Question:
I have allergic reactions when I drink beer or other forms of
alcohol. I get really flushed and my neck and face get a blochy red
rash like look to them and I feel like may face is burning. I was
wondering if anybody else has the same type of allergy, or if someone
could point me in the right direction to find out what it is in the
beer or alcohol that I am allergic to. I did not used to have this
type of reaction. I used to drink beer and other types of alcohol all
the time with out problems. Am I allergic to alcohol ? Is this
possible ? I would really enjoy it if I could have a beer once in a
while.
Answer:
It's not possible to be allergic to alcohol. Since you have a
universal reaction to all forms of alcohol, the most likely culprit is
a product of fermentation. The only cure is avoidance. Reactions to alcoholic drinks can be caused by almost any of the
ingredients in them. Some of these aren't true allergies, but the
implications are the same in practice: you've got an idiosyncratic
response to something harmless to other people and which means you
have to avoid many products common in your social environment. Problem ingredients can include:
- alcohol (ethanol) itself; intolerance to ethanol can be a symptom of
many different illnesses, and you ought to see doctor if you suspect
it
- higher-molecular-weight alcohols produced by some (but not all)
fermentation and distillation processes
- dead yeast (worst in home-brewed beer, a common problem for people
with leaky gut/candida/mould allergy)
- sulfites (used as preservatives or sterilizing agents in most wine
and beer); this one can easily be lethal
- biogenic amines (which often stimulate the autonomic nervous system
to produce symptoms like yours) - these are found in all fermented
foods, especially red wine and beer
- tannins and anthocyanins (commonest in red wine), which can produce
digestive problems and arthritis-like effects
- grains (wheat and barley can be found in almost any beer; in addition,
corn and rice are common in American beers; grains may also be used
in the production of the alcohol used to fortify cheap wine)
- synthetic chemical additives, found in all mass-market beer and most
wine, but usually not in spirits.
Generally vodka is safe if any form of alcohol is going to be; it's
nearly a pure mixture of ethanol and water. If you can't tolerate
that, all forms of alcoholic drink will be out. If vodka is okay,
then you can try to work out which of the above list is causing the
problem, since not all are present in all drinks.
If it's just beer, it may be an additive in the beer to make it clear or
make it last longer.
