If you or someone you love struggles with alcohol abuse or addiction, you are not alone. Contact the intake team at Archstone Recovery to learn about our programs or to schedule an intake appointment. Alcohol abuse and addiction can make every aspect of your life more challenging.

Why do some drinks cause worse symptoms than others?

Alcohol intolerance is most common in people of Asian descent but can occur in anyone. According to Sandra Parker, alcohol abuse coach and founder of Just The Tonic Coaching, alcohol intolerance is a genetic metabolic disorder where the body can’t break down alcohol properly. This can result in an uncomfortable reaction with symptoms ranging from redness and itchiness, to a blocked nose and nausea. If you aren’t sure whether you have an alcohol intolerance or an alcohol allergy, you have a few options.

Alcohol Intolerance: Key Symptoms and Practical Management Strategies

But remember, consulting with a healthcare provider for proper diagnosis and advice is a key first step for anyone who suspects they may suffer from alcohol intolerance. As mentioned above, alcohol intolerance is primarily a genetic issue linked to how our bodies process and break down the toxins in alcohol. Alcohol intolerance is an inherited metabolic disorder that is passed down from parents to children through genes.

Why have I suddenly become intolerant to alcohol after drinking for years?

In 2017, researchers explored how if a person consumes alcohol chronically and in larger quantities, it may promote inflammation throughout the body, resulting in widespread symptoms. The cause of alcohol-related sickness may develop for various medical reasons, such as an intolerance to alcohol or another ingredient present in the beverage. Test for 15 common food allergens and up to 25 common indoor and outdoor respiratory allergens. The same quality lab tests doctors use and recommend, but no doctor visit required for purchase. A 2010 German questionnaire surveyed 4,000 people and found that self-reported wine intolerance specifically was present in 5.2% of men and 8.9% of women. However, only around 20% of those surveyed completed and returned the questionnaire.

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Some people take Pepcid to reduce their flush reaction and manage other symptoms alcohol intolerance of alcohol intolerance, but this approach is not recommended. People with alcohol intolerance may also experience nasal congestion after drinking alcohol. Next to flushing, a stuffy nose is the most commonly reported symptom of alcohol intolerance. Your nose may run or feel congested, and some people also sneeze after drinking.

Alcohol withdrawal can cause severe and sometimes life-threatening symptoms. So it’s important to distinguish between alcohol intolerance and a real allergy that is being triggered by specific ingredients found in alcoholic beverages, like chemicals, grains, or preservatives. And always remember that combining alcohol with certain medications can also cause severe adverse reactions.

• The most effective treatment is not drinking alcohol at all, or drinking only occasionally and in small amounts.
• Another enzyme, aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), then turns acetaldehyde into non-toxic acetic acid (vinegar).
• For example, an inherited lack of an ALDH variant called ALDH2, common in people of Asian descent, often results in alcohol intolerance.

There is also an increased risk of liver cancer if you continue to drink while intolerant. Instead, you should seek help from an immunologist at a specialist allergy clinic. There, they will perform a skin prick test, during which a drop of alcohol is applied to the surface of your skin before being pricked with a fine needle and observed for a potential reaction. If any of these are positive, it would mean you have an allergy to alcohol. If you’re allergic to a specific ingredient in certain alcoholic drinks, switching to a different alcoholic drink may be an option.

Allergy symptoms are often more painful and uncomfortable than alcohol intolerance symptoms. Loss of control over drinking is a hallmark of late-stage alcoholism, characterized by compulsive alcohol consumption despite severe physical, mental, and social consequences. At this point, alcohol use is driven primarily by the need to avoid withdrawal symptoms rather than a desire for pleasure or relaxation. Antihistamines can help to reduce the intensity and severity of the symptoms alcohol intolerance causes.