Can You Drink Alcohol When You Have Graves’ Disease?

Whether a person suffering from Graves’ disease or hyperthyroidism should drink alcohol or not has always remained a controversy topic among large number of people. To get the conclusion, it is thus essential to discuss on the experts opinion about the Graves’ disease and alcoholic intake by respective patients.

Graves’ Disease Overview

Graves’ disease indicates a form of autoimmune problem, which causes thyroid gland of humans to produce thyroid hormones excessively. According to doctors, this is an underlying cause of the problem of hyperthyroidism.

In this problem, immune system of a person creates antibodies, which causes growth of thyroid and create thyroid hormones in relatively higher amounts than those required by the body. These antibodies act as TSIs i.e. Thyroid Stimulating Immunoglobulins, which bind to receptors of thyroid cell i.e. docking stations for TSH. TSI further tricks your thyroid to grow and procedure hormones excessively resulting in hyperthyroidism.

According to endocrinologists, a large number of individuals dealing with autoimmune or thyroid condition opt to intake alcoholic beverage occasionally do not deal with any problem. However, drinking alcohol regularly, will definitely affect their health adversely, which is same in case of individuals with normal thyroid condition.

Too Much Alcohol Affects Adrenal and Liver Glands

Despite in some cases excessive alcoholic intake causes depression of the thyroid gland activity leading to hypothyroid condition, alcoholic intake in higher amounts affect adrenal and liver glands in a bad way. Specific effects are here-

Causes Fatigue of Adrenals and Slows Thyroid Gland – Logic behind this is very simple i.e., since alcohol has carbohydrate in excessive amount, it affects one’s blood sugar levels and hence, lot of alcoholic consumption leading to fatigue of adrenals. Weak adrenals causes slowing of the thyroid gland and affect both immune system and gut.

Puts Strain on Liver and Increases Complications among Graves’ disease Patients: Alcohol causes significant influence on the liver of patients. We all know that liver has an important role associated with overall thyroid health. This is because; conversion to T3 from T4 takes place within the largest gland of humans i.e. liver. Furthermore, your liver has to perform various other essential functions, including the detoxification process.

Hence, if you are suffering from Graves’ disease or hyperthyroidism and are on PTU or Methimazole prescribed drug for it, it is essential for you to make sure about optimum function of your liver based on detoxification process. By excessive alcohol intake, you put a huge strain on your liver, which affects digestion and creates difficulty in the conversion to T3 resulting in complications related to Graves’ disease. In some cases, liver strain results in leaky gut syndrome.

Other Adverse Effects of Too Much Alcohol on Graves’ Disease Patients

Alcohol or alcoholic beverages interfere with hydrochloric acid HCL in the human body, which further leads to problems with digestion of food. It also causes direct damage of intestinal lines leading to leaky gut i.e. intestinal permeability and thereby, triggers autoimmune response. This even causes hyperthyroidism because of Graves’ disease. Consumption of alcohol too much cause also cause damage to both nervous system and immune system of humans.

Also Read:

Can You Drink Alcohol When You Have Graves’ Disease?

Graves’ Disease Overview