Alcohol after EPx4

[CPOS55]

Hi,

I recently finished my 4th treatment week of EP chemo on Friday 1/11. All four cycles really didn't give me much trouble side effect wise. Treatment week sucked but by Sunday I was feeling fine and back to work on Mondays with minimal side effects (insomnia from decadron was my only real key complaint).

To celebrate completing my 4 cycles, my fiancee surprised me with a trip out of town this coming weekend 1/18. My doctor advised to keep alcohol consumption to a small amount but never went into detail about how much really.

I am looking for experience from first hand knowledge going through this. Would 1-3 beers 2 nights this weekend kill me? Will I get sick? Prior to chemo, I was probably about 4-12 beer per week guy with the occasional off the wall binge once a month ( I am still in my early 20s lol).

Let me know what yall think!

AFP Last Tues was 1.8! Back for scans in 4 weeks. Will update with more progress then.

[JeskiM69]

I doubt that a single beer at this point would hurt you. 2-3 spread out over the weekend will likely not hurt you too much either.

Just take it easy/slow....feel your way through it. You are still early after chemo and you may still not yet know how anything will impact you. Obviously you will not know until you do it....but don't go too fast and learn too late.

I would not binge drink yet.

- Matt

[JoeTheAstronaut]

I had a beer every now and again during and after BEPx3 and it was ok, but I didn't feel like it, and it tasted like crap too. Only a few months after when the taste buds went back to normal, I started drinking coffee and alcohol again and it tasted fine... See how you go with it!

[CPOS55]

Good advice. Thanks! I have not had any issues with taste buds at all. Everything has tasted normal pretty normal. Actually my appetite has been quite large lol

[dustumor99]

So this would be on day 12 of your cycle? I wouldn’t advise going out of town, your white blood cells are at their lowest between days 8 and 14 I think, which means you are probably better off not being around many people or in places where you can catch something. If you’re flying or anything like that, I couldn’t imagine a worse place to be.

I think the beer is ok, but just assume your immune system is severely impaired over the next few days, I wouldn’t want to risk too much. Probably best to wait until day 17 of your 21-day cycle to be safe.

[Davepet]

My doc didn't advise me to alter my alcohol consumption during chemo, so I didn't. If there were any negative effects, I probably assumed it was just the chemo drugs. Sounds like you got through relatively easy, congrats!

Dave

[surfhb]

You’ll be fine. Enjoy life. Just for the future, lay off the booze and enjoy everything in moderation. You got a second chance and don’t need liver problems now.