If you suffer from the debilitating effects of Lupus disease, then you will understand the motivation to remain as healthy as possible in between flare ups of this dreadful affliction.
The problem with alcohol and Lupus
The problem with alcohol is that it can have negative effects on everyone who drinks it, you only have to wonder why we endure hangovers, when clearly our body is sending a message that alcohol is bad for us. Unfortunately, if you suffer from Lupus disease, then the effects of alcohol on the body can be worse than normal. Alcohol has detrimental effect on the immune system, and is especially bad for the kidneys and liver, which are the organs that are responsible for repairing the damage left behind when we drink alcohol.
Alcohol can also react with many of the medications that you rely on to control the symptoms of lupus disease and this can severely impact on your body’s ability to deal firstly with the alcohol, but more seriously with the long term chronic afflictions of Lupus. You are doing serious potential harm to your body if you drink too much alcohol.
Alcohol can damage the immune system
The problem with alcohol is that it is an addictive chemical, but it is also toxic to the organs in the body, and generally a poisonous and nasty substance. Alcohol is used as antifreeze; it is used as a disinfectant, and it is used as a solvent. Alcohol kills bacteria, germs, viruses, and human cells.
Alcohol and Lupus – the poor liver
Alcohol has a direct effect on the liver, which is the organ in the body responsible for fixing the problem that is caused by drinking. The liver cells are killed off in the millions in the attempt to metabolise alcohol. The resulting scar tissue left behind in the liver can turn into a permanent condition known as cirrhosis, and this can eventually be fatal.
Alcohol has a negative effect on the body
As well as damaging the liver, alcohol also has a negative effect on the kidneys, the heart, and the brain. These are the vital organs of the body, and when damaged by alcohol can be susceptible to ongoing damage from the immune system. Due to the ongoing susceptibility of the immune system caused by Lupus, the potential exists for alcohol to increase the frequency of Lupus flares, and to cause more frequent bouts of this terrible disease.
How does alcohol and Lupus make the problem worse?
There are two ways in which alcohol and Lupus can make the symptoms worse:
1. By triggering an auto-immune response which attacks the good cells in the body;
2. By disrupting the normal operation of medication designed to control Lupus.
Alcohol and Lupus Auto-immune response
When alcohol is ingested into the body, the liver tries to metabolise the foreign matter by producing enzymes. These enzymes are designed to attack the foreign compounds, and to break them down into smaller elements that are no longer harmful or poisonous to the body. The trouble with alcohol is that we tend to drink too much, and the liver goes into overdrive to produce enough enzymes to fix the problem.
When you have a weakened immune system due to Lupus, the flood of toxins caused by drinking alcohol and the corresponding flood of enzymes can cause an over reaction within the immune system and an unintentional immune response, with good cells getting attacked by mistake.
This is exactly what sufferers of Lupus disease need to avoid, and hence drinking alcohol is not recommended.
Alcohol and Lupus medication
The medications used to control the symptoms of Lupus are designed to regulate the immune system and to control the delicate balance between the organs and hormones in the body. When the balance of chemicals in the body is disrupted by drinking alcohol, the interaction between the organs and the natural chemicals can be overwhelmed by the flood of alcohol in the blood.
Most of the medications that are commonly prescribed for treatment of Lupus have an adverse reaction to alcohol, and can cause headache, nausea, and the sufferer can tend to become drunk and disoriented. Even medications that do not require a prescription can react with alcohol, such as ibrofuren, which is great for pain and inflammation, but makes the liver highly susceptible to even small does of alcohol. In particular, most people with Lupus may be prescribed with non-steroid anti-inflammatory medications, which should not be mixed with alcohol.
Alcohol and Lupus do not mix
Although it may be a difficult choice to make, the average person who suffers from Lupus disease will only make matters worse if they try to drink too much alcohol. There really is no safe amount of alcohol in this situation, and the problem with alcohol is that most people find it difficult to stop drinking before it is too late. But there are ways to lea
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