So this question has probably been asked before but can any of you tolerate alcohol anymore? As of about 38 my body just stopped tolerating it.
I used to drink a fair bit. My job is sales and it's easy to have 2-3 in a day.
Now, having more than a single drink in any given day and I'm faced with a ton of negatives as soon as the initial woohoo wears off.
Things like mental sluggishness, anxiety, severe dehydration, atrocious heartburn, panic-like symptoms, irritability, and above all it *destroys* my sleep. I wake up 2-3 hours into my sleep cycle in a cold sweat with a 120bpm steady heart rate panicking.
What gives? I'm just as happy to cut back / remove it from my life hut wondered other people's experiences?
48 comments
Idk what gives, but my smart watch has been very, very good at explaining that it’s happening 😂
I drank with my family this weekend, two shots and a beer for a holiday party.
Slept like garbage that night.
Idk man, I just tell people I’m a giant baby
Not really.
Last time I drank I had 2 beers and was hungover before I even got home.
I don’t enjoy it anymore. I feel like I put myself behind the 8 ball every time I drink now and I have a lot of anxiety around it from bad experiences.
The heartburn and sleep issues could be GERD-related sleep apnea. Stomach acid travels up your esophagus and makes you feel like you’re choking, causing you to wake up with your heart pounding. I’ve been dealing with that since I turned 30. The other stuff just sounds like regular age-related hangover symptoms. My hangovers have definitely been getting worse and worse in my 30s with anxiety as the main symptom.
Yes, most people seem to report growing intolerance to alcohol or at least worse and worse hangovers as they age. I just quit completely 2 years ago. There was ZERO upside to any amount of alcohol for me so I just stopped drinking it. Better than trying to apply arbitrary limits.
It’s definitely starting to become a time and place style entertainment. I was drinking a Pepsi last time I was shooting pool, because it didn’t feel like a good time and the friends weren’t vibing in that direction.
It just wears me out these days – even just 2 beers.
Which is sad, because I enjoyed getting a little buzz and hanging out with my wife. But watching a toddler with a hangover? Naw.
For me it came much earlier at 30. Every time I took a drink my body immediately wanted to expel it. The last straw for me was a night out with my team having beers. The aftermath had never been so bad before that I just quit doing it. Turned out to be easier than I anticipated.
35m here. I’m a busy guy, and alcohol absolutely destroys my sleep.
Don’t sleep right for a good few days after a night of drinking. Gives me severe anxiety/depression, and just feel like giving up on life.
As you’ve probably guessed I’ve pretty much cut it out for good.
Always listen to your body. It’s ok to stop or cut back if it doesn’t serve you anymore.
I can only have a couple of drinks around lunchtime or earlier because if I drink in the afternoon or evening my sleep is terrible.
I’m dragging ass today after a weekend of drinking. That didn’t used to happen. I can have a few to no noticeable effects the next day. The days of drinking more than eight means I’ll definitely feel it the next day.
I think a lot of ya’ll are doing it wrong.
Are you getting wasted and pounding shots? Yea, stop. Just have a glass of wine with dinner or friends. No problems for me.
I had a drink only twice and liked it neither time
I’m 40 and have the easiest hangovers yet.
However, I notice the negative impact on my work more than ever.
This is simply because I have vastly more responsibilities at 40 than I did at 25.
The negative impact on my cashflow (as a freelancer) makes hangovers a poor deal.
But the actual hangovers are fine.
My hypothesis is hangovers are largely about physical fitness and psychology.
I get out and move to shake them off.
I never lie around feeling sorry for myself.
Nah, I drink socially and that’s not an issue for me.
I’m pretty done with it too. I’ve never tolerated it well, but I used to push it anyway. Now I’ll sleep like shit and be hung over from like 2 beers if I’m not careful.
You are going to get extremely biased opinions from people who “barely drink anymore” – its like every time this question gets asked those people come out of the woodwork just too agree, and I know – alcohol is bad for you. But I live in a small town where I know plenty of guys in their 50’s and 60’s who are alcoholics and seem fine (other than being an alcoholic). I am 35 and drank like 15 beer on Saturday with my dad who is almost 60. And a friend who is your age. Each.
