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?
2 correct it was 100 ml of soda whisky…….and i am 22 years old
I suffer with a problem called chemosis. Swelling of the white of the eye. It seemd worse after having champagne. Has anyone else had a problem with this.
I too have an allergy to red wine. I get a rash on my back, feet. arms or ears start burning. Sometimes it happens within minutes, other times a few hours later and it may be triggered by other foods: chocolate, smoked salmon, cheese, nuts, but always on the days I drink red wine, so I think it is the main culprit. I think it’s probably the histamines in wine that can add up to other histamine rich foods.
Well I’m a big white wine drinker and suffer from Chronic Sinusits … I think I’ve just discovered why my doctors could not!
wines have histimines in them that is what causes “allegies” ie stuffiness etc. a very small amount of the human population has any problems with sulfites…it is just a marketing ploy. there are some wines that have “no sulfites added” but since they are naturally occuring in the wine, try the wines with “no sulfites detected” they have the sulfites removed though a process that strips the wine of all goodness and flavour.
Hearing of health benefits of red wine, a number of years ago I would have a glass of red wine each evening. However, this caused my my face and cheeks to become extremely red. Therefore, I stopped drinking wine and the redness went away. Recently, I purchased a bottle of Resvinatrol Complete, “The Red Wine Alternative” for touted health benefits–antioxidants for cardiovascular health, immune system support, etc. Same symptoms have appeared although there is absolutely no alcohol & no mention of sulfites. Perhaps its the resveratrol, quercetin, ellagic acid or who knows what else. Has anybody else had a similar reaction to this product?
sulphites do not give me a rash but they do give me mouth sores…like cold sores and often burns the skin off of my mouth. The worst effect though is the muscle spasms I get from it. A weak point like an injured back becomes the focal point for the attach. The nerves get inflamed and the muscles contract so hard they go into total seizure. This seizure can last for 6-8 weeks in a bad attach. I mean I am in so much pain it is unbelievable. Pepto bismal soothes the intestine and gives some relief, so take it if you anticipate sulphite ingestion. As far as an antidote I know of none. By the way frozen peas and beans (although sulphite is not on the package) instantly makes my mouth and teeth sensitive, a good test for what is to come. If you notice any tingling or burning on a food ingestion…stop eating it and grab a couple of big glugs of Pepto. Swish it around in your mouth to stop that activity first, then swallow. Hope this helps on our quest for an antidote. Jeff
I get the same reactions as described above. I’ve been trying to figure out which ingredients make me sick.
I read that sulfites are found in dried fruits, esp. dried apricots, so if you are allergic to sulfites, you should be allergic to dried apricots. (I am not)
However, I get sick when I drink beer, sake, eat soy sauce, so I believe my problem is with brewer’s yeast. I have no problem with cooked wine, breads, distilled alcohol, so I think it’s just with active yeast.
I’d be interested to see if others have made similar connections. I think it’s important to know which ingredient is the culprit, so that it can be avoided in other products.
My feet have been itching sporadically for months. It happens at night, so I can’t sleep because my feet itch so much.
I have finally drawn the conclusion, after tracking which days I get itchy feet and listing what I have eaten/drunken that day, that it’s highly correlated with drinking red wine. Haven’t noticed yet with white wine, or drinking red wine without sulfites. Probably the sulfites.
At my age of 53 I am finding that I have flu like symptons after drinking wine for sometimes a week after. I love red wine but notice that the day after I am achey and get chills. I have no energy and want to sleep. This doesn’t go away for some time. I have been checked for lupus, diabetes, mono, and all the test come back normal. Now I realize that drinking wine is causing my illness.
