn't a huge amount but it won't help you to lose weight.

It's irrelevant what anyone else drinks. If you have issues with your stomach it could be a good idea to cut it out for the 90 days you suggested. Your stomach might be irritated and the alcohol might be making things worse. I don't think you are drinking excessively for what it's worth and good luck with going alcohol free. It will be well worth it whether you lose weight or not.

Why are some of the none drinkers accusing people they don't know of being alcohol dependant? Stop being so righteous.

@Bluntness100

Eh... The units per week are a maximum. Not a goal. You're not "perfect" (as you put it) if you reach the maximum amount. You are actually on the top end of what you should be drinking, and you should be having one week a month alcohol free at least.

It was a given, one of them even admitted to being hysterical

As a jokey response to your comment Bluntess.

Anyway, it's all academic because OP is going to stop drinking for 3 months as she said in her initial post. Come update us in November, OP!

Op, I think the jist of the responses is that while you're not drinking heavily, you are on the edge, as am I btw. If you want to feel better the 90 day off sounds like a good start. Forget what other people drink, focus on what YOU drink.

Btw all those asking why it's relevant how much other drink.

Op ASKED how much people drink, she specifically asked.

I've more or less stopped drinking - at first to lose weight but also because the less I drink, the more my bladder seems to react badly if I DO drink - I get cystitis-like symptoms all night after just one drink these days. It's a pain (literally and figuratively).

I think your GP might have got mixed up - did she think you said 1.5 bottles a DAY maybe?

No, she definitely knew this was per week.

^Wow, so many medical experts on here that think they know more than a doctor about medical issues.
It is excessive if it's causing your stomach problems, and that is a possibility. It diesn't matter if other people drink more than you with no ill effects. If it's causing you problems then it's excessive^

Exactly, it's a recommended limit, not a target. You can not drink at all and be perfectly fine.

Obviously people can choose to ignore that advice and exceed the recommended limit, maybe they feel that the enjoyment they get outweighs any risks, or they believe the advice is ott. Some people smoke all of their lives and don't get any of the associated health problems. That's their choice.

But it's sheer stupidity to tell op to ignore her doctor's advice without even knowing exactly why the doctor has said this.

I never, ever drink in the evening as I think it can quite easily start to add up so I have a strict Sunday - Thursday no alcohol rule.

Most weekends I don’t touch a drop but if we were going out with friends I’d drink either Friday OR Saturday, not both and only after 7pm at night.

No day time drinking!

I think 1.5 bottles per week every week is very excessive.

OP so why post then?

Because you want a ton of people to say OMG THAT'S NOTHING when it's not nothing.

I posted because I'm genuinely surprised at my doctor's reaction and I wanted to know what other people drink. In my social circle my drinking is not considered excessive so I'm interested to know what's going on outside my circle.

Really?! Maybe they've been briefed to go a bit harder with their patients, even if they are just slightly over the guidelines. We do drink more now than I remember my parents drinking. It's easier and cheaper to drink thanks to supermarkets etc.
I think it's only in Scotland that shops are not allowed to do cheap promotions 3 bottles for 20 etc. Good luck with your 90 days.

@TheIvestigator

Don't you worry about me I have enough money to see me through

Op, I'd get this deleted or hide it. When the hysteria starts all hope of anything sensible goes out the window.

I'm actually finding it helpful, hysteria and all. I really did want to get a wide range of opinions. It's easy, isn't it, to surround yourself with "like" people. Health wise, I need to rein it in, so it's interesting to see how other people deal with alcohol.

I hardly drink at all due to being on medication, and I don't think your intake is particularly excessive OP, especially when compared to the safe drinking guidelines.

I can only assume the GP misheard and thought you said/meant 0.5 bottle every day, or was doing that reputed GP thing of presuming you were significantly underestimating and based their comment on their mental multiplication of your amount.

@StarlingsInSummer

I actually have worked with a lot of doctors and a lot of them were heavy drinkers ... not all but quite a few

There are also a lot of overweight doctors who work in the NHS who have the gall to preach to their patients about losing weight. They need to practice what they preach imho

I love the “experts” who decree it's not too much because they drink that amount 😂.

Anyway, like @formerbabe said, the middle class hypocrisy on here is hysterical. @PinguForPresident you say that this is MN where everyone thinks a sweet sherry at Christmas is the road to ruin, where I see it that this is MN where you can swill Prosecco, wine and gin in copious quantities, but pick up a can of lager and someone will be calling SS!

@omafiet I was drinking about double what you are, so a bottle Fri/Sat/Sun and I stopped completely to try and get my stomach issues under control. It hasn’t made a massive amount of difference, although the gastritis has cleared up thank god. I did lose three stone though which was a bonus! I’ve also completely lost the taste for alcohol now which is strange.

Skittlenommer I NEVER EVER drink in the evening....

Except on Fridays or Saturdays after 7pm

You need to bear in mind that the medical profession seems to have decided it’s here to tell us all how to live.
Any amount of regular alcohol consumption is now pathological although my gp seems not to have got the memo.
Bottom line is it’s probably better for everyone to never drink. But most of us are prepared to accept moderate risk as the price of moderate consumption, because life should be enjoyable as well as long.

I think GPs do a lot of box checking now. It's very black and white.

If you had said one glass a week the GP would not believe you!

I like a drink socially (because I like it, I don't need it to relax or feel confident).

I'm pretty anti-social which means I don't go out much so I don't drink much, and I live on my own and don't drink on my own, as a result generally I barely drink.

But, I've recently started a new relationship which means I am not on my own and we go out! So, suddenly find myself drinking most nights. We went on holiday and drank at least once a day for 7 days.

So, now while I still don't drink on my own, I find myself having a drink 5-6 nights a week. But, generally only one or two drinks (three at most - a G&T and two glasses of wine), so still not masses.

I decided to pull back a bit on it - so in the last 6 days I had one glass of wine on Sat and then we went out last night and I had three margaritas, but they were very small.

On balance, I think drinking a few units three days a week is OK. It's what I'm aiming for now anyway.