POZ Community Forums
Main Forums => Pre-HAART Long-Term Survivors => Topic started by: denb45 on January 30, 2009, 03:27:54 pm
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Any of you LTS still drink alcohol , I haven't touch it in years, I don't even have any in the house, when offered to me, if I'm out at someone's place, I always decline, and say "No Thanks" the last time I drank alcohol it was a glass of wine ,I had one glass, and it made me very sick, I'm thinking this my be due to years
of being on H.A.R.R.T I would like to know if any LTS still drinks this awful stuff, and if so, how does it make you feel , as I said above, I really cannot stomach any alcohol at all ;D
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I mostly just do the social drinking thing on the holidays. Though I was a big partier back in the late 80s and early 90s, now between coming up on 47, and after those "sick years" I went through, all these med regimens that have made me puke, and the fact I've already "been there and done that" (the liquor and drugs), I only have a handfuls of drinks throughout a year now.
After Jim passed away, I did have a slight change in that pattern though. I drank through 4 8-packs of Corona beer - each with a slice of lime, of course. It only takes 1 or 2 to make me drunk, so the 8 bottles are good for 4 night's worth of buzz. LOL Quite frankly, I don't know why I went on this "drinking binge", but it was the end of Summer, still warm, I was moving into the new house and pissed about the lack of help from the housemates. Drinking sure didn't make me any less sad about losing Jim, but it did take the edge off wanting to kill the roomies while I was lugging furniture off the truck and into the house where the two of them were glued to the PS3. I've still got one last bottle of Corona (but no limes) left in the back of the frig now. I'll eventually drink it one of these nights. ;)
However I will admit that I'm bad and skip my meds the days that I do drink liquor, along with any day that I go to an amusement park - but that's mainly to not give my meds the opportunity to make me puke like they do occassionally. It's just not pretty puking at a holiday party or while slinging around a curve on a rollercoaster :o ;D
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denb, I think it has to do with our age. Last year at the AMG I had one drink and that was the first drink since 1996 and it made me sick. Went bar hopping with Mark, Robert and Jerry and drank only Pepsi. I just can't do it anymore. I was never one to drink at home and like you I never had any in the house. I like to blame it on old age. ;)
Rodney
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Hi denb
You said: " the last time I drank alcohol it was a glass of wine ,I had one glass, and it made me very sick."
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Oh boy, it sounds like Kurt (my partner). He drank beer and there came a time when he just could not drink even one beer...or even eat an entire dessert (sugar issue) because he would develop a fever afterwards. ....and feel sick. It is his liver...he has all the LTS liver "issues".
As an LTNP, I cut way back on my drinking for years and although I felt better, perhaps, I dont think it made any difference with my numbers. Now I have a glass of wine if I want to... with dinner. Calling it "awful stuff" is just not fair though. After all, wine is a gift from the Gods...or so I was told. "There is nothing better than a good Chardonnay..." etc etc
edited for spelling... ;D
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Hi denb
You said: " the last time I drank alcohol it was a glass of wine ,I had one glass, and it made me very sick."
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Oh boy, it sounds like Kurt (my partner). He drank beer and there came a time when he just could not drink even one beer...or even eat an entire dessert (sugar issue) because he would develop a fever afterwards. ....and feel sick. It is his liver...he has all the LTS liver "issues".
As an LTNP, I cut way back on my drinking for years and although I felt better, perhaps, I dont think it made any difference with my numbers. Now I have a glass of wine if I want to... with dinner. Calling it "awful stuff" is just not fair though. After all, wine is a gift from the Gods...or so I was told. "There is nothing better than a good Chardonnay..." etc etc
edited for spelling... ;D
Well, maybe I should ref-raze that, I call it awful stuff cuz it makes me puke, when I even try to drink any, like the Norvir I take, but my liver-counts were normal the last time my ID Doctor did a liver-panel, and that was about 3 months ago, also, I don't have any (high sugar issues) that was normal to...so, I'm thinking it could be a combo of my age (I'm 52) and all of the HIV-MEDS, I've taken since 1991, so on that note I'm in agreement with Rodney's statement about age.....as for having a glass of wine, I'd rather drink Grape Juice instead, I was never really a drinker, my (Cop-buddies, ex-co-workers) used to call me, a (cheap-drunk, and a Light-weight) cuz I would only drink one Beer with them , then I would go home and sleep-it-off , but then again, they weren't HIV+ and they weren't taking 20 to 30 pills a day like I was, so, how could they even understand ;D
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I gave it up. I still have the occasional drink around the holidays, but that's about it. After my diagnosis in 1985, I drank very heavily for the next 18 months or so. Finally, enough was enough.
