Alcohol

[XoHeatherxO]

I am very careful about alcohol and stick to wine and tequila and bacardi mostly, but lately I have noticed my tolerance for alcohol is extremely low. I have been living the college life for about 3 years and never had a problem, however now I feel like after 2-3 drinks I am way too drunk and it's actually sort of scary. Does anyone else feel this way?? It is definitely related to going gluten-free but I am wondering if it is simply because I don't eat that much, and a lot of times I will just get a drink and not eat (at bars or restraunts for fear of contamination)....I would really appreciate anyone elses experiences and or suggestions!!

[deb]

Hello Heather,

I am still undignosed but feel I do have Celiac. Since I do not have the diagnosis I am still on a gluten diet. I can drink a lot of beer & not feel much. I am wondering if the achohol is not being absorbed into my system. I have found this to be more true in the last year. If I drink wine it is more aparent the feeling I get from it. Did you find that the case before you went gluten-free? I am also curious if any one else has problems related to drinking.

[Canadian Karen]

I did have problems, but since have found out why.....

See, I love my beloved Canadian Bloody Caesar, which consists of Clamato Juice, vodka, worsteshire sauce and celery salt. I have just recently discovered that Clamato Juice is not gluten free - so all this time, I have been feeding my body unknowingly with gluten.....

I almost cried when I found out Clamato Juice was now forbidden, I really enjoyed my Caesar during a weekend bbq....... oh well, the sacrifices we make are worth our health, right?

By the way, do you drink gluten-free beer? I was under the assumption that beer was off limits due to the barley......

Karen

[tarnalberry]

it may well be from not eating with the drinking. that can dramatically alter your tolerance.

[lovegrov]

I also think your problem is drinking but not eating. Very bad combination. I don't know of any evidence that being gluten-free or having celiac suddenly makes you get drunker.

richard

[hadafish]

In his book, Dangerous Grains, Ron Hoggan addresses Alcholism and Gluten on

page 150. One of the things he says is that intestinal permeability is made

worse by alcohol. Perhaps you are experiening these new symptoms from that.

Just some food for thought Jan

[kvogt]

Before going gluten-free, I put everyone under the table. Now I'm a cheap date. The doctor has also had to reduce my thyroid medication, presumably because I am now absorbing it, where before gluten-free, most of it was going unabsorbed. You gut probably works better now. And you should always eat when you drink. Without nutrition, your body takes what it needs to process the alcohol out of your liver.

[catfish]

Alcohol will definitely affect you faster on an empty stomache.

But have you considered that there may also be a psychological factor? Perhaps you are feeling like you are more in control of your body now that you are gluten-free, that you are more alert and feeling "better" generally, and the effects of alcohol compromise your feeling of being in control and bother you more than they used to when you were already feeling kinda so-so anyway. I know that I am a total "control freak" and anything that makes me feel like my abilities are being compromised in the least bit (even the NO2 gas they use at the dentist) are very unpleasant to me. Just a thought.

[XoHeatherxO]

Thanks to everyone for replying....I am thinking it's probably some combination of absorbing more of the alcohol and eating less....I don't drink beer at all to answer someones question, it all contains gluten and the gluten-free varieties are SO expensive....My recomendation would be a hard cider to replace beer, I myself prefer strongbow which you can find in some bars and most irish pubs....Thanks again for all the feedback!

[Guest ~wAvE WeT sAnD~]

Heather,

I had the same problem when my symptoms first began to show. I only had 5 drinks (over a long period of time), and later on that night, I was in the bathroom for two hours (vomiting). After that day, I was sick on and off for five months. I've been avoiding alcohol since then (I didn't celebrate my 21st--at least not at the bar with my friends). I'm a college student as well, and during my 3 years my tolerance had been fairly normal until March.

Stay safe!

