What's the consensus with alchohol post oral cancer? I've never been a heavy drinker but do like a cold beer in summer. One of my doctors (the maxiofacial surgeon) said to stay right away from it in future but another said it was fine in moderation. Keen to hear your thoughts and experiences with this issue...thanks

My docs said drinking with moderation of course was OK for me. I was never a heavy drinker although after some parties I woke up with a hangover! Initially and perhaps for at least a year post Tx I didn't drink at all but slowly my taste for beer returned and I have one every now and then and I enjoy them.

My doc told me drinking was not a good idea. He wouldnt come right out and forbid it but just told me to watch myself and try to avoid it. Since Ive had OC 3 times and not taken a sip of alchol, I cant blame the recurrences on the booze. Last summer I toasted my son turning legal age with a pina coloda and boy was it the best thing Ive ever tasted!

Im sure Charm will speak up, we used to have opposite opinions on this topic. Anything done in moderation, like having a beer occasionally should not hurt you. Beer and wine are probably better than drinking hard liquor like the rum in my pina colada.

Monica, I too wrestled with this question and still do occasionally. I was a regular drinker of wine and beer all my adult life and always loved it. (your Shirazes are wonderful... sigh...)

My RO told me in no uncertain terms: don't drink; you can have a glass of champagne on new year's eve but dot's eet! (she doesn't drink)

My MO told me: there's no reason you shouldn't enjoy wine if you don't go overboard. (he's a wine drinker and at one point we discussed Cabernet vintages)

My decision: sadly, I'm siding with my RO. Not because I think she's smarter than the other doc (they're both great) but because I figure why take the chance? Since I much prefer breathing to drinking it's not that tough a decision. Making it easier is the fact that when I've taken the tiniest sip of red wine - once a year ago and again at Thanksgiving - it tasted bitter, horrible. (haven't tried a beer because I have a feeling I'd like it too much...)

Meanwhile my friends are making out like bandits with the remains of my modest cellar.

I'll follow this thread with interest!

David 2

I never did ask my Dr. if I could have a drink. I'm not much of a drinker. A few months ago I went to Happy Hour with my friends when I go out with them I have Diet Coke...Well this time I thought I'd like to have an adult beverage they're having so much fun big mistake, I had 4 Rum and Diet Cokes I was sick for 2 days. Never again!!! My mouth burned, my tongue felt triple the size and I didn't get up from my lazy boy for 2 days. It wasn't worth it, never happening again.

That's about all I can contribute to drinking.

Connie

I have never been a drinker except for a sip at weddings. My Dr told me that id I was a drinker to stop. LOL Told him no problem and I won't drink anymore or less. david, maybe your system can't handle booze. LOL I bet you are funny half lit tho.

I am a recovering alcoholic with over 15 years sobriety, so drinking, for me, is not an option.

My impression is, that since most alcoholics lie about their drinking, especially consumption rates, that most doctors take the high ground and discourage it.

And, after all, there is a well defined relationship between heavy alcohol and/or tobacco consumption and OC.

But, if you are a "normie" and truly can drink like one (and you know who you are) then an occasional drink probably isn't going to harm you.

I tested the water it wasn't pleasant. Of course, not having a drink for almost 2 years 4 in one night through me for a loop. I'd rather go out and watch them make asses out of themselves, tell them the next day what they did and said, that's much more fun.

Congrats on your sobriety.

Connie

Monica

You've seen the "consensus", but as Christine warned you, I'm the resident OCF contrarian. All my doctors (ENT, RO, MO, protodontist) said that beer or wine was fine but no hard spirits or liquor. The issue is now moot for me, since with the feeding tube, there is zero risk to my oral tissues when I have my daily two or three glasses of wine.
A cold beer in the summer, IMO, is just what the doctor ordered. Unfortunately beer now fizzes up too much when syringed and the resultant foam does not do travel well down a feeding tube. But a nice cold Tecate was my daily drink that cooled off all the radiation and chemo damage to my throat and pumped up the pain pills just a notch. Plus it gave me extra calories (since I didn't use a PEG).
As far as having a drink causing recurrence, lots of OCF posters have scrupulously avoided demon alcohol yet their cancer came back anyway. I can't imagine letting Cancer take even more enjoyment from my life than it has, and I make sure to put my wine in a nice glass to clink with my wife even though I use a syringe.
Keep the Faith
Charm

My ENT said an occasional glass of wine or a beer probably wouldn't hurt, but right now, even a glass of communion wine has a tendency to burn my mouth, and it doesn't taste very good to me, either.

