There is still a debate whether consumption of alcohol is safe during chemotherapy. Doctors generally do not recommend alcohol during chemotherapy, but it is said that most chemotherapy drugs are not affected by alcohol whereas some drugs might cause adverse reactions. It is best that you consult a medical advisor before you take any step.

Many sedatives such as painkillers, anti-nausea drugs, anti-anxiety drugs, anti-histamines, and some psychiatric medicines are affected by the intake of alcohol. The patient might sleep too long and in some extreme cases might even stop breathing.

Consumption of alcohol might also affect the liver. The liver cleans the body off many medications, including chemotherapy. It processes all the toxins in the body. Alcohol might come in the way of the liver’s functioning to effectively metabolize the toxins. It is therefore advisable not to consume alcohol when in doubt. If you are already suffering from liver damage or undergoing treatment for liver cancer, doctors would advise to avoid alcohol completely.

While undergoing chemotherapy, patients most often feel dehydrated. Alcohol triggers the symptom during chemotherapy. The side effects such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are caused because of dehydration while a patient is on medication. The dehydration effect would be worsened if the patients retort to alcohol during the treatment. The patients to happily live life after chemotherapy should follow a few tips. Your doctor will provide these tips once the chemotherapy process completes.

Consumption of alcohol during chemotherapy generally depends upon the drugs that are prescribed during the treatment. In some rare cases, doctors might allow the patient to consume alcohol in moderation. Doctors generally tell the patient how much alcohol is safe if the patient wishes to drink. However, remember alcohol is not recommended for all the drugs. Heavy drinking is completely out of question.

It is said that with some drugs, it is important to drink alcohol. The drugs include procarbazine and lomustine. If you are having either of the drugs, you need to talk to your doctor or chemotherapy nurse to clarify doubts about what you should eat and drink.

Some chemotherapy drugs make you feel sick and lose your appetite. If doctors recommend light drinking, then alcohol might help to improve the patient’s appetite. Patients develop change of taste and at times chemotherapy mouth sores during the treatment, so alcohol in these cases might raise the spirits of chemo patients, but remember it should be in moderation.

If the patient is an alcohol addict, it is important for him to make the doctor aware of it. Heavy drinking might lead to severe health problems and it would hinder the treatment. Patients should openly discuss about this serious problem without feeling awkward, as over 23 million Americans are alcohol addicts. Consider the phase as a time to beat the addiction and concentrate on fighting cancer.

A glass of wine or beer will not affect the patient while on chemotherapy. In fact it might relax the patient during the treatment which is often a very difficult phase. However, always consult your doctor before taking any step.