Anyone Avoiding Alcohol While Their Intestines Heal?

[GlutenFreeAl]

I haven't been told by my doctor to avoid alcohol (although she also told me that most regular cereals were probably ok...), but I'm wondering if it's a good idea while my insides are getting better.

I was never ever a big drinker, but I could definitely drink more in college than I can now. Now, one drink and I'm either immediately asleep or doubled over in pain.

Could it be that we are absorbing too much alcohol?

[Rachel--24]

I'm avoiding alcohol until I'm healed. Alcohol can be very irritating to the gut plus it makes me feel bad.

[Guest cassidy]

I haven't been drinking either. When I was eating gluten I constantly felt hungover, now I can't see why I would want to do that to myself when I am finally feeling better. It just isn't worth it to me and I'm sure my body appreciates it, and we don't have to worry about a designated driver anymore.

[jenvan]

It absolutely makes sense that you notice more from alcohol than before healing or going gluten-free. I have never been a big drinker...but I can tell a difference and post gluten-free, actually feel the affects of alcohol, whereas previously, really did not. However, like I said, I would have at most 2ish drinks and that is every few weeks or months. I do think it is best to lay off the alcohol and give yourself time to heal, as alcohol itself will certainly not speed the process. As a side note, I have also noticed the same phenomenon with sugar--used to love candy, eat a fair amount of it. Now I have no desire for it, feels too sugary for me--go figure!

[jerseyangel]

I was never much of a drinker--but I do enjoy a glass (or 2) of wine now and then. I haven't had any since I went gluten-free. Probably when I get to the year mark, I'll try some and see how I feel.

[nettiebeads]

I haven't been told by my doctor to avoid alcohol (although she also told me that most regular cereals were probably ok...), but I'm wondering if it's a good idea while my insides are getting better.

I was never ever a big drinker, but I could definitely drink more in college than I can now. Now, one drink and I'm either immediately asleep or doubled over in pain.

Could it be that we are absorbing too much alcohol?

Well, beer is definitely out, and also beer substitutes like coolers - they're made from malt and that comes from barley unless otherwise stated. I'm having a problem with what you said your dr said about most regular cereals probably being ok. Most regular cereals AREN'T ok. Most are made with malt for sweetening (barley again) and/or wheat starch. You must read ALL of the labels carefully.

And even though I've been gluten-free for a long time, I find that I cannot tolerate grain based alcohol, even though the gluten molecules are supposedly filtered out during the distillation. That leaves me my white wine (allergic to red and champagne), tequila, rum and potato vodka (if I could ever find it in this town)

Annette

[AnneJ]

I have been having problems with alcohol, I am at the one year mark. I felt beter for ahile, and now having some pain again. There is a new beer available in our area, tastes pretty good! I don't seem to feel well enough yet to take the chance on much of anything!

[elonwy]

This stuff is made in Idaho, maybe you can get a store near you to carry it

Open Original Shared Link

its yummy too.

I can't tolerate any grain based alcohol, distilled or not. Dunno if its connected, cause by all rights it shouldn't be, but I avoid them. maybe after a year or so I'll try some triple distilled whiskey (mmmm...whiskey) but until then its wine, tequila, run and potato vodka.

Oh yeah, and Ramapo Beer. I LIKE that stuff.

Elonwy

[ebrbetty]

I still have a couple of glasses of wine..doesn't seem to bother me

[WGibs]

I gave it up before I ever got sick. My BF joked when I got sick that maybe my body needed more tequila

Now I have a drink very occasionally and have suffered no ill effects...In fact, when I was on vacation and had a couple drinks that week, my GI stuff was better than ever. Maybe the BF is right...

[mookie03]

It absolutely makes sense that you notice more from alcohol than before healing or going gluten-free. I have never been a big drinker...but I can tell a difference and post gluten-free, actually feel the affects of alcohol, whereas previously, really did not. However, like I said, I would have at most 2ish drinks and that is every few weeks or months. I do think it is best to lay off the alcohol and give yourself time to heal, as alcohol itself will certainly not speed the process. As a side note, I have also noticed the same phenomenon with sugar--used to love candy, eat a fair amount of it. Now I have no desire for it, feels too sugary for me--go figure!

