I Can’t Drink Now Like I Used to a Few Years Ago (26M), is that Normal?
During college and a few years after (maybe til 23/24) I drank almost weekly and don’t get drunk that easily. In terms of beers, maybe I get tipsy at about 6 and give up at 10.
But now, I drink 2 and I get tipsy, and maybe tap out at 4/5.
Is that normal?
People fuck themselves up with the drink. No one should be drinking 4-5 in a day.
…beers? 4-5 beers over the course of a night is fine. Especially if you’re a larger person. I’m a pretty big dude and unless I’m shotgunning them I can drink 2-3 beers and barely be tipsy.
I don’t even drink often, either.
Now if it’s every night or something there might be an issue.
As well as the medical effects, there’s also the realisation (age varies when this happens) that going out in order to get drunk is not a good time.
Enjoy it. A night out is now cheaper.
What is “one beer”? 330ml? 500? A pint?
Tolerance would be my first guess. When you drink regularly, the liver (and/or whatever) upregulates enzymes that break down ethanol and the assorted byproducts. If you consume less for a while, there’s no reason to keep producing them in such amounts.
Also, don’t underestimate the effects of stomach contents etc. - alcohol hits much harder (and sometimes subjectively differently) on an empty stomach.
The body is amazing at adaptation. In a high alcohol environment, prolonged over time, like college, you can adapt that situation and build a tolerance.
Now you’re a little older, you probably don’t drink as much, your physical activity may be different, you’re more in tune with how your body should feel, so you’re noticing it more.
It’s not a bad thing!
Having read your post, I’m thinking of giving up alcohol. I’ve just consumed my tenth drink and yet, surprisingly, feel no effects.
Why would you be concerned about your body’s decreased ability to tolerate high levels of self poisoning? I have some vague idea why, but I’d like to hear someone formulate it into words.
i personally prefer to have a high tolerance so that when i do find myself in a social situation i can drink whatever is there and not worry. if i don’t have at least a double shot of bonded bourbon a night, i’ll have 4 or 5 light beers.
4 or 5 light beers a night isn’t healthy
Some minor/hard-to-notice health-related things can dramatically reduce alcohol tolerance and/or give “hangovers” shortly after starting a session.
For me, inflammation is a big cause. I have (barely noticeable) cat allergies, and (obvious but hard to avoid) food intolerances & gut issues. If I don’t stay on top of avoiding triggers, my alcohol tolerance goes from multiple G&Ts giving a nice buzz, to 1-2 sips of G&T giving dizziness and headaches. Electrolyte imbalance can also cause it. I’ve found I have to add magnesium and potassium salt to my diet, or else I generally feel tired more, and my alcohol tolerance plummets. Once you start controlling these factors, you’ll start getting clear feedback from your body when you have too much or too little salt, in the form of water and food tasting different and general feelings of tension or tiredness.
My advice: try antihistamines, easily-digestible meals, and/or sports drinks for a few days before you drink. If those help your tolerance, you probably have some health stuff going on - figure it out and you’ll probably find a way to generally feel better.
It could be that you’re drinking 6-10 natty lights and now you’re an adult so you don’t buy piss water any more.
I’m a nurse, not a doctor, just gonna chime in here that non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is a thing:
In general, any kind of sudden changes to your normal functioning are things you should probably be discussing with a physician, even if you’re young and otherwise healthy. The really encouraging news is that, if this is indeed caused by a health problem, you’re young enough that it’s really likely you can completely reverse it and get back to 100%. And if it’s not, then no harm done by seeing a doctor and confirming that ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
(Also, not to scare you, but no I wouldn’t expect to see that dramatic a decrease in alcohol tolerance over the course of just a couple of years at your age. I think it’s worth talking to a doctor about this.)
What about the increased hangover? Is that more normal?
Yeah, about five years ago I had an ultrasound screening for another issue and my doctor made a remark on a fat buildup on my liver. I wasn’t very overweight, I was just drinking some alcohol, lots of soda and not moving much. Have changed that a lot since then, but I’d never have done anything about it without that random discovery.
I’m 5 years down the road and… Well let me tell ya, it gets worse
I’m 40 this year. More than 2 beers and I get a hangover before I even go to bed and insomnia the next day.
Aged 18/19 I could slam 12 beers and a few shots and wake up feeling nothing.
Time is a cruel mistress.
normal… but you can practice drinking and get better at it. a couple years ago after I’d stopped drinking I tried to pick it up again and noticed that I couldnt handle my liquor at all. but through practice and perseverance I was eventually able to enjoy various rums and whiskeys without passing out after 5 or 6 ounces. eventually got tired of it again so now I just enjoy a beer every few weeks.
Tolerance isn’t a positive effect. I’m so confused at all the drinkers who act as though tolerance is a good effect there’s literally no other type of drug user who’d consider it to be a tolerance.
I’ll speak from experience: I used to like having a tolerance because it allowed me to “hang” with people that were heavier drinkers than I was. All this ended up doing for me was pave the way for alcoholism to set in.
That’s why it’s bad.
Yes, I have the same thing.
It is not only rare but a red flag if you can drink like a 21 year old in your 30s and 40s. If you can drink like that in your 50s you probably have ascites.
Think of it as a pleasant buff you didn’t ask for. Now you can nurse a drink slowly 😀
