Alcohol

[Lulu]

Hi folks, I have a few queries about alcohol! My haematologist doesn't seem to think it would affect my blood counts, but I have read elsewhere that alcohol is toxic to bone marrow.

I used to be a party animal and drank heavily for many years, cutting down as I hit my 40s. I now drink very little (get very bad hangovers), but still find it a struggle sometimes to resist temptation, particularly as most of my friends drink. I am wondering what advice MDS patients in the US are given? How many of you here have a history of heavy alcohol use? Have you managed to cut down/quit, and has it affected your blood counts? I think I would find it easier to stay on the wagon if it was proved that alcohol was bad for MDS!

[DanL]

Hi Lulu. This one is pretty tough as I used to brew beer for a living, and have had to pull out of that business and basically don't drink at all anymore. Drinking alcohol is not only potentially marrow suppressive, it also thins the blood and makes it harder for your blood to clot, especially if you have low platelets like I do.

I notice that if i drink more than 1 beer, i get purpura or blood blisters in the mouth, but when I don't i do just fine. Drinking hard liquor like whiskey or scotch don't seem to impact me as much, but I don't enjoy drinking them, so from a practical standpoint, it is unusual for me to consume more than 1 drink a month.

heavy drinking has not been tied to MDS as far as I know, but it has been linked to low platelets and other blood disorders.

I would say that caution is probably the best guide here. my doctor has recommended that given my apparent response to alcohol these days, that I should forego drinking. I would say it is a better alternative than developing any sort of internal bleeding.

[Chirley]

I've never had an alcohol problem but I do enjoy a glass or two of wine every second or third day. I stopped drinking when I developed the bone marrow failure but my haematologist told me that a glass or two of wine or beer was not only not bad but could be beneficial.

Now that I have raised liver enzymes and hepatitis (from increased ferritin), I don't touch alcohol anymore.

something that helps you feel normal and relaxed can have health benefits but you need to be careful not to overdo it.

Regards

Chirley

[MDSPerth]

Hi Lulu
Paul has never been a big drinker, but does enjoy the odd glass of beer or wine when we are socializing. He checked with his haemotologist and he advised that providing it was only in moderation he did not feel that it would do him harm. He has continued on as normal, and it has not affected his response to the growth factors which have managed to raise his RBC and WBC, and even his platelets have risen.

Hope this helps.
Sandi

[gramous]

hello lulu,
I think that alcohol can give reversible sideroblastic anemias but not the other forms of mds.
Take care.
béné

[Lulu]

Hi all
Thanks, this sounds pretty much what my doc said. I hadn't thought about the liver/ferritin aspect though, I guess that is a good reason not to drink, but it is not easy. Managed to stop at 2 glasses of wine tonight, but I think I ought to see a hypnotherapist!

[Marlene]

Even though alcohol does not cause MDS, it does cause deficiencies of the vitamins needed for proper blood production and nerve health. Specifically, the B vitamins. (B1 B2, B3, B6,B12 and Folate)

If your B12 is in the mid-normal range, you may want to consider taking a good B-complex.

[tom30]

Hi Lulu, I also read that alcohol has a direct toxic affect on bone marrow, I have not touched any after reading that. Given that my doctor regularly suspects that I have early mds I saw every reason to avoid alcohol. That was just over 3 years ago... my doctor did not say not to drink alcohol in moderation but also did not recommend it. I believe that cutting all alcohol contributed to a slight improvement and stability in my blood counts.