yeah and the thought that you cant have a beer makes you want one even more too

[quote author=363B3F3A3C3F30393B2C6A6B5E0 link=1275876330/25#25 date=1281625843].... Something in research has just got to break-through at some point and give us all relief - when???? who??? solution???

Have you checked out Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or A lot of people have found relief there.

David

As soon as I notice the first signs of a cycle coming on, I verify it with the beer test.  The beer test never fails.  From that point on, alcohol of any sort is just completely out of the question, it's not remotely worth the nearly guaranteed hit that it will produce. 

So anyway, during this latest round (the last three weeks), I've become a bit of a connoisseur of root beer.  Instead of stopping at the store on the way home Friday and picking up some Fat Tire (a western US microbrew), I'd grab some root beer - in glass bottles of course, to enhance the illusion that it was something special.  Buying a big two liter of generic Barqs or whatever just wouldn't have the same appeal.  After a while I started reading root beer reviews online and hunting down some more esoteric brands.  It was nice to have something a little "special" to drink in the evening and, even without the alcohol, it really was enjoyable.  But, I'm speaking in the past tense now because I've been PF for two days now and if it keeps up I think I'll be going back to the real thing tomorrow night.

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Not in the same glass I would hope.  Yuck!

Being chronic since 87, alcohol doesn't trigger me.  I've spoken to many chronics over the years and it's the same for them.  Small consolation, I'd say.   

I would concur with what a few others have said herein ... no doubt alcohol "can" be a trigger ... but not always. If I have "a" cocktail, "a" beer or "a" glass of wine ... you can bet the farm, my ass will be in tears soon! However, if I slam several in rapid succession, no pain ... I'm talking 3 or 4 doubles (vodka for me) within an hour.

And as far as why take the risk ... well, when you've done everything you know, avoided all the triggers, and you're still getting hammered daily with CH, then why not? When you're in the place that some of us are, sometimes it's just good to get numb! Maybe I sound like a rationalizing alcoholic, but nothing close. I don't drink daily, weekly or even monthly ... but in my current state, battling the beast, unemployed and very depressed ... I think it's ok to indulge.

Like I told a well meaning friend lately ... "if this isn't the right time to have a stiff drink ... when is?".

Red

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The only sensation i yearn to have all the years i am chronic is the one like swimming in the sea and then getting out at the shore and feel relaxed,active and peaceful.This sensation is the one i yearn again to have in my life and ch with all the pain hits,shadows,phantom hits,neck and back discomforts has deprived as to a very rare sensation.
the rest like the numbness it's still an awareness ''of how i am now'' -numb,which i don't want.
i want to feel my head like my knee for example.
it's healthy and i never think of it
this is a reason also why i would never try shrooms even if they weren't illegal and why i give lately a lot of thinking in preventatives effectiveness and side effects too.
and also why i don't miss alcohol at all.
i think i can't bear anything that doesn't let me feel normal.

p.s.i had a very good day swimming at the sea today.A normal perfect day.Remind me about it in a few months winter when i ll get hit really hard and say that life sucks.

I thought I read that it is definately a trigger ... but that if you already smoke and are getting hit, quitting smoking won't make CH go away? I'll be interested to here how that works out for you ... because I really need to quit. But when you're as wrecked as I've felt lately, and there's supposedly no CH benefit to quitting ... why fight it! But if it truly gets you some relief ... I'm jumpin on the wagon with you! 

Keep me posted!

Red

OK ... now there's some serious motivation!!!

Can I still drink and kill my liver or will that disqualify me??

I'm episodic and alcohol is a trigger for me -- sometimes.  I guess when I'm in cycle.  And it depends on what I drink.  And that changes throughout my life. 

In my college days, I could drink any type of beer, no problem -- but liquor would leave me waking up with a hit.  In my later 20s, beer started giving me powerful hits, when I woke up in the morning (distinctly different than a hangover, but try explaining that to someone without CH).  Then it started giving me them within an hour of starting drinking.  So I tried Jack and Coke and rarely had a problem.  After 5 years of that, I started getting hit almost everytime I drank -- either shortly after starting or in the morning.  So I tried beer again.  Only had a problem when it was medium to dark beer, but a nice light Pilsner usually doesn't cause any problems -- as long as I had the first few quickly and maintain at least one an hour until going to bed.  Starting drink and stopping without going to bed is with usually give me a problem.  Red wine has almost always given me hits, white wine usually doesn't -- but I don't really like wine anyway.

I know I should probably stop drinking, but coming from a family that likes to party, I still keep rolling the dice on that.  Plus, teetotalers have a much higher rate of heart disease than people who drink.  I just try to take it easy to avoid liver problems in the future.  And stop drinking when I'm in cycle.

YES! Finally ... a good reason to smoke! I love it!

I do the almost exact same routine ... even if it doesn't help the CH, it does calm me a bit so I don't want to chew through walls!

Red