Alcohol in women?
 

Thanks to Alice and her journal entry is what brings up this thread.

Ya know... it was some time ago when I watched a documentary about women and their alcohol tolerance or lack of thereof.

Its quite interesting and I dunno if any of the facts are truth-worthy or not, but they say that height of the woman factors in too. The shortest woman there still had high alcohol content in her system or had it the longest. (They did this experiment with like 12 women at a nice hotel bar and when they pass the breath analyzer test or whatever it was, they can go.) o.O' They did this experiment because too often females were to be thought as good designated drivers or whatever AT the time then.

And I understood that women retains water in their bodies and hence alcohol can remain in their bodies more than men (that he pisses it right out sooner than later). And so before going on to my first drinking (not intended to get drunk but to get a buzz or whatever you call it) binge, I asked for advice, and mostly one often said to be sure I eat beforehand.

So I drank white zinfandel (it was highly recommended) and maybe in span of 2 hours of sipping (I was trying to get used to the taste/smell of it) I still didn't get the buzz. o.O' Its only maybe uhm... cup full, we got those mini bottles. At this time, the last I had ate was maybe ohhh... past 5 hours. I also did down a milkshake earlier. And mind you, I'm 5'8. xD I guess I'm asking what's the correct amount of alcohol or rather PROOF of alcohol is safe for me to drink?

And as for experience from my family/friends. I seen my aunt down a cup of coke with rum on ice and she'd be drunk within the hour. She's about tall as me but however though, she has been "drinking" on heavy basis like daily and sometimes twice/thrice a day. ;\ Its like she has no tolerance...

As for friends, I can tell that they drink quite a bit before getting drunk such as several wine coolers or martinis. Noticeably my shorter friends get pretty buzzed soon after several of these but not drunk.

Can you share any good recommendations or advice for a first timer female? Does the weight ratio factor into this at all or anything else that actually does factor into alcohol content?

I also had asked a very good question to one of my coworkers about why you cannot take meds with alcohol... I actually want to know why. Especially ibuprofen. Can someone explain to me why its lethal? Only reason why I ask is that I take these pills nearly a LOT and I do not want to be in danger territory with alcohol.

Whoever made that documentary didn't interview or drink with my friend Kristine.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...0IV/blurr2.jpg

She's the only girl (that doesn't outweigh me 3 times over) who can drink me under the table.

I think she was making more a point about new female drinkers and not about seasoned veterans, which I'm guessing your friend is.

Frankly (and I'm really taking a shot in the dark here but maybe this is just a stereotype), most women who turn 21 will be pretty confident in what is too much to drink after maybe a couple of months (ask Danielle's friend Crysta). In fact, that's the case with anyone who waits until turning 21 to drink (and the percentage is probably declining). I personally didn't have any alcohol until I turned 22 and a half, but that's another story altogether.

Another thought (based on a stereotype) is that new female drinkers simply don't like the aftertaste of alcohol and simply mask it by ordering fruity cocktails. I suggest avoiding that and learning what alcohol really feels like early on (personal suggestion: "rum and Coke" or "Jack Daniels and Coke") and, that way, they can determine what effect those two alcohols (rum and whiskey) can have and then move on to drinks that completely or virtually hide the fact that there is alcohol in them.

(Of course, I really don't know shit about drinking, having only been drinking alcohol for under a year now, and only sparingly.)

Ence, your friend Kristie looks really...classy. =/

My alcohol tolerance has gone to crap over the last ten years. I used to be able to drink a lot more than I can now. Nowadays, I can feel one beer, two will make me feel very light-headed, and after three I am taking my clothes off. I can remember being able to drink a 6-pack back in the day and being perfectly fine other than feeling a little bit silly.

I think the phrase, "John Doe can really hold his liquor" really means, "John Doe drinks so much that his body has built up a tolerance to alcohol."

I'm French. My tolerance is naturally high. ^_^
Added bonus: FATTIE.

I am taller and heavier than my sister, and I can drink about 4 times as much as she can without getting a buzz on.

But there are some certain alcohols that make my knees give and my toelrance drop - tequila being one (and apparently, very typical).

When it comes to wine, I have been known to drink an entire bottle and walk a straight line. White wine is a little more difficult to do this with, but I can probably manage the same.