[doglover]

i am having alcohol problems, too.

i don't drink that much (few drinks per week) but am surprised that i seem to feel sick (gas,bloating) a few hours after having my usual captain morgan rum and coke. i was really sick from alcohol before going gluten-free, but then i was drinking some whisky and other wheat alcohols.

a friend who works in the restuarant biz thought that maybe it could be the bar/restuarant using cheap sodas/mixers that may not be gluten-free.

i am hoping maybe after i have healed more (i've been gluten-free for about 4 months),

i can drink again without fear!

also, i was on a date recently and we were having drinks at a lounge that didn't have captain morgan (i am sure that is gluten-free). we couldn't even tell what other drinks i could have. my date was so sweet, he was asking the bartender to pull down bottles from the shelves so we could see if it had grain in it. unfortunately, i guess they don't have to label the ingredients on alcohol. i ended up just drinking a coca cola!

[cynicaltomorrow]

I used to do my fair share of drinking as well. But now, anytime I even try to drink.. I'll get nauseated after just one. On the other hand though.. I haven't gotten any answers on whether margaritas and the like are gluten-free. I'm kind of afraid to try any straight hard liquor when the minor stuff even affects me.

I totally sympathize with you, Catfish. I'm a total control freak. I can't stand being inebriated for long periods of time.. it just pisses me off.

[amylynne]

I've always heard that Captain Morgan's is NOT gluten-free. If I'm drinking rum I only drink Bacardi. I think it has to do with the coloring in the dark rum not being gluten-free.

[lovegrov]

Captain Morgan's is gluten-free, according to Captain Morgan's. The coloring in dark rum, including Bacardi, is gluten-free. Somewhere back in the dark ages somebody started the rumor that you were better off sticking to light rum because that darn coloring might have gluten. It doesn't. In fact, every liquor I can remember checking has been gluten-free.

richard

[anglepoise]

I'm 34 and drank liberally from age 19 up to about 8 months ago. At my boyfriend's urging, I gave up drinking completely then & found that my pain levels overrall went down. I had been gluten-free for several months before giving up the alcohol & after going gluten-free, my tolerance for alcohol went way down. I think that when we go gluten-free, we need to give our bodies time to heal, so it's probably a good idea to abstain, though I realize that's not a popular choice.

angel

[FreyaUSA]

I've been gluten-free for 8 months now. Only within the last few weeks have I noticed that I can actually drink an entire glass of red wine without feeling like I've overdone it. My intolerance for alcohol began about 15 years ago when (geez, just gotta love hindsight) my celiac disease symptoms became pretty obvious. I'm not expecting or wanting to ever drink again like I did in college, but it's nice to know a single drink wont put me right to sleep anymore.

[deedee1022]

I don't drink frequently or heavily, but I did have a few last week and how I suffered!!! Not from hangover symptoms, but the terrible stomach cramping that I get when I ingest "bad" foods. I'm not saying I think there was gluten in my drinks, but that my gut is so raw and abused that it just can't take the alcohol.

[I'm more celiac than you]

I have noticed that whiskey gives me a different kind of "buzz" than other drinks such as rum or vodka. I feel more of a lightheaded feeling which may or may not have something to do with the celiac disease.

[Bikerboy]

I think it probably is the lack of food that is causing your problem. I am pretty sure that Captain Morgan, or any spiced rum for that matter isn't good for you.

Keep in mind that you aren't limited to rum, wine and tequila like the web sites say. I was a big bourbon drinker and contacted my favorite bourbon makers when it dawned on me that they make bourbon in a distillery so it must be distilled and therefor, gluten free. All responses to my inquiries said their products were triple distilled and gluten free. The same is true for vodka.

[jdlehman]

Bikerboy,

If you are saying what I think you are then I'm the happiest Celiac out there.

Do I have to stay away from grain alcohol if it is distilled? One of the articles I read said I could drink them, but my nutritionist said I couldn't drink any alcohol that came from grain.

Josh

[mela14]

If you fear contamination try having a little something before you go out to have drinks at the bar. Drinking on an empty stomach is not a good idea. For me 2-3 drinks is a lot and I would probably be in a coma!!! oh to be young again...

You need somthing to absorb some of the alcohol. It seems that you are having gluten-free drinks so that's half the battle. good luck with the rest!