I am glad that I found out what is making me feel so awful, but disappointed that I can’t drink wine anymore.
i had also allergic reactions to alcohol. I drink for about 2-3 glasses of absolut vodka friday evening. The next day 4am i was really chilling.. got high fever and my blood pressure turns from 87/60…around 7 am i had lbm and i puked. The next day, i got red patches on my skin. its very itchy. I took anti-histamines but it did not help subside the itchiness… another day has passed i woke up 3am, i got severe allergic reactions.. i went to the doctor and she gave me oatmeal soap a T-Lotion and then 1 tablet of aerius in the morning and 1 zyrtec in the evening… i’m really hopeless… the next day i woke up 2am i’m still having the allergies all over my body its too extreme i felt like my skins are burning due to scratches. I had myself a blood test (cbc) to check if there are infections all over my body…and i’ll see the results later. I’m a bit scared… bec. i couldn’t sleep well bec. of these reactions on my body…
I went to a party the other night and drank one half glass of red wine. The next day I had a sore throat but no fever. I have continued to have the problem with drainage for 4 days now. I have had problems with a stuffed nose about 15 minutes after drinking red wine in the past but this did not happen the night I drank the glass that made me so sick. I was glad to see that I am not crazy for telling people that red wine made me sick. I had childhood asthma also. The first time I had red wine my face flushed and I felt extremely hot. Everyone please be careful if you have any concerns regarding red wine. I have read that it can actually be fatal or lead to asthma attacks.
Here is somemore information that I found online that may help… http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=83264
“Wine Allergy? Insects May Be to Blame
Some Wine Allergies Stem From Insect Chemicals, Doctors Report”
Aug. 15, 2007 — Some allergic reactions to wine stem from insect chemicals, new research shows.
In tomorrow’s edition of The New England Journal of Medicine, doctors in Spain describe the cases of five patients who had allergic symptoms after drinking grape juice or newly pressed red or white wines.
One of those patients had anaphylaxis — a sudden, severe allergic reaction. Another patient experienced asthma symptoms. The three other patients had allergic reactions in their mouths and flushed faces.
The doctors, who included Alicia Armentia, MD, PhD, of the Hospital Rio Hortega in Valladolid, Spain, gave the patients various allergy tests, including skin tests.
The skin tests showed that the patients were allergic to Hymenoptera, which is the order of animals that includes ants, bees, and wasps.
Chemicals from Hymenoptera insects may be present in some wines, according to the doctors, who also found that none of the patients was allergic to aged wines.
The doctors aren’t implying that all new wines or grape juices contain the insect chemicals, or that no aged wines trigger allergic reactions, or that all wine allergies are due to insect chemicals.
The Spanish report only focuses on a few patients; it’s not a thorough primer on wine allergies.
If you have a wine allergy, talk to your doctor about what types of wines — if any — you might be able to drink.
SOURCES: Armentia, A. The New England Journal of Medicine, Aug. 16, 2007; vol 357: pp 719-720. U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Systemic Entomology Laboratory.”
I too have very odd allergy-like symptoms. I just got a rash on my face which feels uncomfortable after literally drinking a couple of sips of Côtes du Rhône 2005 Château de Panéry La Marquise.
Usually I find I get reactions only from cheaper wines and the more expensive French wines don’t give me the reaction – I also avoid Spanish wines as they seem to cause problems too.
Quite depressing as I love red wines. But obviously I am concerned that the allergy might get worse…
After reading through the website.. I think I might actually be allergic to Syrah (sometimes called Shiraz)….
I have what seems to be an intolerance to red wine and white wine. As soon as I take a sip of wine I get an instant pain in my head/headache type feeling and my face feels extremely flushed and goes very red. Now and again I also get an achy feeling in my neck (sort of like my head is really droopy and might fall off!). I only have to drink one glass or less and I already feel quite disorientated and tipsy.
Falling asleep is also a major problem for me after consuming a glass or two (mainly red wine), I really have to fight to stay awake, but invariably I fall asleep anyway.
I’ve never been a big drinker and have always thought that because of my symptoms I get from alcohol that I can’t handle alot, but maybe its the fact that I get these symptoms that my body is trying to tell me that wine doesn’t agree with me. I’ve just assumed that for many years that I’m just a lightweight when it comes to alcohol so because of this I don’t drink alot anyway.
I am 31 years old and from what I can remember I’ve always had this when drinking wine, although up until a few years ago I barely drank it as I used to drink beer. I don’t drink beer now though as I have an intolerance to barley and corn, so have really only been drinking wine regularly for the past 3 years.
I don’t know whether its cheap or expensive wines that affect me more, all wine seems to have the same effect on me, and as I’ve only just found this website I didn’t realise so many people have problems similar to mine.