I think a lot of women like think they can drink a man under a table, but honestly, only speaking from observation and experience, it is not an easy thing to do. We're smaller. We're softer in the internel physiology. We can't expect to always compete with men when it comes to drinking. (OF COURSE, before you fems go nuts, there are exceptions to the majority~)

Alice, I was going to say the same about Ence's friend, there. "Hey guys, I'm swigging from a bottle! Aren't I badass!?" (Sorry Ence. =/ )

I'm 5'8", not petite at all, and I have the lowest tolerance ever. I can have a max of two beers or I'm on the floor. Even in my "heavy" drinking days I never made it past 4.

Alice, I think I once told you my bra comes off when I drink? Yeah, that's after 1 beer. Pathetic.

But... but... JAMESON'S. :( Look... Women who can outdrink me don't come around very often so naturally we took a friendly shine to eachother. We seldom hang out because she lives in Santa Cruz and Santa Barbara but when we do hang out, we're almost always buzzing. But hey, she does have school, a job and a relationship to maintain to so no matter what happens on the weekend, shit goes back to normal on Monday mornings. No matter how "classy" we look on Sunday morning with a pounding headache. I <3 my friend Kristine. :D

But really though, in my experience (both male and female) should just find their comfortable level of when to stop. Some people just have high thresholds of inebriation whereas others just... don't. Not anything to be ashamed of, ladies; there's a reason why men die first, after all.

That may be true in my aunt's case. I knew she been drinking for 4 years before we discovered she had a problem with alcohol. She'd try to mix it with coke but it wouldn't be long before she turned ugly. :\

Maybe its the toxicity buildup that makes it less tolerant of alcohol? It seems to make sense in women with ~70% of water. o.O

I see now though, I'll be sure to keep watch of my consumption then. Say... can anyone really give me a definition of a "buzz" you get from it?

I have a fairly good tolerance. I've never been buzzed off a single bar-sized mixed drink (unlike alot of girls I know), but then I don't chug and I make sure to eat beforehand. And I'm 5'9" and average build, so it's got places to go. It's all a matter of being smart: if you're going to drive, have one drink with food and give it about an hour to get out of your system, and then you know for sure you're safe.

If you're just curious about your tolerance and what certain levels of alcohol can do to you, start out slow. Pick one drink for the night, sip it slowly, chug water in between, and see how far you get before you start to feel gross. Don't do five different shots in 10 minutes and then wonder why you're puking everywhere. I try to find that point where I'm nicely buzzed and maintain it over the course of the night--I like being silly, but not stumbly. Be wary of sugary drinks that mask the alcohol; it's easy to chug a bunch of those without thinking, and all the sudden you're trashed.

As far as alcohol and meds go: here's the FDA warning regarding ibuprofen, and it looks like you don't have to worry about that unless you're planning on becoming a heavy drinker. Liver damage and stomach bleeding happen when your system is consistently overloaded. What you should check before you drink is the alcohol interaction with any prescription drug you're taking. Anti-anxiety meds and sleep aids are usually bad to mix with alcohol--since they're both depressants, the mixture can slow down your system too much and send you into a coma or kill you. You can find that sort of info on the large folded pieces of paper they stick in the prescription bags, or by doing a search online.

I've read about studies that have actually found that the longer a woman has been a heavy drinker, the less her tolerance is.

It is my belief that a good amount of being drunk is in your head. I start to act and feel goofy like I'm drunk when I'm around alot of drunk people, even if I've had literally nothing to drink. When I am drinking, I make more of a conscious effort to be in control, so I often end up behaving less drunk when I am drinking than when I'm not (unless of course I'm completely trashed and not just buzzed). I actually read about another study (how nerdy am I) where they gave half the group regular beer and half the group non-alcoholic beer, and everyone acted (and thought they were) completely drunk. (I have doubts as to this study though, since the non-alcoholic beer I've tried is clearly non-alkie and tastes like shit to boot).

The other thing about alcohol: people start behaving more like themselves when they're drunk. Someone who's obnoxious sober is going to be really obnoxious drunk. Take away the inhibitions and you start finding out who people really are, which can be fun but also can be a problem if you're not in the right setting. Getting naked and dancing around drunkenly is great when you're at home, not so great when you're at an office party, you know?

Alot of girls I know have very low tolerances. Maybe its because all the girls I know are newbie drinkers. And pretty young, considering the legal age to drink is 18 here, and lots of them started at 16 or 17. I only know a couple that can actually drink as much as me. Otherwise, after only like 2 drinks, they're drunk out of their faces and making out with every guy in sight. As much as that is cool, I still think those are the ones who should limit their drinking. No need to get pregnant because you can't control your drunkeness.

So I guess this is where you tell us that you've slipped a couple of them roofies, right?

