Drinking During Menopause? Here’s How Alcohol Can Impact Your Symptoms

Whether you’re having one glass of wine each evening or several, it’s natural to wonder how alcohol impacts your menopausal symptoms. Read on as we discuss the key details of drinking alcohol during and after the menopause transition, and why tracking your alcohol intake is important.  

Alcohol intake definitions for women   

Before we dive into how alcohol and menopause interact, it’s important to understand how the experts define light, moderate, and heavy drinking for women specifically. Consider (Wilsnack, 2016) (Wilsnack, 2016):

• Light alcohol consumption: 1-3 drinks per week

• Moderate alcohol consumption: 4-7 drinks per week

• At-risk alcohol consumption: 7+ drinks per week, or 3+ drinks in a single day

One standard drink is 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor (Wilsnack, 2016) (Wilsnack, 2016).  

Does alcohol consumption affect menopause symptoms? 

The extent to which alcohol affects your menopausal symptoms largely depends on how much you drink. Postmenopausal women are more vulnerable to alcohol-related health problems than men or premenopausal people, even when consuming less alcohol (Milic, 2018) (Milic, 2018).

Here’s a closer look at alcohol and the menopause symptoms it may affect: 

• Vasomotor symptoms: Research on alcohol’s impact on hot flashes and night sweats is mixed, but alcohol dependence and heavy drinking are linked to more severe symptoms (Jenczura, 2018) (Jenczura, 2018)(Wilsnack, 2016) (Wilsnack, 2016).

• Disturbed sleep: Alcohol is one of the biggest disruptors of sleep. While it may help you fall asleep faster, it reduces sleep quality, fragments rest, and suppresses REM sleep. Poor sleep then worsens mood, metabolism, and overall health, creating a ripple effect across the body (Gardiner, 2025) (Gardiner, 2025).

• Urogenital symptoms: Alcohol dependence is associated with higher rates of sexual disorders, bladder problems, and vaginal dryness (Jenczura, 2018) (Jenczura, 2018). 

• Psychological symptoms: Excessive alcohol use is closely linked to depression, and menopause itself can raise your risk of developing depressive symptoms (Wilsnack, 2016) (Wilsnack, 2016).

• Bone health: Alcohol consumption damages bone health and can increase the risk of falls (Wilsnack, 2016) (Wilsnack, 2016).

• Cardiovascular health: Having up to one drink per day may lower the risk of cardiovascular disease in women, but excessive alcohol consumption raises that risk (Wilsnack, 2016) (Wilsnack, 2016). 

• Breast cancer risk: Even small amounts of alcohol are associated with a higher risk of breast cancer after menopause (Wilsnack, 2016) (Wilsnack, 2016).  

Heavy drinking and alcohol abuse can seriously harm both your physical and mental health, and these risks far outweigh any potential benefits linked to light or moderate drinking (Milic, 2018) (Milic, 2018) . According to the World Health Organization, no amount of alcohol consumption is considered safe, as all levels of consumption have been found to have negative impacts on health (WHO, 2023) (WHO, 2023).

Reach out to your healthcare provider if you’re struggling with an alcohol use disorder (AUD) or if you’re concerned about your risk factors. Remember, there’s no reason for shame, and you’re absolutely not alone.  

Tips for lowering your alcohol intake

Thinking about drinking less or avoiding alcohol altogether? Here are a few quick tips:

• Track your intake: Keep track of how much you drink and how it affects your symptoms, then share this information with your healthcare provider for added insight. Tracking is especially important if you’re taking medication, since alcohol can interact with certain medications in harmful ways (Milic, 2018) (Milic, 2018). 

• Build healthy habits: Drink a glass of water between alcoholic drinks, use smaller glasses, find zero-proof alternatives, or designate certain days as “drink-free” days. Find a method that works for you, monitor your progress, and adjust strategies as needed.

• Take it day by day: Big changes are made with small steps. Focus on making mindful choices each day, and remember that progress, not perfection, is what truly matters.    

DISCLAIMER

This article is intended for educational purposes only, using publicly available information. It is not medical advice, and it should not be used for the diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of disease. Please consult your licensed medical provider regarding health questions or concerns.