Different celiac disease Allergy And Alcohol Reactions?

[David]

Hi All:

I was wondering if anyone noticed they react very differently to alcohol than they did before they had celiac disease.

Unfortunately, I have a good reason to ask this. About a week ago, my roommate and I were having rums and cokes with shots (store-bought "Pucker" type shots that come in those little plastic bottles.)

The evening was going fine, my I have a memory of looking at video files on the computer. Then unfortunately, things went South from there. Honestly, I blacked out exactly what happened next, but suffice it too say it was extremely erratic, crazy and was disrespectful to my roommate. I followed it up that morning after crashing in bed for 2 hours with more "bad choices."

Worse still, the alcohol stayed in my system all day Monday, passersby thought I was still drunk. It wasn

[JohnDory]

I can relate to these experinces, especially the length of time for the alcohol to be removed from my system.

Last new years I had a breath tester with me (good quality one), and at noon the next day i was still twice the legal limit while all my mates who drunk as much as me had zero breath alcohol. At 5pm that evening i was still blowing over the limit. Had to wait till the next day before i made the trip home. (was still eating gluten at this stage also, and was still experincing my major symptom of fatigue/brain fog)

I would love to blame my gluten intollerence for this poor metabolism of alcohol.

At a guess you could say that the hightened immune system responding to the gluten weakens your ability to rid the alcohol (similar to when you drink with the flu, my mate did this recently and blacked out and was still 'drunk' the next day).

Be interested to hear how other celiacs deal with alcohol. Ive pretty much given up drinking as it was shocked to think what it would do to your body having elevated blood alcohol for 24+ hours

Hi All:

I was wondering if anyone noticed they react very differently to alcohol than they did before they had celiac disease.

Unfortunately, I have a good reason to ask this. About a week ago, my roommate and I were having rums and cokes with shots (store-bought "Pucker" type shots that come in those little plastic bottles.)

The evening was going fine, my I have a memory of looking at video files on the computer. Then unfortunately, things went South from there. Honestly, I blacked out exactly what happened next, but suffice it too say it was extremely erratic, crazy and was disrespectful to my roommate. I followed it up that morning after crashing in bed for 2 hours with more "bad choices."

Worse still, the alcohol stayed in my system all day Monday, passersby thought I was still drunk. It wasn

[David]

John:

Thanks for your reply. I noticed a lot of people had read this message, and no one responded. Was a little afraid that people were reading this for the "Jerry Springer" effect, and getting a thrill from reading about someone else

[maile]

hi David,

I'm glad the primary person is willing to forgive you, what you described sounds like an unsettling experience.

as for your question about how alcohol affects us, I too am self diagnosed but can say that in the past year and a half I've progressively become a "cheap drunk" in the sense that it takes less and less exposure to trigger a tipsy feeling. and by less and less I mean down to 1-2 glasses in an evening. so yes, based on personal experience I would say we are more greatly affected by alcohol.

Also had another thought, those "shooter things" , do you know what they are made of? Could it have been grain based?

I know alcohol is supposed to be "safe" but after a couple of years of feeling sick after 1 drink made with Absolut Vodka but feeling fine after having the same cocktail made with potato vodka I'm more of a mind to think some of us are just going to react to wheat no matter what the form.

[OptimisticMom42]

Hi,

Just wanted to say I didn't read for the Jerry Springer/train wreck trill. I'm still trying to learn and haven't made it past the corn chips yet but hope to make it to a safe glass of wine or pink drink on a date night.

Your story is a good warning to me as I never could drink more than three drinks in an evening. Maybe now even one would make it illegal to drive myself home. And being realistic about my three teenagers who are all gluten light and parties, I will need to warn them about the possiblities.

Another thought in the dirrection of parties. Cigarette smoke speeds the metabolism. If you are already having issues with metabolism, are breathing second hand smoke and drinking........

Your contribution is helpful. Please continue to share your experiences.