Jen, i'm so glad you said this, i thought i was going crazy! I feel like im absorbing alcohol for the first time in my life- I was always a big drinker and had a tremendously high tolerance. Since going gluten-free, when i drink alcohol, i am buzzed almost immediately and drunk really quickly! I am really trying to avoid alcohol as much as possible, in fact i have no desire to drink at all, but its been really hard as bars comprise an enormous part of my social life living in NYC. I know thats lame, but its the lifestyle i have grown so adjusted to, and its hard enough to tell my friends ive eliminated 90% of my typical diet, but to then turn around and say im not drinking is a huge step. I do feel really great being gluten-free, and alcohol is such a setback. i really would like to cut it out of my life completely for at least the next 6 months to let myself heal completely (which wont be too hard as i have the bar exam coming up in july)

[VegasCeliacBuckeye]

Nothing wrong with wine -- red or white -- depends on the season for me (Summer -- Sauvignon Blanc or a Pinot Noir, Winter -- Zinfandel, Pinot Noir or anything from Italy...)

Potato Vodka -- Chopin, Blue Ice, LLeuowosa

Tequila -- Ill Tassoro, Tres Generaciones, Patron (for shots)

Rum -- I am sick of rum -- I rarely order it now (except for the occasional Mojito)

The biggest change I underwent was being able to tolerate a "Hard Alcohol Buzz" versus a "Beer Buzz" versus a "Wine Buzz"

Wine and Booze feel worse in the morning, but they are a bit more lively and social as you are drinking -- maybe I should check into a program with thoughts like that....

[darlindeb25]

I have never been much of a drinker, but now, a little wine makes me so ill by morning that I dont drink anything, it's not worth it to me. Deb

[teebs in WV]

Yes - I am avoiding alcohol (she types with very shaky hands!!! ) Before dx I drank at least a beer every night when I got home from work. As soon as my derm mentioned that he thought I had DH and I should avoid gluten (before biopsy dx) I quit drinking beer. I'm going to be honest - the beer is what I miss the most from my gluten-infested past! I switched to wine, but decided to quit it too since it seemed like it was making me itch. I have no idea if it was, but I thought I would start there.

Depending on how the Super Bowl goes, I may have a drink in my hand before the weekend is over (go Steelers!)

[Felidae]

Rum -- I am sick of rum -- I rarely order it now (except for the occasional Mojito)

The biggest change I underwent was being able to tolerate a "Hard Alcohol Buzz" versus a "Beer Buzz" versus a "Wine Buzz"

Wine and Booze feel worse in the morning, but they are a bit more lively and social as you are drinking -- maybe I should check into a program with thoughts like that....

I know how you feel about changing from beer to hard liquor. It really is different. It doesn't have the same effect. I'm with you all the way when it comes to Pinot Noirs. I didn't know I could have a Mojito.

[CMCM]

I haven't been told by my doctor to avoid alcohol (although she also told me that most regular cereals were probably ok...), but I'm wondering if it's a good idea while my insides are getting better.

I was never ever a big drinker, but I could definitely drink more in college than I can now. Now, one drink and I'm either immediately asleep or doubled over in pain.

Could it be that we are absorbing too much alcohol?

I've never been able to drink beer or other "hard" alcohols...now I know why! I do drink small amounts of red wine several times a week, it it doesn't appear to bother me at all.

[mookie03]

while we are on the subject of alcohol, my friend just sent me this article (sorry if this has already been posted somewhere). My favorite parts are "celiacs are a thirsty and vocal lot" and "it does have a trace of a beer taste"

Beer that's gluten-free finds a sweet spot in marketThursday, February 02, 2006

By Bob Batz Jr., Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Sweet news for people in the Pittsburgh area who can't drink beer because they can't tolerate gluten:

Ramapo Valley says its gluten-free beer "goes against the grain," because it isn't made with any.

Click photo for larger image.

A gluten-free beer is now available here.

Oh, and it's also kosher for Passover.

Passover Honey Beer is made by the Ramapo Valley Brewery of Hillburn, N.Y.

It contains no barley nor any grain. It's brewed with just honey, a "hint" of molasses, hops, kosher-certified yeast and water.

That makes it safely drinkable by people who have celiac disease, a condition in which gluten proteins -- found in wheat, barley, rye and other grains -- destroy the nutrient-absorbing lining in their small intestines, leading to other health problems.

