# What are your thoughts about "self-medicating" with alcohol? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 8, 2008, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-thoughts-about-self-medicating-with-alcohol/436867 "2008-02-08T23:14:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2008, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-thoughts-about-self-medicating-with-alcohol/436867/61 "2008-02-10T23:13:04Z")
[QUOTE=Queen Bruin] moderate alcohol consumption is correlated (I know, correlation != causation) with lower incidence of dementia, for one. [/QUOTE] “My doctor says I need this vodka to keep away the crazy.” ;D ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2008, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-thoughts-about-self-medicating-with-alcohol/436867/62 "2008-02-10T23:46:50Z")
[QUOTE=Qadgop the Mercotan] We’ve kicked this around before. Let me rummage around a bit. Ahhhh! [here!](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=8517560) [/QUOTE] [This](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=9461618) and [this](http://www.medreviews.com/pubmed.cfm?j=2&v=3&i=1&p=7) were posted in the same thread. I am going to guess then that you could spin it any way you like, and if it’s alright by you, I believe I will spin it in favor of me having a beer a day. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kushiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kushiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kushiel)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-thoughts-about-self-medicating-with-alcohol/436867/63 "2008-02-11T00:31:17Z")
I’m biased, and for myself and my family members, it’s a slippery slope and I refuse to start the whole ‘just one a day to wind down’. I’m sure for my dad it started out as a way to wind down from a day of work. Then it snowballed into getting drunk every night because he hated work. Then his two kids went to the doctor with him and were told if he doesn’t stop drinking immediately, his liver will shut down completely and he’ll die within weeks. (He’s still here, by the way, and he’s in that stage of on-the-wagon/off-the-wagon) I can’t judge other people, but I only have a few drinks a year. I’m too scared of going down that route. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-thoughts-about-self-medicating-with-alcohol/436867/64 "2008-02-11T02:04:51Z")
[QUOTE=Queen Bruin] [This](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=9461618) [/quote] That link just goes back to this thread. > [@](#): > > [this](http://www.medreviews.com/pubmed.cfm?j=2&v=3&i=1&p=7) That link you cite, a study older than the Lancet study I cited, also has this to say: Despite the wealth of observational data, it is not absolutely clear that alcohol reduces cardiovascular risk, because no randomized controlled trials have been performed. Alcohol should never be recommended to patients to reduce cardiovascular risk as a substitute for the well-proven alternatives of appropriate diet, exercise, and drugs. Alcohol remains the number three cause of preventable premature death in this country, and the risk of alcohol habituation, abuse, and adverse effects must be considered in any patient counseling. [Rev Cardiovasc Med. 2002;3(1):7–13] > [@](#): > > I am going to guess then that you could spin it any way you like, and if it’s alright by you, I believe I will spin it in favor of me having a beer a day. 🙂 Feel free, just know that concrete evidence is lacking that you’re helping yourself. Rationalizing one’s drinking isn’t a good policy. Having said that, I doubt a single beer or mixed drink or glass of wine a day is a significant risk for _most_ people. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-thoughts-about-self-medicating-with-alcohol/436867/65 "2008-02-11T02:38:44Z")
[QUOTE=Qadgop the Mercotan] That link just goes back to this thread. [/quote] Apologies, [here](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10918777?dopt=AbstractPlus) is the other link that **KarlGauss** provided in that thread. > [@](#): > > Alcohol should never be recommended to patients to reduce cardiovascular risk as a substitute for the well-proven alternatives of appropriate diet, exercise, and drugs. In a post above, I alluded to just that. I have also reduced my red meat intake to 1-2 a week among other changes in my diet and manage my weight (which is doubly important for me as I have PCOS on top of family history of heart disease). I don’t doubt your qualifications in the slightest, but I will defer to the physician whose care I am under regarding my habits. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-thoughts-about-self-medicating-with-alcohol/436867/66 "2008-02-11T03:08:22Z")
[QUOTE=Queen Bruin] I will defer to the physician whose care I am under regarding my habits. [/QUOTE] Certainly. Nothing I post here should be construed as specific advice for a specific person. Rather it is overall commentary on and general principles about the state of medical knowledge in various areas. I do still hold the common belief that moderate drinking is healthy to be not supported by data, and that this belief overall causes more harm than good. But individual circumstances vary, and I’m not about to get up on a soapbox to preach of the _evils_ of less than excessive consumption of the substance. So enjoy! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-thoughts-about-self-medicating-with-alcohol/436867/67 "2008-02-11T05:07:06Z")
what’s the matter, you got a problem with soap? ---
**Author:** ![InLucemEdita](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7ab992/32.png) [@InLucemEdita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InLucemEdita)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-thoughts-about-self-medicating-with-alcohol/436867/68 "2008-02-11T05:23:26Z")
cnn money wants you to have a few drinks. > **[A midlife money checkup - 9. Are you staying healthy? (10) - Money Magazine](https://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/moneymag/0801/gallery.midlife_checkup.moneymag/10.html)** > > A midlife money checkup. Are you still on pace to reach your goals despite today's market woes? Find out by taking this nine-step test of your financial health. It won't hurt a bit. “And feel free to have a drink a day (two if you’re a man). Several studies have linked moderate drinking to good health.” ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-thoughts-about-self-medicating-with-alcohol/436867/69 "2008-02-11T05:38:46Z")
