Alcohol intolerance - delayed reaction and increasingly bad hangovers
September 28, 2013 3:10 PM Subscribe
My hangovers have been getting worse, even though I've been drinking less. It's also taking longer for my hangovers to start. Is this normal?
I'm 26 years old, medium build (5'8", 160lbs, maybe ~20% body fat), reasonably fit and healthy. I've never been a heavy drinker - never once been blackout drunk in my life - but in previous years I could drink a fair amount, fall asleep tipsy, and wake up feeling basically fine. I am of Asian descent, but I do not get any red flushing whatsoever - I've confirmed this with multiple people over the years. Also, I rarely drink - we're talking maybe one night of drinks a month, and zero drinks at home or in restaurants.
But recently I noticed some things changing in the way I react to alcohol: I drink a moderate amount (say 3 pints of beer over 3 hours), go home, sleep, wake up after 8-9 hours with a mild headache. I take a dump, which smells much worse than usual, and is sometimes diarrhea-like in consistency. Then after 1-2 hours (so this is maybe 13-14 hours after I have finished drinking), I start feeling feverish. I get really hot and break into alternate sweating fits and chills. I start to salivate excessively and my saliva is bitter. At this point there's a fair chance I vomit and/or have diarrhea. The cycle repeats itself (fever, saliva, vomiting) for another 2-3 hours until I feel better. The fever is new and has only happened to me in the past year.
I think the bizarre thing, besides the severe hangover to a moderate amount of drinking, is the delayed reaction - for example if I finish drinking at 9PM, I only start feeling really sick at 11AM the next day. In prior years, if I'd really been drinking too much, I would wake up after 3-4 hours needing to puke. Basically I never have any immediate adverse reaction to alcohol the night of. It's just the morning after I probably have the worst hangover of anybody.
I also notice different alcoholic drinks affect me differently. Beer almost always makes me sick, but I can drink liquor without too much fuss the next day, and wine - especially really good ones - almost never causes me issues unless I really go overboard.
So, what do you think? I'm wondering if I have such severe reactions because I rarely drink, or if this is a genetic intolerance to alcohol that will get worse as I age. Is there something in particular about beer that causes bad hangovers? Thanks.
I'm 26 years old, medium build (5'8", 160lbs, maybe ~20% body fat), reasonably fit and healthy. I've never been a heavy drinker - never once been blackout drunk in my life - but in previous years I could drink a fair amount, fall asleep tipsy, and wake up feeling basically fine. I am of Asian descent, but I do not get any red flushing whatsoever - I've confirmed this with multiple people over the years. Also, I rarely drink - we're talking maybe one night of drinks a month, and zero drinks at home or in restaurants.
But recently I noticed some things changing in the way I react to alcohol: I drink a moderate amount (say 3 pints of beer over 3 hours), go home, sleep, wake up after 8-9 hours with a mild headache. I take a dump, which smells much worse than usual, and is sometimes diarrhea-like in consistency. Then after 1-2 hours (so this is maybe 13-14 hours after I have finished drinking), I start feeling feverish. I get really hot and break into alternate sweating fits and chills. I start to salivate excessively and my saliva is bitter. At this point there's a fair chance I vomit and/or have diarrhea. The cycle repeats itself (fever, saliva, vomiting) for another 2-3 hours until I feel better. The fever is new and has only happened to me in the past year.
I think the bizarre thing, besides the severe hangover to a moderate amount of drinking, is the delayed reaction - for example if I finish drinking at 9PM, I only start feeling really sick at 11AM the next day. In prior years, if I'd really been drinking too much, I would wake up after 3-4 hours needing to puke. Basically I never have any immediate adverse reaction to alcohol the night of. It's just the morning after I probably have the worst hangover of anybody.
I also notice different alcoholic drinks affect me differently. Beer almost always makes me sick, but I can drink liquor without too much fuss the next day, and wine - especially really good ones - almost never causes me issues unless I really go overboard.
So, what do you think? I'm wondering if I have such severe reactions because I rarely drink, or if this is a genetic intolerance to alcohol that will get worse as I age. Is there something in particular about beer that causes bad hangovers? Thanks.
