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!
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!
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
***@**** Do you like funk music? http://www.lachoza.tv go to the sounds page, that's my band.
Take Care Again
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.
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.
Take Care
Chad
**Hey yall-read this book I'm now reading- "The Crazy Makers" by Carol Simontachi. I've concluded from this, and yall's comments, that it's the "wheat" causing my reaction. The book will change your eating habits too.
Esp since I recently (2-3 months ago) starting buying 40-60% Bavarian beer (found a store with great prices!). The 60 bothers me-coughing, sneezing, etc., but the 40 doesn't. Also, a certain Czechoslovakian beer -Pils Querell, or something like that-green bottle, the only Czeck beer I know of in the US (spelling sux, I know). This beer causes my bad reactions.
Thanks again to yall and pls write back!