Alcohol

[Curlyqueen]

Hello!

My 21st birthday was the last time I was able to drink alcohol. I must admit I drank too much but it was the last time I was able to drink alcohol with out get instantly drunk. After that birthday a lot of my symptoms began. My symptoms were mainly due to a b-12 deficiency and resolved with supplementation but returned and gradually turned into digestive issues. Most of my digestive issues have cleared up since going gluten free October '11 but I still can not drink alcohol. The first time I relized I couldn't drink alcohol I took 3 sips of beer( before going gluten free) and I could barely walk straight. I felt hot and kind of sweaty. My stomach was in such pain. My stomach felt like it was in knots and I was so nausea. After that I didn't try alcohol until after I went gluten free and had been feeling pretty good. The second time which was a few months ago I made sure I had eaten something and after a few sips( 2-3) I felt the alcohol. I guess it was the equivalent of a buzz but it wasn't pleasant feeling. My heart felt like it was beat fast. I felt kind of warm and slightly impaired. It took about an hour for it to go away. After it went a away I felt a little hung over but the next day I felt ok(not great but ok).

Every doctor I have told this too pretty much brushes it off but I'm concerned it is the symptom of a bigger issue. But I'm concerned for several reasons. In the past I was able to drink alcohol. I was still a light weight and lots of factors would influence how drunk I got. I never had a big tolerance but I could at least have one drink in a social situation. Now I don't want to go near the stuff. So I think there is a health connection. Maybe some pancreas, liver or maybe even kidney disfunction. Maybe a deficiency in digestive enzymes? I do not have celiac disease ( non celiac gluten intolerance) and I was told I have a leaky gut ( but no kind of testing was done). I also have other symptoms that suggest that it would be worth considering if this is an issue related to the pancreas as I have been experiencing hypoglycemic symptoms.

Anyway I was wondering has anyone else experience difficulties digesting alcohol? Are there any solutions to make consuming alcohol easier? Any advice, suggestion or anything would be GREATLY appreciated.

[bartfull]

After I had been gluten-free for about six or seven months. i went to a friend's birthday party and drank tequila. Tequila had bee my drink of choice for many years and believe me, I could put away a LOT of it. But that night I had about two drinks over the course of four hours.

I was SO drunk and SO sick, I vowed I'd never drink again. And I haven't. And that's fine with me.

[Curlyqueen]

After I had been gluten-free for about six or seven months. i went to a friend's birthday party and drank tequila. Tequila had bee my drink of choice for many years and believe me, I could put away a LOT of it. But that night I had about two drinks over the course of four hours.

I was SO drunk and SO sick, I vowed I'd never drink again. And I haven't. And that's fine with me.

Ouch! Yeah I have no problem with not drinking. I'm not a fan of alcohol in the first place but I'm just concerned it is the symptom of something else or the sign of something greater( at least for me). It might be that alcohol is not for those who need to be gluten free :-(. Thanks for sharing your experience. I know I'm not alone

[Lisa]

Yup, your tolerance will change. Be careful out there.

[Mateto]

I don't drink alcohol. I've had wine, beer, whisky/whiskey......never again. I never got drunk, I only had sips. It makes me instantly sick, so it's safe to say I'm alcohol-intolerant. But do be careful! Mouthwash has a different alcohol in it which can also make you (it does me) sick. You may want to see a doctor, but it doesn't seem to be causing you any side affects? Maybe you just cannot handle alcohol?

[lovegrov]

My tolerance didn't change. I could still drink just as much as before, maybe even more as my weight went up. You are right in that a sudden intolerance or strange reactions to alcohol can also be a sign of something else going on.

rihard

[Juliebove]

Yep! No alcohol for me. Two sips leaves me loopy. Wasn't that way many years ago but it is now. Gluten isn't an issue for me so I don't know what it is.

[Guest retes231]

I also get drunk easily everytime I drink alcohol. It also makes me very sick that it made me never want to drink again.

[IrishHeart]

For many years, if I wanted to, I could drink 2 Bombay Sapphire martinis ice cold/up (that's a lot of rocket fuel ) and feel "just right".

This was before I was very sick from celiac disease and lost 90 lbs.

I did not touch alcohol for 2 years because I was ill and my gut was a mess.

Now, I am a wimp. Cannot do what I used to do.

I asked the doctor his thoughts. Is it because I have minimal body fat now? Is it because of gut malaborption? is it because I am so "clean" in my diet? Do I suddenly have an intolerance for booze?

He said "Who knows. Maybe your tolerance level has changed because of your gut alteration." He was just speculating.

So, I rarely drink now and when I do, I have about 1/5 of what I used to have and make sure I EAT.

[Austin Guy]

I find alcohol to be very irritating to my digestive system so I stay away from it. It fires up the leaky gut very quickly.

[sjpatt37]

Prior to going completely gluten free, I had a fairly decent tolerance of alcohol.

After, my tolerance changed tremendously.

This was at first a surprise, but, not an unwelcome one.

Since growing older the desire to drink until drunk, gave way to a pleasant having a cocktail or two without ever getting to the point of sick.

For me, it's now one or two drinks, occasionally... Most of the time I never make it to drink number 2.

I do agree with many of the others, a sudden and drastic intolerance may point to something else going on.. Be very careful.

[lovegrov]

Not to scare anybody, but a sudden weird reaction or intolerance to alcohol is a symptom of Hodgkin's. With that said, I imagine the odds are MUCH higher that it's something else. However, if you have other symptoms or strange stuff happening along with this sudden intolerance, see a doctor.

richard