According to a lot of websites, alcohol and MS don’t get along that well.  Extreme moderation seems to be the advice (one glass of wine with dinner).

Well… what enjoyment do you get from life?  Me, I also like a glass of wine with dinner.  And a couple before and after dinner.   Luckily, so does Dr Jim – he informed me that recent research shows that a few AFDs a week do no good at all (alcohol free days).  Jim’s idea of moderation is two glasses of wine each night and four bottles on Saturday nights.  And cariologist, Doctor Steve, my new medical professional following the heart attack, says to keep the wine down to half a bottle a night (which doesn’t sound too harsh!) 

But alcohol is a preservative and could affect some people with MS adversely.  And over-indulging can alter coordination.  Even people without MS can find themselves slurring and legless.  I guess it is a trial and error thing, like how much exercise your body can handle.  Personally I don’t drink to get drunk but I enjoy the relaxation and the thought processes and conversation that can spring from being relaxed.  And it makes me sleep better.  Insomnia can be part of MS and that can lead to fatigue and irritability.  I also find that I can have a restless night if I go to bed thinking about work and the day ahead – so my teetotal insomnia probably has nothing to do with MS. 

I’ll monitor and experiment on how much alcohol has good/bad interaction but my plan at present is continue indulging and enjoying this little pleasure.  The ongoing the liver function tests may be a yardstick.  These will done every three to six months as Avonex can muck about with some people’s liver.  It is a wonderful organ that can usually regenerate if required.  My friend Dave has a nice theory on why you shouldn’t have AFDs.  After all those years of training your liver to anticipate and deal with the daily arrival of alcohol, why send it into shock? 

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