Have I Developed Alcohol Intolerance

I have the same issue. I am 48 year old female. I used to say it is my German decent that gave me the ability to drink any guy under the table, beer only, during my twenties and thirties I would drink about 8 beers on average a few times per week with no problems whatsoever.

I didn't drink much for the past two years. Now when i drink its hit or miss. I don't drink like I used to, just a few beers, maybe 3, and sometimes I am fine, and sometimes it is terrible. I don't wake up in the night, but as soon as I wake up in the morning I feel like death.

I dont' drink the hard stuff, but the other night my mother in law was here and she wanted a brandy alexander. I made her one, and I had two, and I was fine the next morning, mowed the lawn, etc. I was happy. I always make sure I eat dinner before drinkking anything.

Ok, so last night I had two brandy alexanders. Hey, the bottles are still there, may as well relax with a drink. Ha, well I had two, just liek the other night, and ugh, today I feel awful.

So it can't be an intolerance if sometimes it hapens and sometimes it doesnt?

Hi every time I drink alcohol even one glass I get severe cramps and diarrhoea. So obviously I avoid alcohol as much as possible, only having the one drink Xmas and new year, even though I know I will suffer the next day. Stupidly it was my 40th birthday and a bunch of us went away for the weekend, I don't know what I was thinking but I drank and drank as everyone was buying me drinks. This was Saturday night, its now Friday morning and I still suffering, I keep having hot flushes, severe chills, tiredness, sickness horrendous stomach cramps and severe diarrhoea and fatigue. Needless to say I will never drink again but was wondering is there a test I can have.

i just became lactose intolerant as well and at the same time i cant drink alcohol, even a few sips of beer will give me diarrhea, im 17 so this is pretty c**p for me when all my friends are out drinking. have you found a reason?

I have this SAME problem which is how I stumbled upon this page. I had one beer a few weekends ago and was fine for a few hours. Then the headache creeped up. I took Advil but it didn't work. I had interrupted sleep all night with the cold sweats, massive headache and nausea. The whole day at work the following day, I was plagued with a headache do bad, you'd think I went on a bender. Painkillers do not work. I suffer less from vomiting but more from migraine like headaches which I think cause my nausea. I do get red flush when I drink too. Well, I've stopped drinking. But it makes me sad that I can't have even ONE glass of wine. Has anyone had just the headaches and no vomiting?

Hello everyone! I have always been a drinker with barely any issues until about 2 or 3 years ago. I drink then sleep for a few hours, wake up, eat, drink water(sometimes I can't even do any of these things) then I vomit anywhere from as little as 4 hours up to 12 being the most then once the vomiting stops am sick for up to a week! I will get VERY hot before I puke and start shaking......then vomit even if there is nothing there to come up......then get VERY cold and feel like passing out. I will get back to bed and have the WORST pain inside my stomach which feels like its pulsating and forcing everything including bile out because what I have come to decide is my body is attacking itself and there is NO winning for me. I went to the doctor and explained my issue. I was told I have gastritis. Which happens when you have chocolate, nicotine and alcohol. I am not going to lie I love to drink. So I kept testing it out. Here is what I have figure out in my couple years of research. I personally can eat a little chocolate with no issue, nicotine is horrible for me.....I get SUPER sick(so I am 2 years nicotine free this month :) )I can't take shots, I can drink some light beer( NO hard alcohol) BUT I still have had my "paying" for it days. Doctors told me to take an antacid like zantac or prevacid before I know I am having a few drinks. It does help sometimes......unfortunately  I have not found a cure. My opinion is it is basically an auto immunine disease beacuse the way I explained it before as my body is attacking itself. I hope this information helps at least one of you because its not easy to deal with especially when you have had NO issues your whole life with alcohol and it for no reason pops up. Sorry for any of you going through this and glad others know how it feels because its horrible. Good luck to you all and ANY other information please share!!

I have developed an intolerance, too.  But after reading these posts, mine is rather modest by comparison.  In my case, the intolerance manifests as a deep fatigue the day after drinking even one swig of wine or beer with dinner. This fatigue lasts all day and into the night.  I only feel better the following day (some 36 hours after having even a tiny amount of alcohol).  I have even had the fatigue after eating food cooked in wine (e.g. steamed clams).  This intolerance came on rather suddenly after a lifetime of using alcohol in moderation.  I have been checked out - liver biopsy, etc.  Three doctors later, no one can really explain it other than my liver just stopped processing the stuff.  The lucky part, I guess, is that I'm normal and I feel great as long as I do not have a drop of alcohol.  It's disappointing - I live in a wine region of California and really enjoyed wine (and martinis now and then).  But being honest with myself, I know that alcohol is basically a poison - and if our bodies can become intolerant of typically beneign foods like coffee, chocolate, milk and peanuts, why not an actual poison?  BTW, those who describe "hot flashes" and flushing probably have a genetic condition commonly known as "asian flush".  There is a blood test that can identify if this is the problem. 

