Man, I so did not even know wine allergies existed.
I had a glass of wine last night—McManis Cabernet Sauvignon to be exact—and not even a whole glass of wine but one of my wimpy half-a-glass deals. And when Simon woke me up at 4 in themorning I thought: I must be coming down with the flu or something. Stuffed nose, itchy eyes, sore throat, and generally feeling as though a steamroller had done its best to flatten me a couple hundred times during the night.
Darin let me sleep in today, and when I was finally conscious I said, Either I am coming down with the worst cold in the world, or there was something about that wine. So I clicked around a bit (the modern answer to every problem!) and discovered wine allergies.
From allergies.about.com:
The common question is “Can I be allergic to alcohol?” Although alcohol can be the culprit, it usually is not. The culprits are usually the additives used in the manufacturing process. Some of the possible culprits include:
Brewers yeast
Corn
Eggs
Grapes
Molds
Sulfites
Pesticides
I am: bereft. It took me a while to prefer red wine over white wine (that is, to become a wine snob). And now this!
I assume that if any of those ingredients could cause this allergy then it’s not necessarily the wine that’s caused this head cold. But it’s not the kind of testing I want to do a lot of, you know?
I developed an allergy to white wine at about age 38. I can drink Rose no problem, have not tried red as I have never liked it anyway. Also forgot one night that white wine/champagne is similar, had a terrible respiratory reaction to that too. Dampened the celebration rather quickly!
I,too, have had problems with wine. I have had the “red face,” but only sometimes, and it doesn’t matter whether it is inexpensive or expensive. This has only happened with red wine, not white. Occasionally, I have had problems with racing heart, but not always. I have also had problems with stomach cramping, and diarrhea, but not always. Sometimes I have congestion problems, and occasionally, I will have a headache the next AM, and have noticed a couple of times that
the roof of my mouth has felt as if those little lines up there will feel raised and a bit sore. I don’t know what to make of it all. I supposedly am allergic to sulfur drugs, but I was tested in many compounds and all were negative. I have no food allergies that I know of. I have been getting a little paranoid lately, as I have been worried about anaphylaxsis and wine. I have been in anaphylaxsis once and on the way another time or two. I don’t understand if I am “allergic” to wines, why don’t I have the same symptoms everytime, and why don’t I have a stronger reaction, like some of the posts on this website. I am a severly allergic person, but after taking shots for 25 years every week; I hardly even suffer from hay fever anymore. My allergies are to pollens, some molds, animals, etc. And, I have a good many drug allergies. I saw on another website posted under this one on Google, that there is new research on what is being tested for wine allergies, etc., and I am anxious to move on and read it, as I love wine, and am sick of suffering for it. I have always been a beer drinker, and it gives me no problems, but after reading So. Beach that it immediately turns into “sugar” in your body,& causes such weight problems, (yes, me!) then I had hoped to move onto wine. I have irritable bowel, and a bad case of diverticulosis and this stomach-ache I get from even one half glass of wine is so annoying. Ellen
I,too, have had problems with wine. I have had the “red face,” but only sometimes, and it doesn’t matter whether it is inexpensive or expensive. This has only happened with red wine, not white. Occasionally, I have had problems with racing heart, but not always. I have also had problems with stomach cramping, and diarrhea, but not always. Sometimes I have congestion problems, and occasionally, I will have a headache the next AM, and have noticed a couple of times that
