Sudden Intolerance to Alcohol?

[journey1976]

I am a 33 year-old female and have been drinking from time to time every since I turned 21.  Within the last year, I started to develop some strange intolerance to alcohol.  Every time I drink (or try), within 20 minutes I start getting all kinds of pains in my stomach and then immediately have to run to the bathroom with pure liquid diarrhea.  Then, as soon as everything has passed, I am totally fine.  In fact, it is only THEN that I can actually enjoy the alcohol - but not befoer.  This never happened before it started last year - I used to be able to enjoy a glass of wine with no problems.  I also have no problems with any other foods.  What could be causing this?

[journey1976]

Thanks so much for the advice!  I did an experiment to see if I got my body more used to drinking, maybe it wouldn't view the alcohol as a toxin.  Friday I drank and it gave me the characteristic stomach problems.  So Saturday I tried a glass of wine and I got some gurgling, but no problems.  Then yesterday, I drank a 1/2 glass of wine and no problems at all. I think I may try and drink a 1/2 glass of wine with dinner for a while and see if that works.  Of course I can't keep this up indefinitely, but maybe this will serve as a short term solution until I figure out what's going on... so weird.  Thanks again and I'll keep you posted!

[geminigirl1963]

I'm sorry I don't have much to offer in the way of ideas or suggestions of what might be going on.  I have a couple of ideas, but not many.

1) Have you noticed this same type of problem with any type of food - especially anything with yeast such as bread?  

2) How about anything with sugar in it?

3) Do you have this "sensitivity" to anything with preservatives or nitrates in it such as lunch meat or hot dogs?  It could be a sensitivity to the nitrates in the alcohol

4) Has your diet changed at all recently?  I'm wondering if it's not the alcohol at all, but rather something in your diet and drinking the alcohol only "gets things moving" so to speak after you've eaten whatever it is that you're having the trouble with food wise.

Like I said, I'm not really sure on any of these ideas - just kinda grasping at straws to give you something to work with.  I wish I could be more helpful.

On another note - I would double check with your physician or pharmacist regarding your medications and the alcohol - they can give you more information as to whether any of those may cause a problem with the alcohol, even if your meds and doses haven't changed - it's still possible to "begin" having a problem with the combination.

Best of luck and keep us posted.

[journey1976]

I'm on a few prescription meds and no supplements (only a multi-vitamin + fish oil), but these are all things that I've been on for years way before I had any trouble with the alcohol.

[geminigirl1963]

Are you taking any medications, prescription or over the counter?  Any supplements?  Have you noticed happen both when you've eaten before drinking as well as if you've not eaten before?