Alcohol Intolerance: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention

Carmen Chai is a Canadian journalist and award-winning health reporter. Her interests include emerging medical research, exercise, nutrition, mental health, and maternal and pediatric health. She has covered global healthcare issues, including outbreaks of the Ebola and Zika viruses, anti-vaccination movements, and chronic diseases like obesity and Alzheimer’s. Chai was a national health reporter at Global News in Toronto for 5 years, where she won multiple awards, including the Canadian Medical Association award for health reporting. Her work has also appeared in the Toronto Star, Vancouver Province, and the National Post.

• According to a study from the Mayo Clinic, certain ethnic groups, particularly East Asians, exhibit a notably higher incidence of aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) deficiency.
• Alcohol Help is not a medical provider or treatment facility and does not provide medical advice.
• Taking tamsulosin may raise the risk of eye problems during or after cataract or glaucoma surgery.

Treatment and Medication Options for Alcohol Intolerance

Intolerance can appear suddenly in adulthood because enzymes, immune responses, and comorbidities change. Knowing your personal risk profile helps you interpret new symptoms accurately. Read beverage labels for the ingredients or additives you know cause a reaction, such as sulfites or certain grains. Very rarely, people who develop reactions later in life may have a more serious condition, such as Hodgkin lymphoma. Refine Recovery is available 24/7 to discuss your treatment options. Their representatives will discuss whether their facility may be an option for you.

What is this medication?

Additionally, lifestyle changes such as decreased alcohol consumption or periods of abstinence sometimes lead to increased sensitivity to alcohol when it is reintroduced. The only way to avoid alcohol intolerance symptoms or an allergic reaction is to avoid alcohol or the particular beverage or ingredients that cause the problem. For a minor reaction, over-the-counter or prescription antihistamines may help reduce symptoms, such as itching or hives.

What are the symptoms of alcohol intolerance?

However, in some cases, what seems to be alcohol intolerance may be your reaction to something in an alcoholic beverage—such as chemicals, grains, or preservatives. Combining alcohol with certain medications also can cause reactions. An alcohol allergy is when your body reacts to alcohol as if it’s a harmful intruder and makes antibodies that try to fight it off.

Feeling unwell?

It’s estimated that between 30%-50% of people of East Asian descent experience this issue. Worldwide, roughly 540 million people with roots in China, Japan, Korea, or Taiwan deal with it, including tens of thousands in the UK alone. At the heart of this process is an enzyme called ALDH1, which plays a crucial role in breaking down acetaldehyde, a byproduct produced when you consume alcohol (ethanol). As you drink, your body’s genes, specifically ADH1B and ADH1C, start the breakdown process by turning that alcohol into acetaldehyde. Have you ever been out with friends, enjoying a glass of wine, only to suddenly feel flushed or nauseous? What was meant to be a laid-back evening can quickly turn into an uncomfortable ordeal.

• True allergies more often bring hives, swelling, wheezing, or severe trouble breathing, which needs urgent care.
• However, a person is usually allergic or intolerant to certain ingredients in the drink, rather than the alcohol itself.
• Alcohol intolerance can happen the first time you drink alcohol, or it may come on suddenly later in life.
• Accompanying the symptoms of alcohol intolerance will be a rapid heartbeat.
• The information provided by Alcohol Help is not a substitute for professional treatment advice.

Another enzyme, aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2), converts acetaldehyde to acetic acid (vinegar), which is nontoxic in the body. If alcohol doesn’t agree with you, there’s no shame in opting for non-alcoholic alternatives. Genetic testing may also be an option, providing a more definitive answer. This test can identify variations in the ALDH2 gene, confirming whether the intolerance is due to genetic factors.

It is important to distinguish between alcohol allergy and alcohol intolerance, as the two terms are often mistakenly used interchangeably. Alcohol allergy is an immune system response to certain ingredients in alcoholic beverages, not to the alcohol itself. Alcohol intolerance occurs when your body cannot effectively break down or process certain compounds in alcoholic beverages. Alcohol Intolerance Studies also suggest that drinking alcohol with the ALDH2 deficiency makes you more susceptible to the onset and progression of Alzheimer’s disease. It’s important for people with alcohol intolerance to be especially mindful of their alcohol consumption.

People who have a true alcohol allergy should avoid drinking alcohol entirely. It’s very difficult for consumers to know whether an alcoholic drink contains allergens or ingredients they’re intolerant to. That’s because in the UK, alcoholic drinks manufacturers don’t have to put an ingredients list or nutrition information on the label. So, Dr Sim urges anyone who knows they’re allergic to certain foods, particularly grains, to be aware they could be in drinks, too. In other cases, people can be intolerant to the chemicals that give alcoholic drinks their flavour and colour, not the alcohol itself.