I love chardonnay and drink it. Once huge issue is the drugs that you take. With some (like methatextrate) drinking is a no. Remicade can cause liver issues so that's a no. Others - talk to your doctor.

Lynne

i drink on occasions.. but i dont take certain meds when i do. i think thats the big deal. usually what they dont want mixing is some kind of pain medication with alcohol.. thats the big no no.. but as long as you keep yourself nicely hydrated and dont drink too much , you should be fine.. but i agree, ask your doctor. just in case.

Thanks. This is really good information for me. I take methatextrate so I will talk to my doctor.

I am on Methotrexate too. I don't drink much. I have been told that I can have a couple of glasses once a week. I have been told as long as I have my blood tests to monitor my liver function then a little alcohol is fine.

Lucy

My Rhuemy said I could have a drink 3 days after taking MTX, but I only have one or two on social occasions, but ask your doctor anyway

I take MTX - my Rheumy said "NO alcohol". I stuck with that for about 6 mos, but I do enjoy an occasional beer (perhaps 2-3 a month). So I told him at my last aptmt that I do drink those 2-3 per month. He smiled at me and said again, "I have to tell you "no alcohol"..so I said, "I'm telling you that occasionally I do have a drink, and want you to know". He smiled again and said he's told me his official word, and will keep an eye on my blood work - all has come back normal all this time, so I guess it's ok. (That's my story and I'm sticking to it!) :-b Lisa

Generally I have none, per my RD. But I am about like Lynne, Lucy and Lisa. I take mtx, but I may have a glass of wine once a month, maybe twice. My numbers are still good.

OK- I'm the bad girl in the bunch.
I'm on MTX. My doctor says no alcohol or max 1 drink per month.
I have tried to find a website somewhere anywhere that tells me this is not true.
Mostly I can't find them.
On a couple of UK websites I have seen that 2-3 "units" a day is OK! I'm not sure what a unit is.
All that siad and done I treid to be good for about a year and it really depressed me. Part of being me was drinking martinis EVERY day.
I now have a couple each day on the weekend at least twice a month.
So my blood work is fine. I am not advocating this for anyone. I often feel guilty or afraid. But I miss being myself. And to tell you the truth I felt much healthier when I drank a martini every day. I always said the vodka kills all germs. I weighed less too.
I hate RA

ok, so we have this horrible disease, and we live like drug addicts, taking our meds every day or every week in the hopes that we can live like "normal" people. well, normal people drink on occaision. and, so do i! new year's, i got plastered. no side effects. every now and then, i'll tip a glass of wine to help me relax so i can sleep--no ill effects. so, yes, check with your doc. my blood work always comes back fine. but i'm not gonna give up "real life" as it were just because of this stupid nasty thing that is attacking me!

People ask me out 'for a drink' and for the past 3 months I've had to say 'I can't drink' and then explain why over and over. People close to me say 'one drink can't hurt'. It's hard. I've even stopped eating spicy food for fear of upsetting my tummy more and dairy products because ppl say it will cause a flare. And I love cheese :(

But I will talk to my doc today and tell him what all you guys are saying and see what he has to say. I think it's their job though to discourage alcohol intake.

once I turned 21 that was the first question I threw at my rheumy (he, of course, laughed)..

I am on MTX as well, which alone can cause liver damage. Add alcohol to the picture and it can further that damage. HOWEVER, he told me that unless I'm a full blown alcoholic, drinking 3-4 drinks a day then I shouldn't really have anything to worry about.

He said having a glass of wine at dinner and having that occasional "let loose" night is fine. He really stressed keeping up with my labs and getting liver levels checked every 2 months.

Alcohol does not cause me to flare up, but I am pretty stiff and sore the next day (may just have to do with the dehydration caused by alcohol...aka a HANGOVER lol)

Caspiana- Although I have read certain foods can cause flare ups, my doc says its pretty uncommon. Eat all the cheese you want!!! I do! lol To cut out all dairy is dangerous...you need calcium and protein in dairy.

Don't let RA keep you from enjoying the things you love! Have a drink, eat your cheese..life your life :)

I think it depends on what meds you take like what a few other folks have said. My rheumy said the same thing drinking with MTX is not good for the liver at all. She told it like this do not drink the day before, the day of, and the day after you take your MTX. So I would just follow the directions your rheumy gave you. Oddly enough after getting RA alcohol seemed to aggitate my RA. Beer agitates the worst, mixed drinks or wine aren't too bad as far as the aggitation.

Good luck,Dawn

If you're going to drink, try to stick to "white liquor" ie vodka or gin - it's a little less toxic, less likely to give you a hangover.

Thank you so much for all your kind words and advice. I appreciate it so much! :-))