I do get diarrhoea quite often and i sometimes itch on my arms, back, legs etc. I also get bad stomach and back pain on the left side of my body however I don’t think this is related to wine as I have many food intolerances.
I am going to try and investigate the wine drinking further and see if I can come to any conclusions myself as to what is causing these symptoms.
I am of of asian and italian descent. For me it is the yeast and/or wheat. I figured this out years ago when I would drink White Zinfandel and my face would turn red. Eventually if I drank back to back weekends I would look like a hot mess. I would develop red welps on my face. I wouild have to take benedryl and use benedryl creme and it would take weeks for my skin to be normal. That was in my 20’s when I was going out a lot and drinking socially. I get red and flushed with beer as well. Wine is the worst for me. I don’t drink at all and haven’t for a long time. It just isn’t worth it anymore. I have rosacea now.
http://www.drinkingandyou.com/site/us/health/allergy.htm
interesting read
Many consumers think that the main cause of an adverse reaction to wine is due to sulphur dioxide, which is an antioxidant and preservative. Unless an individual has a similar reaction when eating dried fruits, such as dried apricots, this is unlikely as the concentration of sulphur dioxide will be much higher in the dried fruits than in the wine.
Histamine is commonly believed to be a main cause of an adverse reaction to wine, possibly due to its relatively high concentration in certain wines, although many foods such as egg plants, tomatoes and fish contain a significantly higher concentration than does wine. Conversely, certain substances in wine may induce the release of histamine from mast cells or certain individuals may have a reduced activity and/or amount of one of the enzymes that break down histamine in the intestine. Histamine-related symptoms are similar to those observed with immunologically-mediated food allergy.
A recent study has assessed adverse reactions to histamine in wine in 16 individuals, which were intolerant to wine. No correlation was observed between the concentration of histamine in wine and an adverse reaction. However, the consumption of wines, which had a low concentration of histamine increased the blood concentration of histamine in these individuals by 10 minutes post-consumption, which suggests that there may be histamine-releasing chemicals in wine.
Two years ago on Christmas night I developed a rash, itching, swelling, diareah and trouble breathing. Ended up in the ER. I could not pinpoint what I was alergic to. Even going to the allergist did not help. He have me steriod, anti-histamine and an inhaler in case it ever happened again. The very next Christmas I took a sip of our very special wine which we only drink at Christmas – Sterling Vineyards – and within minutes I started swelling up and was having trouble breathing. I realized immediately it was the Sterling Cab the previuos Christmas that caused my allergy. A couple of shots of inhaler and the drugs, and I was fine. It has since happened with Toasted Head Merlot and a Rodney Strong Cab. Big bummer – as wine is part of dinner!! I now have to be very careful at parties and resturants and carry my drugs with me at all times. I am curious as to what these wines all have in common. My allergist said the red dye can also cause allergies and wineries are all competing for the special color, that there all sorts of additives for color. Had anyone else had a reaction with these wineries?
As I sit here, the upper outer sides of my nose and upper cheeks burn, my stomach feels ‘acid-y’, my feet feel a tingling, burning sensation, possibly a slight swelling.
Not exactly the same as anyone else – we are all having slightly different responses – no body is exactly the same, not has the same responses
I had just drunk a small glass of white wine…
Just before I wrote this message, I read or scanned the previous 269 messages, mostly from people who had had uncomfortable reastions to wine. I noted two observations:
1. we have the illusion that the body/our body is a fixed thing, and seem perplexed when it has a different reaction to what we expect/want. Rather, might it not be in a constant state of flux and change, just like the planet? Perhaps if we ‘listened’ to it more, we might be able to read or anticipate if our system can take it – the drinking of alcohol, or not, that day.
I know this to be true of myself. Sometimes it’s no problem to drink alcohol, sometimes I will have a massive reaction, up to migraine. But not always. I think this is due to many factors, what else I’ve been eating/drinking. How much stress/relaxation/exercise has been going on. How much we are actually in tune with this magnificent intelligent body of ours…? And how bizarre it is that we are surprised when our individual body does not respond in the same way as another… we don’t all look the same (thank goodness – for our individuality!), neither is our internal make-up similar.
