Going through cancer treatment is exhausting, and it’s important to find ways to ease the stress. You’ve been through enough already — what’s the harm in a happy hour cocktail or a quick smoke? Unfortunately, the answer might surprise you. It might seem like a harmless way to relax, but alcoholic beverages and cigarettes can interfere with your treatment. It may even worsen the side effects of treatment and slow down your recovery.

Here, we’ll explore how alcohol and smoking can affect treatment of multiple myeloma. We’ll also provide recommendations and practical tips for quitting smoking and reducing alcohol intake. If you have questions about your treatment plan, it’s best to reach out to your healthcare team directly.

Effects of Alcohol on Myeloma Treatment

Oncologists (cancer doctors) generally advise against drinking alcohol during treatment. Alcohol can affect your treatment in several ways, including interfering with medications, making side effects worse, and weakening the immune system.

Alcohol Can Weaken Your Immune System

Your immune system is important for fighting infections and helping your body recover from cancer treatment. Although chemotherapy kills cancer cells, it also weakens the immune system by killing healthy white blood cells that help fight infections. This makes it easier for germs to cause serious illnesses.

Alcohol further weakens the immune system, increasing your risk of infections and making it even harder for your body to heal. Drinking alcohol during cancer treatment can slow your recovery and make you feel even more rundown.

Alcohol and Bone Health

Alcohol makes your bones weak and increases the risk of fractures. In multiple myeloma, bone health is already compromised and gets worse with alcohol intake.

Alcohol May Reduce the Effectiveness of Chemotherapy

Many chemotherapy drugs are processed by the liver, just like alcohol. When you drink, your liver has to work harder to break down both the alcohol and the chemotherapy drugs. This extra work can slow down the way chemo works, making it less effective in attacking cancer cells.

An overworked liver may also struggle to clear toxins from your body, increasing the risk of harmful side effects. This combination of effects might make your treatment less successful and slow down your recovery.

Alcohol Can Worsen Side Effects of Myeloma Treatment

Drinking alcohol can make the side effects of myeloma treatment worse. It can irritate the stomach, leading to nausea and vomiting, which are common with chemotherapy. Alcohol can also cause dehydration, leading to more weakness and fatigue (extreme tiredness).

Mouth sores are a common side effect of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Alcohol can make these sores worse by drying out the mouth and irritating the tissue. This can make it difficult to eat or drink, leading to increased risk of weight loss or poor nutrition.

Alcohol and Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy uses high doses of intense energy beams to kill cancer. Like chemotherapy, it targets and kills cancers but can also damage healthy tissues. Drinking alcohol can make certain radiation therapy side effects worse, such as fatigue, mouth sores, and dehydration.

Alcohol and Stem Cell Transplantation

A stem cell transplantation is an option for some people with multiple myeloma. It’s a procedure that helps restore healthy blood cells after high-dose chemotherapy. Drinking alcohol before or after a transplant can harm the bone marrow — the part of the body where new blood cells are made. This damage slows the production of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. As a result, alcoholic beverages could increase the risk of infections, fatigue, and slow the healing process. Doctors recommend avoiding alcohol before and after a stem cell transplantation to give yourself the best chance of a successful recovery.

What Happens if You Smoke During Chemo?

Smoking is one of the worst habits for your health. However, it can be especially dangerous for people undergoing myeloma treatment.

Smoking Reduces Myeloma Treatment Effectiveness

Research has shown that cigarette smoking can make radiation and other cancer treatments less effective. This means that you may not get the full benefit of your treatment.

Smoking Worsens Side Effects of Myeloma Treatment

Fatigue is a common side effect of many cancer treatments. When you smoke, it reduces the oxygen levels in your blood. This can lead to even worse fatigue and more exhaustion. Nausea may also be worse in people who smoke. Studies show that people who use tobacco while undergoing chemotherapy have more nausea and vomiting compared to those who don’t.

People who smoke during cancer treatment may experience a slower healing and recovery process, too. Smoking constricts the blood vessels, which reduces oxygen delivery to tissues. As a result, this can slow wound healing after procedures like bone marrow transplants.

Even after your cancer treatment is finished, smoking can still cause problems down the road. For example, it can increase the risk of myeloma coming back or other types of cancer developing later.

Recommendations on Smoking and Drinking During Myeloma Treatment

Doctors agree that avoiding alcohol and quitting smoking is best for people currently in myeloma treatment. Drinking alcohol can weaken your immune system, make side effects worse, and reduce the effectiveness of your treatment. Smoking has similar harmful effects. It can make your body heal more slowly and increase the risk of more severe side effects.

If you drink alcohol or smoke, talk to your healthcare team about the best way to quit or reduce your intake. Your doctor can help you find support programs and treatment options to make quitting easier.

Tips for Quitting Smoking During Myeloma Treatment

Quitting smoking isn’t easy, but with the right support and tools, you can do it. Here are some strategies to help you quit cigarettes for good.

• Seek professional support — Join a smoking cessation program in your community or through online groups.
• Use nicotine replacement therapy — Options like nicotine patches, lozenges, and gum can help reduce cravings.
• Ask your doctor about prescription medications — If you’re struggling to quit smoking on your own, ask your doctor about medicines that can help. They may be able to prescribe you varenicline or bupropion to help you quit smoking.
• Have a plan in place — Work with your healthcare team to come up with a plan to quit smoking that you can stick to. This might include identifying triggers or finding alternative coping strategies, such as deep breathing or exercise.

So, can you smoke after chemo? If you’ve already successfully quit or cut back during your treatment, it’s best not to pick it back up. That’s because smoking adds to your risk of developing other types of cancer, such as lung or breast cancer. One of the best ways to improve your overall survival is to stay smoke-free.

Tips for Reducing Alcohol Consumption During Myeloma Treatment

It can be tough to avoid alcohol, especially if it’s part of your social life or daily routine. Family and friends may want to share a glass of wine over dinner, or you might feel the urge to drink out of habit. However, cutting back or quitting altogether can help your body heal and give you the best chance of success. Here are a few tips to get you started:

• Set limits — If you’re going to drink, stick to the recommended guidelines. The American Cancer Society recommends limiting alcohol to one drink per day for women and two per day for men.
• Find alternatives — Try nonalcoholic beverages like sparkling water, herbal teas, mocktails, or alcohol-free beer.
• Avoid triggers — If you typically drink at social events, bring a nonalcoholic option to reduce the temptation. Let your friends and family know about your plan so they can support you and avoid offering you a drink.

The Bottom Line

Quitting smoking and reducing or avoiding alcohol during myeloma treatment can help your body heal and make treatment more effective. Even small changes can boost your health and energy.

If quitting feels hard, you don’t have to do it alone. Talk to your doctor about support programs, medications, or other ways to help. Making healthy choices now can help you feel better and stay stronger.

Talk With Others Who Understand

MyMyelomaTeam is the social network for people with multiple myeloma and their loved ones. On MyMyelomaTeam, more than 28,000 members come together to ask questions, give advice, and share their stories with others who understand life with myeloma.

Do you have more questions about treatment guidelines for myeloma treatment? Share your experience in the comments below, start a conversation by posting on your Activities page, or connect with like-minded members in Groups.