I drink, therefor, I am. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-thoughts-about-self-medicating-with-alcohol/436867/70 "2008-02-11T06:02:21Z")
[QUOTE=MLS] I will respectfully continue to disagree. No, it’s not essential, like vitamin C. Yes, too much of it is lethal. So is too much vitamin A, too much salt, too much water. It has been widely reported that a glass of wine (especially red wine) per day is healthy for many, if not most people. I have seen nothing to indicate that alcohol in that amount is harmful, other than for recovering alcoholics, people with allergies, drug interactions, etc. [/QUOTE] Eh, I’m not interested in arguing with you or anyone else. It’s basic chemistry; alcohol kills cells. ET take out bad science - alcohol is used to kill bacterial cells, not human cells. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-thoughts-about-self-medicating-with-alcohol/436867/71 "2008-02-11T06:50:39Z")
FWIW when I broke my heel I was in extreme pain. My doctor gave me Vicoden. They did not do the job. Not even close. I was in so much pain I could not sleep. Doc would not give anything stronger. I found that 2 Vicoden + 1 glass of white Zin took away the pain. For 4 hours at least. Do I drink every night? NO. Twice, maybe three times a week, maybe. I often go weeks between drinks. I don’t have an addictive personality. Other people do. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-thoughts-about-self-medicating-with-alcohol/436867/72 "2008-02-11T13:18:25Z")
If you are not under dependency of it, and so don’t use it and don’t feel the need to use it regularly I’d say that it’s OK to use drinks in place of pain killers or to relax on occasion. It’s a drug like any other medication and should be respected as such. If you use it daily, but small amounts, I’d still say it’s OK, but something to watch a bit more carefully. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-thoughts-about-self-medicating-with-alcohol/436867/73 "2008-02-11T13:54:43Z")
There’s a big difference between someone who is an alcoholic and someone who isn’t. However, that thin red line that separates the two is often difficult to see, and sometimes nearly impossible to admit. Only you know if you have a problem, and often if you do, seeing the line is nearly impossble to do without some sort of catalyst i.e. a DWI, beating your children, hands shaking in the morning, noticing a drink in your hand and not remembering you poured it and the list goes on ad infinitum. Many people think they are just playing, or having a good time and don’t realize they have a problem until it’s too late. ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-thoughts-about-self-medicating-with-alcohol/436867/74 "2008-02-11T14:08:29Z")
[QUOTE=Gatopescado] \*\*Goin’ all Shakespear on yer Ass… \*\* I drink, therefor, I am. [/QUOTE] Wouldn’t that be goin’ all Descartes on ther ass? ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-thoughts-about-self-medicating-with-alcohol/436867/75 "2008-02-11T14:14:38Z")
[QUOTE=askeptic] Wouldn’t that be goin’ all Descartes on ther ass? [/QUOTE] I believe you are right! 🙂 Cogito ergo sum. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-thoughts-about-self-medicating-with-alcohol/436867/76 "2008-02-11T17:10:26Z")
[QUOTE=Q.E.D.] No, it isn’t. [/QUOTE] Not to get too pedantic because I know where you’re coming from here, but ethyl alcohol _is_ an appropriate medical treatement for methanol poisoning. The ethyl alcohol prevents the methanol from being metabolized so that it’s excreted by the kidneys instead. Fomepizole is also used, but I have no idea which is more prevalent. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2008, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-thoughts-about-self-medicating-with-alcohol/436867/77 "2008-02-12T23:41:10Z")
[QUOTE=Otto] Not to get too pedantic because I know where you’re coming from here, but ethyl alcohol _is_ an appropriate medical treatement for methanol poisoning. The ethyl alcohol prevents the methanol from being metabolized so that it’s excreted by the kidneys instead. Fomepizole is also used, but I have no idea which is more prevalent. [/QUOTE] I had no idea that there were two different kinds of alcohol, let alone that one could be used medicinally to treat another. What is the advantage that methanol be excreted by the kidneys? Seems to me that, one way or another, somebody in the guts has to do the work. ---
**Author:** ![Waenara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/50afbb/32.png) [@Waenara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waenara)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2008, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-thoughts-about-self-medicating-with-alcohol/436867/78 "2008-02-12T23:49:20Z")
[QUOTE=guizot] I had no idea that there were two different kinds of alcohol, let alone that one could be used medicinally to treat another. What is the advantage that methanol be excreted by the kidneys? Seems to me that, one way or another, somebody in the guts has to do the work. [/QUOTE] When methanol is broken down in the liver it becomes formic acid and formaldehyde (which can damage the optic nerve and cause blindness). If you treat methanol poisoning by drinking ethanol, the ethanol prevents all of the methanol from being broken down by the liver. Instead, it’s cleared out of the body by the kidneys. Less methanol through the liver = less formaldehyde = good. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-thoughts-about-self-medicating-with-alcohol/436867.md?page=3)