Mono & Alcohol - A Bad Idea

If you've been diagnosed with mono, you should make sure to avoid alcohol. While most people won't feel like being the life of the party anyway when they have mono, not everyone understands how dangerous this mix can be.

The Dangers of Mono and Alcohol

When you have mono, one of the side effects is often an inflamed liver. Alcohol enters the liver and can make your inflammation even worse. This is because alcohol forces your liver to work harder than it is usually used to working. This will put undo stress on your body and can cause other consequences as well. Most people would naturally avoid alcohol when they feel as ill as mono often makes people feel. However, if you have an especially high alcohol tolerance, or you have an issue with alcohol, you may try to drink while dealing with mono. This can be incredibly dangerous and toxic for you and your system.

How Long Should You Stay Away?

Certainly, during the time that you have acute symptoms, you should avoid alcohol consumption. You should be in contact with your doctor and should have your symptoms monitored. If your doctor has found that your liver is functioning in a normal way, and your symptoms have started to ease, you can go back to having a drink once in a while. This isn't to say that you can go out partying however! Most doctors will recommend that you avoid alcohol for anywhere between two months and a year after your diagnosis with mono.

Alcohol Intolerance

Some people actually find that they develop an intolerance to alcohol after they've had mono or Epstein Barr. This means that even a small amount of alcohol might make you relapse or bring back your symptoms. While most people can handle being drunk, and can rebound within a day or so, the person with mono or Epstein Barr may find that it takes much longer to recover. They may feel quite ill for awhile and weak, making it very unappealing to drink at all.

It is certainly important to take a look at your alcohol consumption if you are dealing with this illness, or if you've had it in the past. While you might be fine, and be able to hold your alcohol, you may find that it's too much for you to drink even the smallest amount anymore.