the roof of my mouth has felt as if those little lines up there will feel raised and a bit sore. I don’t know what to make of it all. I supposedly am allergic to sulfur drugs, but I was tested in many compounds and all were negative. I have no food allergies that I know of. I have been getting a little paranoid lately, as I have been worried about anaphylaxsis and wine. I have been in anaphylaxsis once and on the way another time or two. I don’t understand if I am “allergic” to wines, why don’t I have the same symptoms everytime, and why don’t I have a stronger reaction, like some of the posts on this website. I am a severly allergic person, but after taking shots for 25 years every week; I hardly even suffer from hay fever anymore. My allergies are to pollens, some molds, animals, etc. And, I have a good many drug allergies. I saw on another website posted under this one on Google, that there is new research on what is being tested for wine allergies, etc., and I am anxious to move on and read it, as I love wine, and am sick of suffering for it. I have always been a beer drinker, and it gives me no problems, but after reading So. Beach that it immediately turns into “sugar” in your body,& causes such weight problems, (yes, me!) then I had hoped to move onto wine. I have irritable bowel, and a bad case of diverticulosis and this stomach-ache I get from even one half glass of wine is so annoying. Ellen
I’M 15 THIS YEAR.. AND WHEN I DRINK JOLLY SHANDY ( A DRINK WHICH CONTAINS A LIL’ ALCOHOL ) MY THROAT GETS VERY ITCHY AND I WOULD START COUGHING BADLY. DEN MY EYES WOULD FEEL VERY VERY ITCHY. IT WOULD SWELL AFTER THAT.. THERE’S ONE I DRANK SPARKLING H20 AND IT ALSO GAVE ME THE SAME SYMTPOMS. AND THERE’S ANOTHER TIME I WENT TO SWENSEN TWICE WITH MY FRIENDS AND HAD THEIR ICE CREAM THERE.. AND AFTER THAT MY EYES SWELL TOO.. ALTHOUGH THE ICE CREAM AND H20 GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH ALCOHOL BUT I’M VERY VERY CURIOUS ON WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME.. CAN U SEND ME INFORMATION ON WHAT MIGHT BE WRONG WITH ME?? I’M ONLI 15 AND COMPLETELY DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT MY CONDITION..
I have found for several years now that i get congested after drinking Australian Oak aged Chardonnay and yet i am fine with Australian red or French Chardonnay i have wondered whether there is a difference between wine matured in traditional oak barrels (more likely in french wine) and the possible use of synthetic oak flavoured chips in australia (although this doesn’t explain why I’m okay with Aus red). Could anyone tell me?
Hi folks. I have run across a great site for people who suspect they might be sulfite sensitive. It’s members.aol.com/nosulfites/
and it’s quite informative, especially if headaches are a problem. The site was created by a sulfite-sensitive headache sufferer who has taken the time to extensively research the problem in order to help himself and help others. There are some great links to organic, sulfite-free winesellers.
I have recently become sensitive to sunlight. Every time I go out my skin breaks out in a Histamine produced rash. This only came up recently after a session on the Vodka. At present a month has gone by drinking no vodka, but still the sensitivity.
Anyone else had a similar problem.
For a few years I have had difficulty drinking white wine. I get severe pains in my jaw, although it does not tend to last too long. Red wine has also started to be a problem. My husband bought sulfite free wine and it did not make a difference. Also, I am not bothered by other foods with sulfites. I am, however, allergic to sulfa drugs. This summer I had a strawberry daquiri and experienced numbness on the left side of my body, followed by the severe jaw and facial pains on the left side of my body. I think I’m done with drinking…luckily, I really don’t care that much. The only other known food allergy I have is to tarragon…just being near it brings on an asthma attack and severe nausea and vomiting. I am also allergic to dust, mold, and most things that grow.
I’m glad to find out that I’m not the only one with such issues.
I have been a red wine drinker for 30 years. White wine drinker when nothing else is available. Just the other day I drank a whole bottle of good quailty red wine with some friends. The next morning I awoke to one eye slightly swollen. Not bad mind you, but enough to notice. Last night, 4 days later, over BBQ chicken I decided to open a bottle of white (chardonnay)for a change of pace. The next morning I awoke with both eyes swollen and two fat lips. This has never happened before and wonder if my being on “Crestor” cholestral lowering medication could have any effect. In any event am looking for any knowledge on ether subject.With or without medication.
Having read through most of the postings on this site, the following observations occurred ( I have absolutely no qualifications on the subject — they just occurred!):
1) It’s amazing how little information is available on alcohol-related intolerances. Is this because there’s no economic interest in anyone researching it?
2) Red wines, champagne, chardonnay and vodka seem to be the most frequent culprits, with beer causing far fewer reactions. So what do these drinks contain that beer does not?