I knew I was an alcoholic, long before HIV became a part of my life. Quitting was the best thing I ever did. I also quit smoking at the same time, so it was a real adventure.
I will still have the occasional drink around the holidays. Used to love my Southern Comfort ! :P
I couldn't handle any of that today. Just a couple of drinks wipes me out. I don't miss the cigarettes or the booze at all , and I am glad that those days are behind me.
Ray
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Funny you should post this question. At my December follow up I asked my doctor if it was OK to drink a glass of wine. He said yes, as long as it is very good wine. I knew he was being cheeky but in all seriousness he said that it was OK now and then. He knows that I don't drink alcohol at all and wanted to know why I asked. I told him that I got two beautiful looking bottles of wine for the holidays (sweet red) at an event and was tempted to open one and pour a glass. After speaking with him, I actually went to the store and bought one of those wine corkscrew open thingies and poured myself a glass. I took one sip and spat it out. Man, oh wow! The taste was fiercely foul! I ended up pouring the remainder of the bottle down the drain and giving the other bottle to a friend. So much for my little experiment. ::)
P.S. My friend reported back later that the wine was delicious! Oh well.........
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I haven't been to a bar or had a drink in over 10 years. Not because it made me sick or tasted bad. All alcoholic beverages tasted nasty the first few sips. Once the taste buds numbed, it really didn't matter.
I couldn't tolerate the smoke, even after they installed those huge air filters in the ceilings, it was still too much for me to tolerate. My last drink was in Hula's bar in Waikiki, and they don't have windows, it's all open walls facing the beach, so no smoke problems. ;)
Wine is an acquired taste, and is just like booze. The first few sips...yuck, then after the tongue goes numb, not too bad, then ..give me that drink. Then there's the hangover from wine vs booze. For me, a wine hangover is a roaring, foul-mouthed, sick to the stomach affair. Booze, I usually drink Vodka, which is practically tasteless and odorless, and if I eat before passing out, I won't have a hangover.
Wine, especially that Boones Farm Strawberry, (dating myself here), left me with amnesia, but with a lot of people telling me wondrous tales of my anecdotes. Many wanted a repeat performance, too bad I don't remember them.
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I got shit-faced back in August on tequila. So much so that when my trick went to plow my ass I completely fell off the bed. That said, I only get that drunk maybe once or twice each year ;) Otherwise I often go a couple months without a single drop of alcohol, though this past week I enjoyed a few nights of delectable manchego cheese and glasses of wine (unfortunately lacking in dulce de membrillo!)
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ahh..Tequila, turns me into a 'Twisted Sister' I become a daredevil. When I was a dancer, I would toss back a few shots which made me ready for anything.
It seems that different types of alcohol, affects ones behavior. My bf on tequila was not my bf. Totally unrecognizable and not in a good way. We would have to go our separate ways on tequila nights.
Bourbon/whisky makes me 'friendly'.
I can just see you falling to the floor. :D ...most wondered why the nightstands were over in the corner instead of by the bed as I lost many a lamp. :-\
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Ron said: "Wine, especially that Boones Farm Strawberry, (dating myself here), left me with amnesia, but with a lot of people telling me wondrous tales of my anecdotes. Many wanted a repeat performance, too bad I don't remember them. "
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Oh Ron, honey........that does remind me of various escapades in my 20's ( that was 40 some years ago).
But to call Boones Farm "wine" gives the whole wine industry a bad name. I think Boones Farm was just Kool Aid with some alcohol thown in for good measure.
This past Christmas I decided to give bottles of wine to various people for gifts so I went to the liquor store and "label shopped". There are so many exotic labels now. "Yellow Tail " from Australia being the most popular.....and then there was the "Yard Dog" that I picked up and a "Coppola" label and "Blind Moose". It was a lot of fun shopping I will say that. The feedback I got was pretty positive. Seems Australia allows a higher alcohol content in their wine than US wines...or something to that effect.
