Drinking alcohol is an enjoyable part of many peoples’
lives – it’s a big part of socialising, and having a
drink can be a pleasant way to relax after a stressful
day. However, alcohol is both physically and
psychologically addictive, and it’s quite easy to become
dependent upon it. Dependency often leads to excessive
drinking, which can be seriously damaging to your health
and wellbeing.
Dependency on alcohol means that you cannot function
normally without it. Perhaps you need a drink, rather
than want one? Maybe you know that you drink too much
and that this is damaging your health, your performance
at work or your relationships? But despite all this, you
can’t break the cycle and drink less.
Many people who are dependent on alcohol and drink a
dangerous amount may not realise it. Pressure from
demanding jobs and stressful family lives can lead
people to drink excessively.
Our UK-based, GMC-registered GPs will review your online
consultation details and drink diary, and if appropriate
can provide a prescription for treatment to
help reduce alcohol consumption, in addition to access
to an online self-help programme.
Guidelines published in January 2016 make it clear than
any consumption of alcohol on a regular basis carries
health risks, principally an increased risk of cancer of
the mouth, throat and breast. The amount of risk
associated with alcohol is directly related to how much
you drink – the more you drink the greater the risk.
Alcohol is one of the main causes of early death due to
disease or injury. The amount of alcohol we consume is
measured in units of alcohol – 1 unit equals 8 grams of
pure alcohol. The NHS
provide a useful tool to find out how many units common
drinks contain.
Reduce your drinking
There are different risk categories associated with
drinking alcohol:
-
Lower Risk Drinking – This is sensible drinking.
This corresponds to drinking 14 units or less a week
for adult men and women. It has been found that the
majority of adults in the UK drink at this level. It
is not recommended to drink all the 14 units over 1
or 2 days, but to spread them over 3 or more days.
People who have 1 or 2 heavy drinking days each week
increase the risk of death from long-term illnesses,
accidents and injuries. Pregnant women are advised
not to drink alcohol at all. You should limit the
amount of alcohol drunk on any one occasion, drink
slowly, alternate with water and eat while drinking.
Guidelines on the amount of alcohol to consume in a
single occasion are not provided at the moment as
the harm varies a lot from person to person.
-
Increased Risk Drinking - This is hazardous
drinking. This corresponds to drinking 22-50 units a
week for adult men and 15-35 units a week for adult
women. Drinking at this level will be harming your
health and you may not be aware of it. The more you
drink, the greater the harm.
-
High-Risk Drinking – This is harmful drinking. This
corresponds to drinking more than 50 units a week
for adult men and more than 35 units a week for
adult women. It has been found that 6% of men and 2%
of women in the UK drink at this level. If this is
you, you need to lower your level of drinking.
-
Obesity. Alcoholic drinks contain many calories. Did
you know a large glass of white wine has the same
number of calories as a Cornetto ice cream? Regular
and heavy drinking is a major contributor to being
overweight.
-
Depression, anxiety and sleep disorders
-
Cirrhosis of the liver
-
Increased risk of a serious accident or being
involved in violence
-
Impotence and infertility
-
Diabetes
-
Heart Disease
-
High blood pressure
-
Stroke
-
Liver, breast, mouth, throat and bowel cancer
-
Acute pancreatitis.
Many of these problems can go unnoticed until they are
well advanced, irreversible and extremely serious, and
can result in death. Indeed, in younger people (women
under the age of 45 years and men under the age of 35
years), any level of alcohol consumption increases the
overall risk of death in a dose-dependent manner – i.e.
the more you drink, the more likely you are to die
early.
Drinking too much is very dangerous and it can become an
addiction. It’s important to realise that if you are
drinking too much, there is help out there to support
you. Excessive drinking can lead to a raft of problems
including obesity and damage to your health and
relationships.
The fact that you are reading this means that you think
something might be wrong – so it’s important that you do
something about it and here’s the good news: The vast
majority of people who worry about their drinking manage
to change their drinking habits. It requires courage and
commitment, but the odds are in your favour if you try.
Whether you are only slightly worried about your
drinking or if you know that you have a more serious
alcohol problem, it is possible to make a positive
change to your drinking habits.
There is a prescription-only medicine called Selincro (nalmefene)
which is licenced for the reduction of alcohol
consumption in adult patients who are having difficulty
reducing their alcohol consumption. Selincro is a
prescription-only medicine that affects the opioid
receptors in your brain, and so reduces the pleasant
feelings associated with drinking alcohol. Clinical
trials have shown that people drink less when they take
Selincro.
Selincro can be prescribed by the Pharmacy2U Online
Doctor following an online consultation and the
completion of a two-week drink diary. This is so that
the doctor can see whether you are likely to be
dependent on alcohol and determine how much you are
drinking. If you know how much you have drunk in the
last two weeks you can fill the in drinks diary in one
go - you don't have to do it over two weeks. It is also
essential that if you are prescribed Selincro you
undertake a support programme to help you understand
your drinking, its effect on your life and how you can
change your drinking habits. If we prescribe Selincro we
will provide you with access to an online self-help
programme and it is essential you undertake that
programme. It can be done discreetly in your own time.
If you have a drinking problem and are drinking too
much, act now and take advantage of our Online Doctor
service.
Start
Consultation here >>
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