3) We seem to be looking at several types of allergic reactions here: some people are allergic to sulphites; some to other, often unknown, ingredients. If the wine industry would invest in some research into what these “unknown” factors are, maybe some of us could go back to drinking their products!
4) The majority of us seem to have developed our symptoms in our late 30s/40s. Could this be because we are among the first “better-off” generations who have been drinking regularly since our teens?
5) There’s a huge variety of allergic/intolerant reactions listed here — though some (rashes, stuffed noses, itchy throats) seem to crop up again and again. My own are largely anomalous. (See below).
In my case, I stopped drinking red wine around 10 years ago (early 30s) after repeatedly developing a blotchy rash on throat and chest, vomiting and feeling as if I’d been poisoned the next day. This summer, I also had to stop drinking white wine. I began to feel worse and worse (“poisoned” is the closest I can come to the feeling) after just two to three glasses of wine. Then after some over indulgence on July 4th (5-6 glasses, perhaps), the next day I felt totally numb all down my right-hand side, as if my nervous system had been affected in some way. I was so terrifed, I haven’t touched a drop of wine since. I have recently experimented with beer (just a small bottle in an evening) and so far have been totally fine. Any similar experiences out there?
I am 55 and a daily wine drinker for more years than I care to admit. Almost exclusively white wine. Recently, I have developed a case of very itchy hands/fingers and feet/toes and to a lesser extent elbows and knees. No rash. Also for a slightly longer time have suffered with a bad case of nocturnal post nasal drip. Do these symptoms sound familiar to anyone? If so, have you been diagnosed with alcohol intolerance or sulfite allergy? Your input would be appreciated.
I am thinking that most of these symptoms could
be typical of candida poisoning?
I wish I only had a stuffy nose! If I drink any kind of wine or food that contains wine or was marinated in wine, I will have nocturnal seizures!I have no explaintion why and it is only with wine. I can drink anything else I want. But I used to drink mostly just wine. Does anyone else have this problem?
Hi Guys,
after reading most of the post above they seems to be telling us what are the causes of the wine allergy, but no one seems to be advising how to relief that allergy, coz rite now at this moment my hands n feet r puffy, swollen, red, hot and itchy. any one can tell me how i can make my hands more comfy. Thanks! =)
This is so reassuring to find I`m not the only one who is suffering after Wine. For me it is White wine that is upsetting. Over the last 12 months I have begun to get migraines after drinking White Wine. I wouldn`t believe it was the wine that was making me so ill at first. My family thought I was hungover but I knew it was different and I hadn`t drunk much anyway. Now even the tiniest amount is making me really poorly. I am in my late 40`s and have for many years drunk both Red and White wine but now after a process of illimination I realise it just isn`t worth it! So I`ll have to stick to Red
HEY IM 51 HAVE NOT HAD A DRINK IN 8 YEARS FED UP NOW I CANT DRINK ANY ALOCHOL AT ALL IF I DO I HAVE TO STAY IN BED AND VOMIT FOR THE NEXT 24 HRS
WELL IM ABOUT TO TRY TO DRINK VODKA ON SATURDAY NIGHT .I HAVE BEEN TOLD THIS ALERGY COULD GO AS SOON AS IT CAME SO IM GOING TO HAVE A GO WILL LET YOU ALL KNOW LINDA
Everytime I drink red wine I get extremely painful mouth ulcers. Too bad for me. I don’t like any other wine. I am so glad though that I am not the only one. I thought I was going nuts!! I am glad it is not chocolate that causes it though.
I am sitting here now with a sore mouth. I only just realised what it was.
try a big dose of vitamin B12 (sublingula, 1000 mcg) before drinking the wine – no congestion, no headache !
I have an alergy to certain wines, not yet been able to identify the culprits though as i have only recently been aware that i had a reaction from them.
When i drink it i get pins and needles that become increasingly stringer and painful to the extent that i do not want to open my mouth till it goes away. However i found that when i drink wine whilst having my meal and ensure i finish my drink before the end of my meal, then i don’t seem to get this problem.
