To Drink or Not to Drink

By Heather Renee

2 min read

One drink, 2 drinks. A whiskey drink or an Amaretto drink.

As I look back over the last year and a realization hits me. I have only consumed alcohol on a few occasions. In April, had major knee surgery. It prevented me from going out for months. When I did start going out, I was on crutches and decided not to drink.

Now that I am back on solid footing, I decided that I could have a drink or 2 occasionally. Much to my surprise, my body has not reacted well to my attempts of enjoying a few drinks.

Christmas parties

We had 2 Christmas parties to attend for my boyfriend's work. One was an informal house party and the other was a formal corporate event. Both events involved mostly alcoholic drinks being served. I did not drink much at either event. During both parties, I only had 3 alcoholic drinks the entire evening.

Informal Christmas party

The night of the informal house party, they ran out of bottled water. Since I did not know the hosts well, I felt too awkward to ask for more. Due to them being out of bottled water and the fact that I was not enjoying the taste of my whiskey, I am sure I ended up slightly dehydrated.

That night, I had a hard time sleeping. I felt like I was having hot flashes jumping between being cold and hot. Then the next day, I felt like I drank all night long. I was miserable.

Formal Christmas party

The next weekend we had the formal Christmas party. This was hosted at a hotel in Houston. I initially wanted to drink Amaretto sours instead of whiskey. This was to see if I would feel better with a different type of alcohol. Unfortunately, they did not have Amaretto, so I ended up drinking whiskey sours.

On the plus side, there were waiters who constantly refilled my water glass. I do believe that this helped me. Throughout the night, I had the same number of drinks that I had the weekend prior, but I managed to actually sleep well. Despite this, I still did not feel great the next day.

Christmas day

On Christmas itself, the 2 of us do not drink, but the people around us tend to drink. I am not a person who is bothered by others drinking when I am not. Granted, I do find it annoying if other people get drunk, which always manages to happen.

HIV and alcohol

I really am unsure why I feel the way that I do after drinking. Especially since I am not drinking to excess. A measly 3 drinks spread out over hours is not too much.

Part of me wonders if the antiviral medications interact with the alcohol. Another possibility is our bodies are already dealing with so much that it cannot process the alcohol as it does in individuals who are not taking antivirals.

Are you living with HIV and indulge in an alcoholic beverage? How do you feel the next day?

Featured Forum

View all responses

This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The H-I-V.net team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

Join the conversation

Please read our rules before commenting.

Brooklyn Member
I am not a drinker, I was married to an alcoholic when I was diagnosed sometimes I would drink with him. I found after I was on HIV meds drinking made me sick. I would instantly feel hung over and nauseous without getting buzzed, or it gave me really bad heartburn. I have not drank in years because every time I tried to I felt so much worse. 
1. Heather Renee Moderator & Contributor
 <inline-mention username="Brooklyn" user-id="2045960"/> I am sorry to hear that you lived with an alcoholic. That in itself can be enough to make you not want to drink alcohol. I do wonder if the antivirals have some sort of reaction to alcoholic beverages. This is something that I am going to have to research. - Heather R (team member)
Khafre Kujichagulia Abif Moderator
Alafia (Peace) <inline-mention username="Heather Renee" user-id="2045676"/> This is a tough subject and you have the right to feel how you feel. That's for you to unpack in your own time. There is a social conponent to drinking which is definitely hightened during times of celebration. If we make a plan for ourselves and stock to it. We can continue to support our overall health and Well-being. Great article Khafre (H-I-V.net Team Member)
Heather Renee Moderator & Contributor
<inline-mention username="Khafre Kujichagulia Abif" user-id="2046187"/> I can understand how consuming alcohol while living with a health condition can be a very tough and personal issue. I simply wonder if other people feel as though their antiviral medication(s) react with alcohol. I do believe that making game plans and sticking to them is in our best interest. Thank you for taking the time to read and comment on my article. Best Wishes - Heather R (team member)
1. Khafre Kujichagulia Abif Moderator
 <inline-mention username="Heather Renee" user-id="2045676"/> Alafia (Peace) I totally agree with you. Developing a game plan and most importantly sticking to the plan can bring about the balance we desire. I think that is the ultimate goal. Khafre (H-I-V.net Team Member)