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Allergy Community
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Allergic to alcohol?
by andrea7, Apr 27, 2008 07:28PM
Sometimes when I first start to have an alcoholic drink, and I drink it rather quickly, I get extreme symptoms of a heart attack. Extremem pressure on my chest and pain in that area, like a heart attack. If I stop drinking and walk around, it usually passes in about 10 minutes. After it passes, I am fine to continue to drink alcohol, more slowly, with no problems. Could I be allergic to alcohol?
Post Comment
"Alcohol causes blood vessels in the body to dilate, causing skin to flush or blush red. Some people flush more than others. Excessive flushing could be due to a number of things -- drinking on an empty stomach, for example. A benign skin condition called rosacea is also common in those people who flush or blush easily, and alcohol is a well-known trigger for rosacea. Some types of alcohol contain histamine (particularly dark beers), and histamine also causes blood vessels to dilate. Finally, some types of alcohol contain sulfites as preservatives, and people can be sensitive to sulfites.
My understanding is that true allergy to alcohol is pretty rare. Plus, an allergic reaction to alcohol would likely involve other gastrointestinal and/or respiratory symptoms in addition to skin flushing. "
You could be having alcohol intolerance but nothing can be said with surety without a proper clinical examination.
You should avoid alcohol if it is causing your symptoms and take oral antihistamine medications for symptomatic relief.
Have you had allergic reactions in the past? Are you allergic to any other specific substances?
It would help to take a vitamin B complex and also consult your doctor for your symptoms if they persist.
Post us if you have any other doubts and let us know about how you are doing.
Regards.