I also get reactions from tea and coffee (tannin?)…but not always. Sometimes I can tell it’s not a day to drink them. When I chose to ignore this, I suffer the consequences. Other times I know I will have no reation.
2. my second observation is …why on earth do we persist in drinking something which many feel causes us to feel poisoned?? The body is telling us not to drink it – for a clear reason? Just how many clear messages do we need?
I’m off now to drink LOADS of water, and cool down my burnng face. I don’t want to wake up, again, in the middle of the night dehydrated or with a thumping headache.
May our body wisdom reach all our brains sooner than the next round of damage we ignorantly do to ourselves…
Peace and well-being to all!
Sarah O
I am giving up reds completely after serious stomach problems. I have no trouble with whites, or with other liquor. No cold or allergy type problems, though, just a really, really bad upset stomach. After only one glass!
Try getting IgG Antibody tested for Brewer’s/Baker’s Yeast – usally as part of a food allergy panel. Most complementary practitioners will have the knowledge to order this. Yeast is in all alchol to various degrees but especially in wine and beer. Beware of blaming everything on sulfites, although this may well be the case in many people. I am allergic to yeast and cannot tolerate any alcoholic beverages – even vodka which has a very low yeast content. Symptoms – migraine initially, then 2-3 days of severe fatigue. Now relying on hot tub for relaxation and caffeinated drinks if I need a pick up!
Keep your fingers crossed for me. I may have found the cause to the allergic reactions I have experienced to alcohol over the last 1 1/2 years (since having nasal surgery). After my surgery, my doctor put me on Nasonex. Since that time, I started experiencing extreme stuffiness, nasal discharge and other allergy type symptoms an hour after having only one glass of wine. Initially, it was just wine, then over time I started having the symptoms with beer and vodka too. And the symptoms worsened over time and was socially embarassing. Taking an antihistamine would help, but still produced symptoms and wasn’t a cure. Even though my doctor said it probably wasn’t the cause of the problem, I decided to get off the Nasonex at the beginning of the year. I knew it would take awhile to get the Nasonex out of my system, so I kept taking an antihistamine prior to drinking. Finally, two months after getting off the Nasonex, I was out with some friends at dinner and was able to drink two glasses of wine without symptoms. I still had stuffiness, but not NEARLY as bad as in the past (in the past it made me sound like I had a cold it was so bad). I kept experimenting, and for the last month I’ve been able to drink (wine, beer, vodka) without problems. AND, as a bonus, I’ve regained my sense of smell. Since my nasal surgery, my sense of smell would come and go (mostly gone). Now, I can smell all the time — which is so great. In addition to getting off the Nasonex, I also came down with a bad cold/sinus infection in Feb., and took an antibiotic and a week’s course of a steroid. So, I’m wondering if the Nasonex was causing a fungal infection which triggered my allergic reactions to alcohol and my loss of smell (although I was supposedly tested for that about 9 months ago and it came back normal). I also had other symptoms when not drinking, but drinking would bring on a fast reaction. Whatever the cause, it’s been so nice to have a glass of wine or beer with friends and not have to worry about it. I still experience an increased amount of post nasal drip when drinking, but it’s not that bad and drinking water while drinking alcohol helps. Anyway, I’ll keep the board posted on my progress, but thought others may benefit from thinking about the medications they are on, in addition to what ingredients in alcohol may be triggering your allergic reactions. I’m hopeful this has helped to identify mine. Anyone with a similar experience?
I have drunk copious amounts of red wine for many years (I am 69) and never noticed any problems until recently. I attended a party and a guest brought some “30 Year old†wine. Of course I was suspicious of the fradulent claim on the label, but I tried it anyway. Very smooth and dry, good! The next morning, I awoke with eyes crusted over, and other severe signals of distress. I was normal 36 hours later, after using a lot of eyewashs. Then I drank a glass of my inexpensive house wine, and for the first time – itchy eyes the next morning. I drank no wine for three days, and I am now Okay. My internet check showed adding sulfites to improve taste is the culprit. Sulphites in low amounts are always in wine, a natural coponent of grapes. The massive dose from the “30 year†wine nearly made me allergic, and did cause a severe allergic reaction. Beware of good tasting cheapo red!
