Anyone developed an alcohol allergy with undera... - Thyroid UK

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Anyone developed an alcohol allergy with underactive thyroid/ hashimotos?

kristilou profile image
25 Replies

Hi everyone

I have an underactive thyroid, hashimotos and a problem with my adrenal function. Was diagnosed with thyroid probs 5 years ago but in the last few months things have got much worse. I now take 75/100 Levo on alternate days, seratone, vit d, iron and T convert. All prescribed by Dr Chapman in London who I see privately as I was so desperate. Anyway, I have always liked a few glasses of wine a week (!) but it suddenly seems to be making my symptoms so much worse and actually wipes me out for 4/5 days after just a few glasses. I am only 34 and really hope this isn't forever! Anyone had a similar experience?

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kristilou profile image
kristilou
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25 Replies
sporty333 profile image
sporty333

Yeah I do! I have always had horrendous hangovers!!!! So, I managed to handle 2 pints on a Friday evening. No real problems the next day. Since I start thyroid and more importantly adrenal supplements I can't even handle a pint without my "allergies" coming on immediately and the most terrible headache behind the eyes!!! The last couple of months it's been immediately after a pint!

I've given up now! Just can't handle the headaches :0(

Si

Throid profile image
Throid in reply tosporty333

That's interesting, many years ago I developed an allergy to alcohol - having been able to drink anything and rarely getting a hangover I suddenly started getting really severe hangovers that got worse and worse, I gave up alcohol.

Through the years I have discovered I can handle some but it has to be 'pure' so I can drink some things like vodka, gin, champagne, but I am still very, very careful.

Really interesting to know others have had this too but mine started after I had thyrodtoxicosis but when I was considered 'well' and on no treatment.

kristilou profile image
kristilou

Oh no Si, that must b very annoying. I am sorry for you but as with so many things others say on this site, it is nice to know I am not the only one!

galathea profile image
galathea

I used to be alchohol intolerant too..... could get immense hangovers with just a couple of glasses of wine.....

But since being on the correct dose of Natural Thyroid meds, the alcohol intolerance has gone..... and I can have as much as I want now!!! (only I don't really like it that much!!!!)

G

Lydia8132 profile image
Lydia8132 in reply togalathea

Lucky you! I used to drink what I liked, now after 2 or 3, the next day is awful, every time!

The only thing that has changed, is me taking Levo. for my hypothyroidism. x

tingles profile image
tingles

I am very intolerant to alcohol, it makes me have a hot flush, my forehead goes brick red, as does my face and chest, sometimes if I drink too much too quickly (which I very rarely do nowadays) I get shoulder pain. (I think it may be referred pain from my heart and since learning that I drink really carefully if at all) I used to be able to drink a third of a bottle of vodka before I went out partying

T

Clarebear profile image
Clarebear

I'm similar to galethea above. Pre-diagnosis with hypoT, I see to get the most horrendous hangovers. Now on Armour I seem to be able to drink a lot more without the bad hangovers :) One thing I have noticed is that if I have drunk a bit too much the night before, then the next day I feel a bit hyper. Not sure why this is though. Xx

sporty333 profile image
sporty333

So! It seems there might be a future for us drinkers after all !! Lol

I tend to think my drinking problems are due to struggling adrenals rather than my hypothyroidism. I find it "funny" I used to be able to tolerate the two pints I used to drink a week but now not ever one, even though I feel a bit better over all now. You would have thought the other way, wouldn't you.

I feel a bit short-changed as it was only two pints a week I was having! Hardly olly reed now is it :0)

nostoneunturned profile image
nostoneunturned

I became very intolerant to alcohol when B12 was very low, face brick red, felt just awful, made giving it up easy, especially when learned from PA Society that it destroys B12. Microwaving also destroys B12.

Might be a good idea to discuss this alcohol intolerance with your private doctor, and have serum B12 checked, if London accessible you could get Active B12 (about 10-20% of serum B12) checked at St Thomas hospital with private doctor's referral necessary.

There is life after alcohol! Honest!

kristilou profile image
kristilou in reply tonostoneunturned

Thanks a lot to all of you that have replied. Hope you are all having a 'well' period. I seem to have 4/5 good days and then 4/5 not so good. Just try to enjoy the good days with my 2 & 3 year old and keep positive. I will continue to test my alcohol allergy now and then and cross my fingers it goes at some point. Perhaps it's just wishful thinking!

galathea profile image
galathea in reply tokristilou

No. it's not wishful thinking..... Keep testing it :)

twinks profile image
twinks

If I drink any alchohol I ache terrible pain all over and my eyes. Just like really bad flu. Sorry you guys have it too glad I'm not on my own though. With all these. Other symptoms I'm sure the gp thinks I'm crackers so I don't bother saying anymore.

Lydia8132 profile image
Lydia8132 in reply totwinks

Totally understanding your pain - today actually! ;0(

Guess I'm just going to have to accept the fact that I can't drink like I used too! x

France1 profile image
France1

About 2 years ago I suddenly found that the thought of alcohol revolted me (nearest thing I could liken it to was how I felt about coffee when I was pregnant). I have never been a big drinker but suddenly I could not even take a sip. (Not easy when you live in a French wine growing region). I had no idea what was behind this and assumed it was 'my age'. Then 4 months ago when I was diagnosed as being very hyperthyroid and I went back through all my old blood test results (done annually in France even when you are well) I could see that it was about 2 years ago that my TSH started to drop (although at that stage it was within limits) I also went back through lots of old photos and saw that I could see evidence of an enlarged thyroid from about this time. So I am wondering if this revulsion to alcohol had something to do with my thyroid levels rising. Maybe my system thought it just had enough to deal with.

