Alcohol

So many things to think about with all of this. I had cut back on drinking before my dx, but I think it's important to do what you need to to help you through chemo. For me, it was chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream every day. If you could consider a mid-ground, maybe make it a smaller glass? Cut with some bubble water? I stuck to my same self-imposed "rules" when I was doing chemo (for the last few years I only drink when we're out or when we're entertaining), so I definitely drank.

Nobody is going to judge you. I think it's so important to be gentle with yourself through chemo. Treats help.

I didn’t have chemo or radiation but limiting alcohol is recommended for all bc pts. I was a one glass of wine per night prior to dx. Now I drink 1/2 glass per night. Of course, at that rate a bottle goes bad before I can finish it so I’ve been going w box wine (OMG). Bota is quite drinkable and glad I found it.

I usually only have a wine on holidays, not that I am against having it, I just don't think of it. When I was going through chemo I remember my mother asking me and my siblings what wine she should get for whatever holiday was coming up, and then saying that I could not have any. I asked my Oncologist if I could have wine. He said yes, and then jokingly, said not the whole bottle.

I think everyone should indulge in moderation and even have some cheat days!

I am just having my first glass of wine in 4 weeks.. Yayyy! Cheers ladies

The research on alcohol and breast cancer recurrence is all over the map. I think that this article, from Oncology Nutrition, states it well:

https://www.oncologynutrition.org/erfc/healthy-nutrition-now/foods/alcohol-breast-cancer

"Before you decide you should give up alcohol, it is useful to note that some recent research has suggested moderate alcohol consumption actually improves survival after a breast cancer diagnosis. Considering this along with the earlier studies, we end up with a somewhat confusing picture. This is because all of these studies are what we call "observational," which means none of them can, by themselves, prove cause and effect. However, it can be helpful to consider all of the studies together. When we do this, we don't see a strong pattern one way or the other. That is, some studies show alcohol slightly increases risk of breast cancer recurrence, while others show it decreases risk. This suggests that if there is an effect of alcohol, it is probably very small, regardless of whether it is protective or harmful. And if alcohol does turn out to increase risk of recurrence after breast cancer, the studies suggest the effect is likely to be strongest for overweight and obese women."

My Oncologist is perfectly fine with wine however from an overall health perspective, looking beyond just breast cancer, he suggests 3-4 glasses per week for women, and 5-6 for men.

My philosophy is "everything in moderation". Yes, I've had breast cancer but I'm not going to obsess or spend time figuring out the perfect diet to reduce recurrence risk because I've done enough digging into the research to know that the effect of diet changes is small at best. We all know what is a healthy and what isn't healthy, so I aim for healthy diet but I refuse to give up the things that may be less healthy that give me pleasure - I simply consume these items in moderation. The way I see it, breast cancer has taken enough from me without my offering up more - especially when the science isn't clear and the benefit, if any, is small. So I happily eat cheese and chocolate and I drink wine. In moderation.

🥂

If you follow the "cancer is a metabolic disease" model, then of course anything that promotes diabetes would also promote cancer. Cancer likes to grow where there is inflammation.

We cant change our genes and our childhood exposures. But we can change our diets or exercise routines. Some people feel better doing the things they CAN do, even if the effect is not 1:1.

For people not wanting to eliminate less nutritious foods, intermittent fasting is a good way to bring down inflammation while continuing to eat them.

ctmbsikia, I laughed at your description of how you've cut back on wine. I can identify with that!

For the sake of our general health, both my husband and I have cut back considerably on our nightly wine. For me, it's more about maintaining my weight than anything else. But if I want to have wine with dinner, I have it, although the less often I have it, the less I feel like having it. The exception comes when we go away. It happens that we live 90 minutes from the local wine country, where there are 50+ wineries within a very small area. It happens that this is our favorite place to head to for a mini-vacation, so we end up there several times a year. Dinner out in wine country without a bottle of wine? Not going to happen. And thankfully so. What's life without enjoyment?

Thank you all I really enjoyed reading all of your comments! I always like the movies that show a group of women sitting around talking sharing a bottle of wine. I would need more than one bottle for each person.

In all honesty I think a dry robust red wine, a glass with dinner on occasion is healthy because of the resveratrol. Moderation indeed, but why bother at all?

I rationalize by not having any for a while and when I do I just drink the entire bottle to catch up.

Don't do as I do.

Maria - salud back at ya. I never gave up my wine - all through treatment. Six years after the last treatment now, I'm still sticking to it.

I pour 6 oz glasses. Unless I get involved in a conversation on the phone and inadvertently pour another glass while I'm talking. That's easy to do when the phone is the only way to keep up with friends & family just now.

I have been writing down all my food intake since 2/29 - preliminary to a discussion about cholesterol with my PCP in August. So I'm also writing down all the alcohol. Interesting exercise - but of course these results are in the middle of the shelter in place virus so habits have definitely changed.

It appears I always have a drink at the end of the day now. Sometimes gin & tonic, sometimes wine. Maybe once a week I'll also have an evening toddy - a shot glass of Tia Maria, Amarula, Tuaca or other liqueur around bed time.

Stay safe