One glass of a quality wine does absolutely "nothing" for me. As it isnt even in the same family as that sweet trash called Boones Farm.
Ah the memories. When I was in Cuzco Peru a bunch of us gringos went to the festivities at the fortress there ( Winter Solstice) . We drank big bottles of wine then pissed into same. Leving them behind. Oh the callousness of youth.
Joel
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Bad Joel, bad Joel,
leaving bottles of pee lying around. :D
..have you ever been to the beach, and it's like 98 degrees, and you're HOT, and burning and you see an abandoned beer bottle partially full and you want to drink it, because you're soooo thirsty, but, your common sense kicks in.....
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I don't drink all that often, but I will occasionally have a nip or two. ;)
Actually, I was with Philiicia when he tied one on with Tequila. Well, only part of the time, I wasn't there for the "plowing,"
I do like a good wine now and then. For a long time, I didn't like red wine, but have developed something of a taste for it. I found a delicious red wine from Chile not too long ago. It was a gift from a friend. Wow, it was pure heaven.
But I normally don't drink beer. I have two six packs in the fridge of Red Bridge gluten free beer. I just don't have the taste for it any more.
As for hard liquor - it wipes me out in no time flat. Ask Philicia!
HUGS,
Mark
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Mark,
I had about 6 bottles of Coors, gold label, some sort of special edition, that sat in the bottom shelf of the refrigerator door for years.
Every time you opened the door they would rattle and sometimes fall over, but there they were.
Then, one day, I opened the door and the familiar rattle was...gone. My nephew had helped himself to them. :D He figured after all those years, they were unwanted, unloved.
He also stated that they were the nastiest tasting things he had ever drunk. ;D
Dennis,
Love the new avatar. Nice picture of you. ;)
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I will drink socially. But I rarely drink. I'd say less than 6 times a year. I get drunk easy. I get tipsy from one drink. Alcohol makes my face flush red. Thats a normal reaction for some people I think.
I haven't noticed any problems with drinking. It could give me diarrhea but I always have that so who knows LOL
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No problems with alcohol on my side. Always have a glass or two of red wine at supper, drink socially or when I go dancing. No liver or kidney problems. Well, reading the posts here ,I'm beginning to think that I'm fortunate ::)
cheers,
Jacques
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Haven't tried drinking since I started HAART. But I did socially for the 22 years before that with no unusual problems.
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I'll have a drink from time to time but it's usually just to help me relax and fall asleep. On a rare occasion I will have a drink at a bar, usually I just stick with diet coke or water. The hard stuff never really interested me and I mainly drink liqueurs mixed with orange juice like amaretto or midori or a nice splash of Baileys in my coffee.
Cheers!
AA
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Short answer is that I'm half Sicilian and half Scottish :-)
I has some problems letting booze do my 'feeling' for me when first diagnosed, but that didn't last too long. Now, well I love red wine, scotch and dark beer--but never together :-)
I drink when I want--don't get drunk because I don't like it.
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I mainly drink liqueurs mixed with orange juice like amaretto or midori or a nice splash of Baileys in my coffee.
How manly of you, sweetpea
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Je suis tres butch! ;)
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Being an old redneck, I used to LOVE to drink whiskey....black Jack Daniels, Evan Williams, whatever....and I LOVED Southern Comfort on the rocks......last time I tried that (in about 2002) I was sick in bed for 2 days....
I do drink occasionally, and find that I do better with vodka and cranberry, or some light liquor. I still love the taste of Peppermint Schnopps, and will have one occasionally.
Mark honey, remember when we went in that bar that "used" to be Daddy's, but had turned into a twink bar? we had just ordered drinks....and decided to leave, so we kinda had to "down" them....ugh....but we managed a few that night I think...
It's nice when drinking gets to accompany an "occasion", rather than the all-the-time drinking I used to do in my 20's....
hugs,
Alan
PS - yes Dennis, I like your new pic also.
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Between negative historical/family associations and my liver being busy with other things, no more alcohol for me, not that I ever indulged in more than an occasional attempted toxic overdose.
But if someone were to offer me ibogaine, I'd jump on it.
