Member Comments are provided by individuals and reflect their personal opinions only. Under NO circumstances should you act on any advice or opinion posted in this forum.  ALWAYS check with your personal physician before taking any action regarding your health! MedHelp International and our partners, sponsors and affiliates have no obligation to monitor any comments posted on this site, or the content and/or accuracy of such exchanges. MedHelp International does not endorse the views of any user.

Addiction: Substance Abuse Community

This community is a place to share information and support with others who are trying to stop using drugs, prescription drugs, alcohol, tobacco or other addictive substances. Discuss with others, the symptoms of addiction, addiction recovery, ways to quit like tapering and cold turkey, and withdrawal symptoms. If you are interested in general "chat", please visit our Addiction Social Community.
 | 

Allergic reaction to alcohol?

by tiofromrio, Feb 16, 2001 12:00AM
Sure glad I found this website!

Well, I've been a avid beer drinker for quite some time.  I can relate to the Asian Alcohol issue discussed, after living in Japan for 5 years!  They do have good beer, and it is much stronger than US beer!

For several years, I've equated, or rationalized my increasing tolerance to alcohol with a rigoruous exercise program-rowing, exercise bike, lifting weights (which doesn't prevent me from gaining weight though).

Also, for about the last 3 years, I started using melatonin to sleep (yes, after several beers during week, and as much as 10-14 on weekend nights (over periods of 6-10 hours)-never really experiencing sickness and/or hangovers)).

I've been in Dallas for the last 3.5 years-one of the dirtiest cities re air pollution in the US (I know this from my Fed job). Well, this winter season my allergies have been severe, worse than ever, to the point where I'm wearing nose strips (for snoring, but not in my case) to prevent my nose from running, me sneezing, etc.  I do have somewhat of a chemical safety background, being a chemical and environmental engineer, and having learned about and witnessed chemical sensitivities in others, performing env field and hazardous waste sample collection, etc.  I've thought maybe my cat and/or the building I work in (ie, sick building syndrom) could be causing this reaction also.

Just this last Mon night, I drank (only this time) about 4 beers, then took one milligram of melatonin.  I sleep for maybe 2-3 hours (normal for me, with this amount of melatonin (I'll usually take more during the night after that).  This time, I didn't take more because my heart beat must have been at least 90-110/min, causing me to toss and turn for the next several hours, and as always (it happens!), drift off to sleep just before it was time to wake for work!

I didn't drink Tues and Wed night, because I'd planned to change my exercise program to swimming at the new YMCA across the street. And a funny thing occured Tues night, I noticed that I wasn't sneezing, my nose wasn't running, I wasn't coughing, and I was breathing normally!!  The same occurred Wed-no alcohol and free breathing!

Well, last night (Thurs), I drank (only again) 40 ounces of beer, while eating sushi (no reactions to sushi!-don't worry) and with the first beer, here came the sneezing, coughing, lung congestion, and need to put on another nose strip.  Then I had a miserable night, due to these breathing problems.  Thank God I scheduled earlier to be off work today/Fri.



QUESTIONS, please---



1. Can my lung reactions/severally disturbed breathing, be an allergic reaction to ALCOHOL?

2. Could it be the type of beer (ie, wheat, different hops, grains, etc.), causing the reactions?  

(I don't need a rationalization to continue drinking if it is "alcohol" alone-I don't need to experiment to learn if different beers will cause me different reactions!).

3. And last, but not least, am I probably, now, missing the enzyme discussed on other msgs, that Asians don't have, etc.?

(I've put my body through it, I know, if it would be the case)

4. Could it be, as I learned, the "synergistic effect" of all the chemicals I'm exposed to now and in the past, being set off, in re the my reactions, by the alcohol?





I watched my Sister (who never drank or smoked) endure 8 years of cancer, including lung cancer and lung surgery, so I don't need much coaching, etc., to stop drinking, if that's what's causing my lung problems!



Please excuse my long email, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Medical Profession, but I hope it will help others who may read it!



Thanks and have a great day, from it looks like an ex-drinker!
Member Comments (12)

by chad, Feb 16, 2001 12:00AM
To: TIO
I have the same thing happen to me when I eat chicken!!! Wierd huh?  There have been some posts on here before about reactions to beer.  You should scan down the board and see if you find them.  Take Care

by tiofromrio, Feb 16, 2001 12:00AM
Wow!