Thanks for your all your observations, advice, and comments. As a rare wine drinker, now in his mid 30s just starting to sample a little more red wine – i seem to have developed an allergic reaction in which the crescent between my thumb and index finger on my right hand only – turns bright red and itches like crazy. Seems to be the only symptom. We’ve tried organic wines, sulfite free, etc., seems to vary a bit with such experimentation, but no definitive solution and still inexplicable symptoms.
I’ll keep searching….
best,
Nick
I have slowly developed an allergy to wine over many years. Over the last couple of years it has become worse. I have become careful to tell the waiter at all Italian restaurants about it. Pizza from a favorite restauant, spaghetti in a local restaurant with no liquor license, even salad dressing surprised me by having wine in them.
2 weeks ago there was sherry in French Onion Soup.
After 2 spoonfuls my lips & mouth began to tingle, then my throat began to close. I ran to the drug store to get Benadryl pills and also found children’s liquid. I had to lean back to breathe. On to the emergency room when they took too long to work. Doc gave me steroids. I was itchy all over my body. Better by the next morning.
Now I carry Benadryl pills in my purse. May have to carry a shot next time. Chiropractor told me that I could also have held the children’s liquid in my mouth for a few minutes to cut down the swelling.
Don’t mess with this, everybody. Don’t try “just a little” to see how you react the next time. Each episode sensitizes you even more. If you wonder if there is wine in it, tell the waiter.
I have had no problems drinking in the past and I’ve done my fair share. Last night I was celebrating my anniversary with a glass of red wine, a brand which I’ve have many times before. I started coughing really badly and wheezing a lot. Today I still feel a little wheezy but better. I was happy to find this site and realize that I was probably suffering from an allergic reaction.
I am allergic to sulphur based antibiotics so it makes since that I would be allergic to the sulphur in wine but it never bothered me before. Maybe it is like some people here seem to be saying, that it builds up. I am 39. I have had some problems with an annoying cough and asthma like symptoms for the past 7 months. I’ve never had asthma before this and now I am hoping that it may just be some new allergy that I can control.
i’m 38 and have enjoyed red wine for many years and still can drink 2 glasses twice a week without any reaction.yet every so often i get a hideous reaction-violent headache,vomiting the following day that goes on so long that there is nothing left in me to reject,joint pain and now 48 hours later still nauseous(though i can eat bland food),headache and still joint pain.i cannot pin point which wines will cause this as it seems to strike me randomly.i realise that i should give it up completely but most of the time i am okay.i do not get any sinus or breathing problems mentioned here alot and am not allergic to anything else that i know of.it has been very interesting reading other peoples experiences as until this recent ‘ordeal’,i hadn’t thought to research it
I am glad that I am not the only one suffering from this reaction to wine. I think my problem stems from having IBS 20 years ago, since that time I have had an assortment of reactions to wheat and have had a lot of unexplained stomach problems. The wine thing started about 3 years ago after 2 glasses of Cava which made me ill for 2 days. Then at a leaving do I had 1 glass of very good wine and was ill again so since then I have avoided wine at all costs. Unfortunately last weekend I ate a strawberry dessert and halfway through eating it someone said it had wine in it. Very awkward I was a guest at someones house and could not start fussing and moaning so finished the thing off hoping against hope that it would not affect me. That night I had awful stomach ache and in the morning flu like symptoms and very itchy eyes which were so red my husband said I looked like a vampire. I still feel rough 3 days later and cannot go to work today. I am really pissed off about this but realise as so many people suffer there must be something really nasty in wine and offend or please I will always ask what is in desserts or anything else before I eat them.
whenever my husband drinks red wines, his breath is horrible and his body develops a real bad odor. Does that sound like he is allergic to the red wine…would white wine be better. Made him stop drinking the red wine for a week now….he’s on beer only. No horrible odor from his body and breath is much better. Anyone else have these symptoms?