Have you recently changed the dosage or timing of any prescription medication you take?
posted by matildatakesovertheworld at 3:20 PM on September 28, 2013
posted by matildatakesovertheworld at 3:20 PM on September 28, 2013
I agree that this sounds more beer-specific, which would point to a possible gluten sensitivity (or, depending on what kind of beer you drink, since not all are brewed from wheat) some other thing that more exclusive to beer than spirits or wine. Ask your doc about getting tested for sensitivity or allergy.
I've noticed that my hangovers are worse the older I get, but that didn't really start to happen until I hit my 30s.
In the meantime, jump on the cocktail bandwagon, learn to love straight liquor, and become an oenophile.
posted by rtha at 3:21 PM on September 28, 2013
I've noticed that my hangovers are worse the older I get, but that didn't really start to happen until I hit my 30s.
In the meantime, jump on the cocktail bandwagon, learn to love straight liquor, and become an oenophile.
posted by rtha at 3:21 PM on September 28, 2013
I have a pal with a hops allergy, so that might be something to consider as well.
posted by mollymayhem at 3:23 PM on September 28, 2013
posted by mollymayhem at 3:23 PM on September 28, 2013
I was going to also say -- You might want to get to your neighborhood doctor and get your liver/pancreatic function checked and baseline blood work. If your insurance sucks, you may have a clinic where you can self-pay for tests instead of the 2x-3x markup if your doc calls it in.
When you drink wine/liquor do you drink less total alcohol, or drink more slowly?
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 3:46 PM on September 28, 2013 [1 favorite]
When you drink wine/liquor do you drink less total alcohol, or drink more slowly?
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 3:46 PM on September 28, 2013 [1 favorite]
What kind of beer are you drinking? My own reaction to different beers varies, even within the type of beer. For example, in stouts, Guinness leaves me with almost no hangover or other ill side effects whereas 8 Ball just wrecks me with migraine headaches and explosive diarrhea the next day.
posted by Jacqueline at 4:14 PM on September 28, 2013
posted by Jacqueline at 4:14 PM on September 28, 2013
Welcome to old age. No one can drink the way they used to.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 4:17 PM on September 28, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by St. Peepsburg at 4:17 PM on September 28, 2013 [1 favorite]
Had a very similar thing happen. It was due to a yeast infection in my intestines. Went on a low-sugar diet for a month and it cleared up.
If you eat a lot of sugar and/or refined grains (white bread, rice, pasta) that's what it could be...
posted by ameca at 4:36 PM on September 28, 2013
If you eat a lot of sugar and/or refined grains (white bread, rice, pasta) that's what it could be...
posted by ameca at 4:36 PM on September 28, 2013
I also notice different alcoholic drinks affect me differently. Beer almost always makes me sick, but I can drink liquor without too much fuss the next day, and wine - especially really good ones - almost never causes me issues unless I really go overboard.
The same exact thing happened to me as I got older. i'm not asian and my liver checked out fine. I've found different beers hit me differently (totally outside of the alcohol content) with hops definitely not correlating with symptoms. I don't seem to have a bad wheat allergy, at least, outside of beer so it's unclear whether wheat has anything to do with it.. although it's possible I guess. The solution seems to be to avoid drinking too much beer. Given what 3 pints of beer does to me, I can drink a lot more alcohol via wine with no effect whatsoever.
posted by ennui.bz at 6:48 PM on September 28, 2013
The same exact thing happened to me as I got older. i'm not asian and my liver checked out fine. I've found different beers hit me differently (totally outside of the alcohol content) with hops definitely not correlating with symptoms. I don't seem to have a bad wheat allergy, at least, outside of beer so it's unclear whether wheat has anything to do with it.. although it's possible I guess. The solution seems to be to avoid drinking too much beer. Given what 3 pints of beer does to me, I can drink a lot more alcohol via wine with no effect whatsoever.
posted by ennui.bz at 6:48 PM on September 28, 2013
Smoking can worsen the effects of alcohol in a delayed way like that. It has something to do with liver enzymes and competition between the nicotine and the alcohol for some enzyme.
There is a possibility you are starting to become diabetic?
