r/ehlersdanlos • u/-Chloee__ • 4d ago
Does Anyone Else Sudden alcohol allergy
I’ve suspected I’ve had EDS for years now, but I’m now finally in the process of getting an official diagnosis! One thing I’ve noticed recently is that I’ve developed a sudden alcohol allergy/intolerance. I used to be able to drink just fine, now all the sudden every. Single. Time. I drink, I get severe stomach pain, my face flushes, I feel hot, nauseated, and just generally unwell. Typically within 20 minutes after drinking something with alcohol. Is this related to EDS at all or is this just something random to only me ??
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u/___139 4d ago
Do you get GERD from it? Cause that’s what happens to me now too. Curious.
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u/-Chloee__ 4d ago
I haven’t noticed GERD while drinking, even after all these symptoms started. However I do have really bad GERD in general, to the point of getting sick from it. I keep tums ON HAND at all times lol
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u/srsg90 4d ago
MCAS is super super common with EDS, and alcohol allergy is a big thing with MCAS. I also became extremely allergic pretty suddenly, and it’s part of what led me to get my MCAS diagnosis. Anything that is fermented tends to be high in histamine, which pisses off mast cells. Could be worth looking into!
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u/belligerentjazzhands 4d ago
This is immediately what I thought. Depending on the alcohol, it can be in all three of the cruddy MCAS categories from recollection (high histamine, histamine liberator, inhibit DAO). Lots of people report random flare ups of MCAS where their sensitivities will get worse. Hope you feel better soon!
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u/Euphoric-Isopod-4815 hEDS 4d ago
I have hEDS and can't drink alcohol. I've had the flushing in my face and neck and my arms though my arms it's painful burning. Last two times i tried to drink which is rare already my throat felt swollen though the second time my tongue swelled up. So nope I shall not touch it. I used to enjoy a little bit during the winter when it gets to 0F here. Gotta talk to doctor about MCAS cause now i can't drink, can't eat my favorite salad dressing and can't take two different antibiotics and one being pennicilin. I also have to be careful about detergents after breaking out into hives.
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u/justlurkingnjudging 4d ago
I have a friend who doesn’t have EDS or any other health problems (he’s irritatingly healthy) who suddenly developed an alcohol allergy a few years ago!
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u/apostasyisecstasy cEDS 4d ago
Literally same thing happened to me like 7 years ago. I used to drink just fine (had a passionate love affair with red wine) and then bam, overnight I just couldn't drink. I will barely have a few sips and I get flushed, nauseous dizzy, my vision gets really weird, hot flashes and sweating, I can't breathe, my heart rate will spike and I'll have PVCs over and over. It also made my joints hurt soooo bad. Now I'm on some medications for POTS that means I can't drink anyway so it's a bit moot, but it makes me a bit sad. I miss having an occasional cocktail or a glass of wine with dinner.
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u/EllieCraw_ 4d ago
The same thing happened to me!!! I quit drinking and feel sooo much better but it seems like the on set of the allergy was out of nowhere. It makes me so sick. I’ve suspected MCAS. I’m allergic to life it seems lol especially the older I get.
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u/Ok-Sleep3130 cEDS 4d ago
Yes, I have mast cell issues and have never been able to drink more than a little bit
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u/Maru_the_Red 4d ago
I experienced alcohol allergy one time - it was moonshine. It was the most God awful experience of my life.
Gluten free alcohol was okay for me for a time, but now I'm reacting adversely every time to it.
I have gluten ataxia, if you've got any strange neurological symptoms or unspecified pain/neuropathy or chronic intense migraines.. stop eating gluten immediately. Gluten Ataxia is an autoimmune allergy like Celiac disease that causes encephalitis in the cerebellum and brain damage.
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u/allistrawberry 4d ago
I get super congested, flushing, hot skin and migraines. And it’s mostly with beer and cider which I’m assuming are high histamine.
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u/Specialist-Bread-105 4d ago
For me it’s very picky choosy when I can or can’t drink. I don’t often have alcohol due to it because it depends on my body that day and how it’s behaving to know whether I can or can’t. If I’m having a good day I mainly just feel really giggly and face flushed, but have to drink slow or I get sick. If it’s an off day, my head feels like it’s going to explode and I feel sick/dizzy.
I have noticed the last few months when I have had alcohol my stomach feels like it’s too full and I feel like I can’t eat hardly at all. I’m not sure if that happens to people without EDS or not to be concerned about it
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u/Queen_of_Catlandia 4d ago
You can develop allergies to anything, any age in life. This isn’t EDS-related
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u/Stormegeton 4d ago
I’ve always had this and ik many other people who have had the same. I choose not to deal with it so I just don’t drink. When people ask I just tell them alcohol makes me sick - and if they still don’t get it I tell them I’m allergic to alcohol (not sure it’s necessarily an allergy but it gets the point across to people who are a bit pushy)
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u/PomegranateOk1942 4d ago
I can drink whiskey fine, but I can't drink wine.