Ok, got a weird one for you. Any kind of wine (red, white, organic, cheap expensive) KILLS me. I get dizzy, stupid, vomit uncontrollably, horrible headache, stuffy nose, often pass out. Even if only a small amount is cooked into my food. Champagne (even the cheap stuff) doesn’t bother me, nor does any other type of alchohol). I avoid whiskey and rum, but that’s more memory association ;). Any thoughts? I am allergic to sulfa drugs, but thought those were different than sulfites…
Anytime I drink Shiraz I develop this rash on my face, arms and legs. It doesn’t seem to itch or irritate me, other the fact that it’s blotchy, red and embarrassing. Other red wines tend to make my face red, but Shiraz develops a rash. It’s strange, but I drink it anyway! 🙂
I started getting allergic reactions to both red and white wine at age 38 after many years of being a social wine drinker. Symptoms were that of a cold and respitory allergy. I have found only one kind of wine that does not have any reaction…Chianti. After being scared to drink for weeks after my last episode of feeling like I had a cold for a week, I went to an Italian restaurant and ordered Chianti (2 glasses with dinner) and no reaction. Last night, I tried to go back to a Cab/Merlot mix and had the same allergic reaction. I’m sticking to Chianti on the rare occasion I try to have a drink anymore.
Anyone know anything about the possible connection between nickel allergies and red wine? This weekend, I was out for dinner with a pharmacist & allergist and we got to talking about why I wasn’t drinking red wine. She asked me if I had ever had any reaction to metals, and I remembered that I have a bracelet that had twice made my arm go purple (it looked like I had a huge bruise from the wrist to way above the elbow). At the time, I was told it was a reaction to nickel and she said that red wine also contains a high content of nickel, and that maybe it is this which causes my adverse reaction. She told me to try a nickel-free diet for a week and see if that makes me feel any better. Eating nickel-free is next to impossible, as it excludes just about everything, but after Xmas I’ll give it a go and will post any observations. In the meantime, here’s a link to a site that says similar things to those I was told on Sat night:
http://users.bigpond.net.au/allergydietitian/fa/nickel.html
Wld love to hear from anyone else who has given/ wld like to give this a try.
NB: Weirdly, this nickel-high food list also contains beer, which gives me no adverse effects . . .
3 weeks ago, feeling perfectly fine. No hint of getting sick at all. I decided to have a glass of red wine. I woke up that morning at 3am with a sore throat. Got back to sleep and woke up a few hours later feeling absolutely terrible. Symptomatic of a bad cold. Although I can’t recall having an allergic reaction to wine or alcohol (and didn’t know about alcohol allergies), I instantly got suspicious because of the surprise attack and started doing the research. I couldn’t believe it. I’m 45 and I have a glass of wine or a beer or a glass of vodka only once in a while. It took me 4 days to get over this bout with the glass of cabernet. Fast forward 3 weeks. I’ve been feeling great. Had one beer a week ago, no problem. Last night I had a very small glass of vodka with a dash of Tia Maria. And this morning I’ve got a mild sore throat. Nothing like the red wine, but for me it’s official, I’ve developed some sort of allergy to something used in alcohol.
Please help! I am itching like crazy. I had some Merlot and Gewurtztraminer New Year’s eve (total of about 3 glasses) and 1/2 glass of some champagne from 1996. I have little raised areas the size of the head of a pin in various areas all over my body (except not the face). I’ve also been eating a lot of Hickory Farms cheese (highly processed) over the past couple of days. After reading through all of this I’m becoming convinced that this is due to the wine and cheese. I’m taking max doses of Benadryl and it’s not helping at all. ANY IDEAS on how to clear this out of my system? Thanks!!!!!!
Yeah, wine does me in too! But no sniffing or sneezing….a few sips and I black out….just dizzy, then down…no warning. I’ve tried a few times….I guess I’m a slow learner. Rye/wiskey is another killer…in fact most alcohols will do me in. The only thing I’ve discovered that doesn’t put me out for the night is tequila…wierd,eh? (I had to throw that in, I’m Canadian)
P.S. To Mike who posted June 7/04…A bottle a day man?…I don’t think allergies are your problem!
