I have a strange reaction when I drink alcoholic beverages...itchy hands, itchy feet, big blotches all over, swollen cherry red lips... not very attractive! But it doesn't make me sick or anything. I want to be able to have at least one drink at my wedding and not turn into a tomato for the pics - does anyone have any suggestions? Some people have told me to try an antihistamine but I figured I'd ask you girls as well. (This is apparently the 'Asian flush' as I am half Vietnamese...) HELP!!!!
Espo22
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Re: Alcohol Allergy
what alcoholic beverages do you usually drink when this happens? if for example you are drinking fruity flavored drinks then the problem would be the fruit in the drink not that you are allergic to alcohol.
i would be careful with what you take your wedding day...you dont want to get drowsy or get a bad reaction to the pills, i get weird reactions from pills many times.
Madorie
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Re: Alcohol Allergy
This happened to me my senior year of college. I don't know how or why it started but it only lasted a year.
It seemed to get better when I went to the emergency room one night because I had taken a TON of Benedryl and STILL had hives from head to toe - literally. They put me on prednizone for a bit and I think that helped because I haven't had the problem since.
Definitely talk to your doctor. An antihistamine would probably help. Especially over time, I would think. It could also be stress related which I also think added to my problem.
HTH....good luck.
IrishBrideASmiling
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Re: Alcohol Allergy
I responded on the 09 boards, but hey I love to talk so here I go again..
My mom gets this way too when she drinks anything containing sulfites (wine, wine coolers, pina coladas, etc) If you read the bottles, it will say on the label whether or not something has sulfites in them. I made her a pina colada once and she blew up like a balloon!! She doesnt take anything, she just avoids those types of drinks and usually goes for straight vodka now lol (sometimes she splashes it with soda or seltzer)
lizzie217
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Re: Alcohol Allergy
Posted by IrishBrideASmiling
I responded on the 09 boards, but hey I love to talk so here I go again..
My mom gets this way too when she drinks anything containing sulfites (wine, wine coolers, pina coladas, etc) If you read the bottles, it will say on the label whether or not something has sulfites in them. I made her a pina colada once and she blew up like a balloon!! She doesnt take anything, she just avoids those types of drinks and usually goes for straight vodka now lol (sometimes she splashes it with soda or seltzer)
It could be sulfites....I would try to find a drink without sulfites...vodka as suggested and drink this before the wedding ... this way you will know if youll have a reaction
Ivyqueenz
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Re: Alcohol Allergy
FH is allergic to all hard liquor but he can have beer. Dunno if that helps you out at all.
Or like others have suggested it can be sulfites.
Snick n Nick
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Re: Alcohol Allergy
I had a friend who thought she had this problem, but turned out she was allergic to citrus fruits, but every drink she ordered had citrus fruits of some kind in it! (her fave drink was a cosmo!) Maybe just go to an allergist and get tested, to help solve the problem!
Newsysuzy12
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Re: Alcohol Allergy
I have a tough time with wine and beer, I get itchy! I can handle whisky and tequila a bit better. My best guess is the acidity.
DnT2010
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Re: Alcohol Allergy
OMG!!!! Im so glad you posted this!! im going to show it to my FH and my whole family because they think im crazy when i say im allergic to alcohol. i get all stuffy, i sneeze, i get itchy (like on my thighs?? weird) and sometimes my lips swell!!! first i though it was just yeast, or sulfites so i started drinking vodka and tonics, simple enough... NOT! still allergic. but its weird, it comes and goes, sometimes i have a reaction, other times im fine.. so i try to limit my alcohol now.. believe it or not the only thing that makes me feel better is excedrine migraine!!
lrncrichton
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Re: Alcohol Allergy
OMG, i have the same problem...i thought that i was allergic to sour mix but then i had an allergic reaction to a strawberry daquiri and i had a terrible reaction, lips swollen and everything.....i went to an allergist...he was a d***k and said it would he hard to narrow down and did not want to do any tests...i should really go to another allergist to get tested...maybe its citrus...i dont eat any citrus fruits....glad its not just me..i am the same way sometimes i have a reaction sometimes i dont....2 weeks ago was at happy hour drinking cosmos was fine...last friday went to happy hour had grey goose and cranberry and had a bad reaction from 2 stips....
Ms.LatinBride
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Re: Alcohol Allergy
Does this happen when you have all of types of drinks? Not to ask you to become an alcoholic and drink every day...(I do lol) but I would test out different types of mixed drinks at a time. It may be the fruits in those fruity drinks. Seeing what type of reaction u have from different mixed or not-mixed drinks can help u see what u can (or cant') drink.
Celeste617
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Re: Alcohol Allergy
The sad thing is that it happens to me no matter what alcoholic drink I have BUT if I drink enough the symptoms go away...however, then I'm a drunken mess!! This has been happening to me since college though I've never tried taking an antihistamine. Benadryl would be out of the question since it knocks me out cold! I'm glad to see I'm not the only one that goes thru this (though I feel bad for the other girls!) Someone above mentioned the acidity...that's interesting because a friend told me to take Pepcid AC before drinking along with Clartin - that might help... I'll have to do some trial drinking runs
Espo22
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Re: Alcohol Allergy
Posted by Celeste617
The sad thing is that it happens to me no matter what alcoholic drink I have BUT if I drink enough the symptoms go away...however, then I'm a drunken mess!! This has been happening to me since college though I've never tried taking an antihistamine. Benadryl would be out of the question since it knocks me out cold! I'm glad to see I'm not the only one that goes thru this (though I feel bad for the other girls!) Someone above mentioned the acidity...that's interesting because a friend told me to take Pepcid AC before drinking along with Clartin - that might help... I'll have to do some trial drinking runs
well dont forget that taking certain medications with alcohol is not the greatest thing...so make sure to test anything you want to do way before the wedding. I know you said it happens with whatever you drink, but im sure you probably just stick to a few certain drinks like most ppl. For example some like mixed drinks, then you have others like my DH who drink scotch straight up and hates mixed drinks.