Many would say that without some kind of malted grain, it's not really beer -- more like mead.

But Ramapo's co-founder, Egon Lizenberg, insists that Passover Honey is a beer -- "I haven't seen any wine with hops yet" -- and the federal labeling authorities apparently have agreed.

Mr. Lizenberg acknowledges, "It's hard for it to taste like the beer that you and I know because we've taken everything away from it. But it does have a trace of a beer taste."

And that's enough for celiacs across the country who have been clamoring for the brew and making it the brewery's best seller.

Gluten-free beer is hard to find. A sorghum-malt brew, Bard's Tale Dragon's Gold, was being contract-brewed in Buffalo for about two years and was very popular in places as near as Youngstown. But it never was available here and now is temporarily unavailable anywhere. "We have some pretty unhappy customers," says George Fisher of Cavalier Distributing in Blue Ash, Ohio, who's telling them he expects it back in March.

A few gluten-free beers are commercially available in Europe, Australia and Canada, but not yet in the United States. Milwaukee's Lakefront Brewery just this fall started making a version, New Grist, that's also selling like gluten-free hot cakes. It's carried by some stores in Ohio -- see www.lakefrontbrewery.com -- where some Pennsylvanians have been driving to get it. Brewery co-owner Russ Klisch says the brewery is talking with Pennsylvania distributors now.

Lakefront has found out, as did Ramapo Valley, that celiacs are a thirsty and vocal lot.

"The celiac community demands their products," says Mr. Lizenberg, whose Passover Honey Beer started as a novelty that he says tasted "horrible."

Celiacs seized on it, though, and soon, he was taking kegs of improved versions to celiac gatherings around the country. He now sells it in several states and is having a hard time keeping up with demand. The brewery is soon is to start offering a gluten-free raspberry beer ( www.ramapovalleybrew-ery.com).

Bringing Ramapo's gluten-free brew into this region is the South Side's Frank B. Fuhrer Wholesale Co., which began delivering it to area outlets Tuesday. General manager Ed Haubrick says a case retails in the high $30 range. One outlet that's just started selling six-packs ($13.49) and singles ($3) is 3 Sons Dogs & Suds in Pine. Owner Bill Sukitch says he's already had many inquiries.

One came from Linda Weissert of McCandless. The U.S. Steel secretary found out about a year ago that she can't tolerate gluten. She's not a big beer drinker but was nonetheless excited to learn, from a colleague who is an officer in the Greater Pittsburgh Celiac Sprue Support Group, that the gluten-free beer is available. "I use it so much in cooking. It's killing me to make chili without a bottle of beer in it," as well as other recipes such as beer batters and fondues.

She and her husband picked up a six-pack at 3 Sons Tuesday night, the first night it was to be available, and she liked it. "The initial taste tasted just like beer, and then it's very sweet." She planned to use it last night to cook beer steak.

Other celiacs can ask their local distributor or other outlet to carry the brew.

Mrs. Weissert notes that one in 133 people is affected by the condition, a figure used by the Celiac Disease Foundation. Last year, the National Institutes of Health estimated it at up to one in 100, roughly 3 million Americans.

Many have different or no symptoms, so this autoimmune disease is difficult to diagnose. Untreated, it can leave the intestines unable to absorb nutrients. Problems range from diarrhea and fatigue to anemia, osteoporosis and other conditions.

Most celiacs are fine if they vigilantly avoid anything containing even minute amounts of gluten, which -- even with the new 2006 rules requiring labels to note if a food contains wheat and seven other potential allergens -- is no easy task.

"Now the only thing we need," Mrs. Weissert says with a laugh, "is a pizza place in town that makes real, honest-to-God pizza" -- with celiac-safe crust.

[jkmunchkin]

When I was a teenager and through my early 20's I was a big drinker. But over the last few years I had virtually stopped because I just felt so awful the next day. Now I know why since I mostly drank beer or vodka's that had gluten in them. For the first 4 months or so after being diagnosed I didn't drink at all. But the last couple of months I've started to have a few drinks when we go out without any problem. No more feeling awful the next day.

