Raising Awareness of Alcohol Intolerance

At this point, my "Raising Awareness" series of blog posts is getting rather long. I'll post links to all the others at the bottom of this post.

Really, the only reason I'm writing this one is that the symptoms of alcohol intolerance can be the same as a person with a hangover (some differences I'll get into in a bit), so I think that there could be a number of people out there thinking they're just suffering from a hangover when it's actually an alcohol intolerance. 

Now, on the one hand, I know two people personally who have the kind of alcohol intolerance that comes up most when you google symptoms, which is basically a "red, flushed face", and potentially hives. That, to me, sounds like an allergic reaction and should really be classified under "alcohol allergy". They are not the same thing. An allergy is an immuno-reaction to a substance, while an "intolerance" is generally classified as a gastrointestinal reaction. It was the exact same thing with my avocado intolerance. I was getting stomach cramps, not anaphylaxis. 

There are also articles out there that tend to point out that alcohol intolerance is only genetic, which is obviously not the case. Sure, like lactose intolerance, Asians seem to get the worst of it by also genetically not having the enzymes to break down alcohol. It is definately possible to be born with it. But, like with my avocados, you can develop it over time.

The other symptoms of alcohol intolerance include headaches, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and diahrrea. Sounds a lot like a hangover, doesn't it? So the difference between the two is the amount of time it takes to develop symptoms. For someone with an intolerance, it could take less than an hour to begin to feel shitty, even when you only had a small amount of alcohol. My intolerance developed over the course of several months (because I did go many months without drinking any alcohol at all due to the fact that I didn't feel good). I would drink a glass of wine, get what's known as a "wine headache", and not even feel a buzz. That's the main difference between these two - I don't get drunk, I just get sick. 

But lately, it's gotten even more unpleasant. Now I check almost all the boxes.

People with alcohol intolerance can't process alcohol in the normal way. Generally, this is what happens when you drink alcohol:

"The enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) metabolizes the ethanol (that's the type of alcohol in alcohol) into toxic acetaldehyde. From there the liver enzyme aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) metabolizes acetaldehyde into acetate, a less toxic compound that breaks down into water and carbon dioxide."

So essentially, my liver is not making, or making enough of, ALDH because it's the toxic actaldehyde that is causing my body to feel sick. And that is certainly worrisome, as the word "toxic" is being thrown in.

I have a couple options to explore in pill or liquid form which might help my liver matabolize some of the alcohol if I wish to partake, but really the only cure is to no longer drink alcohol. Well, it only took 3+ years of not eating avocado before my body reset, so maybe I can do the same with alcohol. 

Oh boy. Wish me luck.

My Raising Awareness series:

Dyspaurunia

Gallstones

Blepharitis

PVCs

BAM