I’m 35, have been a moderate drinker for many years – never had a problem, enjoyed drinking wine, beer, mixed drinks, etc. Last year I suffered from an extended bout of severe fatigue and body aches, actually it lasted about a year. It was never diagnosed, and went away a few months ago. I started noticing that drinking made my symptoms worse so I started experimenting and found that indeed, even the slightest sip of alcohol, even trace amounts of rum in a huge pot of eggnog shared with seven other people, gave me severe body aches that lasted for hours. I have had this reaction to “non-alcoholic” beer, which is not actually completely free of alcohol. The symptoms usually begin about half an hour after the first sip and intensify over the course of the next hours. Sometimes they don’t crop up until the next day, which is usually worse because they last all day. I don’t drink anymore, which is sad and I hope that someday I’ll be able to again. The other day I had a few sips of vodka and while I didn’t have the body aches, my head felt foggy and I just didn’t feel good (or get a pleasant buzz).
I am sure that due to the large number of comments listed that many of you suffer from a mold allergy. You have probably only had brief contact with the air born type and thought it was just a mild sinus issue or a mild panic attack if your breathing was affected. If you are allergic to mold you will have a reaction to cultured foods.You may think you are lactose intolerant, but try this. With a lactose pill eat ice cream. No problem. Now with a lactose pill eat Parmesian cheese. Problem? The cheese is cultured it contains mold that more and more Americans are becoming allergic to. The ice cream is not cultured and contains no mold. Other foods: Vinegar, Beer (yeast) Tomatoes (I don’t know why)Rice (again). Aged meats(Taylor Ham). If you suffer from from deep muscle aches and fatigue see an allergist.Its so painless. Don’t let allergies rob you of being who you know you could be if you felt better.
Wow I can’t believe all these different reactions and sensitivities to wine!
I do not drink alcohol but my husband likes red wine. He gets a scaly red rash all around his “T-zone” on his face. (Forehead, nose and around his mouth)
He had one glass of his dad’s homemade red last night and this morning got up with a major face rash again.
Funny thing…his dad’s wine is made without all the chemicals, so there’s a compound or ingredient in the wine that’s setting his allergy off…(not sulphur?)
Well I love to enjoy a nice glass of wine red or white, but recently I will drink a glass, that I may have been enjoying for the last couple of days, and just one day I get an allergic reaction. My eyes swell up so that they are slits, my throat gets very tight and I wheez most of the night. I also get itchy skin on my face and 3 or 4 random hives on my body. i take benadryl and advil for the swelling but the reactions stay with me for a day or two. I have no allergies to any other foods and never eat seafood if I am drinking wine, (just to be on the saef side) I’m really confused beacause I can drink wine one night and be fine and the next night I get a reaction. I also get reactions with vodka and Champagne, but dark liquors are no problem. Any help would be appreciated.
Boy am I glad I’m not the only person here that suffers when I drink red wine (or champaigne). With just 1/2 a glass of the stuff, I get a terrible terrible headache. Its like John Bonham and Keith Moon are playing drums in my head. First noticed the problem about 20 years ago (thankfully after university), with tinned beer. Then red wine, and now all beers (ok more than 3 glasses). No problems with micro-brewed beer or vodka, whiskey, etc etc.
I have been getting red itchi bumps all over my body, kinda like mosquito bites but they are from one inch to 5 inches long.
I only drink chardonnay and they are over $25.oo us dollars a bottle.
I will try other types and see if it helps.
darn.
I’m a regular, joyful consumer of moderate to well regarded California reds and have never had any problems enjoying wines within my means (up to 4 evening glasses or ~1 btl. if we start in the afternoon and progress w/ moderation through the evening). Earlier this week a friend and I shared a moderately-cheap btl. from France resulting in a stomach pain I’ve never experienced before, accompanied by pronounced fever-like symptoms. In all seriousness, when my stomach woke me in the middle of the night, I thought I might die–and i really didn’t know what hit me. Figured something i’d eaten during the day might have been poison! I considered consuming the activated carbon in my brita, then calling for a ride to the hospital. Instead, in a righteous shake and sweat, my stomach twisting me over the laptop, i queried everything i’d consumed that day, appended w/ ‘stomach pain’, and eventually came to realize that our cheap french was most likely responsible. I thought I might die. I drank my weight in water, ate an organic food bar, propped my feet on a pillow, found the position that felt most comfortable and laid myself to rest. Thanks for all your posts–saved me a hospital run.
Thanks for all the above contributions – found this site after trying to see if there’s any link between drinking red wine in the evening and having a crushing headache and feeling lethargic the next morning. It seems likely that they are linked – but will have to watch what I eat and drink from now on to be sure.