My husband does drink alcohol. He has only ever drank "Black Russians - Kahlua and vodka. He has one a day. He didn't have one during or after treatment ended for a few months until his mouth and throat healed. He now has one a day but dilutes it with a little water. There are no guarantees with this cancer as far as recurrances are concerned. My husband greatly values quality of life over quantity and has always said "everything in moderation". Life is about choices and there are no guarantees - so here's a toast to a Healthy, Happy New Year!

My husband Ron is 6 year's cancer free. He has always liked Margaritas and was concerned about drinking too. He talked to his Doctors and they said it should be fine, but in moderation. So that's what he does. He still gets to enjoy the Margaritas but he's careful. I'm with Wanda....life is about choices and there are no guarantees. Have a Happy New Year!

Shelley

I've never drink remaining occasions or parties... but one of my friend is a heavy drinker and he lots of time felt after drink and last year Dr. told him about his OC disease and suggest to left drinking....

thanks for all your replies. Charm and David your replies made me smile! I love the idea of it going in the tube Charm!
I think I'll be having a beer this new year's eve.
Of course no hard liquor (never drank anything other than beer and wine anyway).
From what I've read- its the combo of liquor and tobacco that leads to OC not so much liquor on its own?

I didn't drink liquor before, just beer and wine. Wine is too harsh now, especially red wine. And I don't drink all the dark beers that I used to, but I can handle Michelob Ultra and can now mix in a Shiner every now and then.

I've been a very light drinker for the last 15 years or so, maybe one drink a month, so alcohol is almost a non-issue for me but I do like a good beer. Over the summer I attended a wine and beer tasting event and discovered to my delight that a good beer still tastes great! I've had some red wine that burned my tongue like a demon and some that was fine.

My docs also talked moderation.

[quote=monicacc]
From what I've read- its the combo of liquor and tobacco that leads to OC not so much liquor on its own? [/quote]

Well... that's what the general description says. I'm no expert and hesitate to try and tease out the differences in etiology. It just seems safer to me to be safer!

Maybe someone more knowledgeable can chime in on this.

D2

But many non-smokers on here have OC, some moderate drinkers and some who have done neither. I've sat here for a year trying to figure out how I got OC I finally gave up. Do we really know how we got this, no?

When I first got here 80% of oral cancer was caused by environmental factors such as tobacco products and/or excessive alcohol use - that has been supplanted by the HPV virus (which is now the dominate cause, and hence why so many younger people are now coming here) and there are tests for that. EBV has also been closely watched as a causitive factor.

Once you have cancer it is more academic - whether HPV or environmentally induced the treatment modalities are the same.

OC can be caused by many other things as well, virtually anything that irritates the oral tissues on a regular basis, which might explain the small percentage of unknown etiology.

The immune system plays a roll and genetic propensity may also factor in to some degree.

Thanks Garry- I don;t know where I fit in that. I smoked in my early twenties and then on and off for 5 years till I finally quit for good a year before I was dx. Never a heavy smoker or drinker. Not HPV positive. But did use Listerine twice a day for 10 years- so who knows? I just think my mouth was my 'weakest link' - I had gum disease and dental issues for years but I don't think drinking alchohol was a direct factor in my cancer. I obvioulsy want to eliminate everything that may lead to reccurrence though and have stopped using Listerine but figure the occasional beer should be ok. I'm confused now!

What's EBV?

Re EBV - Could it be Epstein-Barr Virus?

EBV is Epstein Barr Barr virus - it used to be called mononucleosis. Mouthwashes with alcohol are very bad, especially if you are post Tx. Find non-alcoholic ones.