I don't drink because of lifting. I would consider myself a social drinker. I don't drink to get drunk. I don't have the power I used to to deal with hangovers. My lifts are important to me as well. Maybe I should be a bit clearer when I say drink. If I were to have a glass of wine, or a mug of beer with my boss at dinner, or just to relax at home, is this bad?
I usually ask my doctor about anything I should stay away from, be it food or supplements, to other medication, when I am given something new to take, be it Paxil or even cold medicine. I asked "If I take my Paxil in the morning, and then end up drinking in the evening, am I in trouble." He said "No. You'll be fine. Just try not to go overboard. Even then, you should be fine."
I'm not looking to get drunk, I'm just trying to figure out what boundaries I have. Do I give up alcohol completely 100 percent, even if it's just a celebratory glass of champagne at my birthday? I don't mean to stir up anything, just looking for some clarification...my doc said it was OK to drink, just space it out...didn't seem right, but then this is a country where doctors recommend patients start smoking to help them handle stress more.
Going to a sento is fine, but not always possible. I have lots of things I'd like to do, but just don't have the time. Right now I'm trying to learn time management.
An example of what I would like to avoid is as follows: If I injure myself at the gym in a way that requires me to take tylenol, then I would avoid all alcohol at all costs. Tylenol and alcohol is super bad for the liver, and damage can occure easily with the 2 after just 1 time. If I took an NSAID, then I wouldn't worry so much. Still not good for the body in general, but I'm not gonna worry myself about it.
If Paxil is something that requires someone to stay off alcohol at all times, regardless of the amounts they take, then that's what I will do...and I will bring this up with my doctor again and ask why he said it was OK. I live in a country where drinking is part of the culture. Not drinking can be an insult in many cases...so, I'm just preparing. Everyone knows I can drink...suddenly choosing not to will cause them to wonder why. If I were in Canada, I might be able to open up about my problem. I live in Japan where this problem would be looked at as a severe handicap and it would affect how people treat me in many ways. I'd be labeled 'the mental guy'...and I would like to avoid that.