[Lisa]

After going gluten free, I found myself FAR more sensitive to the effects of alcohol. It hit me harder and faster.

[David]

OptimisticMom:

Just wanted to clarify, I was joking when I wrote the Jerry Springer quip

[mommida]

Alcohol has a stronger affect on me since being gluten free.

I was having a fine gluten free cocktail (Nursing that puppy all night, until it was too diluted from the ice)

Than someone offered a taste sample of a shot. I asked what was in it and it should have been gluten free. BIG mistake, always ask the bartender that made the drink. Well it must have been gluten, because I made five steps out the door before spewing like a fire hose.

I had a buzz and made a bad decision about the safety of tasting that shot. Not a lot of people know about Celiac and malted alcohol being a problem. So I am sure every on-looker that I was just very very drunk.

So do what you can to make ammends. Never lose control of the amount of your drinking or making sure it is gluten free.

[bunnybaby]

I thought this was just me. I can barely drink now, it really goes to my head quickly. Also seems to mske me hungry and crave carbs so I am at risk of glutening myself whilst under the influence Resolved to try not to drink

Love Ruth

[ksymonds84]

My husband and I have a ritual of making a really nice dinner and sharing a bottle of wine (about 2 1/2 glasses each), then watch a rented movie. I used to be fine with that but now if we share a bottle, I can't stay awake long enough to finish the movie. My tolerance has defiantly changed. I like who ever said, "I'm a cheap drunk" fits me to a T now.

[anniedarling]

Wow. I thought it was just me. I have had times when I have certainly overdone it, but since I stopped eating gluten in January I have noticed I have become a real "cheap date." Back a few years when I was on anti-depressants I had to watch it, but I have been off them for years and let me tell you, lately it has been much worse. I can drink much less before I get loopy. (The only benefit is that I don't fall asleep at when I'd had too much like I used to back when I ate gluten.) ha ha!

Anyway, I hadn't really connected the two until you mentioned it so now I get WHY I am so susceptible to alcohol! Isn't this forum great?!!!

Thanks for putting two and two together for me; and I am sure your friends will forgive you as it sounds like you were very upfront about apologizing.

[SunnyJB]

UGH! This is my least favorite part. I can drink one shot and be throwing up because of it. This is coming from someone who used to tear it up every weekend.

And, last night my husband made us margaritas, I didn't sleep *AT ALL* because of the d... tmi, I know, but any form of alcohol just kills me now!

[pdx.lila]

I have to agree with what other people have said so far. Before going gluten free I could drink an entire fifth of hard alcohol in a night and be drunk,but not blacked out (keep in mind,I'm a 5'0" tall girl). Now, 3 drinks and I'm starting to feel tipsy. I haven't had an episode like you talked about in the original post,but it was good to read about it, to keep that possibility in the back of my mind.

I've gotten so paranoid with alcohol though,I'm terrified to drink anything because I'm so sensitive. I think I'll have to explore potato vodkas.

I actually turned 21 a few weeks before I found out I had Celiac, so I've got horrible timing...

[LadyCyclist87]

I've never drank alcohol to the point of blacking out, but I am definitely a "cheap drunk" as well. I like to think that some of it has to do with my height/weight (I'm 5'1" and weigh an average amount for a woman my height), but I know that some of it also has to do with my Celiac Disease.

I'm not acutely "drunk" for days when I drink, but I do have more symptoms of the brain fog, HA, and fatigue for the next day or two. When you do get a chance to see a physician, ask if you have problems with yeast as well. This is coming from someone with chronic problems with candidiasis, and purposely avoid food/drinks that either directly contain yeast (bread, for instance) or will contribute to the formation of yeast infections (sugar, processed foods, lactose products). Little did I know until recently that I shouldn't be taking in alcohol AT ALL because when it ferments inside the body, it gives the candidiasis a greater opportunity to grow within your body, thus all those yucky symptoms. In fact, this is the website which I received all the information from:

http://www.integratedobgyn.com/intmd/int_yeast.htm

I should also remind you that when you have a weaker immune system in general (from the gluten intolerance you seem to have, perhaps), you're more prone to a multitude of adverse reactions from a variety of foods. Yeast overgrowth occurs with a weakened immune system. But anyway, skim over the site and think if any of the symptoms applied to you during your aftermath of drinking (or how long in duration they are), or if they do currently. It does seem like an extreme case (maybe more than just getting "loopy" easier), so I would say this is a considerable concern to bring up to a physician. I'm not doubting that there's still possibility that it's only related from Celiac, but I just thought I'd offer my two cents...

I hope this helps you if it does turn out to be a problem for you as well. By the way, I appreciated the Jerry Springer quip...it made me smile.

[MDRB]

I'm so glad someone posted this! I thought maybe it had something to do with getting older, or maybe I had developed another intollerance. I am a very petite woman and used to be able to hold my drink like a man, I could just keep drinking and drinking and never really feel it let alone get sick from it. But since going gluten-free I find that 1 glass of wine will get me tipsy, 2 glasses and I am drunk, 3 glasses and I am REALLy drunk and my poor husband has to take me home. I also find that it takes me a lot longer to recover, I am usually still drunk the next day and it takes me about 2 days to recover fully from a hangover (I never used to get hangovers before I was gluten-free)

[DreamWalker]

Are you sure your drink wasn't spiked? The way you described the feeling as though alcohol stayed in your system parallels a description of a GHB-laced drink. Over two years ago (well before I was gluten-free), I had 1.5 glasses of wine & I remember nothing of that night or well into the following day. I was sitting on the couch watching Malcom & the Middle episodes & I remember x to my right on the chair & y pouring drinks in the kitchen - then blank. I never finished my 2nd glass of wine. I felt drunk for days following & my pupils were ridiculous. (One was huge while the other was the size of a needle point.) I'm not sure if that lasted or I just happened to glance in the mirror on my way back from the bathroom to collapse back in bed. (My bedroom used to be connected to the bathroom like one room.) Anyhow, I did some investigating & discovered the bottle of wine had been spiked with GHB.

As for post-gluten-free alcohol tolerance, I'm not sure. I never really recouped enough to have a desire to drink (fear of worsening stomach issues) and I started the gluten free diet at 21. About a month ago, I tried drinking a solitary drink (gin & tonic) & it threw my body into insane amounts of sharp, burning pain. Um.... I don't think I'll try drinking again. (I used to be rather capable of holding my own though.)

While I know you can’t get an official diagnosis of celiac disease after you’ve been off gluten, are there things that can look at as a sign that I "probably" do have it? If I ask for an allergy test for different foods, what exactly do I ask for? (Not sure what to expect at a free, taxpayer-supported health institution, but I don’t exactly expect the doctors will have the same breadth of knowledge they would at the Mayo clinic, so I want to make sure I know exactly what to ask for before I go in.)

When I was undergoing testing for Celiac Disease, a doctor at STANFORD University told me there was only one Celiac antibody & that regardless of the gluten free diet - it never goes away. "You either have it or don't." She also said that my Vit D deficiency could not be a symptom of or related to Celiac Disease. My point is, you can find some doosies at supposedly renowned institutions. I've had periods of time where I was in a situation where I couldn't use my insurance and the free clinics can be a bit more comprehensive than one would think. Obviously, it depends on the doctor. Over the years, I've only been seen at free clinics for asthma-related issues but a doctor there helped me out tremendously by switching my inhaler prescriptions.

Anyhow, here is the list of Celiac antibodies they need to test for:

Anti-gliadin antibodies (AGA) both IgA and IgG

Anti-endomysial antibodies (EMA) - IgA

Anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies (tTG) - IgA

Total IgA level.

If that list confuses them, ask for the full "Celiac Disease Panel." Sometimes it's called "Celiac Plus."