Its tolerance.
Yep. More than two beers and the following day is a total write off. I don’t even get a buzz anymore I just go straight to the hangover. I still drink on the odd occasion because I like the taste but it’s one or two slowly sipped over the entire night.
Go to hangover. Go directly to hangover. Do not pass go, do not collect $200.
Mostly just weed for me.
I’ll drink a little bit socially, if I have to.
Have you gone to your doctor? You may have some other underlying issues that are not showing until you start to drink.
Everyone is different.
57M, happy to have 2-3 drinks a night on a regular basis.
I do dry January every year. It’s great to break the habit. But I don’t notice any difference in sleep or energy levels.
Am generally trying to drink less for health reasons, but
A) I enjoy the taste, sensation, and social aspect
B) Seems to work fine with my body chemistry
But hey – if it makes you feel shitty you should definitely stop! Just giving you my honest $.02
Drinking doesn’t bother me in this way but I’ve definitely noticed a decrease in my appetite for drinking in general. For example, I used to love dark red wines and liquors of different makes but now I split a six pack of IPAs with my wife a couple of times a month and then Rip VanWinkle my way into tomorrow.
Gettin’ old ain’t for sissies!
I usually have 3-5 old fashioneds before I fly in the lounge. Knock out on the plane and try to get a 3 mile run in once I’m at my hotel 4ish hours later.
I can pretty regularly drink an ipa before my run club as well and then have another when I get back with no affect, to the point I feel like I wasted my money.
I’m about to be 36 and have cut down mostly due to cost, but they’re free in the lounge and a $2 off for the run club. I have also run 5k’s tipsy and multiple 10ks hung over, which I don’t recommend.
This year I’m acrually drinking less since I’m in a new area and don’t know anyone. But it doesn’t give me any worse hangovers. I am also usually drinking a gallon of water a day and working out regularly.
Have your liver checked.
Honestly – it sounds like you may be developing a medical condition – might not be the alcohol.
No differences in tolerance as of right now, but I imagine that’s gonna happen eventually. I don’t party hard anymore though, cause that stopped being fun
Been sober 8 yrs. Waking up without the after effects of alcohol in any degree never gets old.
Dude.. I use to drink all the time, now, I think I’m allergic to it bc it give me something like eczema on my face, I get a rash and then it gets flaky.. lol, that’s life, getting old isn’t for the weak, I just run now to get high.. It’s weird how our bodies change
I mean I don’t tolerate it in large quantities as easily as I did in my younger years but I wouldn’t say I face all of the same downsides you do from having more than a single drink.
That said my sweet spot is about a big glass of red wine or max half a bottle with the wife maybe once (sometimes twice per week). It helps me relax and sleep better. I notice maybe a slight edge the next day and sometimes a little more tiredness, that’s about it.
I suppose it really depends on what you are drinking, how much and perhaps your overall health/hydration too
35 now and I’m honestly about to retire from the drinking game for the same reason as you OP. I’ve partied my nuts off since I was 16 but now if I enjoy 2-3 IPAs a night I’m fucked. Heartburn all night. I literally have to shovel like 2-3 tums to quell it. My sleep cycle is trash when I drink I pass out at like 8/9/10 pm and wake up at 2-3am completely wide awake and anxious. The day after I’m completely burned out but as far as attitude i still feel the soothing effects of the alcohol. I’m still pretty loose personality wise but physically I’m no good
N/A beers man
My body stopped recuperating from alcohol as soon as I hit 30. 2-3 days to feel normal again just wasn’t worth the euphoria of being drunk.
I’m 44.
If I drink anything more than 2 pints in the pub or any more than 1 pint at home with a beer bought from a supermarket I get a bad stomach. By bad stomach I meant its uncomfortabke and achy for about 12 hours.
It concerns me so much I am considering having a private mri as I get uncomfortabke stomach from eating various things also that I never did before.
