Becoming tea total!!

I’m sorry dogsmother that is not correct. The OP could have a thyroid condition where levels fluctuate and so may or may not need an increase in replacement. Getting older does not mean we need less thyroxine as this is dependent on what condition she has.

If you feel cheated and don’t want to stop it would be wise to speak to a pharmacist and or get your thyroid levels checked. As we get older it seems we do need less of our thyroxine so it’s a possibility that it’s as simple as sorting out that.

NanKate that sounds just right. Don't worry about being T total as the statistics say their life expectancy is less of those who have one drink daily! Cheers! ?

Lily ?

I gave up alcohol for January once and felt NO benefit at all.

I’m not a big drinker but certainly occasionally enjoy a drink whilst getting the supper. Roast beef and a glass of Merlot is great. A white wine spritzer on a warm evening is refreshing.

I usually just have a drink at the weekend. Cheers folks ?

I drink at the weekend and it makes my temperature rise at night which wakes me so I cannot sleep.

I will give it another twenty years or so to see if I can push through.

It's rubbish to say people live longer if you drink alcohol and the only reason some get upset if you don't drink and they do is it shows up their need to drink Sadly I gave up going out with a group of people cause afew got so smashed that it was usually unpleasant by late evening

I can take it or leave it, usually leave it unless it's Christmas time or some other occasion or celebration, never liked wine, never really drunk alcohol in the house , it's always on a night out

Olive2709 like you as a recovering alcoholic of 20 years. You get people that ask you do you want a drink and you say No they certainly don't know what that means. Then you get the people who know you and say just have the 1 and don't understand why.I have never had just 1 drink in my drinking life.

I've just given up alcohol due to high BP. However it isn't much fun. I pour a spoonful of cider vinegar into a wine glass and top it up with water. It tastes like absolutely disgusting wine so I have to use my imagination to the full - however, as I said, it seems to be working.

I have never drunk alcohol other than the odd shandy a few times a year. I have never seen the appeal or liked the taste of anything. I hate to see people out of control drunk or even tipsy; a waste of grapes and a total waste of money, in my opinion, and it very often ends up down the toilet pan!!

I like a small glass of white wine with my dinner (main meal eaten at lunchtime) but sometimes I've felt a bit squiffy in the afternoon. However, I abstain in Advent, Lent and at several other times in the year so for about one third of a year, no alcohol and after the first few days I don't miss it. I recently read about the beneficial effect on someone's liver after quite a short break from alcohol. But I think I'll return to my small drink at Easter. It seems to make the meal more of an occasion.

Have drank alcohol for many years, but now find I get palpations when I drink wine,also feel my head is going to burst so I have stopped but Sunday after lunch I enjoy a small g&t noproblems

I enjoy a glass of wine with a meal out, but am not particularly bothered otherwise. I find as I’ve got older it doesn’t suit me over well, so I rarely have it now. I get dreadfully flushed and hot, after only a small glass of wine. (A pub measure!).

It is strange that if someone offers you a drink, and you ask for something non-alcoholic, it does seem to cause difficulties. I’ve been asked to choose ’a real drink’ before now. I upset an acquaintance recently by leaving a drink I hadn’t asked for, and didn’t want.

Since the menopause I too have had the same reaction to drinking wine as the OP. A few years ago I was out having a meal with friends and telling them that even one glass of wine made me feel ill the next day. It was as if I’d drank a whole bottle! There was a man sitting at the next table who it turned out was a wine importer. He told me to keep away from the full reds and go for Pinot Noir instead and only drink Sauvignon Blanc as they were light wines. He said I was allergic to the preservatives ( sulphites?) that are added to some imported wines. I have to say it works for me though I still only drink wine occasionally. Any other alcohol still makes me feel ill.
My friends say it’s because I don’t drink enough ?

When we're in France we often by an alcohol free drink called Festillant (I think that's right). No substitute for a glass of red as they only do fizzy versions but it does make a nice change from other soft drinks and is a nice aperitif.

As a recovered alcoholic of 19years , it's other people who cause you problems they have trouble understanding the words no thanks, don't drink, apart from my dd&ds there is no one in my life from the old days. So they has never known me to drink some still try to get me to have alcohol

When I was young - late teens - I was quite a heavy drinker but got things under control when I got a car when I was about 20. When I was married we always had a glass of wine with our evening meal but I started diluting it when pregnant and carried on with half and half after that. Since my divorce and children leaving home I decided not to drink alone so only drank socially when out for meals etc but having been given a lovely bottle of damson gin by my DS and DIL for Christmas I have had a few drinks on my own in the last few months. I don't ever want to become dependent on a drink though, as I know I drank too much years ago so keep a tight rein on things. I do enjoy a bit of rum in a cup of coffee too but that is about flavour not alcoholic effect! My understanding is that an occasional glass of red wine is good for you and very moderate drinkers live longer than those who are TT.

I don't drink because I have yet to find an alcoholic drink that tastes better than a cup of tea! On the odd occasion when I have had a glass of wine at a social occasion I always develop a headache.

I know how easy it is to become dependent, though. A friend had difficulty with getting to sleep, after her husband died. She found that having a drink before bed helped with the problem. Unfortunately she found, after a while, that she needed two, then something stronger, and didn't realise that she was getting hooked on drink.

It was only when her family and friends became aware of how it was affecting her that she realised that she had a problem. Luckily it was a wake-up moment for her, and she managed to stop. She doesn't drink at all now.

I gave up alcohol 28 years ago when pregnant and never went back to it.
These days I'll just have half a glass with Christmas lunch and don't finish that.
I've never missed it but as someone else mentioned other people find it hard to accept sometimes and try to press it on to me.
They get used to it though.

Tanith I found that simply telling folk you dont want a drink doesn't work ...not where I live .I'd end up with 5 or 6 drinks sitting in a row in front of me .Now I say I'm on medication and that stops them buying me drinks I dont want.People who do drink think everyone else must drink with them .

I gave up just over a year ago. Wasn't a big drinker- special occasions only- but while I can do k on my medication it says it may increase side effects. Just easier not to have any. Yes I do miss it. Seeing the new year in with a decaff coffee (yep caffeine went as well) just wasn't the same.

Why the need to 'pretend' you are drinking alcohol?

I am not on medication but have, for some years, found that alcohol effects me in the way that you describe. Red wine seems to be the worst offender but a very occasional gin and tonic seems to suit me better. Maybe worth trying.

Hooray for the couple of people who don't feel guilty about drinking. I have a drink if it makes me feel.good and stop if it makes me feel bad...easy. I know when I have had enough and often leave half an inch of wine in the bottle, which bemuses my daughters. At 79 I am not going to worry about long term effects!
A recent discovery has been all the lovely new gins, and the range of tonics to accompany them. I can't believe all the years I've had a boring bottle of gin sitting in the back of the cupboard from one Christmas to the next!

I've cut right down since Christmas and now drink alchohol free wine which is really rather nice. A favourite is 'Nosecco' (can be bought in ASDA) - all the fizz and taste!