Alcohol intolerance/allergy

[souljaboy]

I asked for help on here a couple weeks ago for my alcohol intolerance/allergy.  The first couple of times I ever drank I my forearms would swell up and break out in hives and itch very badly.  I haven't gotten the hives in a while but my forearms still swell up and itch.  Someone on here told me that I should take an antihistamine such a levocetrizine or cetrizine.  I took 1 Zyrtec and I felt fine for a couple of hours but my arms eventually swelled up and started to itch again.  I'm not sure if it just didn't work or I didn't take enough because the pill was only 10mg.  I drank enough to become intoxicated but the reaction this time was not as bad as before.  Should I try taking 2 pills next time or should I try taking 1 pill an hour before and another one 2 or 3 hours later?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,

There can be three possibilities for your symptoms.As told earlier, it is usually not the alcohol that produces the allergic reaction to the wine or beer. The other ingredients in the alcohol, such as yeast, sulfur dioxide, and additives are often the culprits.They can cause hives,itching and swelling.

Secondly,alcohol consumption can cause changes in the liver. Advanced liver damage makes it difficult for your body to break down waste products (such as bilirubin) in your blood. Waste products in the bloodstream can also cause itching, nausea, fever, and body aches

Thirdly,alcohol intake in excess can cause alcoholic myopathy. The severe form of acute alcoholic myopathy is associated with the sudden onset of muscle pain, swelling, and weakness; a reddish tinge in the urine caused by myoglobin, a breakdown product of muscle excreted in the urine; and a rapid rise in muscle enzymes in the blood.

Avoidance of alcohol is the main treatment available.Other treatment options include antihistaminics,corticosteroids and immunotherapy.Pls don’t double the dose of zyrtec as it may lead to drug overdose. The recommended dose of zyrtec is 5 mg or 10 mg per day in adults and not more than that.

Hope it helps.take care and regards.

[margypops]

Perhaps drinking alcohol not a good idea with any kind of Medication,cut back or cut it out and see how you feel ,after the initial headaches, you may feel better, Hope you work it out.