Rheumatoid Arthritis and Alcohol: A Safe Mix?

The impact alcohol has on RA symptoms is highly variable from one person to the next. If you and your healthcare provider decide it’s safe for you to drink, moderation is key to avoiding negative impacts on not only your RA but your overall health. If you are taking methotrexate, it is a good idea to talk to your healthcare provider about how much alcohol is safe to drink while taking this medication. Your practitioner will likely advise you based on medication dosage and the amount of alcohol you’re consuming. The current research on alcohol consumption in people with RA does suggest that alcohol may not be as harmful as researchers used to think.

“Keeping an eye on your blood test results is a great way to find out early if you’re having a liver issue. If there is a change, the first thing I’ll ask about is alcohol and you may need to cut back or stop,” says Manno. The study found that moderate alcohol consumption led to an increase in radiological progression in women and a decrease in radiological progression in men. The risk of many types of arthritis — including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and gout — increases with age. The effects of alcohol on RA are vast and complex, and research consistently shows that overconsumption leads to a whole host of health problems. Alcohol in moderation can be safe for some people, but be sure you discuss this with your healthcare provider and follow their advice.

It also reduces the body’s nutrient content, leading to suppression of the immune system and aggravation of joint inflammation. Research shows that moderate drinking might have some benefits for people with RA. By sharing your experience, you’re showing decision-makers the realities of living with arthritis, paving the way for change. You’re helping break down barriers to care, inform research and create resources that make a difference in people’s lives, including your own.

Arthritis is also more common among people who have a family history of the condition, or who have certain chronic conditions such as obesity, heart disease or diabetes. If you don’t already drink, don’t start just because of a possible heart-health benefit. The more alcohol you drink, the higher the risk of this complication, according to a Harvard Medical School study from 2016. Standard Drinks Guide includes a standard drinks calculator and the approximate number of standard drinks in different serves of alcoholic beverages. Our website services, content, and products are for informational purposes only.

What’s the Connection Between Alcohol and Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)?

EGCG has been shown to be as much as 100 times stronger in antioxidant activity than vitamins C and E. Studies have shown it also helps preserve cartilage and bone, although there are no widespread controlled trials of it in people with arthritis. But studies conducted over recent years may point toward a more nuanced view of alcohol use in the future. In 2017, researchers at the University of Manchester eco sober house in England found no increased risk of liver damage in patients on methotrexate who consumed less than 14 units of alcohol per week. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the joints, causing inflammation. Immune cells called cytokines are involved in the inflammatory process, and excess alcohol consumption may promote higher levels.

According to the Arthritis Foundation, drinking alcohol in moderation is usually safe and may even reduce certain types of inflammation. Some research says that small amounts of alcohol could reduce the risk of developing RA in the first place. It has also been found that drinking red wine in moderation can reduce the risk of knee osteoarthritis. One of the ingredients in red wine, which is called resveratrol, is known to have anti-inflammatory effects and is beneficial for arthritis.

Alcohol is known for certain anti-inflammatory and cardio-protective health benefits. For example, one 2014 study in the Journal of Rheumatology found that rheumatoid arthritis patients who drank a small amount of alcohol reported better functional status than those who abstained completely. Drinking alcohol in the evening may adversely affect the quality of sleep. Poor sleep can increase the symptoms of fibromyalgia such as fatigue, pain, headaches, and depression. It is best for fibromyalgia patients to avoid drinking later in the day if sleep medications are prescribed due to potential interactions. Another class of drugs called Janus kinase inhibitors , which includes tofacitinib , baricitinib , and upadacitinib , also don’t specifically warn against interactions with alcohol.

Does alcohol affect inflammation?

Later, reduction in proinflammatory cytokines, as well as NF-κB expression in human monocytes, was shown to be only upon acute alcohol consumption or exposure to equivalent amounts in vitro . Potent effects of alcohol on autoimmunity have also been observed in other diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus , autoimmune diabetes, Graves’ hyperthyroidism, and autoimmune hypothyroidism . Of note, nutrition in general has been shown to have strong effects on autoimmunity; in a study of alcohol-use and SLE, there was a significant correlation of wine but not beer consumption as a protective factor . A recent review of the possible links between different beverages and RA discussed one of the compounds found in wine, resveratrol, inhibiting downstream mechanisms of TNF receptor . Benefits and harms of different components of human diet have been known for hundreds of years.

• Chang M.H., Nigrovic P.A. Antibody-dependent and -independent mechanisms of inflammatory arthritis.
• Arthritis can make the joints in your fingers swollen and stiff.
• If you take methotrexate or another medication metabolized by the liver, regular checks of liver enzymes are recommended.
• Arthritis of weight-bearing joints can keep you from walking comfortably or sitting up straight.
• Severe arthritis, particularly if it affects your hands or arms, can make it difficult for you to do daily tasks.

