am i allergic to alcohol?

adviseme · Newbie Joined: 07 Sep 2006 Posts: 1

Almost everytime I drink I only frink about 2 to three beers. This is nothing compared to what my friends drink. When I drink those few drink I wait a while before i go to bed. When I do I usually get up at about 4 am-7 am to throw up. Almost everytime!! And when I do I am sick for at least 2 hours at a time. Is it possible that I am somehow allergic to alcohol?

Lori · Veteran Joined: 23 Jul 2005 Posts: 508

You could be reacting to an ingredient in certain drinks like beer, vine or liquors. The ingredient is called congeners and it is an additive for like color or bubbles, etc. it is these additives that often make us sick and vomit.

Alcohol allergy (although I am not sure there is scientific evidence that something like this exists (from my research)) would make you flash in the face, develop dry skin on face, itchy and watery eyes, red eyes, itchy nose, etc
This may occur if one of the products during alcohol metabolizing, called acetaldehyde, is not broken down in time. This product is very toxic and could be causing many different reactions-nausea and vomiting as well.

I figure that the only way to reduce these symptoms (I had facial flashing and scaling of the face) is to avoid alcohol as silly as it may sound.

You should know that often vomiting is not so good as it damages esophagus.

moustache · Newbie Joined: 08 Sep 2006 Posts: 3

I'm not an expert, but i go to a pretty big school and met a wide variety of differnet type of drinkers.

I have one friend that we joke is allergic to alcohol....Its only certain liquors though, so its most likely not alcohol. When he drinks those liquors, he usually breaks out in hives...gets really hot and itchy....bad combination, but we gave him benadryl once and it worked. He proceeded to pass out on the floor though.

Also, i've met a girl who doesn't produce enough of the enzymes to process alcohol. I've read...i forgot which number....i could be completely wrong, but either 1/4 or 3/4 of asians don't have that enzyme....so its not entirely uncommon.
Pretty much for her, 1 drink seals the deal.

I know for me too, i used to be a pretty heavy drinker, but beer always gets me. Tons of shots and i'd be waking up golden, 5 beers though and i'm puking before it even hits me. I always get the runs the day after drinking beer, but not liquor.

Anyways, i doubt its an allergy. I'd think you either just get drunk a lot faster, or the other non alcoholic stuff isn't mixing well in you. If you're not gonna quit drinking, i'd try different types of alcoholic beverages in small ammounts and controlled environments to see if there is anything that works for you.

Guest · Guest

I used to be a heavy drinker, and I quit for more than a year to have my first baby boy....since I have quit breastfeeding, I went out with some friends for a few drinks and I can't even get two down...I immediately became very red in the face, hot and could barely see? I have been too scared to try it again... What is going on?

Guest · Guest

I have had the EXACT same symptoms that you have for years and years...Silly me, I still drink sometimes and I always pay the price. The same as you, I go to bed okay and wake up in the early morning hours puking my guts out. Sadly, I have yet to figure what is wrong with me, so I have just had to cut back on drinking - which all in all has not been such a bad thing...I don't know if this is relative, but have you ever had a hernia? I have had one repaired and sometimes I wonder if that is part of my problem.......

Guest · Guest

It seems to not matter how much i drink or what I drink I am waking up early puking. I always puke. It's not right. Am I allergic to alcohol.

Guest · Guest

hello,im 16 and 2 years ago i had a chinease then took some alcohol and my face started to burn!
then it happened agn
so then i decided to go to the doctors recently
and they said you cannot be allergic to alcohol.
flushing in the face is not an allergic reaction!
its the blood vessels in the face that react to some types of alcohol.

sorted all your problems!

Guest · Guest

I will go out drinking of a night and drink tonnes of vodka and will be fine and dandy and even the same with cider. But whenever i drink beer im violently sick (projectile vomiting) I can eat bread so i wouldnt of thought it was glutein or yeast so im guessing its the hops.

Normally i will drink beer and then like go all quiet, get very sweaty, freeze up and then vomit all over the place. Normally im very extrovert and without beer i continue this. I always put it down to excessive drinking but then i realised ive been out and drunk whole bottles of vodka without being sick but once i was sick after 2 beers and i wasnt even drunk so surely it couldnt be that.

I kind of need to know because my girlfriend is very annoyed at me for showing myself up at my mates 18th. Now shes not really talking to me so i kind of need to know whether an allergy is the case.

i usually go quite red and my eyes go very blood shot. as well.

Guest · Guest

Hi there. I've always been unable to get drunk. I vomit before I get drunk. The only thing that helps is smoking pot during or after drinking. It settles my stomach. Vodka seems to be the least likely to make me vomit, while wine and beer are the worst. I never drink coolers. They are bad too. Or anything with sugary pop. Anyone else?

mase · Newbie Joined: 29 Mar 2008 Posts: 1

"I have had the EXACT same symptoms that you have for years and years"

Yep me too! I there are a few posts around the internet too of people having similar reactions . Same thing as you and "adviseme".

For what it's worth , when i was a child i also had 2 hernia operations but I doubt it's got anything to do with that. What made you think along those lines ?

am i allergic to alcohol?

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