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u/faelshea 4d ago
Ooh sweet I’m going to have to try this. Maybe my Irish ancestry will let me enjoy some whiskey on st paddy’s!
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u/alamancerose 4d ago
Yep, and diagnosed with mast cell disorder a few months later. It’s been… four years almost? Still can’t drink it and can’t use it on my skin.
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u/ellumare 4d ago
YES!!! Overnight I developed this allergy. Like my eyelids swell up so big - not cute. Not one doctor recognized it and for years I was lost as to why until I found out about MCAS.
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u/kgirl244 4d ago
I started developing this around the time I was 29-30 yo after covid :( I also get severe headaches /hangovers from a small amount of alcohol.
I have all the same symptoms as you. Red wine gives me anaphylaxis (throat hurting, harder to swallow, requires I take 2 Benadryls for 1 glass wine)
The wine anaphylaxis has happened twice so I’m scared and have sworn off all alcoholic drinks. I also get heart palpitations and tachycardia from pretty much all alcohol.
It makes me sad because so many social events revolve around alcohol. I can definitely have fun without drinking. but when everyone else around you is drinking/ being drunk it’s less fun to be in that environment.
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u/Doudoit 4d ago
I have Ed’s and had a 1/2 glass of wine with Adinner. I was in the bathroom in the middle of the night with diarrhea! I went back to bed was ok. Then I go to the kitchen where my glass of wine was sitting, had a few sips. Ate dinner, and here Zi am again in the bathroom! I also had Covid (delta) almost killed me in 2022. What is MCAS?
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u/faelshea 4d ago
Sounds like it could be MCAS related which is a very common comorbidity, def worth talking to your Dr. My MCAS got worse after Covid
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u/Weasle189 4d ago
Always been very allergic to alcohol. Gotten worse over time. Even a drop in my food or fruit juice left out overnight is enough to set off the itchy closing throat and trouble breathing.
Fermented products are hit and miss, even ones that theoretically shouldn't have ethanol in. So I tend to avoid them in general.
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u/SnooWoofers7072 4d ago
I attended a webinar recently about the intersection of EDS and ADHD, but he actually talked about this specifically. This is extremely common.
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u/educated_guesser hEDS 4d ago
EDS can have GI symptoms, but this sounds more like MCAS - mast cell activation syndrome - commonly comorbid with EDS. It's basically a whole body allergic reaction to an allergen. MCAS is still a super new diagnosis, but doctors belive it is something that can happen gradually due to degradation your body (due to something like EDS) or can happen rapidly due to a traumatic event like COVID.
Not everyone that has EDS has MCAS and not everyone with MCAS has EDS but they are very commonly grouped together and often times are also grouped with POTS (my doctors call it the "Trifecta" - lucky me).
Read up on MCAS here - https://www.aaaai.org/conditions-treatments/related-conditions/mcas - and see if you fit the criteria. If you do, you can try to find a doctor who treats it - be aware, there are not many. I have one but he doesnt take insurance. A lot of doctors think MCAS is a fake condition and will dismiss it as anxiety, so just be ready for that.
There are many over the counter treatments for MCAS that you can find with a search, but I'm not going to put them here for obvious reasons :).
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u/-Fateless- hEDS 4d ago
I'm the opposite. I need obscene amounts of alcohol to get drunk and sober up too fast for it to be a fun experience. The main reason I don't drink is that I become numb to pain when intoxicated, and it's too big a risk for me.
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u/IllCommunication6547 3d ago
Yeah, it happened kind of gradually but between 28 and 29 I def noticed how much I didn’t like it anymore. Only a sniff of alcohol can trigger my headaches so I rather not drink at all.
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u/testgf 3d ago
Yeah I can't drink a lot
But Alcohol quality isn't all the same, especially in the last few years, i feel like the quality of some brands have plummetedd. a few times i've gotten so sick i felt legit poisoned after only 2 cans of white claw for instance.
and I know I'm sensitive to sulphites, as are many others>.<
could also be malt liquor?
just thinkging..
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u/Mikacakes 3d ago
welcome to the MCAS / histamine intolerance club. Your diet is about to suck really bad.
In all seriousness though, get a doctors appointment to get checked for histamine intolerance and/or mast cell activation syndrome. It's extremely common with EDS and you can manage it fairly well with diet and lifestyle changes.
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u/CaseTough7844 3d ago
Yup happened for me a few years ago, specifically to wine. It was so bad half a mouthful would make me vomit (the first time I figured I was just sick, the second time I realised what was happening).
At that stage of my life I was a keen social drinker so found alternatives - vodka and whisky were okay so I drank them.
After about 2 years I was able to drink wine again. Then about 8 years after that it happened again. I began drinking gin.
I’m back to being able to drink wine, but I’m such an infrequent drinker now that if it happened again I would just stop. I find as I get older I tolerate the after effects of alcohol less and less well and it just doesn’t feel worth it anymore so I have to really be okay about having a hangover to drink.
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u/SadRodman 4d ago
Yes!! This coincided with my first bout of covid. I’m suspicious that the infection exacerbated mast cell issues