Most of the women I know drink fruity drinks and when doing shots get drunk after 1 - 3 shots of 80 proof stuff (vodka, tequila, etc) and are completely trashed before they get to 5 shots. Granted this is usually in the span of about 10 minutes...

I seem to remember reading a study a few years back about how a womans body just isn't as capable of dealing with alcohol as a man's body. It said something to the effect that they were also 5 times more likely to suffer liver damage by drinking (to the point of being drunk) more than 3 times a week. I'd link to the article but I can't remember where I read it.

I usually drink 151 rum in coke, it is my favorite drink. I don't know any women who will even touch the stuff let alone drink me under the table. I'm 6'2" mostly of German and Irish decent and almost 200lbs. Seriously Encephalon your friend isn't human. I'm curious if she could out drink me O_o.

Naw, I can honestly say that it actually bothered me that they were acting like that. I don't know if maybe it was jealousy because of the fact that they were making out with everyone but me, or the fact that I hate seeing girls who are normally nice goody goodies, acting like complete sluts simply because they don't know how to control themselves while drinking.

Ya know, I just tried the strawberry margirata and its not bad, its just I cannot chug it without choking first. I'm such a damn n00b with alcohol. :(

I actually LIKED it but I suppose I'll get used to it?

And thanks to all who posted quite long and SERIOUS replies (I saw Capo's post spam and was sorely disappointed) to this thread. I'm sure there's more growing women that are interested or need to KNOW some facts about alcohol before chugging full on. (I was thinking of blue as I typed this.)

I asked some time ago (not sure if it was HERE or on another forum) about recommendations of starter drinks and I barely got any serious replies. :( I guess wine coolers are the way to go then to start with. Mind you, I'm not deliberately trying to get drunk but I do want to have some fun (first time for so damn long for example) and relax...

You're not supposed to chug them, dear. Cocktails were made for sipping not for chugging. That's what Jack Daniel's is for. :p

xD Thanks Enceph, I told you, I'm a damn n00b at these things. xD

Here's what I don't get... why is it that liquer stores carry all brands but not wine? And yet... etc etc laws are not present for stores that carry wine... o.O

I asked once what's recommended to EAT with alcohol and they're saying MEAT or steak would do it. Is this true?

Depends on the kind of alcohol. Red wine and red meat go together very well, but what you really want is a chewy red wine with any strong flavours, i.e. blue cheese or heavily peppered steak, and a softer, floral white with things like fish or light poultry, or straight pasta. As for other drinks, it really depends. Just never pair sweet alcohol with sweet food, you're better off with champagne with dessert, rather than an ice wine or something. Things with tequila, strawberry and ice etc... go really well with spicey foods, but not so well with pasta and western cuisine. Obviously Sake and beer with asian food. Though pairing beer is a whole different animal--my personal favourite actually--and you don't seem the beer drinking type.

Also, Beaner, fuck Alice and Sass. Your friend looks like a blast to knock a few back with.

I don't understand why we're all judging Ence's friend based on one picture. Geez, guys, way to be superficial! :rolleyes:

Yea, damn us all for having different tastes in people.

Well... She's a really sweet girl so she's a blast to hang out with.... With or without the alcohol; it's just that most times that we do hang out we end up playing quarters, beer pong and, god forbid, strip poker.

Some people just don't see the point in chilling with someone who may or may not get belligerently drunk. Who's to blame them? That's why there's little cliques and groups you hang with; my clique just happens to have 2 UCSB Beer Pong Championship titles under its belt and can probably drink Shin and Deni under the table, that's all. :tpg:

First off, I like how Sass is playing the victim card when she saw a picture of a girl and immediately claimed she lacked class. Fuck you, Sass. I don't buy it.

And beaner, that's some big talk right there. You'd probably beat us at beer pong, but that's because when we drink, we don't waste our time with faggy games. We drink. Bring it on, wetback.

Well shit, man! I just think that if I'm gonna be killing my liver I may as well make a sport out of it. BRING IT AWWWWWWWWWN!!

I find this whole exchange much more amusing given your current av/sig.

I'm trying to change it to my Karl Strauss set already but I can't get the fucking rotator script to work. :/

I know this is a little unrelated to the discussion at hand, but I've never gotten drunk in my life and actually prefer girls who don't drink either. Not really into girls who like to drink a lot.

