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Alcohol and You

Old 02-24-17, 02:36 PM
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Originally Posted by raceboy
Started out as a light drinker with rare party binges in my 20s and then settled down. Most always wine or beer. Life changes in my 40s started me on the road to drinking more plus I discovered vodka. Oh, yeah!!! Then I was off to the races. Crossed over into alcoholism in my late 40s. Drank to get drunk almost every night for 5 or 6 years. Now I've been sober for almost 5 years with the help of that certain program. My sober journey has helped me lose over 50 pounds for what I hope will be the last time. While losing the weight I became passionate about cycling. Now I ride about 6000 miles a year. My gf says it is my new addiction. She is probably right!
Yes, it seems like many of us go from one addiction to another. I went from alcohol to astronomy and cycling. Thank God the latter two are mutually exclusive from drinking. While bicycles and telescopes aren't cheap, in the long run I wasn't prepared to discover the costs of long term drinking. I've had my fill and quit while ahead......
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Old 02-24-17, 02:57 PM
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Speaking about the ability to recover in regards to age, a friend of mine put it well: "When it began to take three days to recover from a hangover, I quit."
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Old 02-24-17, 03:05 PM
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Norml

the many many many many many many detrimental effects that can be directly attributed to alcohol & Rx drugs alone or in combination should temper one's use ... post ride drinks followed by otc or Rx pills are a recipe for an uncomfortable aging ... despite clear med research to this effect MDs continue to push Rxs like candy all the while telling their patients that a "little" alcohol won't hurt ... as loathsome as it is to some there is an ORGANIC alternative ...
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Old 02-24-17, 07:29 PM
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I like having it available... but I have a strict rule: two drinks in an evening is a binge. And I won't have just anything -- Good beer, almost nothing domestic, JD Tennessee Honey, 1800...You get the picture.

Since my budget generally won't support my tastes, I do without a lot.
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Old 02-24-17, 08:10 PM
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Originally Posted by Currmudge
I like having it available... but I have a strict rule: two drinks in an evening is a binge. And I won't have just anything -- Good beer, almost nothing domestic, JD Tennessee Honey, 1800...You get the picture.

Since my budget generally won't support my tastes, I do without a lot.
WOW, Sounds like my mother talking... Sorry.
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Old 02-24-17, 08:39 PM
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Stopped drinking almost 20 years ago. Occasional non-alcoholic beer now. Was an issue when I was drinking. Was very fortunate that I never had trouble with the law.

I do not believe that I could ride like I do if I still drank.
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Old 02-25-17, 08:25 AM
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Originally Posted by rumrunn6
broke my leg peeing one night.
Wut?
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Old 02-25-17, 08:26 AM
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I have a hangover this morning. Time to go for a ride.
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Old 02-25-17, 02:39 PM
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Originally Posted by AlmostTrick
... I liked the taste and the buzz.
This is why I'm never going to have a 'problem' with alcohol. I sometimes like the taste, but never the buzz. I don't even understand wanting to get buzzed. I don't consider it a 'good' feeling.
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Old 02-25-17, 08:14 PM
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Originally Posted by indyfabz
Wut?
drink drink drink walking home stop to pee. wake up staring at a hubcap in pain. all zipped up and dry. can't walk need a ride. got home, passed out on couch. still in pain in am. go to er for x-ray. doc comes out, says : "so, how u donin'?" leg hurts. he says yeah, not surprised. turns out I passed out & twisted my leg like a pencil. almost needed bolts but got by without. so yeah. no more grappa for me. and if drunk, sit down to pee
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Old 02-25-17, 08:40 PM
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Had to give it up almost 29 years ago along with all the other recreational drugs. Pretty sure I'd be long dead if I hadn't. At best I'd be divorced, estranged from my children, and living in the gutter. Everything considered it was a good trade off.
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Old 02-25-17, 09:06 PM
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Originally Posted by Shimagnolo
After taking EMT training, I will never touch Tylenol, aka acetaminophen, aka paracetamol, aka APAP, again.
(APAP is abbreviation used to blur the fact it is added to some prescription drugs).
Liver damage can begin at doses just 25% above the max recommended dose!

Paracetamol toxicity is the foremost cause of acute liver failure in the Western world and accounts for most drug overdoses in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.[53][54][55][56] According to the FDA, in the United States there were "56,000 emergency room visits, 26,000 hospitalizations, and 458 deaths per year related to acetaminophen-associated overdoses during the 1990s. Within these estimates, unintentional acetaminophen overdose accounted for nearly 25 percent of the emergency department visits, 10 percent of the hospitalizations, and 25 percent of the deaths."