An adverse reaction to the ingestion of alcohol caused by a deficiency of the enzyme that is needed to breakdown alcohol. Alcohol unless broken down is toxic to our body and an immediate immune response is triggered causing symptoms typical to an allergy.

Has anyone been cured or grown out of these issues. I'm not looking to get drunk , but I would love to have a glass of wine ( or 2) , with out waking up an hour after falling asleep, having hours of bowel movements, nausea, freezing chills , and anxiety from sleeplessness! It's been about 3 years. I generally avoid alcohol , it's a real social downer ! Help please

I know it's a long time between when you posted and now, but hopefully you and others will find this helpful. I had the exact same problems in my late 20's. After a blood test, docs said they thought I was gluten sensitive but didn't test positive for Celiac disease (I confirmed this with genetic testing that I'm predisposed to this). Finding a highly-recommended GI doctor made a difference for me. They took a biopsy from my colonoscopy between episodes and found that I had microscopic colitis. If you can get a referral to assist with the costs, I would recommend colonoscopy. I had both this and endoscopy, which revealed an ulcer, but issues wouldn't happen until hours after consumption (and almost always between 11pm and 2am!), so to me that suggests issues with the small and/or large intestine.

Hi,

I'm a 47 year old female.  In college and in my twenties, I drank way less than any of my friends but would always suffer the worst hangovers.  Over the past 20 years or so, I've rarely drank more than a few beers or glasses of wine over the course of several hours.  For the most part I have avoided massive hangovers, with the exception of a few doozies where I would be sick for days!   But recently every now and then if  I have more than one drink (which is really easy to do) I pay for it dearly.  I wake up in the middle of the night feeling really nauseas, then vomit 6 or 7 times, followed by diahrea and I get the shivers so bad my teeth chatter.  After vomiting, I instantly feel better. The worst thing is  before I throw up I have that awful feeling that washes over you right before fainting.  I also, have an overwelming feeling of dread and remorse as if I did something terrible the night before.  Which I didn't becasuse I wasn't even remotely buzzed!

Red wine is definitely the biggest culprit.  I don't like vodka or other hard liquors so I don't know if they would trigger the same reaction.  I've also noticed that anytime I eat overly rich food I get violently ill within an hour or two.  I haven't consumed red meat, pork or soda in 25 years.  I'm not gluten or lactose intollerant but I only use 2% milk in my coffee and rarely eat cheese.  Is it possible that I've made my body too delicate? 

  

The best way to get rid of this is to drink a glass of beer...voluntarily force vomit out...then drink ginger ale or lemon soda...u definitely feel great...but dont eat anything after this procedure for 1 hour...then you will see your crave for food and water ...the next day you will have a fresh body and mind....you will feel sp energetic as though you are 10 years younger....the toughest part is the forceful vomit...but thats the best way to get the toxicity out and feel fresh....

Alcohol intolerance can cause immediate, unpleasant reactions after you consume alcohol. The most common signs and symptoms of alcohol intolerance are nasal congestion and skin flushing. This condition is sometimes inaccurately referred to as an alcohol allergy. Alcohol intolerance is caused by a genetic condition in which the body is unable to break down alcohol.

I am experiencing similar symptoms... HELP!

Interesting, I have suffered similar. I only drink white wine, and an occasional bourbon. No more than 2 glasses an evening. Periodically, over the last few years, I go through a period where the wine gives me skin sensations, sometimes while drinking and other times the next day after lunch or breakfast. These include chills when I move my body, feeling cold, itching, prickly feet and hands and mild nausea. This phenomenon could last days or weeks, and disappears. I have seen allergists and neurologists who have no explanation. I don't vomit, only a headache and/or indigestion. The chills and coldness are terrible and keep me up at night. Strangely I've had the same feelings, very rarely, when I haven't consumed alcohol. One explanation was that it wasn't the alcohol, but the alcohol triggered another reaction..

No one mentioned bottled beer vs. keg or microbrew. I can drink bottled but nothing else due to air or processing.