Look at glutamate or tyramine sensitivity as well. Some beers will absolutely wreck me; doubly so if I've had any stinky cheese or MSG containing products recently.
posted by gjc at 7:55 PM on September 28, 2013
There is a possibility you are starting to become diabetic?
Look at glutamate or tyramine sensitivity as well. Some beers will absolutely wreck me; doubly so if I've had any stinky cheese or MSG containing products recently.
posted by gjc at 7:55 PM on September 28, 2013
A bit of info here: "suddenly, drinking alcohol makes me sick" at Columbia University's information service - but the short answer is the same - many possible causes, get it checked.
posted by LobsterMitten at 9:20 PM on September 28, 2013
posted by LobsterMitten at 9:20 PM on September 28, 2013
"Not a heavy drinker" and "my hangovers* are not phrases that go together. Either you are regularly drinking enough to be hungover or you have something else going on (headaches maybe) that you associate with alcohol.
Need to see a doctor to sort this out.
posted by Lesser Shrew at 12:22 PM on September 29, 2013
Need to see a doctor to sort this out.
posted by Lesser Shrew at 12:22 PM on September 29, 2013
If you're up for an experiment while you wait to get this thing checked out, there are gluten-free beers.
posted by dws at 2:07 PM on September 29, 2013
posted by dws at 2:07 PM on September 29, 2013
Response by poster: Thanks everyone for your answers.
I eat tons of bread/pasta without any adverse reaction, so I doubt I have a wheat sensitivity. Apart from alcohol, I basically never get sick from eating/drinking anything, even in somewhat unsanitary conditions (traveling in less developed countries, etc) and no food allergies other than mild lactose intolerance.
I don't take any prescription medication and I don't smoke.
When you drink wine/liquor do you drink less total alcohol, or drink more slowly?
I think I drink about the same total amount. 3 pints of beer is roughly equivalent to 3*1.5=4.5 glasses of wine in alcohol content, which I would be totally fine with drinking over the course of 3 hours. It's not that I don't get hangovers from wine/liquor at all - if I drink maybe 8 glasses of wine in a night I would probably be just as hungover as from 3 pints of beer.
"Not a heavy drinker" and "my hangovers* are not phrases that go together. Either you are regularly drinking enough to be hungover or you have something else going on (headaches maybe) that you associate with alcohol.
No, I meant that I drink neither frequently nor in large amounts. The 1-2 times a month that I do drink, I get hangovers even from a moderate amount of beer. I never get fevers, diarrhea, and vomiting if I don't drink alcohol, so I'm pretty sure that's what causes it.
posted by karakumy at 5:15 PM on September 29, 2013
I eat tons of bread/pasta without any adverse reaction, so I doubt I have a wheat sensitivity. Apart from alcohol, I basically never get sick from eating/drinking anything, even in somewhat unsanitary conditions (traveling in less developed countries, etc) and no food allergies other than mild lactose intolerance.
I don't take any prescription medication and I don't smoke.
When you drink wine/liquor do you drink less total alcohol, or drink more slowly?
I think I drink about the same total amount. 3 pints of beer is roughly equivalent to 3*1.5=4.5 glasses of wine in alcohol content, which I would be totally fine with drinking over the course of 3 hours. It's not that I don't get hangovers from wine/liquor at all - if I drink maybe 8 glasses of wine in a night I would probably be just as hungover as from 3 pints of beer.
"Not a heavy drinker" and "my hangovers* are not phrases that go together. Either you are regularly drinking enough to be hungover or you have something else going on (headaches maybe) that you associate with alcohol.
No, I meant that I drink neither frequently nor in large amounts. The 1-2 times a month that I do drink, I get hangovers even from a moderate amount of beer. I never get fevers, diarrhea, and vomiting if I don't drink alcohol, so I'm pretty sure that's what causes it.
posted by karakumy at 5:15 PM on September 29, 2013
If two or three drinks over the coursefof an evening gives you a hangover, then at the very least you are sensitive to alcohol. That may be enough for the more extreme symptoms but you should definitely talk to a doc.
posted by Lesser Shrew at 2:05 PM on September 30, 2013
posted by Lesser Shrew at 2:05 PM on September 30, 2013
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