Am I alergic to alcohol?

I'm not sure what really happened to you but it sure does not sound like an "allergic" reaction of any kind. How many times so far did you drink?? And how many times did you experience throat swelling, hives, hyperventilation, etc??? You see, if you did not develop hives, or throat swelling but only a toxic reaction from too much it is not likely that you have allergy. Next time you decide to try alcohol, do it with a meal, and small amounts. Also, be sure to have other people around you, if you may need any help.

ok check it out. every time i drink beer, the next day my chest and back are covered in blotches or spots. It doesn't itch or anything but it's there and whats up with that?

I’ve had the same thing happening for the last year and has became really annoying that after having a crazy night out, I would break in red blotches over my face the following day.

I had no idea what was causing this especially because it started happening after years of recreational alcohol drinking.

Then I decided to do some research online and try to figure out what was going on.



It seems as if this was not an allergic reaction to alcohol itself but to some things used in alcohol production and possibly with inability to break down alcohol completely. The latter seems to be more common to people of Asian background but I have a feeling that the same thing is happening to me. I feel as if some things are not broken down completely and that accumulation of certain toxins occurs in the blood and that they cause my flushing. I may be wrong but it appears to be so because I have the same reactions to beer, schnapps and liquor.



Other explanation lies in the ingredients used in the alcohol production. Different ingredients like “grape, yeast, hop, barley or wheat-derived substances, natural food chemicals (eg. salicylates), wood and fruit-derived substances (eg. Histamine, tyramine in chianti), added enzymes (like papain) and preservatives (like sulphites)” may be used in alcohol production.



If we are sensitive or have allergic reactions to proteins within grapes, yeast, hops, barley and wheat, we are most likely to experience side effects from drinking alcohol.

Hi! I have always jokingly said that I was allergic to alcohol. I have weird things that happen when I drink. When I first drink my first drink, it does not matter what kind of drink even NiQuil (sorry about the spelling) you know the night time cold med. I can feel the alcohol move through my veins - it is a burning sensation moving through out my body. Since I have had babies, the feeling moves through out my body and then to my uterus and it hurts. I only feel it on the first one after that it is gone. If anyone knows anything about this let me know!! Also I swell alot. thanks

Hey, ever since i was 14 i have experienced weird side effects to drinking alcohol. Whether is be just one drink or a whole box, my shoulders tense up and have a huge, undescribable pain which makes me need to lie down and i can't stand for at least half an hour. With this pain it is like a major cramp or something, but a million times worse. This happens with any sort of alcoholic drink i consume. Anything. It is really weird, and i have no idea what it is. I have had to result in not drinking anymore, because i get older (i am now 20) the pain seems to hit quicker and harder than ever. I can not describe to you the immense pain i deal with. It's enough for me to burst into tears, and squirming around is all i can do while in this 'mode' of agony. Please help me understand what this is all about. Any type of alcohol gives me this side effect, and the pain gets worse as time goes on. I don't bother with alcohol anymore, because the pain i go through is not worth ruining a good night out with my friends.
Over the past year, a massive headache (0n the verge of migrain pain) begins shortly after my shoulders experience the pain. Please help me.

You should go see a doctor to eliminate the possibility that you have hodgkin disease. One of the symptoms is a weird reaction to alcohol with pain in the nodes. Hope all is well with you.

Thank you Nickle-Pickle. That is the first time I have seen someone describe the symptoms I experience when I have any alcohol. Since the age of 14 I have tried all manner of alcoholic drinks and I always experience the same: pain that starts in my neck, moves down my arms, into my back and legs. Then everything hurts and suddenly the feeling disappears. I wish I could understand what causes it; if only to explain the reason for being tee-total!

Lori wrote:

Guest wrote:

ok check it out. every time i drink beer, the next day my chest and back are covered in blotches or spots. It doesn't itch or anything but it's there and whats up with that?

I’ve had the same thing happening for the last year and has became really annoying that after having a crazy night out, I would break in red blotches over my face the following day.
I had no idea what was causing this especially because it started happening after years of recreational alcohol drinking.
Then I decided to do some research online and try to figure out what was going on.

It seems as if this was not an allergic reaction to alcohol itself but to some things used in alcohol production and possibly with inability to break down alcohol completely. The latter seems to be more common to people of Asian background but I have a feeling that the same thing is happening to me. I feel as if some things are not broken down completely and that accumulation of certain toxins occurs in the blood and that they cause my flushing. I may be wrong but it appears to be so because I have the same reactions to beer, schnapps and liquor.

Other explanation lies in the ingredients used in the alcohol production. Different ingredients like “grape, yeast, hop, barley or wheat-derived substances, natural food chemicals (eg. salicylates), wood and fruit-derived substances (eg. Histamine, tyramine in chianti), added enzymes (like papain) and preservatives (like sulphites)” may be used in alcohol production.

If we are sensitive or have allergic reactions to proteins within grapes, yeast, hops, barley and wheat, we are most likely to experience side effects from drinking alcohol.

Hey, I'm 15 and have been drinking since I guess like 12-13 somewhere in there. Most times its with friends at parties, and most times nothing weird happens...but every once in a while, most notably after I smoke a little bit of pot then drink, I have terrible stomache cramps, and am stuck in the bathroom for a good hour and a half or more.

Just for example I'll tell you about last night. I had a party with like 15 people, and I had a joint, 3 bottles of guiness, and 2 jack and cokes, so something like 5 oz of jack. This morning i woke up, played some video games with a few of my friends who slept over, and was hit by immense stomache cramps and was in and out of my bathroom for a good two hours.

Thanks for the help.

ps. I don't know if this will help or not but I'm of asian decent. My mother is Korean. (Dad's Irish, so hopefully they'll cancel out or something ha)

I have heard a similar story from somebody who does not drink any more because of his experience. The Doctors put it down to a panic attack.



If the hyperventilation was due to panic, only you will know what may have triggered it.



Just my 2 pennies.

hey, i get the red blotches thing aswell. but it happens on the evening at the time of drinking. if i stop drinking it will go after about an hour.. if i carry on it spreads from my face and neck to pretty much all over my body. i've learnt though that theres certain alcohol that triggers it. wine and cider are the most obvious triggers. i don't seem to get it if i stick to vodka, and don't use a sugary mixer. so i use diet or juices. still don't know why exactly i get it but there is definitely ways of avoiding it.

I am allergic to alcohol. What happens when I drink is I start shaking then my neck swells and blocks my airway so I can't breath.

I am 44 and have had an alergic reaction to alcohol for about 6 year. I have always been able to drink. I use to have scotch and ice, wine, galway port, any type. First only the heavy reds effected me so I steared clear of them. It eventually started happening whenever I drank . I thought it was all in my head, but after tonight after not having touched a drink for 3 years I had a sip of rose and immediately got effects, pains in the stomach, hot, sweaty, light headed, felt I was going to vomit. I am never touching alcohol again.

Alcoholism is a disease that is can be a physical allergy and/or emotional (Mine is both WOOHOO!) it's nothing to be ashamed of.

If you are only allergic and not yet emotionally connected I suggest you just give up immediately. I am not a teetotaler who just wants no one to drink. "Normies" very much exist and I find them ADORABLE when they accidentally have too much. You don't sound adorable when intoxicated :-(

Bottom line: If you're HARMING yourself (and others?) for a drink, you need to seek help before you do something irreversible. So I do worry that perhaps you're more into the alcoholism that you're letting on. Do you really see how messed up that is? If you couldn't eat peanuts, would you force yourself to eat them or hang out with people who made you feel bad for not eating them???

Be careful and God Bless!