Alcohol Consumption and RA

Stay with me here: I think there's a surprisingly intricate relationship between alcohol and RA. Don't get me wrong; I love occasionally indulging in a drink after a difficult day, so my intention here is not to judge. But lately, I have been realizing that my RA-riddled body is not cooperating well — at all — with alcohol, even with only drinking a small amount.

Alcohol intolerance before my diagnosis

Even before I was diagnosed with RA, my body did not cooperate well with alcohol. I noticed that after I would have a few drinks, I would begin to have some symptoms of alcohol intolerance. These included facial flushing, congestion, and general nausea and upset stomach. This wasn't a full-on allergic reaction. Sometimes, I wouldn't even notice it in myself, but other people in my life would say something ("Why is your face so red?" or "You're really congested all of a sudden").

How drinking impacted my RA symptoms

Things took a turn, though, after I was diagnosed with RA. Now, after a night of drinking — and, to be clear, I am talking about even just one drink (it's rare that I have more than that), I find that my joints feel more inflamed, I move at a sluggish pace, and I feel bloated/swollen all over.

To be clear, this is not a hungover feeling — it feels much different than that. This feels more like an RA flare or a Humira hangover, both of which I've talked about before. Because of how I've been feeling recently, I've decided to not drink for a few weeks and see how I feel. The results have been surprising.

Experimenting with abstaining from alcohol

I haven't had a drink in about 3 weeks now, and I really do feel better. I feel more energized, my joints don't feel as inflamed, and I just have a generally brighter disposition. This is important for me because I have not been feeling the best lately. That's not because I drink a lot, but more because my RA has been affecting me more. While I was drinking, it made me think there was a real connection between alcohol consumption and RA.

Medical research on alcohol and RA

But this is just my personal experience. What does the research say?

A recent literature review found that some research suggests alcohol intake may have a protective effect, decreasing some people's risk for developing RA. However, some other research has shown the opposite, or that alcohol consumption has no association with disease activity.^1,2

The varied relationship between alcohol and RA

Clearly, the relationship we all have with alcohol when living with RA is varied. In my experience, even 1 drink can hurt my RA — maybe this is because my inflammation levels are already so high that even 1 drink can increase the inflammation already present in my body. However, some research has shown that alcohol can actually reduce inflammation.¹

In my thinking, then, your relationship to alcohol and RA really depends on your body and your experience in drinking.

I've had to modulate my relationship to alcohol given my personal bodily experiences. What have you experienced with alcohol?