The No BS Guide to Drinking with an Autoimmune Disease Medically reviewed by Lisa Hodgson, RDN, CDN, CDCES — Written by Kiki Dy on February 12, 2021 Living with a chronic illness comes with sacrifices, but does alcohol really have to be one of them? Natalie McComas / Getty Images Even in (short-lived) stretches of sobriety, I still wake up feeling hungover. With fingers swollen like vienna sausages, brain fog so severe I’m confused about what country I’m in, and flu-like symptoms, I think, “I should’ve just had a drink.” The term “autoimmune disease” covers dozens of chronic illnesses. From rheumatoid arthritis and lupus to Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and multiple sclerosis, these diseases occur when the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells in the body.