I am currently 43 years old. In my early drinking days I used to get flushed and blotchy on my face and neck from drinking. As the years went by I was diagnosed with rosacea. In April of 08 I was given Celebrex to treat tendonitis. After a single dose, within 6 hours my face turned red, and I began to have terrible itching on my face, neck, hands and upper extremities. My throat and tongue swelled up and I ended up in the hospital where I was given prednizone and benadryl IM (which made me completely INSANE…beware prednizone can give you what is called steroid psychosis). I now know that Celebrex is a sulfa drug, and I am allergic to sulfa drugs. My doctor suggested I probably am allergic to wine. I do believe that toxins can build up in your body as you age, so I might try some kind of detox program. I still have a rash that comes and goes, and my skin is still a mess. Probably because it made my rosacea go haywire. I am going to try taking a benadryl before I have wine tonight, and see if it helps. If not, I am going to go off it for a few weeks. Thanks to everyone here for their information and insight.
I’ve had 2 anaphylaxic attacks (life threatening allergy attack) after drinking wine. Some people have described part of what I went through. If you think you have an allergy to wine then immidiately take Benedryl (anti-histimine) at the first sign of the allergy. I ended up at the ER wheezing, palms of my hands itching/red/swollen, skin turning red, nausea and fainting. Don’t take the risk with an ingested allergen, take Benadryl (or 2) right away.
I recently started having bouts with itchy red, swollen eyelids and skin around the eyes. I thought perhaps it was my makeup, or a lotion I was using, or my shampoo, so have been eliminating those things. I also read a blog abotu this that reccommended using Nizorol shampoo as the symptom could be related to a fungal infection of the scalp. I did have some improvement but not complete cure. Then dissapointinly I have since had more of these flare ups with bright red puffy eyelids, and they take about a week to clear up (with the dry cracked skin mess),and the swelling never completely goes away before it flares up again. Today I had some red wine, and my eyes are getting bad again. Thinking back, the last time I had a flare up I was drinking red wine! So I googled “wine allergy red itchy eyelids” and found this site! Good to find all this information. I think I will be giving up red wine (darn!!!) but will also see about getting some testing so that I can pin down the culprit. I have nasal and asthma symptoms as well, but have had those for years.. who knows maybe those will improve without the wine!
I’ve never had any problems drinking red wine, but that could just be because I rarely drink it. A few nights ago I had one glass of it and went up to my bedroom. I immediately became extremely tired, and was unable to get out of bed to brush my teeth or even turn out the lights. I slept for 13 hours. A couple nights later I thought I’d try another, smaller glass to see if it would be different. I did get very tired, but managed to stay awake. I figured it must have just been that particular bottle. Then last night I had a few glasses of a different red wine with dinner and on the walk home I got a horrible head rush (couldn’t see where I was walking for a few seconds, only black) and thought I was going to faint. I had to sit down and found it extremely difficult to breathe for a minute. Friends said I was sweating profusely and was white as a sheet. I don’t know if this is an allergy as you are all describing, as I didn’t get any sort of rash or skin reaction, which I would expect as I have eczema and have frequent skin reactions. Regardless, I don’t plan on drinking any more red wine unless I clear things up with a doctor first, but I am just very curious about the whole thing!
I know for a fact i’m allergic on a deathly level to whatever it is in wine. I was camping a few weeks back in the middle of no where and had cooked some corn on the cob and gave my friend a bite of it (well he was drinking wine) and i know it sounds grose but he left some back wash on the part of the corn he had taken a bite of, i bit right next to where he bit not thinking anything of him taking a bite, a little bit of the back wash wine had been on the bite i took next, immediately my lips started to itch so horribly bad. Then blisters started to form, i usually take benni. with me everywhere i go just in case i have an allergic reaction to god knows what, but i had forgotten it. my throat started to close due to huge blisters forming in the back of my throat, i thought i was going to die in the woods around a bunch of drunkards, lucky for me my sister brought some with her i broke two up and and swallowed it with some soda (this helps for faster action in almost any pill, so i’m told) my reaction didn’t progress but it wasn’t going away either, so i took two more and in an hour it was all better and i was passed out in the camping chair the darn sleepyness always gets me when i take it. So to all out there who have allergic reactions to wines to the extreme like i do, don’t share anything with someone who is driking wine. 🙂
I am 23 and have suffered from allergic reactions to alcohol from 19 years old. It started with red wine then it slowly developed into having into,lerance to beer.