[Clark Bent as Stupor-Man]

When I was a teenager and through my early 20's I was a big drinker. But over the last few years I had virtually stopped because I just felt so awful the next day. Now I know why since I mostly drank beer or vodka's that had gluten in them. For the first 4 months or so after being diagnosed I didn't drink at all. But the last couple of months I've started to have a few drinks when we go out without any problem. No more feeling awful the next day.

I'm pretty much identical to this except I'm in my first month of the gluten-free diet. I didn't have any problems (except for the typical hangovers) while drinking in high school and for most of college. And I drank a lot in college (there's a reason why Lehigh was the number 1 college in beer for years). Somewhere around the time I started dating my ex-girlfriend (maybe she caused the onset of my headaches ), I cut down on drinking, and within a year if not sooner, I started reacting to alcohol differently. In the past 3 years since then, I've reacted negatively nearly everytime I drank even a single beer.

I'm avoiding alcohol for the time being on my elimination diet, but I'm gonna pick up a six pack of gluten free beer this weekend to have in reserve. They sell it at the whole foods by me, and I was told that it sells out fast and to call ahead (damn, alcoholic celiacs )

[reneemc]

I know how you feel about changing from beer to hard liquor. It really is different. It doesn't have the same effect. I'm with you all the way when it comes to Pinot Noirs. I didn't know I could have a Mojito.

hey, just curious... so rum and tequila are ok...jose quervo tequila and bacardi rum ??? I am going on a short trip over the 4th of July holiday and there will be a bit of drinking around esp. the 3rd and 4th of July?? Back home on the 5th. I KNOW BEER bloates me terribly and then am sick with diahreah the next day and so sick for at least two days.. But some of the people I know, think I', just being prissy, when I say that I can't drink beer.. Please advise on the rum and Jose

[gfp]

Well, beer is definitely out, and also beer substitutes like coolers - they're made from malt and that comes from barley unless otherwise stated. I'm having a problem with what you said your dr said about most regular cereals probably being ok. Most regular cereals AREN'T ok. Most are made with malt for sweetening (barley again) and/or wheat starch. You must read ALL of the labels carefully.

And even though I've been gluten-free for a long time, I find that I cannot tolerate grain based alcohol, even though the gluten molecules are supposedly filtered out during the distillation. That leaves me my white wine (allergic to red and champagne), tequila, rum and potato vodka (if I could ever find it in this town)

Annette

I also react to grain based alcohol ... I have posted my theories here but if people care to beleive or not is up to them, I realise the wieght of medical opinion is that they are OK ... however I and others than Annette also react.

However on alcohol in general its certainly an irritant and not the best but unlike Annette Im OK with good red wine. Annette I find it improbable you are 'allergic' to champagne, I can't drink it either but chemically it is the same as normal white wine but with more CO2 and acidic. Now the fermentation of wine is a very complex matter and the second fermentation of the lacto-mallic components is different in every bottle so its not impossible but I would guess its actually just the acidity. If I drink champagne its a recipe for stomach acid and reflux .... but that's not the same as a allergic reaction. However it is possible that the yeast is a problem OR the yeast itself is cultured on grain...

Having said all that I can't stomach cheap wines at all and stick to decent wine.

An interesting point is many good end old-world wines do not add yeast at all. They have been making wine so long that the yeast is predominant in the walls and earth. If you want to risk one then I would say a clos des mouche or aloxe corton (both also low in tannin) might be worth a try.

Strangely Pepes the diarist drank clos des mouches every morning as was a custom then. I wonder if he reacted badly to the heavier high tannin wines?

[Stagiary]

Alcohol hits me a lot harder than it did before I went gluten free in May 2006. I feel the effects of alcohol faster, and I feel bad after one drink, though neither glutened nor hungover, for about a day. On Friday night, merely sharing a room with beer drinkers was enough to make me feel queasy and tired. Maybe that's psychological.

I have my first appointment with a gastroenterologist next week, and I plan to ask her about it then. Indeed, I waited four long months for this appointment. It better be good.

I really miss vodka martinis, cosmos, and red wine. I am afraid to return to Belvedere (from rye) or Grey Goose (from wheat). I can't find a potato vodka that doesn't end up tasting like cough syrup. I'm excited about Ciroc, a French vodka made from grapes. I had one really good dirty martini made from Ciroc before I decided to forego alcohol pending celiac healing.