The Lighter Side of: Low Tolerance

When you are dealing with a lot of inflammation and disease, when you are on many medications, alcohol is not always the best idea.

I used to love having a drink or two every few days. I went out, I went partying, I used to binge drink during my University days, and a glass of wine with dinner was really common.
As my illnesses became more serious, so did my medications.
Now, not only am I a very susceptible 'cheap drunk', but I usually cannot have more than one drink before I become more nauseated and even disoriented.
It doesn't mean that I avoid it altogether, but it does mean that I only have a drink maybe once a month or less. I usually indulge on days I am feeling particularly decent, and pushing it to more than one drink usually leaves me retching later on.

It's just as well. It is not something I need and I rarely crave it, except for the odd social event or celebration.

The Lighter Side of low tolerance to alcohol is that when I do decide to have a drink, I get that lovely buzzy glow within half of a drink. Sometimes less, depending on what I have had to eat throughout the day. Plus, when I reach that buzzy glow, I become giggly and giddy and my pain takes a back seat in my mind, so I can focus better on other things - like conversation. Obviously I never recommend alcohol as a way to combat pain - there are other ways to do that - but one drink every month or two is definitely not a red flag. Plus, my low tolerance means that I do not have to ingest much to be feeling just that little tiny bit better.