My first Rhuemy said do not drink a drop of alcohol while on MTX.
I'm on 25 mgs, and I enjoy red wine. I've had a real cocktail once in a while, perhaps a real one or two a month....red wine, i have some weeks where I have none, and I have had a week where I've had 2 or 3 glasses. My liver has been fine. I didn't like to be the only one not having anything and I enjoy a nice Cabernet. You have to give up lots of things with this disease, and drinking is a social thing. In the beginning, I didn't have any and I resented my husband enjoying "my wine". It got to the point that I didn't want to go out with friends as they all start dinner with a martini or two and have a bottle of wine with dinner. I talked to my doctor, he said that "this is a crappy disease, you still have to live" and then he said it's fine to have drinks as long as you don't abuse it. I never asked for the specifics, but figure he tests my liver all the time, if it starts to show something is wrong I'll stop.
I have a glass of wine almost every day. My RD says it's fine.I was only on mtx for like two weeks (it didn't agree w/me) but when I was first prescribed the mtx my dr. said "Do you drink alcohol?" and I said I have two glasses every night. He said 'can you cut it to one every night?" and I said 'Fine". I agree though, drinking is a social thing and there's no need to be deprived. I liken it to imagine your doctor says "You can never have anything with sugar ever again". It's tough to be deprived of anything. My RD says to avoid alcohol on the day I take my dose of MTX and for 3-4 days after, and to try to limit myself to one drink on the other days. I take my MTX on Friday night, and have an occasional drink on Wednesdays and/or Thursdays. When I go on vacations, I quit taking MTX for a couple of weeks because I know I'll probably want to drink a little more. While on vacation, I limit myself to a drink or two a day, usually beer. I've used this strategy for several years and have had no problems with my liver tests. I'm on 25mg and I drink a glass of wine on a regular basis. My liver always test fine. My doctor is one of the ones that says some is ok as long as my live continues to accept it.I've been on mtx for 16 years and have had the occasional drink (sometimes a couple a month..sometimes a couple per week...sometimes none at all) over the years. Never had a problem yet..even at 25mgsI'm on 20 mg. and stopped alcohol completely. I never cared for it that much anyway so it's no big deal. But I do miss my husband's home made sangria. I feel like I've taxed my liver enough with two rounds of Accutane over the years, various antibiotics, pain meds and now these RA drugs so I decided to abstain altogether. Some doctors say a little is OK, others say none at all. It's a personal choice. I kicked off my alcoholism (one more disease) by drinking to kill the pain. If I was still drinking (even in the beginning drinking stage) and got put on MTX because of a very early alert diagnosis (which didn't happen), I wouldn't touch a drop of alcohol on MTX. And would be unable to not drink. incapable. If you are wanting to drink when you are ordered by a prescribing doctor not to, I just wouldn't take the risk, but my alcoholic self would. Ditto to Lovie. 20 mg. Drink a few glasses a week. If social occasion might be up to max 3 glasses of red wine over the night. Drink lots of water to help flush it through. Waaaay over did it on a girls weekend evening and it still didn't affect my liver results. However, lived in fear until the results came back fine, so learned my lesson. Will never do that again. Mostly just a glass or two, but not every night, and almost never on MTX injection day (only once in 2 1/2 years ... last night actually ... only half a glass, 12 hours after the injection ... okay, now I'm justifying my bad behaviour ...).I've been on mtx for about 10 months now - varied from 15mg to 25mg in dose. For the first three - six months, kept it at 2 drinks/week (red wine) no issues with liver tests. I've now gone up to 3 or 4 glasses per week. I switched rheumies last month (prior one retired) and I asked her what she thought and she felt my amount was fine based on my test results. I take my mtx on Tuesday evenings an have my wine on the weekend.
Thanks for the responses. I believe I have kept myself in line and I am going to join my husband in a cocktail while we watch American Gangster tonight- he misses my having a drink with him. I'm not going to be scared or guilty.