Patricia, one of our followers, shares her experience of reducing alcohol during the menopause.
I’ve been a weekly wine drinker for 35 years and enjoyed every sip; being told ‘you need to reduce your alcohol during the menopause’ fell on deaf ears. I enjoyed my chardonnay to relax after work, my best companion when chilling out with friends and part of the furniture when watching good tv – why would I give it up?
I didn’t consider reducing my wine consumption until I went on strong antibiotics, which meant no alcohol for 2 weeks! This was really tough for me, but I soon noticed my sleep patterns changed – I was sleeping deeper and for longer. At first, I thought it was the medication, which I’m sure played apart but then I realised the hot sweats had reduced.
I felt so much better each morning but as soon as I could, I was sipping my wine again! The change was quite dramatic though, night sweats came back with a vengeance, together with the consequences of not getting a good night sleep meant I was so grumpy and tired each morning,
It was time to reflect and accept that getting older and going through the menopause, meant a change to my lifestyle. But it doesn’t have to be a negative change. Although it’s taken me nearly 6 months to adapt, I now only drink during social events and even then, it’s only 2 glasses of wine. The money I have saved not buying several bottles of wine a week, I spend on a body massage.
I wish I’d reduced my wine years ago and not waited until the menopause prompted me to do so. I’m now looking at other ways to become healthier – my mission is to use the menopause as an opportunity to be the healthiest I’ve ever been.
I’ve started to walk every morning in the local woods for an hour before breakfast, I plan to start meditation soon and I may even try some yoga – the menopause is changing me, but I’m using it as an opportunity to change for the better.
Everyone can take small steps to rectify bad habits; make a list of what you consider bad habits and see what actions you can take.
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