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Alcohol


Curlyqueen

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Curlyqueen Rookie

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.


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bartfull Rising Star

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 Rookie

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 Mentor

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

Mateto Enthusiast

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 Collaborator

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 Rising Star

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.


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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 Veteran

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 Contributor

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 Newbie

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 Collaborator

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

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    • Scott Adams
      This is a very common question, and the most important thing to know is that no, Guinness is not considered safe for individuals with coeliac disease. While it's fascinating to hear anecdotes from other coeliacs who can drink it without immediate issues, this is a risky exception rather than the rule. The core issue is that Guinness is brewed from barley, which contains gluten, and the standard brewing process does not remove the gluten protein to a level safe for coeliacs (below 20ppm). For someone like you who experiences dermatitis herpetiformis, the reaction is particularly significant. DH is triggered by gluten ingestion, even without immediate gastrointestinal symptoms. So, while you may not feel an instant stomach upset, drinking a gluten-containing beer like Guinness could very well provoke a flare-up of your skin condition days later. It would be a gamble with a potentially uncomfortable and long-lasting consequence. Fortunately, there are excellent, certified gluten-free stouts available now that can provide a safe and satisfying alternative without the risk.
    • MogwaiStripe
      Interestingly, this thought occurred to me last night. I did find that there are studies investigating whether vitamin D deficiency can actually trigger celiac disease.  Source: National Institutes of Health https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7231074/ 
    • Butch68
      Before being diagnosed coeliac I used to love Guinness. Being made from barley it should be something a coeliac shouldn’t drink. But taking to another coeliac and they can drink it with no ill effects and have heard of others who can drink it too.  is this everyone’s experience?  Can I drink it?  I get dermatitis herpetiformis and don’t get instant reactions to gluten so can’t try it to see for myself. 
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      I will assume you did the gluten challenge properly and were eating a lot of gluten daily for 6-8 weeks before your test, but if not, that could be the issue. You can still have celiac disease with negative blood test results, although it's not as common:  Clinical and genetic profile of patients with seronegative coeliac disease: the natural history and response to gluten-free diet: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5606118/  Seronegative Celiac Disease - A Challenging Case: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9441776/  Enteropathies with villous atrophy but negative coeliac serology in adults: current issues: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34764141/  Approximately 10x more people have non-celiac gluten sensitivity than have celiac disease, but there isn’t yet a test for NCGS. If your symptoms go away on a gluten-free diet it would likely signal NCGS.
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