Red faced

October 1, 2005 9:50 PM

I have heard that some people have successfully used Pepcid AC to combat the effects of the so-called "Asian Flush"--the condition where an indivdual experiences severe flushing of the face after consuming a small amount of alcohol. What is the basis for this claim if any?
posted by reformedjerk to Science & Nature (11 answers total)

The basis seems to be that some people have tried this and it worked. "After a few highly scientific tests, we have found that it really does work. How it works is a mystery that won't be solved here."

This question, answer and discussion on Google Answers discusses this and other possible remedies against "Asian flush".
posted by iviken at 2:49 AM on October 2, 2005

Pepcid is an antihistamine that binds to histamine receptors in the stomach called "H2" receptors. Benadryl, by contrast, binds to H1 receptors. Perhaps "Asian Flush" is caused by an allergic reaction that only affects the H2 receptors, and Pepcid alleviates this reaction?
posted by bedhead at 4:26 AM on October 2, 2005

Asian Flush is caused by a deficiency in Aldehyde Dehydrogenase which helps process alcohol in the body.

Histamine 2 agonists (substances that activate the histamine 2 receptor, but not necessarily histamine itself) have a complex effect on aldehyde dehydrogenase. Some activate it, some inhibit, some do nothing. Also, antagonists don't always necessarily have the opposite effect.

But apparently Pepcid is one of the histamine blockers (antagonists) that inhibits the inhibition of aldehyde dehydrogenase, making it more active, so you process alcohol a bit better.

It seems to be a complex pathway, and there is probably more to it than this.
posted by easternblot at 9:50 AM on October 2, 2005

Slightly off topic, but is it possible for a non-Asian person to also suffer from this condition? It may be something else entirely, but when I have the first drink of the night my face becomes splotchy red on my forehead and upper cheeks right away, and my face gets really hot. After about 10-15 minutes, this goes away, and it doesn't seem to be related in any way to how much I drink, only the first drink activates it - even if I continue drinking it will still go away and not recur.

The severity of this is random, and sometimes doesn't happen at all (no effect about 25% of the time). This first time it happened, about 6-7 years ago, was the worst, with almost my whole face turning red. That time the offender was red wine, but it has happened with all types of alcohol.

I am not in any way Asian, and I once spoke with a Dr. at my college who simply told me that my redness was impossible since I wasn't Asian! He just basically said that it doesn't happen. Perhaps what I have is something different entirely. Maybe some of you supremely informed people have an idea?
posted by Stryke11 at 9:58 AM on October 2, 2005

Hmm. Stryke11, I get this too, especially with wine, and I'm of Norwegian/German/Danish descent. I always thought it was caused by the tannins in wine, but it does happen with spirits and beer, also. And I rarely drink more than one or two drinks at a sitting. I have really sensitive, very fair skin and thought it had something to do with that.
posted by peep at 10:20 AM on October 2, 2005

I'm Chinese, have a very high alcohol tolerance, and occassionally suffer from the flush.

When I do, I relax my shoulders, take a few deep breaths and it goes away. It goes away really fast and is quite a remarkable phenomenon to observe.

I think that in some cases the redness may caused by a reaction (constriction) against the dilation (opening) of blood vessels in response to alcohol in the neck area which results in the accumulation of blood in the facial area.
posted by PurplePorpoise at 10:39 AM on October 2, 2005

Could it be an allergic reaction to sulfites? I knew a woman with the same problem; she said she could sometimes find sulfite-free wine at health/specialty stores.
posted by stefanie at 12:06 PM on October 2, 2005

I get this, too. I never knew there was a name for it. I'm Irish/Norweigian and my pasty skin turns purplish-red from one drink. I get so warm from it I can stand outside in a January winter night with no jacket on and still be warm. Beers made from rice (I think) (Rolling Rock, I believe is one) are the only things that don't make me flush. Too bad I don't like Rolling Rock.

That Ask Google article referenced by iviken mentioned taking niacin with alcohol. I took niacin for a few weeks for some health reason I no longer remember, and ended up with the same flush for a couple of hours after I took it. With alcohol, it was the same flush as ever.

I have some Pepcid AC around here. I definitely want to try that the next time I have some wine. I get really embarrassed about this and tend to have no alcohol in public anymore.
posted by schnee at 2:01 PM on October 2, 2005

I am fair skinned, but I'm of half hispanic and half southern European stock, so no Norwegian or anything like that.

I'm not sure about the sulfite allergy, as the article mentions that sulfites are in many things, and only alcohol causes the splotches (I'm going to refrain from calling it "flush", as on me it's more localized and patchy than that). Plus, do all forms of alcohol have sulfites, or just wine?

Schnee, I'm curious, does yours continue if you continue drinking, or, like mine, does it just come on with the first drink and then soon go away?

I agree, it is embarrassing, especially when you're out with people you don't know very well, and I drink much less as a result. Perhaps, in the long run, that's a good thing ;)

As an experiment, though I feel I have something different than the typical flush exhibited by Asian's, I will try the Pepcid next time I drink.
posted by Stryke11 at 4:00 PM on October 2, 2005

*Asians, not Asian's, sorry.*
posted by Stryke11 at 4:02 PM on October 2, 2005

i have warm, red facial skin that comes and goes. it was diagnosed as rosacea. very treatable.
posted by brandz at 6:30 PM on October 9, 2005