To think alcohol affects me so much worse now I'm older

[Disillusioneddaisy]

Ok so I'm only mid 30s but I cannot handle my booze like I once could. I suffer from the most horrendous hangovers that literally make me lose a day or more sometimes. I drink and feel fine for ages and then bang it suddenly hits me. This never happened to me when I was younger. I thought tolerance would increase with age but it feels like I've gone the opposite way. It only seems to happen when I'm out and not really concentrating on moderating the volume I'm drinking. A few glasses of wine at home with dp is never a problem.

In the new year I want to drastically reduce my alcohol intake but that's going to mean making some social changes too - either not going out as much or trying to stay teetotal when I am out which will be a challenge in itself. As much as I enjoy a few relaxing drinks at home and the buzz of having a big night out (at the time at least) I really feel that alcohol is not good for me mentally or physically anymore. In drunk states I tend to embarrass myself, talk utter shit, argue with dp....it's just not worth it.

Bit of a rant but has anyone felt similar and cut down because of it?

I'm 50s and I was having this conversation with my friend last week. Its like we used to be able to moderate and judge when we were one drink away from stopping. Now its like, one drink goes down and nothing happens. Another drink goes down and still nothing happens. The third drink goes down and bang... that first and second decide they are now going to take effect and make that third one such a bad idea, but too late.

Yes me early 40s and it hit me in my 30s. Used to love a drink always up for it and then suddenly couldn't do it anymore. For me it was the next day they were awful. That horrendous feeling when you wake up during the night and can't get back to sleep as your heart is racing and you are trying to remember things or you sleep right through and your mouth is all dry and you know you have a day of hell to get through. I just couldn't have hangovers any more so I stopped drinking enough to get one. I still drink every weekend but just a couple and my weekly intake is well below the guidelines. However I'm doing dry January just to have a complete break from all alcohol. I'm not really sure why I even have the couple of drinks.