It's a check box on the blood work order form. . . .

Errr.... I don't have much faith in the medical community anymore.

I hope you start to feel better.

[olivebee]

Wow, this totally happened to me NYE this year. Don't get me wrong, I drank more than I should have, but with a full belly and the safetly of my home. HOWEVER, I blacked out at about 1230..I remember at times waking up just screaming and saying nasty things. It was absolutely humiliating. It took me a full two days to recover.

I am currently a self diagnosed Celiac but the day before NYE stopped eating gluten, I had a little that night and some malted beer and champagne. It was awful, but honestly I'm glad I'm not the only one! My fiance has put me on a 2 drink limit which I am MORE than happy to follow.

[CarbQueen]

Wow, this totally happened to me NYE this year. Don't get me wrong, I drank more than I should have, but with a full belly and the safetly of my home. HOWEVER, I blacked out at about 1230..I remember at times waking up just screaming and saying nasty things. It was absolutely humiliating. It took me a full two days to recover.

I am currently a self diagnosed Celiac but the day before NYE stopped eating gluten, I had a little that night and some malted beer and champagne. It was awful, but honestly I'm glad I'm not the only one! My fiance has put me on a 2 drink limit which I am MORE than happy to follow.

Boy.....where to begin.

Started dating new guy 2006. I had 1st blackout in my life on our first date. Fortunately, my friend joined us that eve. He told bf that it isn't me. I don't usually talk like that.

I don't remember what I said, but the look on bf face said it all. He finally left me last year, after an on again off again relationship. After watching me go ballistic at a party he felt it was better to seperate.

I'm so grateful. Now, I know that I am sensitive to alcohol. The brain fog is lifting to a point I have 90% of memory. I recall going to the emergency several times in the late 70s and early 80s. The doctors called it alcohol indigestion.

In fall of 2006, I received a DUI, although I had consumed 1.5 drinks in 4 hours. It didn't register on the breathalyzer, but I looked unstable, so the charges stuck. I wondered how this could possibly happen.

I'm just happy I didn't hurt anyone, including myself. I've spent the last 18 months telling people about my experience. Hopefully, they will seek medical attention if they can relate to my stories. I reside in a small rural town, where there are no resources to help me. I just prayed and meditated, and followed my instincts. Thank goodness I have an analytical mind. 100s of hours of research and trial and error I have food relief from the pain.

I lost everything. Now, I am coming back from the brink.

I practice the attitude of gratitude.

[TSC1]

I do not have a definitive answer but let's assume that everything is now absorbed better and faster nutritionally. This is the reason many of my bad health symptoms disappeared after a few years. Why not alcohol?

[bg12]

Hi everyone! I'm new to this forum, but I've read posts on it before and it's been very helpful. I know this is an old thread, but I've been having a similar problem. Basically, I just have very unpredictable reactions to alcohol. I'm a 21-year-old female. I was diagnosed with celiac disease at age 20 and had symptoms since I was 19. In my (limited) experience of drinking alcohol before I had celiac symptoms, I had a pretty high tolerance I think...I could have 5-6 drinks or more in a night and feel completely fine that night and the next day.

Now, there have been three times in the past few months where I've thrown up after drinking wine and/or mixed drinks. The weird thing is that it seems to be a delayed reaction...several hours after I stop drinking and sometimes even after I feel mostly sober, I'll suddenly start throwing up. The first time this happened, I chalked it up to maybe drinking too much on an empty stomach, and the second time, I thought maybe there were trace amounts of gluten in some mixer I used. But last night, I had two glasses of wine over 2-3 hours, I went home, went to sleep, and then several hours later I woke up and started throwing up.

