First of all I’m not a big drinker and never have been. Usually drink a beer or two and that’s about it. Never was into hard liquor or mixed drinks made with it either.

For New Year’s, I decided to get a bottle of Tito’s vodka and make some mixed drinks and started with a vodka tonic, watching the stinky Eagles lose yet again.

I was mixing them up with a pretty good pour: 2 oz of vodka and had 3 of them from around 2:30 pm to 5:00 pm.

This is where it gets weird. ALL I felt was a sense of irritability and that came with a pounding headache. NO buzz, no feeling relaxed. After 3 beers I’d never feel that way.

Is it possible I’m just allergic to hard alcohol? Or maybe just not used to drinking this stuff?

Maybe it’s God‘s way of telling me I need to stay away from this which is fine by me.

I decided to just drink water the rest of the night.

It's quite possible to develop allergies to something that has never given you problems before, yes.

Alcohol is alcohol, but it's possible you're reacting to something else in those mixed drinks (this is actually more likely).

By any chance, have you recently started on any new medications?

quote:

Is it possible I’m just allergic to hard alcohol? Or maybe just not used to drinking this stuff?

First scenario is possible, like anything in life is possible. But doubtful. And yes, folks develop allergy to stuff, after years being on them all the time.

Second scenario is much more likely. You have never been into hard liquor/mixed drinks, until now.

quote:

Is It Possible To Become Allergic To Alcohol Later In Life?

Yes.

I had that happen with vodka once, didn't catch a buzz, but it felt like I already had a hangover and a migraine at the same time. It persisted until I made it home and was able to take a Benadryl, and that immediately cleared it up, where the 800mg Ibuprofens I had wouldn't touch it.

It was a grain vodka, potato vodkas don't do that to me.

Were you dehydrated when you started?
Being dehydrated and then having alcohol can make you feel like that.

Is It Possible To Become Allergic To Alcohol Later In Life?

I don’t know, but it hasn’t happened to me, and I’m a registered senior citizen.

I think it’s definitely possible. Beer was my drink of choice up until around 40. I was never a big drinker but suddenly every time I would drink a beer I would feel like I was super dehydrated even though I wasn’t. My cheeks would get flushed red and become very warm to the touch. I would also get very overheated doing almost anything and a bad headache was guaranteed.

I quit drinking beer all together and if I drink now it’s pretty much always bourbon.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: 1s1k,

About a year after HS, I tried a Miller Genuine Draft cause it was new and on sale a lot. It was like a hangover in a bottle for me. I would develop a headache maybe 20-30 minutes into 1-2 beers. Never failed to happen. Stopped drinking it, stopped with the rolling hangover.

You may stop growing around 21 but you definitely keep changing. Beyond graying hair or tendin' toward the gut, other less common things can happen.

I developed an allergy to cedar trees mainly because there was one right outside my living room window. I moved and it seems to have gone away.

I had been drinking beer since high school when, around 1998, I found myself unemployed and cut a lot out of budget starting with beer. Well into a new job about 7-8 months later, a friend dropped by that I would normally have offered a beer to. It took that to make me realize I hadn't even thought about buying any. I still liked it, and drank a few when out here and there. Effectively at 38 yrs old, I had quit drinking even though I had never actually set out to do so.

It occurred to me that my dad seemed to stop consuming around a little past 40.

When I want one, I get one. But there are never cravings.

There is some music that, in the right conditions might see me seek out a scotch and water. something in the tinkling keys of a blues piano.
Dave Grusin's rendition of the Jobim classic Bonita. But mainly just the first two minutes. I honestly don't think I've had a drink of hard liquor for a year. Time to get one.

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:
First of all I’m not a big drinker and never have been. Usually drink a beer or two and that’s about it. Never was into hard liquor or mixed drinks made with it either.

For New Year’s, I decided to get a bottle of Tito’s vodka and make some mixed drinks and started with a vodka tonic, watching the stinky Eagles lose yet again.

I was mixing them up with a pretty good pour: 2 oz of vodka and had 3 of them from around 2:30 pm to 5:00 pm.

This is where it gets weird. ALL I felt was a sense of irritability and that came with a pounding headache. NO buzz, no feeling relaxed. After 3 beers I’d never feel that way.

Is it possible I’m just allergic to hard alcohol? Or maybe just not used to drinking this stuff?

Maybe it’s God‘s way of telling me I need to stay away from this which is fine by me.

I decided to just drink water the rest of the night.

I think you can become reactive to some alcohols that used to be tolerated. I've noticed this with some tequilas. For some reason some tequilas now make me instantly itchy in the throat. My throat and face become very flushed and start to itch terribly. I have to sip a little bit and wait a few minutes to see if this particular tequila sets it off. Some do, some don't. This is new for me in the last couple years.

I went through a tequila phase about 15 years ago, and developed a taste for it. I've tried a hundred+ varieties. One day I ordered a margarita at a restaurant and my wife thought I was having an anaphylactic response. It felt like I had rubbed poison ivy on my throat and face.

Now it happens with some vodkas as well. According to Dr. Google it's typical allergic reactions alcohol. I'm not on any different meds, and nothing really in my life has changed, other than I hit 50.


I definitely don't tolerate alcohol as well in general. It's been years since the last time I tied one on. The recovery from that night made it clear that it's not worth it.

The wife and I spent the month of November in Maui. When I would get done with my work (online) we'd go down to the pool or walk over to the beach. She would take a couple of rum and Cokes with her. About two weeks in she started getting a very scratchy throat and slight skin rash every time she'd have a cocktail. She started skipping the rum and just did the Coke or having one of my ice teas. Problem gone. Allergy?

Hard liquor, particularly tequila, definitely causes an inflammation response in me. A pity, because I could sing and dance really well after a few shots of tequila.

Six ounces of 80 proof Vodka is falling down drunk for someone who doesn't drink heavy every single day. IMO your symptoms are simply the effect of drinking too much alcohol.

Allergy - no; fucked up by vodka - yes.

RMD

One way to find out:

Drink 6 12oz beers over 2.5 hours today and report back to us how you feel.

quote:

Is it possible I’m just allergic to hard alcohol? Or maybe just not used to drinking this stuff?

I think the latter is much more likely. I think you simply had too much booze in too short a time.

Short answer is yes

You can develop new allergies and oddly enough old allergies can disappear.

In my teens I developed an allergic reaction to chocolate. I would develop really severe migraines that would take a couple of days to go away. When I was 58 I tried a small bite and nothing happened. I can now go back to enjoying the occasional chocolate bar while I’m playing golf, and no ill effects.

quote:

Originally posted by airsoft guy:
I had that happen with vodka once, didn't catch a buzz, but it felt like I already had a hangover and a migraine at the same time. It persisted until I made it home and was able to take a Benadryl, and that immediately cleared it up, where the 800mg Ibuprofens I had wouldn't touch it.

It was a grain vodka, potato vodkas don't do that to me.

What I was thinking. Family member has a similar reaction when I use Tito's in Martinis. Now I only have vodka distilled from potato or grape and no issues. Bombora, Idol, and Ciroc are distilled from grapes. For potato, I like Chopin. But make sure it's the black label. Chopin does make grain vodka as well.

Allergic-Possible(Vodka made w/potatoes)
Intolerant-more likely

At mid to late 50s my wife started having an issue with some red wines. Red nose and flushed face after very little intake. Mostly California wines. Almost no French wines cause any reaction, but there may have been one exception.

In her case it’s just the red face. No itchiness or anything else- only way she knows is when someone tells her or she looks in the mirror. And it’s not just a reaction to alcohol. Hard liquor and French wines have no effect. Weird.