I had the thyroid removed 5 days ago - can't say that I have fancied a drink yet- but you never know. I guess that if I continue not drinking alcohol it may help with any increase in weight following the op. Bearing in mind that the French surgeon did tell me to consider now eating more cheese! (spent my life, so far, trying not to)

mummyG profile image
mummyG

This is so weird!! I have been hypo for 2 years and on 75 mic levo a day, I'm also on tiny dose of HRT. ( had been on it for years as was early menopause) but came off it for a while and had return of sweats and hot flashes really bad!! Say up to 15 /20 a day! So now on the HRT I don't sweat at all....but ..... going back to the alcohol. ... I have half a glass of wine/ bubbles. Red or white and I get really hot and start sweating!! New Year's Eve I had to put my hair up and it was wet in back of my neck! And I get red faced!and feel yucky too,! And that was only a Bellini !! Red esp makes me drunk fast!! One glass(small) I gave up ! Had water and I cooled down!!! Most def the wine. Makes my blood boil!! It has happened EVERY time I drink,!, so I'm off it now! Well at least it's less calories in!

Lydia8132 profile image
Lydia8132 in reply tomummyG

Same for me,

Oestrogen gel only & 100mcg levo/day. But just can't drink very much at all now - used to manage quite a bit with no problem, now 3 drinks all night, and I'm paying for it the next day. This only seems to have started when I began my Levo. Hey ho!

editfmrt profile image
editfmrt

Before I became hyperthyroid I could just about drink anything - and I did - always mixed my drinks and rarely got tipsy. Then as I became increasingly unwell I had dreadful hangovers for about three days. While on holiday I tackled a small glass of sangria. Within less than a few moments and only a couple of mouthfuls, I was out of my head and as drunk as a skunk. Very embarrassing. I learnt very quickly that alcohol was not for me anymore. It just wasn't worth making myself so ill.

I became the driver and really don't miss it anymore.

PurrJones profile image
PurrJones

I had a similar reaction to alcohol. I went from being able to have whatever I wanted...to having such severe hangovers, which last for days. I gave it up completely 6years ago...and I don't miss it. Looking back, I can see it was the beginning of my auto-immune thyroid condition.

If I could dream of maybe one day, when I am older and retired and thyroid stabilized, sitting in the Tuscan sun, that I could sip a chilled wine........now that would be sweet.... :)

I do find that wine is not particularly enjoyable any more. However I still enjoy a beer but am distraught that I have to give up my favourite one due to going gluten-free.

No hangovers or anything like that though so I guess I'm lucky!!

medew profile image
medew in reply to

Try replacing your beer with cider. It works well for me!

Lydia8132 profile image
Lydia8132 in reply tomedew

I love cider, had 2 pints last night, woke up with a bad head! Across the eyes and round the back of the neck. Had to go back to bed for a couple of hours. So annoying - and painful.

Lin1 profile image
Lin1

My Husband and I love to go to our favourite wine bar with our friends on a weekend but over the last few years I seem to get drunk quicker and quicker so have to alternate wine with water, especially if I haven't eaten 'substantially' before I go out, this can also be quite problematic when out on business dinners with clients, I have to stick to soft drinks as I have been known to very suddenly and without any warning become virtually paralytic after just 3 or 4 glasses.

I do seem to be better on spirits than wine but even then I seem to get drunk while everyone else is fine!!!

I have suspected for a long time that the alcohol must get into my blood stream quicker than before and certainly quicker than my friends but feel silly saying it's because I am hypoT.

HelenLydon profile image
HelenLydon

Hi (8 months later!). I have never had an overactive or underactive thyroid but had a hemi-thyroidectomy 3 years ago due to a benign lump. I have since never needed anything to balance my hormones and my body seems to be processing well...except for alcohol. Immediately after having 1/2 the thyroid removed, I started to have bouts of sickness for up to 3 days and didn't link it to alcohol as I drank in such tiny quantities - I mean, really; who would think that 3 half pints of lager over the course of a Saturday night would render me incapable of anything other than wretching until Tuesday? After going to the GP several times because of my violent sickness (no exaggeration there btw - I was driving around with a sick bucket in my car & my torso was like a washboard) and getting no answers or even distant theories, I started to write a diary. It was only after about 2 months I realised the correlation between thyroid function, alcohol consumption & sickness; this may seem obvious to some, but after a lifetime of being able to drink 'normally' to hardly drinking at all, it just didn't cross my mind. Because the sickness also started immediately after having half the thyroid removed, I started to look into the relationship between hormone release and liver & kidney function. So to me it now seems so obvious that a disfunctional or half thyroid is the main reason for my absolute intolerance to alcohol. I'm just disappointed that not one Doctor offered this as a possibility.

rrice profile image
rrice

Having the same problems with beer/wine. Hashimotos began a few years ago but I didn't realize it until recently. 1 Beer = bad sleep, night sweats, getting up three times to pee, etc... I really liked my one-beer-per-day routine too, but its over now.

Camomile1 profile image
Camomile1

Yes I’ve become allergic to wine especially red. Brings me out in hives over my face & neck & I get really hot as if I’m going to implode. Horrible! But I’ve cut out grapes & raisins too. I’m ok with spirits: gin & tonic & scotch etc., not tried cognac since the wine thing. Good luck in finding a tipple you like & that likes you!

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