I notice that the hangovers are ridiculous. I always felt it more than most people my age- now if I go out and get sloshed, I’m basically useless for the entire next day. I don’t have a kid and perhaps never will, but if I ever do, those (increasingly rare) wild nights will be a thing of the past.
I will only have 2-3 drinks in a sitting now for that very reason. I’m 42 and I just can’t stand waking up feeling like shit anymore.
Absolutely the same. Got to 37 and I had to basically quit alcohol. My body couldn’t tolerate it anymore.
I used to drink socially, go out with friends, drink have a laugh, stay out late.
Not anymore, my body just stopped being able tolerate alcohol anymore. The hangovers went from 1 – 2 days, to 4 – 5 days. Absolutely brutal too.
I had to give it up.
I’m 51 and my tolerance has been dropping noticeably for the last 2-3 years. I was drinking more than you are, and kept doing it for social reasons, but am cutting back to 7 drinks a week and some leeway for socializing because of hypertension. Feel better overall.
I’d say this happening at 38 is in the normal range. Just cut back to whatever you’re comfortable with and spread it out so you can drink when they’re a social reason to
Very bad heartburn can point to other issues. Perhaps get yourself checked? In general i feel that sport and hydration helps. Also avoid certain food if you suffer from heartburn. And if you do, just dont mix food and alcohol, especially nothing fatty or sugary. Heartburn is a food and alcohol induced thing for me. Gotta get to know what triggers you. But i still drink relatively same amounts as when i was in my twenties (multiple times a week). But i am in bed before midnight now. Even in weekends.
Now it’s easier to not drink than drink, your body and mind thank you for hydration and zero alcohol
Don’t wanna sound like a broken violin but any amount of
Alcohol is bad for you. Liquid poison attacking every organ.
I’m turning 35 and the hangover and anxiety is not worth it. I save it for special occasions now but yea it’s time to cut that shit out.
I’m wondering if something has changed in alcohol or the brewing process or something because this is way more common these days. Around my 30th birthday (31 now) I just completely stopped being able to handle any amount at all. I’ve gone pretty much fully teetotal now. The worst symptoms were mental, and they were exceedingly powerful. I’m talking several days of paranoia and rock-bottom self esteem after a mild session of drinking. I tried it again over Christmas after not having drank for several months to see if it had just been a phase or that I’d been overdoing it before, but nope. It was just the same, if less intense.
Many feel this way about drinking and aging. All my old drinking buddies that didn’t die from liver disease have quit. I drank daily for 40 years before I quit.
I used to do two big bottle of Costco Vodka a week at home plus whatever when I went out. Now it’s one margarita with dinner every other Friday night for date night with my wife….
Where I live (Wisconsin) everything revolves around drinking. Stop at a friends house, they give you a beer, done with work, have a drink. Go for an epic mountain bike ride, drinks in the parking lot after. Friday night fish fries with old fashions. Saturday and Sundays start with a Bloody Mary for breakfast and then day drinking. Every day of the week….
At this point I dont even drink anymore, I got stupid drunk about 5 years ago and I was just a wreck for an entire day and spent it laying in bed, all my normal methods of dealing with a hangover no longer worked. And I thought what was even the point of it? I had vague faint memories of the the night before, and just lay in bed for the entirety of the night.
No i’m good, no more alcohol needed. I drink maybe once or twice a year now, I still enjoy the taste of beer from time to time, but I’m good to not do it anymore.
I’ve also seen the ravages that unrestricted drinking can cause in the long run, the destruction of the body, the damage to your health.
Nah… i’m fine without alcohol.
I suspect that people who experience this might be having health issues mainly because of alcohol itself.
Regularly drinking alcohol is unnatural and just fucks up your system entirely.
I would stop.
Everybody is different, but I have no issues and just about no hangovers at 45. I only have drinks on weekends; few cans of beer and maybe a bottle of wine and 4-6 fingers of whisky before turning in. No sleep disruption or anything.
Ive given up alcohol except for the weekends (and that’s just 1 or 2 beers). Its crazy how much you dont miss it once you get over it. In the rare event that I do have more than a few beers, i’m out for the entire next day and feel like absolute shit.