For God's sake, people. Neither one of us ripped the girl to shreds. All I said was, "She looks classy." Tell me what part of that isn't true and I'll shut up. There aren't many women who can look classy with their head thrown back swigging beer straight out of a bottle. Having done this many times myself, I can tell you with 100% certainty that those didn't rank in my (fleeting) moments of having class.

It's funny how the first thing Sass did was brag about being able to hold her Alcohol, and then she slammed one of Encephalons friends for being able to hold hers. The only difference is Encephalon said it in a picture.

Wait, you weren't being sarcastic?

DragoonKain, if you don't drink, of course you're not going to like women who drink. If you did, you choice not to wouldn't make any sense.

God made it so that women have low a tolerance to save the men from shelling out too much money.

Also, had free draft beer all night last night. Remember, the best beer is the free kind.

That reminds me of that Nick DiPaolo bit where he's talking about how much better it is to take petite girls out drinking than heavy girls.

"...2 or 3 drinks and they're ready to give it up. You take a big girl out drinking it's like filling up a Winnebago. At the end of the night and 12 pitchers later they're drunk but they're still standing like Robert DeNiro in Raging Bull against the ropes yelling 'YOU NEVER GOT ME DOWN RAY! YOU NEVER GOT ME DOWN!'"

Oh, I was definitely being sarcastic. I just can't believe how big a deal everyone made of it.

Without reading any of the other posts...

I'm thinking that height has nothing to do with it; rather, weight is the determining factor. Weight is proportional to levels of body fat and muscle, and therefore with the amount of water a person retains. The more water, the more alcohol it takes to achieve a certain percentage.

The thing is, if you take a group of equally built men or women, the weight will be directly proportional to height, and thus you will see a correlation between height and ability to handle alcohol. I think you can also say that, given a group of people with equal weight, height will have an inverse relationship with blood alcohol levels, because shorter people will have more fat and/or muscle than taller people of the same weight.

I'm going to take a shot in the dark and say that the ibuprofen/liquor thing has something to do with the liver. With anti-depressants it has something to do with the two antagonizing each other. With stimulants you don't realize how inebriated you are, and I don't think I need to explain why this is dangerous. I know you didn't ask about these things specifically, but I figured I'd throw them out there.

As for your limits, you can take it slow (i.e. play it safe) until you reach the desired effect. That's not the way I do it, but I don't exactly mind if women take advantage of me. ;)

I'm inclined to agree with Will on this one, although how much one drinks on a regular basis must also be taken into account.

As for drugs (perscribed or otherwise) and alcohol, it's best not to mix the two. I'm not sure how well known this is, but when someone overdoses on painkillers they are usually put into hospital in order to determine if their liver has received detrimental damage. Everyone knows that alcohol is also bad for the liver. However, I can't see the harm as long as you are sensible with both (ie. one or two pills and a drink or two).

And yes, I actually believe that the majority of women are lightweights compared to males, although I might be biased considering the guys I drink with have been drinking for longer than me and are much taller (height adds to weight).

Well based on the opening post and that the fact that my GFF username is an EXACT reflection of who and what I am....

I think I'll shut up for this thread. :p

The initial enzyme in the detoxification of alcohol and many other toxins, alcohol dehydrogenase, is both more abundant and more active in males: http://www.aim-digest.com/gateway/pa...nerability.htm

There are many other factors which go into drug/alcohol interactions than just they both injure the liver, including the fact that enzymes such as the one above can be overloaded or inhibited, making a normally insignificant amount of drug or other metabolite suddenly become highly toxic.

The gastric&hepatic metabolism of alcohol and hormonal factors make different. Women're more susceptible to alcoholic liver injury.
The enzyme that useful for intoxication drugs will be spent while you're drinking alcohol.:)

My ex-girlfriend is 5' and really petite (She's Korean) and she would get drunk on one sometimes two beer. I would have to say that height and weight have combination effects for whether someone gets drunk quicker or not.

Its used to be funny when she got drunk. She couldn't speak a word of English! LOL Good time, good times.

It also depends on how often a woman drinks, I think. Last night I had three shots and a whole bottle of wine and was feeling only a little loopy. Had that been in the days when I was pledging to my greek organization, I'd have been kicking back at least one more bottle of wine before feeling it. I dont drink too often now, so when I do, it takes less. Hey, the way I see it, when I'm actually able to go to the bars, it'll be a lot cheaper for me.

Women can build up a great tolerance over time. My big sister is a fucking tank when it comes to drinking beer... starts at 6 and doesnt start feeling it until like, 10. Granted, because of all the beer, she's starting to LOOK like a tank too... :-\