Is This Alcohol Intolerance?

[louloutinks]

I used to be able to drink anything and any amount and be a bit headachy the next day, take a tablet and all would be well.

Gradually over the past few years, I have noticed that I get easily effected by alcohol and it makes me feel awful. Low BP, headache, tachy, bunged up nose and cannot sleep if I have drunk.

I have basically cut out drinking and havent had a drink for a long while but last night it was my friends surprise 40th so I thought that one wine wouldnt hurt. I only had a quarter of the glass and I started to feel drunk, shaky,bunged up so had a vodka and coke thinking it was the wine. I was home by half ten. Today I have a headahe, feel distracted and odd. Still bunged up and very tired.

Does pots cause this?? This only started since I have been getting all the other odd symtpoms of pots.

Just wanted to add, before I cut the drinking out, I would have say 7 drinks a night and the next day I would feel completely weird, couldn't function properly at all.I felt so bad that I wouldn't even answer tthe phone as I felt so bad that I couldn't hold down a conversation.

[HopeSprings]

YUP, this is similar to what happens to me, but add in my vision starts going and feels like things are going to go black. I swear I can feel the alcohol going to my head within just a few sips. I haven't been able to have a drink in years.

[Sarah4444]

I have this too. I have never been able to drink a lot, but used to enjoy a drink now and then. Now it's not even worth trying - I get flushed and feel terrible. Alcohol intolerance is almost universal in mast cell disorders from what I can gather. I think they mention it on the youtube video made by TMS. The worst things for me are red wine, beer and champagne - I can't even take a sip of the last two, and apparently they are both very high in histamine.

[louloutinks]

Ooh I just read back my post and it made me seem a heavy drinker lol - 7 drinks a night!!! I meant on a night I went out with the girlies not every night

It was so annoying leaving early from the party last night due to feeling this way- next time I will not bother even having 1 drink as it seems to be affecting me more and more.

I have been looking at mast cell issues lately because of my skin issues going on - I see you have EDS too sara. I have heard that masto can be linked with EDS???

[Sarah4444]

Yes, there do seem to be a growing number of people with some combination of EDS (or another HDCT), POTS (or other dysautonomia) and a mast cell problem. I am hoping doctors pick up on this soon, as it is far too unlikely to be random.

[sugartwin]

I used to have some alcohol tolerance earlier in my POTS career, now I have barely any at all. I used to be able to handle one mixed drink, now even a few sips of hard cider is enough to kick off the adrenaline sweats.

[Stace915]

For a small female back in my college days I had quite a tolerance, at one point I could keep up with all of my male friends drink for drink...of course I stopped drinking like a fish after college and only drank occasionally. Once I was diagnosed with POTS I was told to stay away from alcohol so I didn't drink anything for 10 months...then one night I decided to try and sip and glass of wine and see what happened and I was ok and just felt like my usual POTSY self.

I have been struggling with POTS for about 5 years now and at this point it is very rare that I have a drink. My tolerance is gone and now usually after a few sips I feel tipsy! I seem to be fine if I only have one drink and drink it very slowly, like one glass of wine throughout a nice meal but if I drink more than one I either blackout and the next day my memory of the previous night is pretty foggy or I wake up and feel like I have a combination of the worst hangover plus the flu and the worst POTS episode!!! I don't know if that is all just the reaction of POTS and alcohol or that in combination with all of my medications, but I assume the meds have some effect on it.

For me it is not worth it to drink and feel like death or drink and black out so the majority of the time its water for me, and if I do have a drink a few times a year, it is a glass or wine or one beer and s-l-o-w-l-y and I chug water along with it.

[potsgirl]

I'm okay just having a glass of wine, although I only do this on special occasions. Once in a while I'll split a margarita wine cooler with my boyfriend. Since I usually don't drink due to my medication and the fact that I am now such a lightweight that one glass of wine is plenty, I would guess I have a drink about 5-6 times a year. I do miss my wine, though!

[SJSB]

I have always had trouble with alcohol. When I drink I often have breathing issues, my chest gets heavy, almost like I have an allergic reaction. I also am sensitive to alcohol in that I feel it immediately when I take the first few sips, get tingly sensations in my head and arms/legs, always thought this was weird. Is this connected to POTS? What is a mast cell disorder? Where can I find out more info on this?

[lissy]

ADD Me I used to be a Big drinker seemed like I couldn't get any effect but it changed since this condition. It depends how I feel to start if I'm not so Potsy then maybe I can have a few beers with a horrible next day...If I am feeling not so great a few sips can send me over the edge and I'll still feel awful the next day.

I always get hot-flashes with drinking now ,abit shaky but the brainfog goes away????....

Lissy

[ramakentesh]

I always finds these threads interesting.

Alcohol has never effected my symptoms negatively other than an increase in heart rate. Infact there are times where it helps me in moderate amounts. As an example I tend to feel better the day after I drink one light beer before bed.