Changing Reactions To Alcohol

[Sailing Girl]

Hi folks,

Over the holidays I had ample opportunity to test my reactions to alcohol (hee hee!), and found that they have changed considerably since I became strictly gluten-free (about four months ago). One glass of wine used to make me tipsy and two glasses was my absolute limit -- beyond that and I'd get sick and/or have a raging hangover the next day. But now, I seem to be able to drink (albeit very slowly and moderately) all night long -- my reaction takes longer to kick in and is much milder and sustainable. Do you think this is a result of a leaky gut healing? Have any of you seen this happen to you?

Also, it appears I may be one of the minority who reacts to grain-based liquor -- I drank vodka (unflavored but cheap so it wasn't potato-based) at a friend's house and was absolutely *gone* after one drink (and not a large one, at that!). I was honestly stunned at the level of, er, drunken-ness I hit after that one drink -- and I had a hangover (that felt something like a gluten reaction) that went on for two or three days. No other possible gluten consumption -- so it had to be the alcohol, right? For those of you who react to distilled liquor, how does your reaction manifest itself? Does it seem like a glutening, or a really bad (out-of-proportion) hangover, or a combination of the two (which is how it seemed to me)?

On another note, I've declared January to be "zero-tolerance-gluten" month for me -- I'm eating only whole foods, at home or prepared there (absolutely NO eating out ANYWHERE!!) and I'm going to go an entire month without a glutening -- yay! (Constant CC, no matter how careful I am, has been the bane of my existence.) You guys are the only ones who would understand how excited I am about this!

Happy New Year!

Jane

[Ken70]

I'm having all kinds of different reactions including the first one you mentioned. I drank two bottles of wine one night a few months ago and had no hangover. I use to be known for my hangovers so this was a big deal for me.

Recently I think I have been reacting far more to wine and alcohol than before. I am getting hangovers again, brain fog is back and fatigue is omnipresent. I think it's hidden glutening or some other food intolerance (I have mostly quit milk except for chocolate).

In the end I think I am going to give up alcohol for at least a while. It doesn't work for me. I am having a complete analysis done through urine, blood and saliva through a well known "functional medicine" guru from Europe. I would like to find a state where i am always full of energy and mentally alert. I doubt this would include being able to drink much if at all so I am cutting it out now before I am told I have to.

This should be interesting to hear some of the other comments you get.

[Sailing Girl]

Hi Ken,

Your changing reactions are interesting -- I can't wait to hear what other folks have to say on this topic!

I'm sorry to hear your brain fog and fatigue are back -- that's what's been happening to me (I've been assuming because of CC, since I do eat out a lot, albeit carefully). That's why I'm going to spend January eating at home and being super-careful. I'm not sure I'll cut out alcohol entirely, but I'll be cutting way back (not that I drink that much to begin with -- mostly a glass or two of wine once or twice a week). And, I'll be cutting out grains (again) and sugar. I, too, want to find a state where I'm always full of energy and mentally alert -- I'm hoping this will do it for me.

Jane

[VioletBlue]

My tolerance for alcohol seems to have changed quite a bit. Now I can't feel the effects of a single glass of wine or a beer, while before just one would make me a little tipsy. But there are few things left I can drink so it's not like it really matters Getting "comfortable" on Redbridge Beer isn't really appealing to me. I don't seem to be able to tolerate hard alcohols anymore, and I've only found one brand of sparkling wine low enough in sulfites for me to be able to drink, and even then I can only have one glass or it starts to bother me.

I sometimes miss the days of dirty vodka martinis.

Violet

[BSinCO]

Hi folks,

Over the holidays I had ample opportunity to test my reactions to alcohol (hee hee!), and found that they have changed considerably since I became strictly gluten-free (about four months ago). One glass of wine used to make me tipsy and two glasses was my absolute limit -- beyond that and I'd get sick and/or have a raging hangover the next day. But now, I seem to be able to drink (albeit very slowly and moderately) all night long -- my reaction takes longer to kick in and is much milder and sustainable. Do you think this is a result of a leaky gut healing? Have any of you seen this happen to you?

Also, it appears I may be one of the minority who reacts to grain-based liquor -- I drank vodka (unflavored but cheap so it wasn't potato-based) at a friend's house and was absolutely *gone* after one drink (and not a large one, at that!). I was honestly stunned at the level of, er, drunken-ness I hit after that one drink -- and I had a hangover (that felt something like a gluten reaction) that went on for two or three days. No other possible gluten consumption -- so it had to be the alcohol, right? For those of you who react to distilled liquor, how does your reaction manifest itself? Does it seem like a glutening, or a really bad (out-of-proportion) hangover, or a combination of the two (which is how it seemed to me)?

