Migraine from drinking alcohol

[AddyG]

Whenever I have even small amounts of any type of alcohol...wine, beer, vodka, I get a horribly painful headache within ten minutes. My face doesn't really turn red, though my eyes sort of do from the headache... I'm not asian so I don't think its asian flush which I've heard about. Also I never had this problem until around when I turned 18 which is strange.

Am I simply allergic to alcohol? Since my reaction happens to any type of alcohol I don't think its anything like sulphites in wine that I've also heard about.  Of course the obvious advice is don't drink! but where's the fun in that?

[AddyG]

Vascular problems?  Hmm that doesn't sound very good.  Hehe...I don't suppose it's very healthy to take advil or something prior to drinking is it?

[National Jewish]

Your headaches are not an allergic reaction to alcohol.  It is a vascular response to alcohol, which occurs in some people.  The same people often have other vascular problems.  Avoiding alcohol is the only way to effectively deal with this problem.