Lupus hepatitis affects the liver, which is where medications like steroids, NSAIDs, and immunosuppressants are processed. Drinking even small amounts of alcohol can add extra stress to the liver. Knowing this can help you reduce alcohol consumption to protect your liver. If you drink alcohol, it’s important to drink only in moderation — that means one drink or less in a day. Alcohol can also interact with some lupus medicines, including blood thinners.
- Where a night of drinking for most people would typically result in a headache and an unhinged Instagram story, those with autoimmune diseases are often left with some additional gifts.
- Reframe supports you in reducing alcohol consumption and enhancing your well-being.
- This imbalance can trigger inflammation and cellular stress, both of which are linked to the development and progression of lupus.
Alcohol consumption is not protective for systemic lupus erythematosus
- Later we changed the approach to one in which we randomly selected 10 key terms every 4 weeks from a list of 80 common medical key terms.
- In addition, alcohol’s “diuretic impact induces dehydration — a significant concern for patients already prone to kidney complications due to lupus,” says Dr. Huffman.
- Similarly, control participants were recruited to enter the study Web site after Google searches of terms related to other medical disorders.
- You also need to be careful if you deal with autoimmune disease flare-ups by taking over-the-counter pain relievers.
- Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex autoimmune disease likely arising from a combination of genetic factors and environmental exposures.
- Another of the most serious ways alcohol can affect your body if you have an autoimmune disease is by making hypertension worse.
Symptoms vary widely but often include fatigue, joint pain, skin rashes, and fever. The exact cause of lupus is unknown, but it is believed to result from a combination of genetic, environmental, and hormonal factors. Lupus is an autoimmune disease that has the largest impact on the patient’s kidneys. An autoimmune disease is one wherein an Individual’s immune systems begin to target them instead, and works against protecting the body. This is a very dangerous condition with treatments also being difficult to manage. It is a condition that should be taken care of and it should be treated with utmost care.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
One of the primary concerns with alcohol and lupus medications is the impact on the liver. Many lupus medications, including acetaminophen and methotrexate, are metabolized by the liver. Alcohol also places a significant burden on this organ, as it is primarily processed in the liver. Concurrent use of alcohol and these medications can overwhelm the liver, leading to hepatotoxicity or liver failure.
What To Know About Lupus Flares
For individuals living with lupus, the question of whether alcohol consumption is safe often arises. Its impact varies significantly depending on individual health factors, specific medications, and the overall activity of the disease. Understanding these considerations is important for making informed decisions. The Lupus Foundation of America does not provide a definitive stance on alcohol use for individuals with lupus.
- Good friends will definitely understand this and will leave you alone when you know you’ve reached your limit.
- Your doctor can help determine if there are any “safe” limits for alcohol consumption in your specific case, or if complete abstinence is the most appropriate recommendation.
- If a participant was missing data for one of the assessment years, we took an average of the available measurements.
- If you have lupus nephritis (a kidney disease caused by lupus), you may need to limit certain foods.
The control participants were tightly matched to cases on demographic and socio-economic characteristics using a propensity score. We used conditional logistic regression analyses to test the association of current and pre-diagnostic alcohol consumption with SLE. Avoid During Flare-Ups It’s wise to avoid alcohol during lupus flare-ups when your symptoms are more active and your body is under increased stress. Alcohol can impact blood sugar levels, potentially causing hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). It’s vital for individuals with type 1 diabetes to monitor their blood sugar, factor in the carbohydrates from alcoholic drinks, and be cautious about alcohol-induced hypoglycemia symptoms. Finally, celiac disease is an autoimmune condition triggered by gluten — a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye — that Alcohol Intolerance leads to damage in the small intestine when ingested by those who are sensitive to it.
What are some other recommended lifestyle changes for lupus patients?
A number of MyLupusTeam members have shared how alcohol affects them, with many noting that even a small amount can lead to discomfort.