Had 2 glasses of White Merlot last night and somewhere between the 1st and 2nd glass I developed a sore throat. I’ve remembered this in the past but always thought it was because I drank too much. It happened so suddenly…sore throat and stuffy nose. I thought I was coming down with the flu or something. I see that I am not alone.
After giving birth to my second baby I have started having a reaction to alcohol. I used to love beer (any malt beverage for that matter) but now my eyes start to itch and puff up. It looks like I have excema around my eyes. Wine also makes me itch. Will I ever be able to drink socially or have a beer or glass of wine again?
I have started having heart palpitations every time I drink even half a glass of cheap white wine. No more wine for me! very scary!
I have no known food alergies, but if I drink a
glass of wine late at night, I will not be able
to go to sleep. Does anyone else have a problem
with insomnia after drinking wine?
Over the past 5-6 years during the months of August to March the upper parts of my arms have an intense itch that drives me crazy. I have tried going to the doctor who told me it was dry skin. I went to the derm. who told me the same thing. Gave me creams that cost me an arm and an leg, but didn’t work.
The other day my husband asked me if I wanted a glass of wine with dinner (we drink Sutter Home Zinfidel or Beringers) but we didn’t have any. I had forgotten to go to the state-store and kept putting it off to another day. Then it dawned on me that my arms stopped itching. I havn’t had a drink of wine in over a month. I am going to buy a small bottle of wine and have a drink to see if the intense itching on my arms return. I will let you know. And yes the only way to stop the itch is with an anti-histomine.
I am so glad I found this site! I am a daily beer drinker and had the bright idea to give up beer for Lent.
I’ve had chardonnay instead every night since last Wednesday (today is Monday) and since Thursday morning thought I was coming down with the flu. Sore throat, stuffy head, sinus headache exhausted, achy all over, feel feverish etc. Not to mention a few glasses and I black out – not good!
To heck with Lent, I’m going back to beer which causes me no problems at all! I hope this horrible flu-like feeling passes quickly, as it’s pretty unbearable. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences!
I have an allergy to sulphites/sulphur which presents as eczema on the palms of my hands and soles of my feet. After two years of intense pain and embarrassement the cause was diagnosed by a Naturopath after spending a small fortune on both conventional and alternative therapies. The problem is the sulphites that one ingests unintentionally. It isn’t always clear that sulphur/sulphites are present in foods/drinks. Is there an antidote that one can take to alleviate or neutralise the sulphites/sulphur. Help please
I have an allergy to sulphites/sulphur which presents as eczema on the palms of my hands and soles of my feet. After two years of intense pain the cause was diagnosed by a Naturopath after spending a small fortune on both conventional and alternative therapies. The problem is the sulphites that one ingests unintentionally. It isn’t always clear that sulphur/sulphites are present in foods/drinks. Is there an antidote that one can take to alleviate or neutralise the sulphites/sulphur. Help please
Hi Melissa, regarding your comment on March 2004: I also get a reaction to my eyes after drinking wine. Only half hour or so after drinking a small glass of red wine, my eyes start to get itchy, this itchiness, which is really intense!, stays for several days and my eyes are all red. Sometimes, I get a small rash underneath and above my eyelids – and when I do- this leads to my eyelids swelling up the day after- and it takes about a week to get back to normal. Anja
Has anyone ever had heart attack symptoms after drinking wine or beer? I have done a process of elimination and after only two glasses of either, 3 hours later I now have a “heart episode” that has scared me enough to abstain completely. I loved my red wine and mourn not being able to imbibe. Fortunately, drinking alcohol is an elective…
This has just developed over the past six months or so – I have no other allergies that I am aware of. I am now 50 years old.
i went to a party and this guy that i knew had never drunk tequila rose. we started playin an alcholic game and we took a bunch of shots of tequila rose. he started to get really tired and once he had layed down and started to drink water, i noticed that he was gettin an allergic reaction. he started to form a rash on his arms, neck, and face. it started to scare me and the only thing that it could have been was the tequila rose. he had never drunk it before and it was the only thing that he had never done. that was the cause.