Thanks Chad!  Chicken huh?  I've heard of people having reactions to different foods.  There was a sumo wrestler in Japan who died

from eating too much Blowfish (called "Fugu").  I sort of have always gotten an itchy allergic reaction to eating celery, but nothing like the beer's done to me this week!

Appreciate your comment!

Take care, and stick to beef, fish, lamb, turkey (maybe not turkey-sort of close to chicken maybe!-joke, but maybe true?!).

Thanks again!

Tiofromrio

by chad, Feb 16, 2001 12:00AM
To: TiofromRio
Haha, Lay off the fowl huh? : )  Yeah like you said in the top post this morning.  It could be the hops, barley or even type of beer?  Does liquor do that to you as well?  I would just stop drinking all together.  It's too much work to get where you need to get, just to feel like **** in the morning (headache, **** in your mouth from smoking all night!!) hahaha  Take care and if you ever want to chat privatly e-mail me ok?

***@****  Do you like funk music?  http://www.lachoza.tv go to the sounds page, that's my band.

Take Care Again

by J.B. to Brian and Vicky, Feb 16, 2001 12:00AM
To: TIO
Your post was interesting to me.  It sounds like you are asking whether alcohol is causing your sleep and allergy symptoms?  I think that alcohol is indeed causing your problems. I had very similar problems that disappeared after I quit drinking.  I had sleep apnea, terrible snoring, nose bleeds, sneezing fits and trouble sleeping for more than one to two hours at a time.  



Try complete abstinence from alcohol for a few days and see what happens.  If you are addicted to alcohol, this will be rather difficult.  I drank alcoholically for many years and my tolerance was very high in that during the course of a normal day I would consume probably 36 ounces per day just to feel good.  That's 36 oz. of hard liquor, not beer!  After my liver blew out, 2 oz's would give me a buzz and cause severe nausea and pain.  Don't go down that road my friend, please!  J.B.

by PS >>>>Annie, Feb 16, 2001 12:00AM
To: Chad or Casey
Just ck'd that site out you mentioned above^....How long have yall been in music??  I have a whole family of musicians.   I cant tell you who they are cuz then u would know where I'm from,

and so would my family, if they are hovering around this site. I used to play the drums, but was stealing someones thunder, so I quit.

by chad, Feb 17, 2001 12:00AM
To: Annie
Well, we've been musicians for 9-10 years, I'm 20-something and so is Casey.  We love it.  There is no other high like being on stage and people screaming after you're done playing songs.  You played the drums huh?   If you want to talk privatly e-mail me ok?  I'd like to chat with ya.  ***@****

Take Care

Chad

by PS >>>>Annie, Feb 17, 2001 12:00AM
To: chad
.....I didnt play for long.  They were my siblings (??) He would spit nails when he caught me on them.  I was young.  Just got my son some for christmas last yr.  We sold them.  Guess its not in his blood.  Didnt give it a chance.  That was the first time I played on them in a while, 15 yrs.  Well hold on to your dreams, cuz you will be very sad and wonder what if??? For the rest of your life.  Good-luck!  Thanks for the email add.

by FlowerChild11601, Feb 18, 2001 12:00AM
To: TiofromRio
Well, I'll try to answer your questions as best I can...first let me say that my sister quit drinking and her husband said she snored REALLY loud when drinking and now doesn't (pretty funny).   I learned in chemistry and microbiology class about different alcohol mixtures and how they are made and that very same allergic question came up...and YES, it can be the wheat, grains, etc contained in the alcohol.  Your body also changes thru out your life and what you were not allergic to years ago or even last week can change.  Alcohol also interferes with your sleep cycle and excessive drinking or quitting can cause insomnia for some time - which will eventually resolve on it's own (without melatonin) if that was the cause of the insomnia in the first place  Exercising is SO GOOD for your body and will help.  I can't remember your other questions (this new forum format won't let me look at your post like the old one when responding) so I hope I helped.  God Bless and take care, Maryanne

by tiofromrio, Feb 24, 2001 12:00AM