even well medicated, as a chef, i do not take away all alcohol from my life. there are too many wines to be tasted and too many seasonal beers to share on the holidays to ever take a love of fine alcohol out of my life entirely.

obviously i'm not endorsing drinking to stop pain. only to enhance gastronomic experience.

but, yeah, before they could treat me or knew how bad my spine was. i was a big drinker. anything that had tylenol in it put a nice kink in that for me. now, food and alcohol are a great luxury. our budget allows eating out two times a month at best and i don't skip a marg. on the rocks with my enchiladas. never have, never will.

it's the difference between waking up and drinking a neat whiskey to get out of bed to a botanical cocktail before fresh fall pasta and calamari that has changed for me. luckily i was able to change a lot.

I have a drink once in awhile, wish it helped my meds work better, doesnt, I usually just get a headache, so not worth it for me.

I crashed my helicopter a month before my 22nd birthday, but due to my career (pilot - airplanes and helicopters) I was *very* limited on what OTC or prescribed meds I could take.

I didn't really drink until my mid to late 20's (I want to say around 27 is when me and alcohol got formally introduced!). Meds weren't an issue, but was restricted "12 hours bottle to throttle" even though the FAA was 8 - company policy was stronger and rule.

Years later my meds had to change such that I was grounded. I still enjoy my beer, but while I am on Fentanyl, Oxycotin, Dilaudid among other things, *sniff*, no alcohol allowed for now. Maybe when things back down, a bit of beer for a treat.

I've always been very picky about mixing drugs and beer (err...alcohol) ...sorry only drink mixed once in a great while, same with wine. We all have to decide what is okay for us when the sh*t hits the fan. Even though the labels, and doctors say otherwise. Be safe all!!! *HUGZ*

Brenda

My doctor never said I could not have a drink every now and then while I take meds I think it is not to drink alot and be on meds. I think a social drink depending what you are taking is acceptable but with alot of meds it will enhance the meds or the alcohol and people can get messed up alot faster.

I think it is best to ask the doctor with what a person is taking if a drink every now and then would be ok I think alot of people automatically think I can not have anything. I am not trying to advocate drinking but I just want people to know where they should stand on alcohol and meds.

If you want to have a drink becareful. Also if you drink Orange juice with or without alcohol in it. It WILL enhance medications. My pm doctor told me that when I had a kidney stone. Because OJ and olive oil can help pass a stone and I was telling him I try to drink OJ when I have a stone.

I started making my own wine about 6 years ago and loved having a glass or two after work almost every day. It was my stress reliever after work and I truly enjoyed it. Then I hurt my back last year and had a doctor who just said I had to learn to live with it. That's when I started drinking more trying to kill the pain. It didn't really work for me but I kept it up for a while, now and then when the pain was real bad.

Since I've been in pain management I've stopped almost completely. I was prescribed Oxycontin ER in July and my pain doc said absolutely do not mix with alcohol. I will have a rare glass of wine still, but I know how dangerous it can be. It scares me so I wont' drink much at all though it is tempting when I'm so stressed out.

Before I had CP I heard of people dying because of mixing drinking with meds. Its always scared me. An old friend of my husband passed away a couple yrs ago from mixing the two together.
His family was devastated.
I used to be a social drinker, only at outings & holidays. Now when I'm out & wish I could have a drink I think about this man & his family.

I used to have a couple glasses of wine while putting holiday dinners together. Headphones & music to block out the football game. I enjoyed that & making those huge dinners did not bother me so much. I do miss that. Oddly enough I never drank wine much.
The wine & music helped me get through the process. I'm on the petite side & I always felt like I was going to war with the turkey. Never knew where the turkey would end up half the time, on the floor, across the counter, in the living room. Its has been known to slip out of my hands. Yep the wine did help.

Ive heard of people drinking in attempt to numb the pain who are not medicated. Sad but I can understand. No one likes to suffer.
Sammy

SadsadLisa,

"Stress" wow can I get that! I too loved my beer after work, and too the occasional wine. Mixed drinks for me have always been rare. Now I'm on ER meds, so unless or until I get knocked off of them..."virgin" drinks for me too, but stress boy will that kick many to it!!!!

Sometimes I feel like getting drunk so I don't feel my pain, but that isn't a great idea since alcoholism is in my family and I could become an alcoholic {I had an uncle that died because his liver gave out, an aunt that had a d.u.i., and a grandmother that also drank}. Me, I didn't like that taste of booze, yuck, I'm a Pepsiholic and shopaholic.
My mom is what you call a serial restaurant visitor. Anyway, stay off the booze, especially with medications, and definitely if you are predisposed to the disease of alcoholism. I should know, I go to Al-anon.

Steph,
What is a serial Restaurant visitor?
Just curious as I can not think of what that is I may be having a brain fart and will know when you say it LOL

I am so happy for all the responses & jptdad You're comment is very relevenant.
My inlaws(ppl i 1st spoke to bout pain) used to make their own wine & it was nothing to se 18 bottles of ready & upto 30 of white.But even during my mom inlaws battle with cancer she preferred a glass of wine to anything else.
I miss her she passed away 10/10/10 canadian Thanksgiving.
HUGS all & heya to all friends of Bill W's & Lois W's.I went to Alateen.

I always wanted to be a wine drinker LOL, as I thought it looked like a great stress reliever when you see on TV of the women in the bubble bath with the candles and a glass of wine. I even bought a bottle a few months ago and still have not opened it. I can have a glass here and there but it will mess me up a bit and I want to relax and not be drunk.

I did for years. Since being off of all my medication for the last three years, I have resulted in liquid courage, to releave mey pain.

since your qeustion was prior to pain meds...my answer is yes...i drank starting at age 12....hi..my name is amy,im an alcoholic....im not trying to make light of this...ive not drank a drop of alcohol in exactly a year...and that was only half a beer....a year and half ago i was put in hospital...my liver enzymes were so high they thought my liver was giving out on me....i have seen 3 people in the last 3 yrs,die from mixing alcohol and pain meds.....one was like a grandpa to my kids,while he was in the hospital,he was prescribed 3 beers a day,no joke..

please dont use alcohol to ease pain...i have to admitt i saw this post this morning and im very thankful...yesterday i told my best friend i was going to go buy a bottle of vodka because my meds were not stopping the severe pain....i didnt do it and i think God had me see this post this morning for a very big reason...thanks to all of you..and the one gone 7 days w/o a drink..keep it up and ive been a part of A.A. for years..if you need to talk ,hit me up...
hugs
amerika

I had a family member on pain meds awaiting surgery. She dramk before work to help with pain. She died. Please be careful of this stuff/combo. I miss her so.