Does alcohol affect COVID-19 recovery?

I went through COVID-19, and I’m starting to think it left some permanent marks. For years, growing up in my neck of the woods, we drank wine like water—I could easily put away three liters of white wine without even feeling a buzz.

Now? Half a liter leaves me feeling nauseous. Honestly, the very thought of wine makes me sick. I can't tell if it's a direct leftover from the virus, but I’ve noticed my tolerance has plummeted. I can barely handle a fraction of what I used to.

Douglas Gray8 said:I went through COVID-19, and I honestly think it left some lasting marks—for instance, back in the day, I could knock back three liters of white wine without even feeling a buzz, mostly because where I grew up, drinking is just part of the culture from a very young age.

Now, I get nauseous after just half a liter, and frankly, I’ve lost my appetite for wine altogether. I can't say for sure if it's directly linked to the virus, but I've definitely noticed my tolerance has plummeted—I can barely drink a third or a quarter of what I used to before getting sick.

Well, I guess there's a silver lining to COVID then.

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mellowskipper said:Maybe we should just find a silver lining in COVID while we're at it.

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Easy there. Now I'm spilling my wine instead of actually drinking it.😒

It might just be because your sense of taste and smell have shifted. How are you holding up with bourbon and diesel?

Look, I don’t even consider myself an alcohol drinker—not really—but I’ve always had a soft spot for a crisp martini, those sweeter dessert wines, cocktails, or just those light, "feminine" drinks that don't hit you like a truck. Then, of course, everything changed with the pandemic hitting in the spring, and the very thought of alcohol became completely off the table. Well, I recently tried a single half-pint of some light draft beer, and let me tell you—that one glass absolutely floored me. It was disorienting. Even now, my mouth feels strangely sweet, like I'm tasting water. And the smell? Ugh. The mere scent of alcohol makes my stomach turn instantly—and this is coming from someone who genuinely loves perfumes! My sense of smell has become so hyper-sensitive since the loss; I'm still living in this constant cloud of perfume, except now, that cloud is just becoming incredibly overwhelming and intrusive.

Douglas Gray8 said:Don't talk like that—now I'm spilling my wine instead of actually drinking it.😒

For me, I just lost my sense of smell and taste—it lasted about ten days, I guess. After that, for months, it felt like certain spices just didn't hit as hard.
My dad went through it too, and he says everything tastes like rubber now.
I wasn't trying to be mean or anything, but maybe don't overdo it with the alcohol. You might want to use this as an excuse to cut back... just to do yourself a favor.

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driftingcanyon2 said:Could be a shift in taste or smell. How’s everything hitting you when it comes to bourbon or diesel?

Beer is still fine in unlimited quantities, though it bloats me and adds weight. I can handle spirits just as easily since I stick to the local stuff—low sugar, hits you faster. Wine doesn't sit as well with me, though I used to be obsessed before the pandemic hit. Back in the day, living in California, we practically had wine just flowing out of the taps.

mellowskipper said:I lost my sense of smell and taste. It lasted about ten days. After that, even months later, everything just tasted dull—like I couldn't catch those sharp notes in spices anymore.
Dad’s finally over the worst of it. He says everything tastes like rubber now.
I didn't mean anything by it, but you really shouldn't overdo it when it comes to drinking. Use this as an opportunity to cut back. Do yourself a favor.

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What am I supposed to do when I prefer a drink over a lover? It’s become my routine. I wake up and there's bourbon right alongside my double espresso. Beer with breakfast. Half a liter of wine with lunch. Then, a few more beers or another half liter of wine scattered throughout the afternoon. By the time dinner rolls around at 8:00 PM, I'm back to another half liter of wine or at least three beers.

Douglas Gray8 said:What am I supposed to do when I honestly prefer a drink over romance? As soon as I wake up, it's bourbon with my coffee, followed by a beer at breakfast, half a bottle of wine with lunch, then maybe another beer or a liter of wine during the day, and finally finishing off the evening with another half bottle of wine or three beers with dinner at 8 PM.

If that’s actually your daily routine, I’d say you’re probably doing just fine. 😁

Douglas Gray8 said:I can still drink beer in pretty much unlimited amounts—it just makes me bloated and puts on some weight—and I can handle plenty of bourbon too, since I stick to the local stuff without all the added sugar, which I guess helps you sober up faster. Wine isn't quite my thing, though; even before the pandemic, back when I absolutely loved it, we basically had wine just lying around everywhere in California.

What am I supposed to do? I’d rather have a drink than a lover, I suppose. As soon as I'm up, it's bourbon alongside my coffee—double shot—then a beer with breakfast, maybe half a liter of wine with lunch, then perhaps a few more beers or another liter of wine throughout the afternoon... and then by dinner at 8 PM, it's back to half a liter of wine or at least three beers.

If I actually drank all that in a single day, I'd probably end up in the ER.

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driftingcanyon2 said:With those kinds of numbers, I’d say you aren't actually facing any issues. 😁

That’s exactly why I drink.🤣

mellowskipper said:If I downed that much in a single day, I'd be in the ER.

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The body and brain eventually adapt to the alcohol. It's the liver that ends up looking like a target at a shooting range.🤣

I ended up surrounded by this crowd, but I don't regret it. I don't have a house to my name because I drank every cent away. Spent three years working construction in Germany, then five years in a factory over in the Netherlands—blew it all on drugs and hookers. In Austria, I spent four years operating an excavator in a tunnel; earned a decent living there, but once I got back home to the States, it was all gone. Back then, I was making about $4,500 a month. My friends from high school were always around; we’d go everywhere together, and I’d foot the bill for the trips. Honestly, they probably just use me, but that's how it is. Now that I'm back stateside working for $1,000 a month, they still show up whenever they need a round of drinks paid for. Money is just paper. At the end of the day, we just live to eat and drink before we inevitably kick the bucket. So, as long as my heart holds out and my health stays intact, I’m going to spend it on booze, smokes, and weed.🙂