Drinking too much alcohol can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, digestive issues, stroke, and liver disease. Some studies also indicate that alcohol consumption can suppress thyroid function. Because of this, drinking alcohol may cause hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism.
Within the human body, alcohol has a wide array of effects. Hypothyroidism occurs when you have an underactive thyroid, and this disorder may be caused by your alcohol consumption. If you experience fatigue, weight gain, or depression, your symptoms may be related to your thyroid. Your doctor or rehab specialist can talk to you about ways to treat hypothyroidism and alcohol use disorder at the same time.
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How the Thyroid Gland Works
The thyroid is in charge of regulating several important hormones in your body. Because of this, it impacts your metabolism and growth. When you are pregnant, need extra energy, or feel cold, it can increase the amount of thyroid hormones released into your body.
Your thyroid gland is located at the front of your neck. It is directly underneath your voice box. Within the lobes, there are individual lobules and connective tissue.
The thyroid is responsible for producing reverse triiodothyronine (RT3), triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), and calcitonin. Together, these hormones determine your metabolism, body temperature, heart rate, and brain development. They also impact your digestion, breathing rate, fertility, and mental activity.
General Effects of Alcohol on the Body
When you drink excessively, it can have a negative impact on your mental and physical health. Even if you stop drinking, you may still suffer from long-term complications from your previous alcohol consumption. For instance, alcohol gets in the way of your brain’s communication pathways. This can cause changes in your mood and behavior in the short run. In the long run, it can increase your odds of developing brain damage.
When you drink too much at once or regularly over an extended period of time, it can cause damage to your heart. You may develop high blood pressure, cardiomyopathy, or arrhythmias. Eventually, you may have a heart attack or stroke.
Long-term alcohol consumption can cause cirrhosis, liver fibrosis, fatty liver disease, and alcoholic hepatitis. When you drink, it causes your pancreas to create toxic substances. This can lead to pancreatitis.
Over time, scientists have found a strong correlation between alcohol consumption and cancer. Head, neck, esophageal, and colorectal cancer are more common in drinkers. Additionally, drinking can increase your odds of developing colorectal, liver, and breast cancer.
Alcohol abuse weakens your immune system. This means that you may get sick more often. Other than catching typical respiratory viruses, you are also more likely to contract tuberculosis and pneumonia.
Alcohol and Thyroid Function
Research studies indicate that alcohol plays a strong role in thyroid suppression. When you drink, alcohol damages the thyroid cells. This directly affects thyroid health, limiting the functioning of the thyroid gland.
It can also limit your thyrotropin-releasing hormone response. Normally, this response is necessary for your thyroid to grow and heal. If this response is not happening, you may develop issues that can affect your thyroid hormone levels.
Normally, this type of cell damage and hormone suppression causes hypothyroidism. Because these issues can lead to thyroid dysregulation, hyperthyroidism and goiter (enlargement of the thyroid gland) are also a possibility.
Unfortunately, alcohol causes direct cellular toxicity in your thyroid. As a result, your thyroid will produce less T3 and T4 hormones. The amount you drink is strongly correlated with how much your T3 hormone production is reduced.
While alcohol may play a role in hypothyroidism, some studies indicate it may reduce the likelihood of developing Grave’s disease and other autoimmune thyroid diseases. This effect was only noticed when individuals drank a moderate amount. For women, a moderate amount is one glass of wine a day. Men can drink up to two glasses of wine per day.
Thyroid cancer is another condition that is slightly less likely to come about with moderate alcohol consumption. Researchers have found that this protective benefit disappears if someone is a heavy drinker. Additionally, anyone who has been drinking for more than 10 years does not receive the same benefit. In fact, drinking heavily for more than 30 years is connected to a higher incidence of thyroid cancer.
Recommendations for Alcohol Consumption in Thyroid Patients
You should talk to your healthcare provider about your health conditions and medications before you drink alcohol. In many cases, drinking heavily can make your symptoms worse. If your doctor says that it is safe to drink, you should stick to moderate consumption of alcohol.
Can You Take Thyroid Medications While Drinking Alcohol?
Alcohol can interact with certain medications and supplements. If you are taking drugs for thyroid cancer, hypothyroidism, or other medical conditions, you should check the prescription label to see if alcohol is contraindicated. You can also ask your medical provider about the safety of using alcohol while taking thyroid medications.
Normally, hyperthyroidism is treated with thionamides. These drugs are used to reduce the hormones your thyroid produces. Typically, doctors prescribe carbimazole and propylthiouracil. Both of these medications allow you to drink alcohol while you are taking them.
Unfortunately, both of these thionamides can cause dizziness. Since alcohol consumption can also cause dizziness, it is important to exercise caution while drinking. When in doubt, the safest option is to avoid drinking entirely.
In addition to alcohol, you should avoid drinking too much caffeine if you have hyperthyroidism. This thyroid condition is known to cause anxiety. Unfortunately, caffeine can worsen anxiety symptoms. Because hypothyroidism causes different symptoms, you should have no issue drinking caffeine if you suffer from suppressed thyroid function.
Learn More About Rehab Options Today
When you drink alcohol, it can damage the cells in your thyroid. As a result, you may end up suffering from hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism. Unfortunately, the impact of alcohol on other organs in your body can also be negative.
While moderate alcohol intake may reduce your chances of developing thyroid cancer, this is primarily because thyroid cancer is linked to hyperthyroidism. Alcohol slows down your thyroid, so it is more likely to cause an underactive thyroid. Unfortunately, alcohol is a major risk factor for most other cancers.
If you believe you may have a substance use disorder, you do not have to become sober alone. At Illinois Recovery Center, we have years of experience helping clients through our inpatient and outpatient treatment programs. We offer cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy, and group therapy to all of our clients.
An addiction specialist can talk to you about your history with alcohol. Then, they can recommend the right treatment program for your needs. If you are ready to start your sobriety journey, reach out to one of our addiction specialists today.