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"We are the Sisters of Nevers - Never have, never do, and never will." -The Song of Bernadette [uncut version]
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Mark honey, remember when we went in that bar that "used" to be Daddy's, but had turned into a twink bar? we had just ordered drinks....and decided to leave, so we kinda had to "down" them....ugh....but we managed a few that night I think...
It's nice when drinking gets to accompany an "occasion", rather than the all-the-time drinking I used to do in my 20's....
Oh yes hon, I remember. We did have a few that night, didn't we. I also remember going to Twin Peaks for Irish coffee.
If memory serves, I felt right at home there. Go figure! ;)
I think you're right. It is fun to have occasions rather than the nearly daily drinking we used to do.
HUGS,
Mark
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I also like your new picture.
When drinking beer, I loosly call it beer, it is girly beer. The clear stuff that taste like sprite. Bicardi Silver preferably. Never Zima. That crap gives me a headache. No clue why. I have not had one since last year sometime. Otherwise anything I drink is a fruity something or nother that does not taste like alcohol.
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I still drink, I've given up on beer tho that was great years ago I started sneezing and a couple friends said I was now allergic to it. My mom drinks Canadian Club Whiskey and now I do, I make it light with ice and water, soft drinks are just too sweet for me. And I fess up, I like the buzz, sinner that I am.
Most of my friends have given it up, that's great for them, and I don't drink it every night.. I remember in wilder days 10 years ago guys talking about their DUIs at the bar. Then I found out the REAL costs in CA, Fines are huge, then the lawyer. I don't go to bars any more. Happy to stay home and listen to much better music, have a friend over, stay safe.
g
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Now that I'm starting to feel better I've been thinking about going out for a drink, but I'm a bit worried what problems may be caused with Truvada/Viramune.
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I don't like bars. I hate crowds. Don't care for strange men trying to hit on me and it is usually too loud for me too. I've also noticed I am either way older than the other people at the bar or much younger. If I must go and I really don't ever must do anything, the bars with older persons is more comfortable than the younger crowd for me.
But then again most of the people I've chosen to keep company with over the years are usually at least 10 years my senior.
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Wendy,
I know how you feel. I feel much the same way at night clubs, which is why I prefer a good blues bar or pub hopping on the Harley. The crowd is 30s-40s, the music better and no brawling. I got my fill of bar room fights as a weekend bouncer for years. LOL! Never started a fight of my own but boy I broke up hundreds of them. Never understood why people who are angry drunks like to drink. Where is the fun in getting beat up and going to jail?
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I've seen a few angry drunks. If I got mad everytime I drank I wouldn't drink. I usually just get chatty, friendly then sleepy.
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Same here. A couple drinks brings me out of my quiet shell and I get a lot more sociable. Never angry or violent. If it did that I'd never want to drink. I'm more grouchy when I'm sober. ;)
I guess it's the age setting in... Why, just the other day I yelled at some kids to get off my lawn. ;) LOL
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LOL
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LOL
I haven't been to a Bar in well over 25 to 30 yrs ago ( since the birth of 70s DISCO and Black R&B Dance Music) and I'm 52 yrs old, so, do-the-math on that one......ah let's see............1977 78 circa, so that would have made me about 21 or 22 yrs old.........
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Oh lord, gang.....me and my guy decided to go "out" for Valentine's Day. Going out where we live means driving about one hour to Birmingham. This was tough for me in my 20's....now, it's NUTS.
We went out, hit 4 different places, spent too much money, and I (not driving!) drank a bit too much.
Enough to feel pretty bad all day Sunday.
What is up with people doing drag who were doing it when I was a kid in the 70's? My god, what kind of a life is that? Oh well, I suppose they are happy......everywhere we went, there was some type of drag show in progress, so the 'art' of Drag is alive and well in Birmingham, Alabama. (well, it's alive, don't know how WELL it is ... lol)
If you want to feel ANCIENT, stroll into a current, hip young gay bar, where everyone is 20-something.
I felt invisible, decrepit, and EXTREMELY uncomfortable. We made a bee line out of that one.
Unfortunately, at most places, the only people my age were the drag queens. Once every 3-5 years is about my limit for going 'out' these days....so that ought to hold me for a GOOD LONG WHILE.
hugs,
Alan
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I can hardly beieive how much a cocktail costs these days. $4.00 and up..... :o
the last time I was out with my bff, we made sure we had two straws.....sharing. :D