Do long term use of AF meds cause intolerance to other things

[DevonHubby1]

The wife who has PAF has an occasional drink on special days such as birthdays. She's been on her meds for about 5 years. Recently she's been getting allergic reactions to just a few mouthfuls of alcohol, first it was red wine, and now on Valentines day it was Prosecco. Anyone else come across this? Her annual blood test with GP was in December and clear. We also had a private thyroid blood test done a couple of weeks ago and that was clear.

Reaction is wife's scalp feeling prickly, then face and neck go very red and itchy. Itchiness lasts several hours. No more than 2 mouthfuls of the wine before symptoms started.

[jeanjeannie50]

Wine has sulphites added, it's a preservative and that's what would upset your wife's heart rate. I would guess the prosecco has it too. You can buy sulphite free wines in larger supermarkets, but with the lack of preservatives they're not good for keeping.

Jean

[DevonHubby1 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Thanks Jean , the mystery is why now when she's 60+ has this intolerance appeared. The only change has been the regular taking of AF meds.

[CDreamer in reply to DevonHubby1]

you can become intolerant to anything throughout your life.

It’s unlikely you would ever get to know what triggered reactions- what I DO know is that your body is far wiser than your thinking so I think of reactions as my body literal communication - this is not good for you.

[Tiburon in reply to jeanjeannie50]

It’s a myth that sulphites in red wine are the culprit. Instead, it’s biogenic amines that include histamines that cause various adverse reactions. Google “amines red wine,”

[BobD Volunteer]

As my doctor said to me thirty years ago when I experienced the same "think of the money you will save". If you have AF you are best avoiding alcohol completely anyway.

When you say allergic reaction what exactly happens? Long before I was diagnosed with AF I had to stop drinking the stuff because I couldn't breath and my heart raced, even with the slightest trace and that had nothing at all to do with any meds. I once bit into a profittarole which had brandy in the choclate sauce and it put me out of action for about four hours.

[DevonHubby1]

Hi Bob,

Wife's scalp feeling prickly, then face and neck go very red and itchy. Itchiness lasts several hours. No more than 2 mouthfuls of the wine before symptoms started.

Regards,

Graham

[Hidden]

Agree ..... to different degrees with all other replies to your post.

Back in Jan 2010 when I was diagnosed with paroxysmal AF I eventually related the onset of an AF event to food I'd eaten. By Sept 2011 I consulted a Nutritionist who advised me on a wide ranging diet/food plan. This I followed. I am on the same AF meds now as my original Cardiac Consultant prescribed but thanks to diet as well I now only have one or two AF events a year and then not serious enough to send me to my GP or to A & E. Sorted.

John

[Hidden]

I have now read properly ( 😔) and understand the allergic reaction! Interesting ….but I’ve no idea other that which I’ve written below.

I tasted wine for a living for 40 years and then well before PAF was diagnosed i started having reactions. Stuffy nose from sulphites and then heart rhythm issues from smaller and smaller amounts of fine wine. No medications taken at the time for anything …my body had simply sounded “ last orders” 😦

So I bid a fond farewell to a love of my life.

Now occasionally, very occasionally I sniff a cork and a tear rolls down my cheek …. Then I feel my wallet and smile.

[Singwell in reply to Hidden]

Oh yes! I think you've described this very well. For me it's "my drinking privileges are all used up". It's easier for me not to drink and enjoy the occasional expensive good quality chocolate instead. Considerably cheaper week by week!

[Snowgirl65 in reply to Hidden]

Loved your reply! Yes, I too shed a tear when passing by the wine department in my grocery store.

[SeanJax]

ask her not to drink at all and the problem is resolved. Don’t put blame on medications or whatever cause. We badly treated our body to end up where we are with Afib, I always blame myself and always try to have a strict good life style to avoid the progression of Afib. For Afibers alcohol is a no no and for me too whatever people do or say.

How many times medication pamphlet told us not consume alcohol while taking such and such medication? They don’t go along well medication and alcohol.

[Hidden in reply to SeanJax]

on the nail!

[Jeans1234]

This is exactly the same reaction I got when going into sunlight while taking Amiodarone, it is very unpleasant

[Desanthony]

This can happen at any time in life and what the reasons are we may never know. A colleague and good friend of mine only ever drank red wine - he enjoyed it - he didn't smoke and didn't go out to pubs or anything and this was the one thing he enjoyed He really enjoyed his bottle or two a week especially if he also got the chance to sit in his garden and drink a glass in the envenings. Then when he was in his early 70's he just got a reaction to red wine. It really made him quite ill. So he drank white wine. Incidentally he was on no medication whatsoever - didn't even take pain killers for arthritis or anything - unusual for someone in their 70's who had also played semi professional football. Eventually he had the same reaction to white wine so stopped drinking altogether. Who knows why this happened?