I get a severe allergic reaction to some red wines. It begins with sneezing and nausea and can develop into severe vomiting and weakness which can last hours. I think there’s some link with oak-aged wines. Does anyone know what’s in oak-aged wines that isn’t in other reds?
I can not believe I found this site, and more so, the information I have found here. I have had the worst experiences over the past 6 mos. or so, and I can come to the conclusion it has been from wine! I love my wine, but all of a sudden, since last year, when I drink wine, I have the worst reactions! After drinking wine, after about a day, I wake up with red, swollen lips, fever blisters outlining my entire mouth that turn into like liasions that get infected, a swollen face, I look like the Joker… it is so terrible, painful, and embarrassing. My eyes swell, I feel sick, I get anxiety, I itch all over my entire body so bad, and I just feel like I have been poisoned. I didn’t know what was happening at first, or why it was happening, but now I see it happens a day or so after I drink wine! And it doesn’t matter if it’s red or white, but the white seems to be worse. It takes about 4 or 5 days or so to get back to normal after an episode like this. I also noticed that my arms and hands get numb sometimes too. It also affects my mental state in those days of recooperation, like I have high anxiety, a hard time breathing, a hard time thinking, it’s just awful. I am so glad I at least found a site where other people were experiencing similar things and that I wasn’t the only one!
Wow, lots of reactions out there, but none quite like mine actually. I’m almost 51, and have learned to enjoy red wine, especially cabs. I’ve actually taken to drinking one or two glasses a night, just because I love the taste. But lately, I started getting headaches, they seemed like sinus headaches; at least that is what I put it down to. Couldn’t be the wine! I only had a couple of glasses throughout the evening! Then one night I awoke in the wee hours (around 4) with an almost migrane like headache…so bad I had to get up, but in complete denial I try to drink coffee..only to vomit, then the ‘almost’ diahrea that lasted all morning. I felt beat up, stiff and sore. Thought I had the flu, in fact I was convinced. Time goes on, it happens again. Shoot, the ‘flu’ again!?! This past weekend, 4 glasses of great Italian wine and BAM!!!! Up at 4:30 with the worst headache, nausea; vomiting 3 hours later with the ‘almost’ diahrea. I can hardly walk I’m so achey and stiff. Vomiting last almost all day. Next day I’m still headachy and nauseas…I hate to think I can never drink red wine again!!! My dream vacation is to tour Tuscany and drink wine…..Anyone else react like this?
After having my second child I can no longer drink wine. I get extremely flushed cheeks and ears. I feel fine but everyone around me panicks and keeps asking “are you ok, you look sunburned” My only other allergen also developed after my children is clams. A different reaction, I get very ill with vomitting and diarrhea almost immediately. I am trying to find a connection between the 2. After celebration our anniversary last week I was drinking a blue martini and had a shot of tequilla and was burning hot in my face for about 30 minutes and then it subsided. Don’t know if it was the tequilla or martini?? Any one have any similar experiences?
Hiya – can’t believe I’ve found this site and other people who suspect they are allergic to wine! I thought it was only me. I’m 23 and have been a regular wine drinker since I was 18 (I’m from the UK, it’s legal here!). Recently, during a night out, if I drink white wine, I develop a non-itchy deep red rash all over my legs – especially around my ankles and the back of my knees. I’ve been really worried that it was something really serious, though I haven’t had the horrible respiratory reaction that a lot of you describe. I am absolutely gutted because I’m a food journalist and love wine! Has anyone else had the same reaction as me? Is there anything we can do apart from avoid white wine?
After my last post on 2-11-05 I went without any wine until this past holiday weekend. My husband bought me a Mike’s Hard Lemonade and without thinking I drank it. Within 20 minutes my daughter told me “Mommy stop itching”, then it dawned on me (Alcohol). I itched for hours even after taking a Benedryl. My arms are once again with bloody scratch marks. NEVER AGAIN!!!!will I drink alcohol of any kind. Yes, I will miss having a drink now and again but it just isn’t worth the agony it puts me through.
Also, I noticed a slight itch on my arms and my lips felt tingly after eating an apple. What’s up with this???
Good luck everyone!
