Alcohol and MAV-ness

Guys

Wanted to ask how many of you still drink with MAV and MAV meds?

I read every now and then on posts that someone has had the odd glass of this or that and then a group of girls I’m friends with that have MAV are always yaking on about cocktails and the like…

Now me, I was never a big drinker but I did enjoy a good glass of white wine (or bottle) at the weekend and love the Martini cocktail list in a bar (to quote a girlfriend, “they could serve gnats p*ss in a Martini glass and you’d love it” - now I have my ginger beer in a Martini glass :lol: )

But the thought of attempting to drink alcohol with this sh*t AND on top of the daily meds just sends me running terrified into oncoming traffic!!! There’s no WAY I would chance it…

Really interested to know the crack where the rest of you are concerned :?:

I do.

I did not notice any change in how I felt when I quit drinking vs when I had a couple of amber ales.

ie. my tinnuitis was still there, my foggies were still there, yada yada yada.

If stopping cold turkey did not make it better…I said “screw it”, I am going to have my beer. :smiley:

Your booooozy friend in Spokane,

Todd

Hey,

since this whole dizzy thing started in February 2011, I haven’t touched a drop of alcohol for about 3 months…it was in April when I went away for a weekend with my friends, that I had a couple of glasses of wine and noticed my rocking sensation decreased. And the day after was no worse than the hangovers I used to get. I have had a few nights out since, always with pretty much the same result, nothing major, perhaps the day after my rocking would be at times more pronounced, but nothing out of the “normal”. I mostly drank white wine (even up to one bottle, so I was definitely drunk) or lately beer (I love beer…now you got me craving for one :stuck_out_tongue: )

HI
I have a margarita or two on occasion, but the only thing I steer clear from is red wine. I never have any fall out. Just FYI alcohol raises GABA levels (which is why many people self medicate with drinking who truly are low in GABA)
so for some, alcohol makes them feel better.
I would be careful about interactions with meds though…it can be rough on the liver.
:slight_smile:
Kelley

I had a drink on vacation and I think I felt better, no issues whatsoever. I decided to try again the next day, and I ended up with a headache (not a migraine). Could be that I was sitting out in the sun and that I didn’t have enough. Kinda just “milked” it. I love micro brews and good beer. (Never had an issue with them before…never was a “trigger”) I sooooo want to be able to have some without the fear of getting spins. It stinks because an occasional drink can be such a stress reliever, and we can use some of that.
I am curious to see how other people answer too!

Oh and Muppo- you have friends that have MAV as well? How does that happen? I feel like there are so few of us and we are all scattered about! I am convinced that I am the only one in my area with this!!! Lots of dizzy people at PT, but they all look like they are 85 years old…lol

I don’t really have any food triggers so I can drink without issue. However, I have noticed that I feel a little groggier when I drink beer than I do with Vodka or Whiskey. Who knew that hard alcohol would actually be more tolerable.

Experimenting: just having a beer :smiley:

p.s. Not on any meds.

Muppo, I feel so much better when I have a beer. My dizziness gets better immediately. I am sure I am low in GABA since klonopin and beer seem so much more effective than anything else. I probably drink a beer every second day and I have never noticed that it makes me feel worse later on or the next day. If I go out and get really crazy I might drink 2 beers :smiley: but never more because I am afraid it might interact with my medications.
Chris

I probably had about 10 pints of Guiness on Saturday night. My wife and I went to a bar to meet friends and I was having a pretty bad day all day. I had been really off balance. But after about 2 or 3 pints of Guiness, the rocking was not that bad. Towards the end of the night, I had no problem walking anywhere or up any stairs. It’s like my balance system was temporarily fixed. The only thing I had was the normal drunkin dizziness that everybody gets when they drink. I can tell the difference between my everyday symptoms and the effects of alcohol. They are different.

Sadly enough, alcohol took it all away for the evening. But what’s really interesting is that my rocking feeling is also better now after it’s been 4 days since I drank. Sunday was rough, but after that, my balance is pretty stable throughout most of the day. I’d actually say I’m at about 93% right now. It’s almost like by drinking too much it reset my vestibular system in a way. Weird huh.

Greg

1 Like

I also find that a beer makes me feel better. As Kelley said, the GABA factor is there for me, and since Ativan helps my dizzies, so does alcohol. Except wine, I stay away from that stuff!

— Begin quote from “beatles909”

I probably had about 10 pints of Guiness on Saturday night. My wife and I went to a bar to meet friends and I was having a pretty bad day all day. I had been really off balance. But after about 2 or 3 pints of Guiness, the rocking was not that bad. Towards the end of the night, I had no problem walking anywhere or up any stairs. It’s like my balance system was temporarily fixed. The only thing I had was the normal drunkin dizziness that everybody gets when they drink. I can tell the difference between my everyday symptoms and the effects of alcohol. They are different.

Sadly enough, alcohol took it all away for the evening. But what’s really interesting is that my rocking feeling is also better now after it’s been 4 days since I drank. Sunday was rough, but after that, my balance is pretty stable throughout most of the day. I’d actually say I’m at about 93% right now. It’s almost like by drinking too much it reset my vestibular system in a way. Weird huh.

Greg

— End quote

Now that sounds like an experiment I am willing to try! :slight_smile: I don’t know if I can handle 10 pints of Guiness though, after 4 I am very full. I can however drink Vodka all night and stay pretty stable. I really feel that the alcohol is numbing my brain and making me stop focusing on the dizziness and that’s what makes me feel better. If not I may just need to drink a fifth of vodka everyday as treatment.

Deekon,

That’s probably the funnest treatment plan I’ve heard yet. :lol:

Greg

Ok, well I seem to be the opposite to most people on here, as alcohol makes me much worse. I’ve totally given it up, as every time I have a drink, it sends my balance crazy.
Alcohol has always been a migraine trigger for me though, even back in the good old days when I merely had migraines of the excruciating headache sort…

this has made me think a bit… My husband and I gave up alcohol for Lent this year… It was during this time that I had 5 migraines that left me with this dizziness. Maybe drinking was actually helping! Try to make sacrafices (and be a bit healthier too) and look where it gets you! Makes me wonder…

I think it’s time for a piss up!! :smiley:

I’m still drinking - but not red wine. I think I’m a gaba girl as well as a glass often makes me feel better. Gave up for a few months and it made no difference to my symptoms

The only time I don’t drink is if I’ve taken a valium that day - but otherwise as I’m only on beta blockers it’s not a problem.

Update: Had two beers last night. Got the sensation that I always get just before the world starts spinning, but was able to stop it…never been able to do that before…weird. Think it ( the spin, not my ability to stop it) was because I was moving my head a lot while having a conversation. This morning I feel fine, actually a little less dizzy than all week…

WWWWWHHHHHHHAAAAAATTTTTTT!!! :?:

Well I’ll be dammed! I never thought so many of you were on the sauce still :lol:

Bugger me. Gee. Quite lost for words.

Maybe Saturday night I’ll brave a Vodka?? I’m terrified just thinking about it but I guess if you dont try you wont know!!

RA!!!

:shock:

I was just about to post and then I got a powerful urge to have a glass of wine. So I’ve got one. A Margaret River sem sauv bla. Not the bestest drop but it’s got alcohol in it so…you know…does the trick!

I’m sure there’s a Science Reason for why booze helps with the vertigo but I’ve always just assumed it was because when you’re a bit tipsy you don’t notice that you feel wobbly. The wobbles converge.

I do stay away from red wine though. Mostly.