Alcohol and menopause

[Melange99]

Has your relationship with alcohol changed? Alcohol seems to have a greater effect on me these days. I am not talking about vast quantities but a couple of glasses of wine. I get painful joints and disrupted sleep, which I have never had before. I think I may have to resist but was wondering if I was alone in these symptoms.

This has happened to me too op. I've suspected for a while that I'm approaching menopause and alcohol makes me very feel as you describe. I've stopped drinking completely as a result.

yeah, I cant really tolerate alcohol in the same way now

I had to stop too. I probablydefinitely drank too much but even a small amount would see me wake up at 3am. My anxiety got worse too

Yup 'fraid so, especially wine/ champagne.
For me it makes my heart rate rise more/ feel anxious and not be able to sleep.
I also think (unconfirmed as yet) that I have developed an allergy/ intolerance to sulphites in menopause -- IBS/ bloating/ swollen tongue etc

When I do drink, it is more often gin and spirits/mixers as a result.

It did make me wonder if this is common and why older women have a reputation for gin-drinking?

I can drink gin but wine I cannot sleep with atall it’s horrible

Do you all get the joint pain after drinking too?

Started affecting me quite badly - palpitations and no sleep after just a couple of small glasses - so stopped completely and do not miss it at all. And I used to like alcohol a tad too much so that was quite a surprise. It’s also improved my dodgy digestive system massively.

Re joint pain, have you tried vitamin D?

Yes, I take Vit D.

I found that vit D helped with achy joints and tired legs, so wondered if that had any link to your achy joints. Perhaps not though! Sounds more like a reaction or intolerance to sulphites?

You are not alone. I just cannot tolerate alcohol like I did when I was young