Sudden alcohol intolerance causing flushing

[DownTheRabbitHole]

I have two working copies of the ALDH2 gene (rs671 G;G) and have never experienced any kind of alcohol flush.

For two weeks I tried pycnogenol (pine bark extract) and ended up with a severe acne breakout the likes of which I've never seen since I was a teenager. I've been off it for a week and my skin is completely clear again.

This past week, to combat a potential respiratory infection I felt coming on from being around a lot of sick coughing people, I took 250mg of Grapefruit Seed Extra 3 times per day all week. Luckily the cough went away quickly.

However, I now seem to be completely intolerant of alcohol. Even half a glass of wine or a single 4.5% ABV ginger beer will give me a severe alcoholic facial flush and I can feel the blood throbbing in my veins across my entire body.

Could the pycnogenol or Grapefruit Seed Extract have somehow disrupted my liver's ability to process acetaldehyde efficiently? Or is this a potential sign of something else going on with my body?

 

[Bmrw64]

I have the same problem alcohol I go red in the cheeks. Alcohol I avoid as it makes me much worse and acts like a poison in me. But this is a common problem with people with m.e/cfs alcohol intolerance. It could be an allergy or something to do with candida albicans as yeast in alcohol may trigger a fungus reaction. I just never touch drink now as the after effects often trigger relapse so I leave it well alone.

Brent

 

[Moof]

It may also be be caused by mast cell degranulation, as alcohol has high levels of histamine. I've reacted to it by flushing scarlet on my face and neck since I was a small child, long before I developed ME. (My cousin and I used to dare one another to sneak a swig of our grandmother's sherry – I couldn't work out why she never got caught, yet if I did it, everyone knew immediately! ) I also feel nauseous and get a headache, almost like having an immediate hangover.

It was only decades later that I realised it was a histamine reaction. I'm not sure whether the alcohol intolerance experienced by many PWME is always down to this, but I've met a couple of fellow patients who seem to produce the same reaction as me.

 

[altered beast]

I make no pretence of understanding the process causing it, but from experience of 30+ years of ME I can definitely say that the alcohol flush reaction (and near instant hangover from as little as a tablespoon of wine) is something that has switched on and off during the course of my illness. I had no experience of this reaction prior to ME, and currently am able to tolerate moderate amounts of alcohol. I used to think the level of alcohol intolerance was a kind of rough marker of illness severity but I can believe other factors may be playing a role. It is interesting that my current period of tolerance for alcohol coincides with regular(ish) use of antihistamines, hadn't previously considered a connection.