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Can you be alcohol-intolerant?

Aneka

Aneka

Well-Known Member
I'm intolerant to caffeine and react quite strongly with heart racing and panick attacks after a cup of coffee.
Two days ago, I drank two glasses of red wine in the evening and spent the night after on the toilet, feeling like I've caught the flu (even getting the shivers).

Normally, I never drink alcohol, only on special occassions when wine is being offered (or prosecco).
 
Are you on any medications? I know some people who have very bad reactions to alcohol. So I suppose your body might just be extremely sensitive.

Probably a good thing - as any positives from alcohol are a bit of a false economy.

Ed
 
You maybe having an alleric reaction to sulfites in the wine. Many people are sensative to sulfites and will get a headache from them. A fullblown allergy is within the realm of possibility.
 
Aneka said:
I'm intolerant to caffeine and react quite strongly with heart racing and panick attacks after a cup of coffee.
Two days ago, I drank two glasses of red wine in the evening and spent the night after on the toilet, feeling like I've caught the flu (even getting the shivers).

Normally, I never drink alcohol, only on special occassions when wine is being offered (or prosecco).
Click to expand...
The actor Richard .e.Grant is allergic to wine, so probably yes
 
I think we are all intolerant to alcohol really...

But it's something many people overcome because it is a sign of being an adult.

I don't take alcohol anymore. I accept my intolerance to it now that I no longer feel peer-pressured into consuming it. Even when I was younger and would drink beer, I could never stand spirits, and couldn't understand how anyone could naturally enjoy watered down, barrel-flavoured ethanol marketed as whiskey, or watered down ethanol marketed as vodka, for example. But if you want the effects, and if you drink enough regularly, you get a taste for it, you build a tolerance to it.
 
Symptoms
"Signs and symptoms of alcohol intolerance — or of a reaction to ingredients in an alcoholic beverage — can include:

  • Facial redness (flushing)
  • Red, itchy skin bumps (hives)
  • Worsening of pre-existing asthma
  • Runny or stuffy nose
  • Low blood pressure
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Diarrhea"
Causes
"Alcohol intolerance occurs when your body doesn't have the proper enzymes to break down (metabolize) the toxins in alcohol. This is caused by inherited (genetic) traits most often found in Asians.

Other ingredients commonly found in alcoholic beverages, especially in beer or wine, can cause intolerance reactions. These include:

  • Sulfites or other preservatives
  • Chemicals, grains or other ingredients
  • Histamine, a byproduct of fermentation or brewing
In some cases, reactions can be triggered by a true allergy to a grain such as corn, wheat or rye or to another substance in alcoholic beverages."

"Unfortunately, nothing can prevent reactions to alcohol or ingredients in alcoholic beverages. To avoid a reaction, avoid alcohol or the particular substance that causes your reaction."
Alcohol intolerance - Symptoms and causes

Alcohol Allergies: Symptoms, Signs, and Treatment for Reactions
Alcohol Allergy
Do I Have an Allergy to Alcohol?
 
MY wife used to get very sick when she was younger couple of drinks. bowel distress , up chucking, yes you can be allergic to alcohol.
 
Drinking was definitely an acquired taste to fit in socially for me. But I never really liked it much and could feel ill easily. So I quit it early on.

Caffeine was different. Love it. :D
 
My wife built up a tolerance, drinking wine for a while gets really sick if she goes past her tolerance point.
 
For me, I just can't stand the taste of alcohol and even if I force myself to drink a bit of it, my stomach "punishes" me for it afterwards.
As such, I don't drink it.
 
