Headaches following alcohol consumption ...

[Mark46]

   For around three or four years now, I have been suffering from headaches some two hours or more after the consumption of any amount of alcohol - although typically as few as two drinks upwards of any kind of alcohol.  The headaches come on slowly but persistently and follow a line from the left side of my neck across the top of my head to just above the left eyebrow.  They are not sharp pains but more of a constant 'throb' and can go on for hours.  Pain relief medication does nothing and the only relief I can get at all is the application of something topical like '4-Head' or the American 'Head-On'.  Although I have been a reasonably 'active' drinker in the past, if anything now, at the age of 61 (male), I rarely have more than two drinks at a time ... which is why I'm surprised at the onset of these headaches.  My own doctor has, thus-far, not taken it very seriously and tends to take the line that, after years of 'getting away with it, maybe you've finally developed an allergy!'  

[dado7]

I can happily report that the black seed obviosly helps in my case. I read here before that the histamine reaction can be the cause of this strange headaches after two glasses of alcohol and it seems to be the case indeed.

I am allergic to dust mites and although taking black seed (cumin) for last 2 and a half months didn't really relieve my allergy symptoms I don't have headaches after drinking alcohol anymore.

Yesterday we had an annual celebration in our company and I drank around 4-5 glasses of wine without any problems whatsoever.

[DP0304]

My husband (29) has the same issues that started a couple years ago. He used to be able to drink all the time, without having these headaches but now, even after one drink, he get severe headaches that sometimes lasts for days. These usually happen almost immediately after drinking.

Some other details about him:
- He was diagnosed with high blood pressure which he takes medication for daily (he says this used to help with his headaches, now not so much).
- He has very bad allergies. He used to use this nasal spray a lot, but has since limited usage to once a day. He also does take OTC allergy medicine daily.
- Read in one of the other comments about limiting the amount of coffee... we may try this. He drinks coffee daily.
- Also read about having a better diet, and we'll try this as well.
- He states that sometimes these headaches will leave temporarily, but then return. He does take Advil/Tylenol/pain killers, but he states those don't really work.

Wish we knew of a solution.

[DP0304]

My husband (29) has the same issues that started a couple years ago. He used to be able to drink all the time, without having these headaches but now, even after one drink, he get severe headaches that sometimes lasts for days. These usually happen almost immediately after drinking.

Some other details about him:
- He was diagnosed with high blood pressure which he takes medication for daily (he says this used to help with his headaches, now not so much).
- He has very bad allergies. He used to use this nasal spray a lot, but has since limited usage to once a day. He also does take OTC allergy medicine daily.
- Read in one of the other comments about limiting the amount of coffee... we may try this. He drinks coffee daily.
- Also read about having a better diet, and we'll try this as well.
- He states that sometimes these headaches will leave temporarily, but then return. He does take Advil/Tylenol/pain killers, but he states those don't really work.

Wish we knew of a solution.

[JSinNYC]

Could it be toxicity?

Thank you for this forum, Mark46.  I too suffer from this issue.  Wicked right side of the head from shoulder to above and behind the right eye after just a couple of alcoholic drinks.  While I've experienced that same type of headache (off and on) since I was 12, up until the last couple of months, I could attribute that to hormonal / menstrual issues.  Now, they are clearly brought on by alcoholic consumption, whereas there hadn't been that correlation before (been drinking recreationaly for about 22 years now).

I did want to mention that I am 43 years old.  That seemed to be a magic number / age when I was reading these posts yesterday.  

Additionally, I know there was a theory floated on here as to whether there could be an environmental cause with someone mentioning metals, for example, and with Mark46 repeatedly questioning why this seems to be a 'new' problem.

I don't know if I have the answer, but I feel like I'm starting to stumble towards it.  Within the last year I've noticed that I can no longer tolerate caffeine (I was getting terrible silent reflux from even just one cup of decaf a day).  Once I cut coffee out - no problems.

Next, I found some lipomas (non-cancerous tumors) on my right ribs.  The Dr. tells me these are just encapsulated globs of fat, however, there are plenty of others (internet, etc.) who report that these are actually toxins that the body could not eliminate through normal means (filtering in the liver, elimination, etc.) so 2nd best is for the body to surround those toxins in a glob of fat and encapsulate them so they cannot damage the body.  Finally, most recently (last couple of months?!?) I've experienced the symptom of alcohol consumption throwing me into headache hell land.

As to the cause ... there was a time last year when my family was renting a home down the street.  The landlady was very cheap with the heat and as a result we NEVER opened the windows.  When we moved (late January) we realized there was mold growing in at least 2 of the rooms - so bad that we had to throw away some of our furniture.

I work at home and because it was winter, I only left the apartment sparingly.  I believe the mold may have caused the lipomas and perhaps the other toxicity in my system which has now lead to my body's seeming inability to filter out other 'normal' toxins (caffeine, alcohol ...).

So for my part, I'd like to know if any of you:
1.  have also recently experienced caffeine intolerance
2.  have lipomas
3.  have been exposed to mold

As far as a 'cure':  I'm working now to de-toxify as much as I can.  I've moved to a diet made up mostly of vegetables, I'm taking kefir once a day and apple cider vinegar once a day and I plan on introducing some anti-oxidant focused drinks .. Acai?  Pomegranate?  Coco-fusion?  

We'll see how it goes.

Yours in solidarity - Jacqueline

[SeaChanger]

I have exactly same symptioms for a few months now at age 69. Onset is about 8-12 hours after drinking, always left side behind ear where skull meets  muscle. Source area is tender to touch over about 9 square inches along bone. Dissappears spontaneously, but slowly. Always at night, independently of pillows, sleeping on back or side. I believe lack of sufficient hydration may be a factor or the root cause, but that seems inconsistent with the lack of symmetry.

[SeaChanger]

Read all entries ... histamines seems to be a likely root cause. When I was young growing up on a farm, I got stung often without much reaction ... same thing with almost any amount of alcohol. Today a sting causes huge swelling, and alcohol seems to cause this problem, suddenly at age 69.

[SeaChanger]

One Benadryl last night and about 1/2 hour later pain stopped and then the tenderness stopped ... went back to sleep.

Normally this pain lasts hours (after drink two or more glasses of wine), but always goes away by daylight. Nothing I had done before would lessen this pain. It is not minor pain, it wakes  me up and prevents me from going back to sleep. Very strange.

I am otherwise healthy and do not have any prescription drugs and do not take any other drugs ... other than red wine :)

I hope someone else who has this very specific syndrome gives this a try to see if it works for them.

[SeaChanger]

Ibuprofen also works.

This article explains histamine intolerance:

https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-11175/everything-you-need-to-know-about-histamine-intolerance.html

Basically alcohol is both a source of histamines and blocks DAO which is responsible for neutralizing histamines in your body.

Common symptoms of histimine intolerance are headaches, migranes as well as tissue swelling.

For me apparently always on left side of neck where neck meets skull about 8 hiurs after excess alcohol consumption.

Just a guess.

[SeaChanger]

I have exactly same symptioms for a few months now at age 69. Onset is about 8-12 hours after drinking, always left side behind ear where skull meets  muscle. Source area is tender to touch over about 9 square inches along bone. Dissappears spontaneously, but slowly. Always at night, independently of pollows, slerping on back or side. I believe lack of sufficient hydration may be a factor or the root cause, but that seems inconsistent with the lack of symmetry.