TFH cells play a central role in supporting B cell activation, class switch, affinity maturation, and GC maintenance . We have shown that, in the context of CIA, alcohol-fed mice exhibited no significant changes to CD4+ T cell populations aside from reduced Treg cells in the spleens and dLNs . Increased TFH cells have been shown to be increased in various autoimmune diseases . The functionally active IL-21+ TFH cell population was reduced in alcohol-consuming CIA mice.

One study found a modest association between a reduced risk of RA and long-term moderate alcohol consumption. However, researchers stated that other studies need to be conducted to accurately conclude findings. “Alcohol significantly increases the risk of liver damage while taking methotrexate,” the College explains.

Alcohol and Other RA Medications

Researchers used periodic X-rays to track radiological progression over time. Linterman M.A., Rigby R.J., Wong R.K., Yu D., Brink R., Cannons J.L., Schwartzberg P.L., Cook M.C., Walters G.D., Vinuesa C.G. Follicular helper T cells are required for systemic autoimmunity. https://soberhome.net/ Balmer M.L., Ma E.H., Thompson A.J., Epple R., Unterstab G., Lötscher J., Dehio P., Schürch C.M., Warncke J.D., Perrin G., et al. Memory CD8+ T Cells Balance Pro- and Anti-inflammatory Activity by Reprogramming Cellular Acetate Handling at Sites of Infection.

And M.M.Z.; writing—original draft preparation, V.A.; writing—review and editing, V.A. And M.M.Z.; funding acquisition, M.M.Z. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. Inclusion in an NLM database does not imply endorsement of, or agreement with, the contents by NLM or the National Institutes of Health. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

If you choose to drink, alcohol should only be one small part of a healthy diet. Eating healthy, exercising, controlling your weight and not smoking are better ways to protect your joints and the rest of your body, says Dr. Costenbader. That’s eco sober house rating about 12 ounces of regular beer, 5 ounces of wine and 1.5 ounces of spirits. Arthritis community connects patients with others online and in-person for support and education, and encourages patients to play an active role in their health care.

Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available. You should always seek professional medical treatment so that your doctor can treat your individual case. Each case of RA is different, and what works for another person may not work for you. Alcohol doesn’t react well with many commonly prescribed RA medications. People who have injured a joint, perhaps while playing a sport, are more likely to eventually develop arthritis in that joint.

However, for a person who already has arthritis, alcohol consumption can be detrimental. The benefits in these studies were only seen with moderate drinking. A drink is 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of liquor. CreakyJoints is a digital community for millions of arthritis patients and caregivers worldwide who seek education, support, advocacy, and patient-centered research. We represent patients through our popular social media channels, our website CreakyJoints.org, and the 50-State Network, which includes nearly 1,500 trained volunteer patient, caregiver and healthcare activists. We present patients through our popular social media channels, our website CreakyJoints.org, and the 50-State Network, which includes nearly 1,500 trained volunteer patient, caregiver and healthcare activists.

How are you changing the future?

The medication is given as a shot, taken as a pill, or infused into the vein. If a patient has arthritis and taking DMARDs, they should not consume any type of alcohol as it could increase the risk of liver disease. When it comes to alcohol and arthritis, there are mixed recommendations. The effects of alcohol vary depending on the type of arthritis, medication, and lifestyle. It is important to check with your healthcare professional before consuming alcohol. Even drinking alcohol with over-the-counter pain medications, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs , can cause complications.

For example, in scope of multiple sclerosis , intake of pro- or pre-biotics was found to positively affect disease severity . Low-dose alcohol feeding of mice in a preclinical model for MS altered the microbiota in sex-dependent manner protecting against experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis . In the RA preclinical CIA model, both alcohol and acetate consumption has been shown to ameliorate disease severity . Here, we review known effects of alcohol and alcohol’s metabolites, acetaldehyde and acetate, on the immune system within the scope of autoimmunity, namely, RA. Nitric oxide is another compound produced by macrophages, neutrophils, and natural killer cells, and adds to RA progression . NO has been shown to inhibit aldehyde dehydrogenase as well as react directly with ethanol to form ethyl nitrite .

Acute ethanol exposure has also been shown to reduce Kupffer cell NO production . Upon alcohol intake in vivo, human monocytes exhibit activation of STAT1/3, leading to STAT-dependent induction of suppressors of cytokine signaling and downregulation of IL-6, IFN-α, and IFN-γ . Furthermore, ex vivo acute ethanol treatment of human peripheral monocytes resulted in decreased p65 phosphorylation and consequently inhibited NF-κB DNA binding .

When a patient has osteoarthritis, the tissues in the joints start to break down over time. The severity depends on the level of pain and how it affects their daily activities. With the inflammation due to RA and if patients are on medication for their condition, it is important to check the liver function.