Asian flush or alcohol allergy?

Guest over a year ago

I tried Pepsid AC for a while but found that it didn't work too well. One thing I've had considerable success with however is Zantac. 150mg prior to drinking makes a big difference.

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Guest over a year ago

Hello,

I have the same problem,

The reason why our body has trouble breaking down the alcohol is because we have inactive enzyme called aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2), which is normally responsible for breaking down acetaldehyde, a byproduct of the metabolism of alcohol. Acetaldehyde is a toxin and, as result of your body not being able to properly break it down, this toxin accumulates and causes the red flushing that we all commonly refer to as Asian Flush.

Whilst the red flushing is the most common and reported symptom among sufferers, other symptoms you might experience include dizziness, nausea, headaches, and an increased pulse.

Scientists have very little knowledge as to why the enzyme is inactive primarily in people of Asian descent, but empirical studies have shown that the enzyme deficiency that causes Asian Flush is genetic and can potentially be passed down by both parents. Tolerance levels and the severity of flushing and other symptoms vary from individual to individual. Some studies have also shown that while the majority of suffers appear to be of Asian decent, there is some evidence that aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 is inactive in higher than average levels in people of Jewish descent as well.

Here is a full article on the subject:

Best of luck,

J

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Guest over a year ago

Katie drink more alcohol and just ignore the symptoms, or refrain from alcohol completely because it's a toxin and your body just can't handle large amounts of poison in its system.

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Guest over a year ago

I'm a 23 year old white male with asian flush. I drink a large glass of water before I drink alcoholic beverages and in between every few drinks. It usually lessens the allergic effect or eradicates it altogether.

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Guest over a year ago

does this work

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Guest over a year ago

I have also done "unofficial" research as I get a redness breakout/flushing of the face and neck. However, the flushing is never below my neck. For me it usually happens when I drink vodka, and drink a few shots in a short amount of time. It is always random so I do not believe it is a true alcohol allergy. Also I am of German/Irish/Swedish descent and I have a friend that is Swedish as well who gets the same reaction from vodka. Everyone I know who gets this has blonde hair (3 others) so that may be a connection. Hope this helps for anyone else who is trying to understand why this happens.

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Guest over a year ago

Yea for the most part, it can actually be pretty embarrassing to have this as you don't get to have enough fun while your out with your friends or at a part.

I use to suffer from this back in the day and I would hate the fact that I could only drink a couple of beers.

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Guest over a year ago

Yea I remember this happening to me for a while now, my face alwys seems to get read out of nowhere.

But the best thing to do is stay calm and learn to deal with it and be happy with it :)

I go out anywhere now and I enjoy my nights out because ***this post is edited by moderator *** *** web addresses not allowed***

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Greet over a year ago

Yes, and you DO have to worry about this. My husband, also Chinese, has died from this Asian Flush reaction half year ago. He was just like you before, reacting allergically and flushing to one glass of wine. But in July, it has killed him in about 15 minutes at the age of 50 after drinking 1,5 glasses of red Great Wall wine in 3 hours time. None of the doctors here in Belgium know about this 'disease'.
So please, be carefull!

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Guest over a year ago

Some mouthwash brands have alcohol. We don't have purell here so I did a google check. Hand sanitizers are made of alcohol too. Maybe that's the problem.

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Louise over a year ago

I'm european, no traces of asian. I find that I only sometimes react on alcohol. It started when I was a teenager, drinling tequila made my face red like if i had a severe sunburn. But sometimes i experience other reactions. They normally occure after the first sip and then dissapear after a couple of minutes. It ranges from feeling almost lactic in my legs and arms to feeling i almost can't breathe and have to lean back to relax my muscles and get my throat as open as possible to be able to breathe normally. Often i feel a bit dizzy after the first sips and I loose my ability to overview things as soon as i start drinking, and therefore it can be rather difficult for me to enjoy a drink while i'm cooking. Years ago i realised that a combination of red wine with cheese gave me migraine the next day.

Now I'm trying to find out, wheter this is a reaction to something in the different beverages or if it is the alcohol itself. Do any of you have an idea of what I react on? My biggest concern is to when I feel that constriction in my throath. Could that be a beginning of an anaphylactic reaction? And in that case, do I have to worry about starting to get reactions from handsanitisors eg?

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shig over a year ago

hi im filiino too, same tau, di nga ngko nkksama sa mga inuman, ksi namumula agad ako.. i hope my gamot pa dito..

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southerncookie over a year ago

YES! It's is VERY possible! Says MY father who is a medical dr! STOP any alcoholic drinks! And make sure that your potassium is ok. You can try a full body cleanse that will possibly rid your body of any impurities that could be in your body causing this reaction once you drink alcohol. BUT first things first....go see your family Dr!

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mahesh (Indian) over a year ago

hello i am suffering through the same, please speak to me once to guide me

***this post is edited by moderator *** *** private phone numbers not allowed*** Please read our Terms of Use

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WendyPrzygoda322166 over a year ago

the redness is caused by the build up of acetaldehyde that causes the blood vessels to dilate thus making the face turn red. acetaldehyde is a known cancer-causing agent.

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