Alcohol Allergy woes

[Telamond]

I've had an allergic reaction towards alcohol for a while. It's not the general red blushing thing that asians gets, but I also break out in nettle rash.

Does anyone know where it comes from?
Are there any medical treatments to this? I've tried to take some over-the-counter antihistamines, but they aren't really that effective. And I'm not sure that drinking alcohol with taking medicine is such a good idea...

Anyone with a solution?

[Pirian]

Don't drink. Lots of other ways to get fucked up if you really want to feel stupid.

[Telamond]

Don't drink. Lots of other ways to get fucked up if you really want to feel stupid.

I don't drink at parties, but I'd like to drink a glass of red/white wine or champagne once in a while.

[Lbelle]

If you're allergic to it, then don't do it

[MF Perm tha Fineass]

I've had an allergic reaction towards alcohol for a while. It's not the general red blushing thing that asians gets, but I also break out in nettle rash.

Does anyone know where it comes from?
Are there any medical treatments to this? I've tried to take some over-the-counter antihistamines, but they aren't really that effective. And I'm not sure that drinking alcohol with taking medicine is such a good idea...

Anyone with a solution?

What are you drinking? My wife gets really bad migraines when she drinks red wine and rum, but she can drink vodka and champagne without any problems.

It's probably an allergy to alcohol in general but I'd probably take into account what exactly you're drinking and speak to a doctor about it.

[archibaldcrane]

Yeah, I don't think there's much of a solution to alcohol allergy, unfortunately.

[orson]

What are you drinking? My wife gets really bad migraines when she drinks red wine and rum, but she can drink vodka and champagne without any problems.

It's probably an allergy to alcohol in general but I'd probably take into account what exactly you're drinking and speak to a doctor about it.

^ This, make sure it's not just an allergy to the types of alcohol. Most of the time people with "alcohol allergies" just have it affect them very strongly. If you're breaking out into a rash it's likely something else that you're reacting to. Alcohol is such a common substance it's very rare someone is allergic to it.

Just a quick google pretty much confirms a lot of my experiences in regard to supposed alcohol allergies.

http://allergies.about.com/od/faq/f/alcoholallergy.htm

It is possible to experience allergic reactions from drinking alcoholic beverages. The alcohol, however, is not typically the reason for these reactions. Another ingredient -- such as grapes in wine, various grains in beers (such as hops, barley, rye, corn or wheat), and the addition of yeast (for fermentation of sugars and generation of alcohol) -- may be the cause. The symptoms of these reactions may be exactly like those with any other food allergy reaction.

[Mayareira]

Rule of thumb, if you are allergic to something stay the fuck away from it. At dinners and other social occasions you can always order the good old fruit juices like...

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...erry_juice.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...ctar_peach.jpg

So yeah, just look for alternatives.

[Havocxx]

Read it on the interwebs, must be true etc etc, but sounds like it's the histamines in alcohol causing your body to react, so all you can really do is avoid alcohol. You might have chronic Urticaria, but I'm no doctor and won't pretend to be. So here are a couple links, the first on Urticaria and the second on other alcoholic allergies you can look into.

http://www.cks.nhs.uk/patient_inform...et/nettle_rash
http://foodallergies.about.com/od/li.../a/alcohol.htm

[Pikarya]

Do coke, problem solved.

[Metah]

Since your main drink is wine, its possible you may be allergic to sulfates that are present in many wines.

[Linliel]

Since your main drink is wine, its possible you may be allergic to sulfates that are present in many wines.

I was going to suggest just this!

[Draylo]

Don't drink, its overrated anyway.

[Uzor]

As people earlier said, you don't neccesarily have to be allergic to the alcohol itself, but other things within the drink.

Have you been to a doctor to talk about it? I mean, if you just drink alcohol and get a rash - that in itself isn't a sign that you're allergic to alcohol. You won't know for certain until a doctor checks it out. I mean, if you get an allergic reaction from chocolate, you can't go say you're allergic to chocolate. It can be the traces of nuts in it, or whatever. Same with bread.

[Alleya]

Guys I have a bee allergy, but I still want to swat bee hives with a stick every once in a while. Anything I can do?

[Acturus]

It sounds like the OP has...

*sunglasses*

... a drinking problem.

/horatio

[Cream Soda]

Guys I have a bee allergy, but I still want to swat bee hives with a stick every once in a while. Anything I can do?

You can give me a BJ, maybe that will help.

[Fistandantilus]

My best friend breaks out like this when he drinks beer, but he is able to drink hard liquor without any problem at all. Try out other alcohol types to find out if it really is the alcohol or a different ingredient.

[eunhye]

Actually best way to stop getting allergic is to add sprite to your arbor mist.

[Woozie]

Guys I have a bee allergy, but I still want to swat bee hives with a stick every once in a while. Anything I can do?

Do you know what type of bees you have these reactions too? It may not be the bees themselves, but something in the stinger. Try swatting a different type of bee hive and see if it still happens. Killer bees are spreading like crazy, maybe you can try those ones.

Otherwise, I'd say talk to a doctor before you try swatting beehives again.