Real36 Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 Hey all. I am wondering if there is anyone out there that has an actual, diagnosed alcohol allergy. Suddenly (over the last few weeks) I have been unable to drink alcohol without suffering for days afterward. I'm not talking about getting wasted either, just a couple of drinks each time. Symptoms are hangover-esque but much more intense and long lasting. Splitting headaches, full body aches (especially knee pain) and cold symptoms (cough, runny nose, weepy eyes). This has happened 4 times in the last 3 weeks. Googling the symptoms I have, it sounds like an alcohol allergy but I haven't had problems like this before so I would have to have magically developed it recently. Anyone have any insight? Link to post Share on other sites
JDPT Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 Never heard of it but wish I suffered from such medical condition. Link to post Share on other sites
BC1980 Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 Hey all. I am wondering if there is anyone out there that has an actual, diagnosed alcohol allergy. Suddenly (over the last few weeks) I have been unable to drink alcohol without suffering for days afterward. I'm not talking about getting wasted either, just a couple of drinks each time. Symptoms are hangover-esque but much more intense and long lasting. Splitting headaches, full body aches (especially knee pain) and cold symptoms (cough, runny nose, weepy eyes). This has happened 4 times in the last 3 weeks. Googling the symptoms I have, it sounds like an alcohol allergy but I haven't had problems like this before so I would have to have magically developed it recently. Anyone have any insight? I've never heard of this. It sounds crazy, but I guess it could be true. Link to post Share on other sites
BC1980 Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 Never heard of it but wish I suffered from such medical condition. There is actually a medicine called Antabuse that makes you violently ill if you drink alcohol. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
d0nnivain Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 It is a real thing. I dated a guy who had one. Very nasty & dangerous; like eating peanuts if you are allergic. Link to post Share on other sites
FitChick Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 Some people are allergic to the sulphates used in wine. Try drinking other types of alcohol. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Allumere Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 I would respond like that when I had a sinus infection. In fact, there have been times I didn't know an infection was brewing and literally half way thru a beer I'd get congested, asthma would kick in, and I'd feel like the flu had run me over for the next 2 days. If I am healthy, zero problem. Any history of allergies or sinus problems? Link to post Share on other sites
Author Real36 Posted January 31, 2014 Author Share Posted January 31, 2014 I haven't felt like I have an infection or illness and it has happened with both beer and wine. Link to post Share on other sites
Eau Claire Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 This is a common happening. Patients often present with similar symptoms. Of course the first thing is to determine previous history of alcohol consumption. The liver could be shutting down. Can be fatal. If a reaction then will be to either all alcohol or to fermented alcohol like wine and beer. Try drinking a highly pure form of alcohol that is not grain based...vodka or tequila. If you still have symptoms, then to the alcohol itself. No cure for this. Link to post Share on other sites
carhill Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 Yeah, make sure it's potato vodka if controlling for grain allergy. There are a lot of grain vodkas out there. Try Chopin from Poland. I do have reactions to certain ingredients in distilled spirits/wine/beer but not to alcohol in general. It seems that yeast residues don't agree with me. Also, sulfites, often seen in wine, more so in whites than reds generally, give me a splitting headache. I'd say experiment a bit and control for other dietary items as well. IOW, keep diet static and experiment with the different alcoholic beverages. Good luck. Link to post Share on other sites
liloldlady Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 Allergic to red wine. White wine, no problemo. Link to post Share on other sites
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