Tequila is made from the agave plant, which contains a compound called agavoide, a type of saponin. These saponins can trigger an allergic reaction in some individuals, causing symptoms ranging from mild discomfort to life-threatening anaphylaxis. On the other hand, symptoms of alcohol intolerance are similar but far less severe. Rather than severe trouble breathing, you may experience some wheezing instead.
Look for flushing.
If you are sensitive to an additive rather than alcohol itself, you may have options with regard to beverages. Red wines contain relatively few sulfites; white wines are low in histamines. If symptoms are getting worse, you have swelling, or you have breathing trouble, go to an ER. Follow your allergy action plan if you have one, which may include using an EpiPen.
Learn More About Alcohol Allergy and Intolerance from Baptist Health
You can treat symptoms, like headache, with certain over-the-counter (OTC) medicines. Just as can you be allergic to vodka treatment for an alcohol allergy requires total abstinence, recovery from an alcohol use disorder calls for the same. Talk with a treatment provider today to begin your road to recovery.
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For example, if you have a gluten intolerance or celiac disease, you marijuana addiction may react to vodka made from wheat or rye. Similarly, if you have an allergy to potatoes, you may react to vodka made from potatoes. Do you feel sort of off after enjoying a glass of chilled wine?
Symptoms of an Allergic Reaction to Vodka
In other cases, people can be intolerant to the chemicals that give alcoholic drinks their flavour and colour, not the alcohol itself. Histamine (found in red wine) and salicylates (found in wine, beer, rum, and sherry), are common examples. Our bodies are full of enzymes, proteins that help break down food. Alcohol intolerance is a problem with the specific enzyme that helps your body metabolize alcohol. Even drinking a small amount of alcohol (ethanol) causes unpleasant symptoms.
- It is thought this happens to individuals whose body can’t get rid of the chemical properly.
- The best way to live with this condition is to avoid alcohol as much as possible.
- Those of Asian ancestry may have the less-active variant of ALDH2, making it more difficult for them to properly digest alcohol.
- Some people are also allergic to other components of alcoholic drinks.
- While both are reactions to alcohol and can sometimes cause similar symptoms, they are different issues.
- You may also have other symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, heart flutters, and a stuffy or runny nose.
- If you have a reaction to an alcoholic drink, you may have one of two things—a true allergy or an alcohol intolerance.
- It likely goes without saying that one too many alcoholic beverages don’t exactly have you feeling your best.
- Alcohol allergies are rare but can have serious medical consequences, including death.
More likely, you may have an alcohol intolerance or sensitivity to an ingredient found in alcoholic beverages. I’ve been there myself, dealing with unpleasant reactions to drinking, and I know how confusing it can be to figure out what’s happening. If you don’t know if you have alcohol intolerance or alcohol allergy, see your doctor or an allergist. The only way to prevent an allergic reaction is to avoid the substance that causes it. Seeing an allergist can help you figure out what you’re allergic to.