This doesn't happen every time I drink, though...sometimes I can have way more than that and feel fine. But I just notice that alcohol affects me differently than it used to. In general, I'd say I feel the physical effects (nausea) more than I used to and the mental affects (tipsiness, feeling light and floaty, etc.) less. Like other people said, I also think alcohol affects me more slowly now. It takes longer to feel drunk (if I feel anything at all), but the next day, I'll still feel weak and lightheaded and disoriented. But unlike other people said, I often don't even feel the mental affects of being drunk in the first place...

Any thoughts on how to deal with this? I never used to throw up from drinking before having celiac disease. But I'm not even sure that's the problem, because I'm not very sensitive to gluten in food. In the year and a half since I was diagnosed, I've never had a reaction from food, even though I've probably gotten some gluten by accident at a restaurant or something.

I'm thinking I may just need to stop drinking completely to avoid these odd reactions. I'd like to be able to drink socially at least, but if I can't handle 2 glasses of wine...

If anyone knows more about the biological explanations for this -- immune system, metabolism, etc. -- I'd be very interested to hear.

Thanks for your help!

[CelesteT]

Hi Everyone, I've just joined tonight & this is my 1st post....I just had to add to this one!

I have a terrible time with alcohol & I've never understood why until recently. I have asthma, allergies, anaphylaxis & GI (just diagnosed). Since my diagnosis, I have tried to reduce my alcohol intake to just potatoe Vodka - but that can be difficult to get hold of & when I'm out with friends or at a party, it's tough! I'm vegetarian, gluten intolerant & now I have to ask bartenders for potatoe vodka, lol, I feel like such a bore!!!

A few night's ago I allowed myself to be talked into having a couple of glasses of red wine, it went to my head immediately & I foolishly was so 'merry' I drank a couple more glasses - I can't remember what happened next, but from what I was told it wasn't pretty! I was staying the night at my friends place & came rushing into their room in the early hours of the morning insisting someone was in the house, they got up & checked, no-one was there, so I then rush into the arms of there flatmate & started to cry *blush* - I can't remember any of this & when I woke the next day I was in agony.

I literally couldn't even get out of bed until 7pm the following evening....even then I was shakey & very vulnerable. I made my way home got into bed & slept for another 13hrs, my whole system felt full of poison.

Does anyone else here have that kind of reaction to wine/red wine? I've noticed that it is by far the worse drink for me...I can get drunk very quickly with it & it takes me two full days at least to recover from it. I'm not talking about a huge quantity either & I make sure I eat food & drink water etc.

They say wine is ok for GI & Celiac, but I don't agree at all...I guess it's just trial & error.

[kareng]

If you drink a whole bottle or more of wine, Celiac or not, you are going to feel really really bad! Sometimes for days. Some people black out and don't remember what they have done. It's not the wine, it's way too much wine.

Now red wine has things in it that bother people, but that happens with just one glass. Tannins, sulphites...

[Scb1972]

I also have solanine toxicity disorder so I cannot drink potato vodka. I have found that Tito's and Ciroc are friendly. I, too, however, have experienced blackouts after drinking. Usually it is something wildly ridiculous like eating some crackers while drinking champagne or wine, or having a little beer, that has caused these episodes. Apparently the fermentation and being intolerant caused a very toxic reaction and being immune suppressed anyway exacerbates it all. I'm learning the hard way what triggers this so I don't ever have to deal with it again!!! It is scary and it does take a long time to recover.

[JSansone]

My ability to deal with lactose and alcohol started degrading pretty badly and was soon after diagnosed Celiac. Lactose has gotten a LITTLE better after letting myself heal, but I've never gotten better with alcohol. Anything more than a sip or two and I'm violently throwing up for the rest of the night. I had tried several gluten-free drinks at home (never at a bar), and nothing seems to work. I haven't been able to drink for about 5 years now and I do miss it sometimes =( although it's probably better off this way.

[Scott Adams]

If your diet has been 100% gluten-free it is possible that your lactose and alcohol intolerance issues may go away after a couple of years. I had several things I could not tolerate when I was diagnosed, lactose included, but after a few years I was able to eat them again without issues.