I have had allergy tests, i am alergic to all rubbers, yeast and most metals. For the last two years the reactions got worse and worse I would have excess catarrh swollen nose and tightness in throat as if there was a lump there. I then would panic over my symptoms and this would worsen my predictment. I stopped drinking lager and tried spirits, i was ok for few months till my body built up its immunity and the whole process started again.
I am now 23, it has damaged my social life with friends as i have decided to completely give up alcohol. I took this decision as I suddendly realised how bloody stupid and disrespectful to my own life I was being. There is more to life than drink! I reckon I may of saved my life by giving it up as my reactions were getting worse.
Yes, I have lost out on the social side and belief me it is hard coming from an irish family who drink alot, though I truly belief that putting my life in risk through drinking is truly irresponsible and selfish.
In my spare time now, I use it to do positive things I still gety ill alot bcos of my allergies but I cherish the factb that i have more money, more focus, and more time to acheive more positive things in my life for myself and others.
Overall if your allergic to it, GIVE IT UP! Trust me it just aint worth it! Go and do something positive and stop believing all the commercialised crap that says u need to get drunk to have good time, U DONT!
i think i am also allergic to something in wine i usually drink rose and have done for years but since having my son 6 months ago everytime i drink it my eyes swell up the next day and get really itchy and sore and it takes a long time b4 it goes away the docttors have no idea what it is and frankly dont seem to care so am laying off the wine and hoping for the best!!
i went to a wine tasting party late saturday afternoon and that night noticed that my back and thighs were itchy. i didnt think anything of it, but when i woke up in the next morning there was a rash on my back, thighs, stomach and breasts. im not sure if this is from the wine, but its the only thing i’ve had different in my diet. im almost tempted to go to another party just to be sure. i’ve never been allergic to any foods so i am very confused.
I also have reactions to some not all alcohols and I have been trying to work out why only some are bad and others not. Recently I drank champagne and the reaction was obvious. Blotchy face, difficulty breathing and so on. That champagne clearly said contains sulphites. But I usually drink Yellow and are fine. This one doesnt seem to affect me. So now I think the sulfites are the key to the reation. Previous reactions have been with cockails and now I think it may be the OJ in these which was bad as juices and dried fruits also contain sulphites.
I too am asthmatic – which is common. But more interestingly I am a coeliac and are wondering if this is a common link.
Last saturday me and my fiance went to our friends house party and I drank neat rose (I usually dilute with lemonade), i felt very tipsy on my first drink but carried on drinking, then all of a sudden I felt so ill and was sick, i woke up the next morning and was fine then as the day went on i got worse, i was sick again but this time i had pins and needles in my whole body and my hands and arms kind of twisted, it did stop after a few minutes but since then i have a strange feeling in my arms and hands and i feel sick and strange as though i am not myself.
I have found all the posts on this site very interesting. It would seem that an allergy to wines can definitely develop with age. I also have an allergy to wine – first just reds then all – which seems to have developed during my late forties. The following day I would feel as though I had the flu. It took a while for me to make the connection (I never drank wine on a regular basis) but now steer clear of any wines. I can, however, still drink rum and other liquor without ill effects. Interestingly, I can also drink fortified wines and sweet wines – port, sherry, ice wine, sauternes etc. The sweet wines generally have higher sulphites, so this would tend to suggest that this is not the issue in my case. I can also still cook with wine with no problems. On a final note, I have to say that I was surprised by the quantity of wine some people are drinking – a bottle per day is probably more than your body really wants to process!
I had this experience tonight for the very first time. I drank red wine and sneezed and sneezed for about maybe 15 times in a row in a very few minutes. I am no longer sneezing, but still drinking the last of the wine. I am wondering why it happened, since I’ve NEVER had that experience while drinking wine before. Indeed, I have never sneezed so many times in a row in my life. And…I’m OLD. Over 50.