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paracetamol#Liver_damage
With 15 years in an emergency department, I've only seen one actual acetaminophen overdose death, although, I admit, a goodly number that could have died had we not intervened. In contrast, I've seen a few deaths from NSAIDS over the years, including ibuprophen, usually due to bleeding ulcers. NSAID overuse can lead to kidney failure, dialysis and other problems.

I see alcohol-related death at least a few times a year. ETOH is, by far, the worst legal drug we have in society (my opinion only, feel free to differ), due to its prevalence, ease of availability and potency, with side effects that can be lethal or incredibly harmful--including addiction, liver failures like cirrhosis, FLD or portal hypertension with GI bleeds, accidental or violent injury or death, over sedation with respiratory failure, cardiac dysrhythmia, withdrawal seizures and psychosis, encephalopathy and dementia, aspiration pneumonia and sepsis, divorce, homelessness and other social or financial problems.

Despite all that, I still feel that alcohol being legal, taxed and controlled is probably the best plan. We may need to do some adjusting of the laws from time to time to minimize the ills. I feel some the the producers of beverages should pony up and pay for some of the societal costs. Doctors and others who say one drink a day is OK, or even part of a healthy diet, are probably technically correct for some people, but it's difficult for many people to control themselves after getting started, and many people take too much and too often. I usually recommend stopping drinking alcohol and finding healthier ways to enjoy yourself. Like bicycling!

Last edited by Vortac180; 02-25-17 at 09:18 PM.
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Old 02-25-17, 09:19 PM
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Anything wrapped in bacon is good for you...
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Old 02-25-17, 09:20 PM
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Originally Posted by Vortac180
With 15 years in the emergency department, I've only seen one actual acetaminophen overdose death, although, I admit, a goodly number that could have died had we not intervened. In contrast, I've seen a few deaths from NSAIDS over the years, including ibuprophen, usually due to bleeding ulcers. NSAID overuse can lead to kidney failure, dialysis and other problems.

I see alcohol-related death at least a few times a year. ETOH is, by far, the worst legal drug we have in society (my opinion only, feel free to differ), due to its prevalence, ease of availability and potency, with side effects that can be lethal or incredibly harmful--including addiction, liver failures like cirrhosis, FLD or portal hypertension with GI bleeds, accidental or violent injury or death, over sedation with respiratory failure, cardiac dysrhythmia, withdrawal seizures and psychosis, encephalopathy and dementia, aspiration pneumonia and sepsis, divorce, homelessness and other social or financial problems.

Despite all that, I still feel that alcohol being legal, taxed and controlled is probably the best plan. We may need to do some adjusting of the laws from time to time to minimize the ills. I feel some the the producers of beverages should pony up and pay for some of the societal costs. Doctors and others who say one drink a day is OK are probably technically correct for some people, but it's difficult to control oneself, and many people take too much or too often. I usually recommend stopping drinking alcohol and finding healthier ways to enjoy yourself. Like bicycling!
I agree those acetaminophen statistics are suspect.
I had copy/pasted that for the harmful effects explanation, and when I went back and reread it later, the stats seemed excessive.

A also agree on the ETOH policy.
I am a non-drinker, but the last thing we need is to repeat the disaster of prohibition.

Something interesting I read in an interview once about drinking:
The reporter was talking to a medical researcher who had done extensive research with ETOH;
After he had elaborated on the adverse effects, she asked a question like:
"But as long as the drinking is done at safe levels..."

At this point he interrupted with:
"There are no established safe levels!"
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Old 02-25-17, 09:24 PM
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Originally Posted by Shimagnolo
I agree those acetaminophen statistics are suspect.
I had copy/pasted that for the harmful effects explanation, and when I went back and reread it later, the stats seemed excessive.

A also agree on the ETOH policy.
I am a non-drinker, but the last thing we need is to repeat the disaster of prohibition.

Something interesting I read in an interview once about drinking:
The reporter was talking to a medical researcher who had done extensive research with ETOH;
After he had elaborated on the adverse effects, she asked a question like:
"But as long as the drinking is done at safe levels..."

At this point he interrupted with:
"There are no established safe levels!"
I totally agree. And, APAP dangers do exist, this is true.

Have fun out there.
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Old 02-26-17, 07:56 AM
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I grew up in a family that didn't drink, never saw any reason to start. Have seen quite a few good reasons not to, through the years, though.
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Old 02-26-17, 11:06 AM
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I've cut down considerably and only drink a light beer or certain vodkas because of a strange allergy called Rhinophyma. Overall, I've just found as I've gotten....(aw) more mature (that's it) that alcohol is more tiring than fun. Somebody once told me that sooner or later you just get sick and tired of feeling sick and tired.