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Yes! I am! I talked to my doctor about it.
The first time I drank, I drank with my now husband and I drank waaaaaay to much. I got really sick. I assumed it was because I had to much and it was my first time drinking. I got sick again every time I drank, no matter how much, and so at my next doctor appointment I asked.
My doctor said that there's many reasons it can happen, but in my case it's likely linked to me being premature. Apparently some premature babies don't have as good of an ability to process some stuff.
I was told that drinking won't cause permanent damage, and some experimentation may lead me to some drinks that are less bad.
Wine and beer seem ok, but gross. I don't like them. All dark liquor will make me sick, even if it's just one mix drink. Light alcohol like vodka seems ok in small quantities, and fruity low alcohol drinks. But in general, if I drink enough to feel drunk, I'm gonna barf or get stuck on the toilet the next morning for a while.
I was really sensitive about it at first, but now I just voulenteer to be the designated driver or sober supervisor. It's not so bad and I can still participate in social stuff without being weird.
Hope that helps! I'd say to talk to a doctor and see if you get the same feedback, or if something else may be happening.
 
Alcohol is a poison and different people have different tolerances to alcohol, regardless whether they are allergic or not. I'm quite sensitive to it, but can enjoy a glass or two of wine if I follow one or two self-imposed rules: I don't drink on an empty stomach, I take my time (two glasses would take a couple of hours), I don't have more than two small glasses or one big glass, or I pay for it later. If I go beyond my tolerance limit, I can get really sick, and also, it can cause migraines. Plenty reasons to avoid alcohol.
 
I like certain drinks, mostly rum, tequila or beer. However, I do not drink anymore. When I used to drink, I did not drink a lot even, though I actually liked the taste of these drinks. Now I can not even drink a beer with out getting sick. I think it is my old body telling me not to do that.

Coffee is different, I drink 2 or 3 cups every morning and it makes me feel better.
 
I feel fine after drinking alcohol like I had five 4.5% beers yesterday at the after work beers the company owner got us because it was my last day and I didn't feel drunk at all.

p.s I don't drive yet so Dad picked me up as he's working from home because of the ongoing Delta outbreak in Auckland.
 
clg114 said:
I like certain drinks, mostly rum, tequila or beer. However, I do not drink anymore. When I used to drink, I did not drink a lot even, though I actually liked the taste of these drinks. Now I can not even drink a beer with out getting sick. I think it is my old body telling me not to do that.

Coffee is different, I drink 2 or 3 cups every morning and it makes me feel better.
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Oh yes coffee is great I like to have an expresso coffee before work I find I function better after a coffee.
 
clg114 said:
I like certain drinks, mostly rum, tequila or beer. However, I do not drink anymore. When I used to drink, I did not drink a lot even, though I actually liked the taste of these drinks. Now I can not even drink a beer with out getting sick. I think it is my old body telling me not to do that.

Coffee is different, I drink 2 or 3 cups every morning and it makes me feel better.
Click to expand...

For me, I can't stand coffee - the smell alone I find off-putting and the taste isn't much better.
Personally, I prefer a hot cup of tea with milk and two sugars.
 
LOL! I'm such a cheap drunk. I used to have no tolerance at all for booze. After one drink, that would be the end of the drinking for me. A very fine line between feeling slightly giddy and puking my guts out.

I have improved greatly over the decades. Now, I get tipsy after two drinks, start losing my clothing after 3, and only after 3.5 drinks am I puking my guts out. Still a fine line but it is a little farther down the track.

Every morning I have one or two cups of brewed coffee with lots of milk and that's it for me. When I was working I would have a cup about every two hours from wakeup to end of shift. You can get addicted that way.
 
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Alcohol makes me sick too. I also just simply don’t like being drunk, I have a hard enough time making sense as is, my mouth works a lot faster than my brain. The few times I have been drunk I was incredibly embarrassed by what I said and how I acted so that was enough of a turnoff for me. I will very occasionally have a mixed drink with really low alcohol content but even that makes me a little queasy and runs the risk of me unintentionally getting drunk.
One time I had a drink when my meds were still in my system (unintentionally without thinking about it) and it felt like my stomach was bleeding on the inside. It was extremely painful.
I prefer to stay away from alcohol, but I like drinking caffeinated things because it helps with my migraines.
Alcohol intolerance is a thing… some people (myself included) also can’t handle drinking and just get super drunk from one drink lol
 
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