It is helpful to me to hear that there are other who suffer from the same traumas! This is my experience – when I turned 25 I developed an “allergy” to alcohol which has seen me abstain for almost 5 years now. Lately I have been experimenting with drinking again.
My reaction consists of Severe headaches, nausea and vomiting which lasts for a disproportionately long time. This past weekend I had two glasses of white wine and was ill for 48 hours.
My recent experiments have shown that the volume needed to produce these symptoms varies – some wines I can drink 2 glasses with no ill effects (I am still cautious in my experimentation- being sick is not very nice…) – some wines I cannot drink any amount at all. I have not tried other alcohols again. When I spoke to my family about this reaction I was told of a cousin who has a severe allergy to various alcoholic beverages which contain a certain sugar which is used in the preservative process. This sugar is apparently more commonly used in cheaper alcoholic drinks to bring the alcoholic content higher without lengthening the fermentation process. I have not been able to find any information on this sugar substance and what I have is from word of mouth so if anyone has heard of such a thing please tell me! I do not react to anything else food or drink wise. Good luck everyone.
I can’t believe there are more people like me out there. I’ve been having a problem with a rash around my eyes – off and on for the last year or so. I thought it was my make-up, eye shadow – or something like that. And, I’ve been getting achey joints at odd times – and thought I might have “over-exercised” or just the aches and pains of “getting older” – I just turned 60. And, most mornings after I’ve had a glass or 2 of red wine I wake up with a splitting headache – unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before. I never connected the three symptoms. Last week my eye rash was REALLY REALLY BAD and I stayed home for 2 days and took Benadryl all weekend to try and clear up the rash…..it helped pretty much. I didn’t drink for a few days while I was taking the meds. My eyes were almost completely cleared up and last night I had a glass of red wine. This morning my rash has gotten worse – and I started suspecting that it might be the red wine – and I went searching on the web and found this site. I am so relieved to possibly know the reason – and now will have to experiment to see exactly what I am allergic to.
Wow! This is very informative. I had 2 glasses of Chianti last night and woke up with swollen, red and itchy eyes. I look like a bug. And the best part is, that in a few days I’m going to have that icky flaking skin around my eyes again! Same thing happened Tuesday, after one glass of Ruffino with dinner Monday. This has been going on for a few months, but I think I narrowed it down to the red wine. I get the same symtoms as Erin (1/9/05), Anja (2/23/05), Katya (Apr/04), and Melissa (3/1/04).
I’m going to keep a diary of what wine I drink and what happens the next day. Boy, I’m gonna hate giving up my red wine……
I had 3 glasses of wine the other night and was COMPLETELY out of control! I’ve been drinking red wine for many years now and 3 glasses is not really a lot for me. I don’t remember a huge portion of the evening and threw up until 3pm the next day. Today I have a rash all over my neck. I felt like someone slipped something in my drink (i was at my home, so of course this isn’t the case). Has anyone ever felt like this from just a few glasses of red wine?
It was really wonderful to visit this site where i found many of other person suffering with same problem as i am i.e.SULPHITE ALLERGY.This is also the cause of my kidney failure,well iam now a transplant patient still searching what to eat and what not .I would really feel glad if i get answer to my question
I have noticed from further experiments since my last posting (March 28 2005) that it seems to be ALL alcohol! Noooo! Think I may have something similar to Rachel (March 30 2005) with the sugar thing. I tried drinking only vodka on Saturday night and came out in loads of blood-red spots again (it was cheap stuff). It seems to fit that when I drink red wine with my boyfriend (who likes to think he’s a bit of a connoisseur) it doesn’t seem to give me any adverse effects, perhaps because he always spends a lot more on wine than I do! Good luck with your experiments everybody.
I too, have been plagued by this wine allergy. I have enjoyed drinking wine for many years now. Sorry, Absolute was not an option for me. After suffering for many months, I was advised to try a Colon Cleanser treatment. And, after 6 wks of one capsule a day, I can now drink wine again. The buildup of toxins over the years finally caught up with me. I do not sell colon cleanser so don’t ask me for a name brand. Just thought all you like-sufferers would like to know the cure for this plague. It makes sense, and works.