Marc
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Old 02-26-17, 12:13 PM
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I love my beer too much to give it up completely. I do, however, try to stay dry 4 nights a week and limit myself when I do have at it. So far it seems to be working. Also, it compels me to get on the bike to keep the weight off. In other words, I ride to make room for a beer.
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Old 02-26-17, 10:11 PM
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Originally Posted by Shimagnolo
Paracetamol toxicity is the foremost cause of acute liver failure in the Western world and accounts for most drug overdoses in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.[53][54][55][56] According to the FDA, in the United States there were "56,000 emergency room visits, 26,000 hospitalizations, and 458 deaths per year related to acetaminophen-associated overdoses during the 1990s. Within these estimates, unintentional acetaminophen overdose accounted for nearly 25 percent of the emergency department visits, 10 percent of the hospitalizations, and 25 percent of the deaths."

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paracetamol#Liver_damage
Originally Posted by Shimagnolo
I agree those acetaminophen statistics are suspect.
I had copy/pasted that for the harmful effects explanation, and when I went back and reread it later, the stats seemed excessive.
I'm not sure the statistics are that far off, although I'm surprised it would exceed Hepatitis for liver failure.

The 25%, 10%, and 25% are unintended ODs as a proportion of all Acetaminophen ODs (intentional+unintentional).

56K ER Visits, and 26K Hospital Admissions (out of 300 Million population) works out to be on the order of 1 in 1000 per year.

I have heard that Tylenol is the #1 suicide ATTEMPT drug. Apparently people don't realize that the point of no return can be arrived at quickly, but death rather slowly. Nonetheless, it does give time for the patient to get rushed to the hospital and to be "saved".

I think it is used so frequently because of access. Opiates or barbiturates might be choice drugs for suicide, but there is far more access to Tylenol.

I am surprised at the number of accidental ODs, but those numbers probably include < 10 yr old accidental poisonings.

Acetaminophen (Tylenol) does interact with alcohol, so perhaps a proportion of the patients with Acetaminophen toxicity would also be long-term chronic users of both Acetaminophen AND Alcohol, and perhaps also chronic Hepatitis B or C.

How many people take both Vicodin or Norco PLUS Tylenol?

Last edited by CliffordK; 02-26-17 at 10:15 PM.
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Old 02-26-17, 10:44 PM
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Originally Posted by vicbastige
I love my beer too much to give it up completely. I do, however, try to stay dry 4 nights a week and limit myself when I do have at it. So far it seems to be working. Also, it compels me to get on the bike to keep the weight off. In other words, I ride to make room for a beer.

Good thinking-- it's years of drinking a lot everyday for years that can cause some damage. We probably should give ourselves a break and take advantage of the fact that, "The liver is the only visceral organ that possesses the remarkable capacity to regenerate." (wiki)

Like you, I think it's worthwhile to exercise some discretion. Otherwise, how could I look forward to checking out Stone's new tangerine and pineapple infused IPA? -- Stone's 22oz bottle was priced too low to pass up-- must be trying to catch the eye of craft IPA aficionados.

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Old 03-05-17, 08:02 PM
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Fairly heavy drinker for many years...struggled with weight, blood pressure...alcohol contributed to other problems too.

Couple years ago I gave up drinking, started cycling, lost a LOT of weight, felt great....then after 22 months without a drop...bang.

I didn't see that ever happening again...

Now I hardly ride my bike...getting divorced...getting fat, can't get motivated...
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Old 03-06-17, 09:25 AM
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Originally Posted by bruised

Couple years ago I gave up drinking, started cycling, lost a LOT of weight, felt great....then after 22 months without a drop...bang.

I didn't see that ever happening again....
What's "bang"?

You could using a riding partner or group to start that motivation again.
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Old 03-06-17, 09:43 AM
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Originally Posted by jack pot
... there is an ORGANIC alternative ...
I think you hit the jack pot.

edit: Or should it be: I think you hit the pot, jack.

I suggest we take the conversation to Pub51 - there's a sticky thread on life support. It could use a 'shot', so to speak.
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Old 03-06-17, 10:02 AM
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While we have a few bottles of wine in the house for dinner parties, I have little use for alcohol, I think it all tastes bitter. If all the breweries, distilleries, and wineries were swallowed up in huge sink holes it would not change my life at all. OTOH if people like the stuff go ahead, just dont drive drunk.
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Old 03-06-17, 10:08 AM
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The Town's Tourist Economy depends on eating , drinking and renting hotel/motel rooms.

and has several Taxi companies to get you back with out driving.
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