Reaction To Gluten Or Alcohol?

[LuvMoosic4life]

I've been asking a lot of questions in here since I can't afford to go to a doc yet.....

So I've had digestive symptoms for quite a few years. I was trying to figure out when this whole gluten intolerance thing started with me ( that is being aware that it may be what I have)...

I've always had the digestive problems, but the getting sick and exttremely fatigued started happening more regularly in my third year of college when I transfered to a university. Of course many college students drink..I was never really into it but started drinking more here and there my third year into college. I'm not at all a heavy drinker and know when to stop for my own body, but will admit I've gone over my limit a few times. Generally I used to hold my alcohol well considerig my size....not anymore

At the beginning of 2007 (before I knew I was gluten intolerant) I got a spot playing in a band that plays at a bar in the town. I was never a beer drinker, but part of the reason the band plays is for free beer from the bar (plus we get payed). So I started drinking beer. It didnt bother me at first, but a couple months later I would start having the big "D" the day after a gig, but it didnt happen until after a few hours after waking up.....it was so bad that I would be running to the bathrrom up to 10 times in an hour.....I sware it was like the beer went right through me. I figured it was just a common reaction to beer/alcohol, so I just made it a point to limit how much i drank and eat something afterward (which would be bread or something, yeah real smart)....it didnt matter if I had 1 or 20 (no I didnt have 20 ) I would have D and continuous gas.

Later in the year I started playing in another band where we also get free drinks...I know this makes me sound like an alcoholic, but really I would only drink once or twice every other week and wouldnt go over 3 drinks in a 6 hour time frame... By the fall of 2007 I was getting sick every other month it seemed. By christmas time I had about 3 sinus infections, strepp throat, pink eye and a cold. I had a christmas party, where there was plenty of glutened food..... one of my friend brought cheep box wine (prob. not gluten free) I got really dizzy after half a glass. I actually had a gig that night and tried drinking a beer just because the guys in the band make a big deal if I dont drink-ha....I ended up drinking water the rest of the night because my muscles felt fatigued and I had no energy to play.

I started 2008 off sick (go figure) and when I was semi- better one of my friends wanted me to meet him at a bar. I hadn't drank since x-mas, so I had one beer. Normally one beer would just relax me, well, this one beer caused me to almost not make to the bathroom when i stood up after sitting for a half an hour b/c I felt extremly dizzy and light, like I was walking on a cloud. I came back out and my friend had odered me another one even though I didnt want it, so I sipped on it and ended up drinking it...then he ordered this french bread appetizer for us which I also ate ....I ended up puking from nausea when I got home......I never puke from drinking....especially 2 beers??? so I figured maybe someone put something in my drink....the next couple of times I went out, the same thing happened, and I was sure to monitor my drinks...I told my friends what was happening when i would drink and they said, "well maybe you shouldnt have alcohol anymore".

Not much later on I started learning about gluten intolerance and am now realizing all my problems are/may be related to this.

.....so after writing a novel here my question is, does glutened alcoholc drinks increase the effect of alcohol in those who are gluten intolerant? Or was the reaction I was having from the gluten alone?

I had one beer at my last gig and felt like i drank a six pack......

[Ursa Major]

The problem with beer is, that it has gluten! It is made from barley malt. Therefore, if you are on a gluten-free diet because of gluten intolerance, you will need to drink gluten-free beer (yes, there is such a thing).

But apart from that, many of us find that we can't tolerate alcohol, either.

[CarlaB]

Most wine is gluten-free ... since you are reacting to other alcohols than beer, which has gluten, I'd check out this thread.

Open Original Shared Link

[LuvMoosic4life]

thanks. I'm well aware of gluten free beers and other drinks that are gluten free. Because regular beer has gluten I just thought maybe b/c my body is reacting against gluten it may not be able to catch up with the alcohol, therefore the alcohol would effect me more. I was just seeing if anyone has this reaction and if this is the reason I get sick.....I'm going to try gluten free beer to see if I have the same reactions....

[CarlaB]

I'm sorry, you misunderstood me ... the thread I pointed you to was not on gluten-free beer. It's on another illness that causes alcohol intolerance. From what you said, it doesn't sound like it matters whether the alcohol you drink has gluten or not .... you get sick either way.

[LuvMoosic4life]

thanks. yeah, sorry, I was responding to the post before yours and shouldve qouted it. I will definitly look at that link!!! thankyou, I havent heard of that

[ravenwoodglass]

I used to get drunk from nonalcoholic beer which has a very low alcohol content. I also black out and become very intoxicated from just one gluten grain vodka drink. I can drink 2 or 3 non gluten alcoholic beverages and not have even a hint of a problem and can drink potato vodka with no issues either.

I get neuro symptoms from gluten which makes my body react like it is drunk, I have ataxia so I would stumble and have some problems with speech which some interpret as intoxication.

Another common issue other than the brain link for celiacs and alcohol is that our liver or pancreatic function can be impaired. That would also cause you to become perhaps more intoxicated and would definately lead to a hangover.