On another note, I've declared January to be "zero-tolerance-gluten" month for me -- I'm eating only whole foods, at home or prepared there (absolutely NO eating out ANYWHERE!!) and I'm going to go an entire month without a glutening -- yay! (Constant CC, no matter how careful I am, has been the bane of my existence.) You guys are the only ones who would understand how excited I am about this!

Happy New Year!

Jane

I have definitely had the same reaction. I can't have any alcohol that is grain based. I get overly drunk very quickly and have an exaggerated hangover the next day. I have found a new drink that I love though. It is Malibu Rum and pineapple juice. It is really yummy and if I keep it under control, I don't have a hangover at all. Before I went gluten free, I always drank beer and I had the worst hangovers I have ever seen or heard of. It was the gluten for sure.

[JNBunnie1]

My tolerance for alcohol seems to have changed quite a bit. Now I can't feel the effects of a single glass of wine or a beer, while before just one would make me a little tipsy. But there are few things left I can drink so it's not like it really matters Getting "comfortable" on Redbridge Beer isn't really appealing to me. I don't seem to be able to tolerate hard alcohols anymore, and I've only found one brand of sparkling wine low enough in sulfites for me to be able to drink, and even then I can only have one glass or it starts to bother me.

I sometimes miss the days of dirty vodka martinis.

Violet

I'm the opposite, I used to drink like a fish and now one glass of wine or (gluten-free) beer is all I can handle. Huh.

[nmw]

I can't handle any grain alcohol and get buzzed immediately off of one glass of wine. I used to be able to drink just about anyone under the table - no longer. I don't mind this development at all. As far as taking a month off from eating out, Jane, that is a terrific idea and it will be interesting to see how you feel a month from now.

[pixiegirl]

Add me to the list of people that get drunk on a single glass of wine. I was never a big drinker but I certainly, over the course of an evening that included dinner drink more then a single glass.

Now after a small glass of wine I'm actually tipsy and if I have even 1.5 I'm a goner! My boyfriend calls me a cheap drunk (he's teasing me of course he's so careful with my gluten issues).

Susan

[darlindeb25]

Add me to the list. I have never been much of a drinker anyways, so not being able to drink doesn't really matter to me, yet, it is another thing I can't have. Even a tiny glass of wine is a huge hangover the next day and I don't even get to be giddy from it. At my nephew Todd's wedding, my sister had made jello shots and they were delicious--I was so sick the next day and the next. It's just not worth it. They were made with Peachtree Schnapps, one of my all time favorites!

I guess it's safe to say that a good share of us will not be alcoholics! That's promising!

[ruthla]

I felt "hung over" on Jan 1st, and the only alcohol I had was a single glass of wine. I have about half a glass of wine about once a week, so I don't think that's what made me so super sick the entire next day.

I suspect it was the vanilla extract in my (virgin) eggnog- it's a huge Costo-sized bottle I purchased before going gluten-free and I suspect it got contaminated when we were baking with it.

Can I tell you how jealous I am that you can eat at home and know for certain you'll avoid cross-contamination? My kids still eat gluten and it drives me BONKERS when they leave crumbs everywhere and I get stuck cleaning it up.

[jerseyangel]

It's interesting reading everyone's experiences.

I had given up my occasional glass (or 2) of wine before going gluten-free, because I would begin to feel flushed right away and have a hangover of sorts (slight headache and dry mouth). Back then, I didn't know I had Celiac and figured that my body just "didn't like" alcohol so I cut it out completely.

I stayed off all alcohol for about 2 1/2 years. Over this holidy season I tried wine again....I am now able to drink 2 glasses with no adverse effects at all!

[aikiducky]

I can't handle some wines at all, I start to feel "hungover" while still drinking my first glass. But others are fine. I had three glasses of a very nice Spanish red wine on New years eve and hardly felt it. Another day in the holidays I took a small sip of a Hungarian white wine and started feeling funny in my head immediately, this was from hardly a mouthful. The ones I'm usually fine with are good quality Spanish, Italian or French wines. I figure it's not the alcohol but some impurities or filtering stuff added to the wine, something like that, in my case. I also can't handle grain based alcohol.

Pauliina

[BSinCO]

I am just learning about Candida, but from what I have read it is common to coexist with Celiac. On of the major symptoms is an intolerance to alcohol. Have any of you had problems with Candida?

BS

[casnco]

Well, I am one who must be careful now. I used to be able to drink all night long and get up and go in the morning. Beer was my beverage of choice followed by wine then Vodka. Now of course beer is out of the question. Wine if I am careful I can still drink. But Vodka made with grain, WhooWee! Have I gotten drunk quick and gotten mean! I was never a mean drunk. I don't touch it now. Rum and Gin have become my friend if I am careful with them. Thanks to everyone who is sharing. I thought I was just getting old, and I can not have any of that!!!