Allergy to wines is a real problem for some people.
Some people seem to be allergic to all types of wine, where as others seem to have reactions to very specific types of wine.
Some are allergic to alcohol but I am referring to people who can drink alcohol but not wine, or certain types of wines.
Wine Allergy Research is the Purpose of this Article
What wines do you find to be the most problematic? Is it a certain brand, a certain region, a certain style, or a certain type of grape?
Have you tried organic wines, and have you noticed a difference?
Do you have other known allergies, or reactions to other types of food?
Please leave your comments, and include:
1) The type of reaction you get
2) A description of the wine
3) Other foods that cause any kind of an allergic reaction
4) Anything else you think might help
Over time, the information collected here will become very valuable to you and everyone else investigating their wine allergy.
Related Article: wine allergy
{ 81 comments… read them below or add one }
Stinging and tightness in cheeks
Hi, not sure if i have an allergy of rose wine or chinese takeaway i get a stinging and tightness in cheeks and lower jaw. This is the second time this has happened. First time i had a glass of white wine which was watered down and then the second time i had a glass of rose wine which i had no pain. Then after eating a chinese takeaway the pain was unbearable. I then sipped on the wine and have continued to get the pain. Arghhhh!!!
For the last six-eight months, I have been having what I believe is an allergic reaction where my face swells all around my eyes and a bit in my cheeks and around my mouth. I believe it is related to some wines–although the problem can be triggered by something else and wine often exacerbates the problem. I have found a similar issue to one writer below–cheap wine, I hadn’t had any bad reaction for months, and then yesterday I had dim sum for a late lunch…and by the time I got home several hours later, I was starting to swell up. I took an allergy pill and it wasn’t too bad, but I had a glass of rose wine with a light dinner and by the time I woke up this morning, my face was really swollen. I’m now convinced it is some wine: cheap, American wine; wines with a high alcohol content, and white wines aged in American oak. European wines do no give me the same reaction.
White wine alergy
Whenever I drink White wine I get very drunk very fast, after only one or two glasses, I become her dizzy and disoriented and feel sick and tired. The next day I have a really bad hangover with a migraine. I can drink other alcohol and red wine and nothing affects me like this! Also I haven’t noticed a problem with champagne and sparkling wine doesn’t seem to affect me as badly. I always convince myself I’m imagining it but when I drink it I always get the same reaction. It is so good to read people on here have the same reaction and I might be right in thinking I have an allergy.
white wine and coeliac disease
I have the same bad experience with white wine. I am a coeliac so wine and spirits are the only options.
Recently I drank three glasses of white wine on a empty stomach at a party, became drunk very quickly and passed out. From what i have read gut leakage can be a problem with coeliacs. The possibility that the wine is passing into the blood stream without passing through the digestive systems.
Are you cutting out gluten?
If you have eliminated all gluten from your diet, then your gut should have healed, and the gut leakage problem should not be a problem.
In any case, alcohol is absorbed through the skin, so even with a perfectly healed gut, you’ll absorb alcohol through your stomach.
Maybe you are more sensitive to alcohol than you used to be.
As you know, drinking on an empty stomach is not a good idea. Don’t do that next time!
white wine and coeliac disease
Any further information worth sharing in regard to the digestive system and blood stream on this subject?
TRUST ME You ARE NOT IMAGINING this! It took me many years to realize that the sulfites are absolutely evil in white wine and the cheaper the wine the worse it gets. The white grape is more fragile as a result they add more sulfites to preserve it. Red grape wine has a natural quality of preservation. AND Sorry to say but US wines I (I avoid them like the plaque) usually have many more sulfites – I get sick from their red wine as well – try drinking only wine from France and Italy (they know their product for centuries) and you will not suffer any ill effects – I too can drink champagne w/o any side effects (unless very cheap) and the best again is from France.
Thanks for sharing the quality angle on wines. Hopefully that will help lots of people to enjoy wine without getting sick.
Lower Back Pain/Hot Flashes
Hi! I am NOT a big drinker at all, and I recently have started drinking some very sweet Red Wine. I notice within minutes after drinking my first sip I get really strong lower back pain and hot flashes. I have had issues with drinking in the past, I remember my first strawberry daiquiri in my early 20’s and it giving me strong chest pains and shooting pains down my arm. I quit drinking after that episode and only drank an occasional beer. I have recently started having mixed drinks like Malibu and Pineapple Juice, with no effects except the hot flashes. The Red Wine is delicious, but I must say, not worth this back pain it gives me!! Wondering if I have some sort of allergy to certain kinds of alcohol and wine?
Alcohol allergy likely
It sounds like you may be allergic to alcohol, Shelly.
Not some kinds of alcohol. There is only one type (that we can drink, and many more that are deadly poison).
It is possible, likely in fact, that you have other allergies besides, and that drinking alcohol makes the other allergies worse.
Or your body may not metabolize alcohol well, which is not the same as an allergy.
From your description, it doesn’t sound like drinking is the best choice for you, as much as I hate to say it!
lower back pain with alcohol
Hey there,
You are the only other person in my 5 years of experience immediate lower back pain when drinking that I have ever heard of! I’m desperate to figure this out, though I am guessing I have an allergic reaction. Have you figured anything out? I’m age 30, and have lived with this since age 25. I rarely drink b/c of the pain it causes.
Sincerely,
Sarah
If I drink any wine other
If I drink any wine other than organic I get chronic back pains and really snotty full of mucus. I saw a homeopath who told me I had allergy to sulphites added to cheap wines
Dear Sarah
My boyfriend thought it was hilarious that I got lower back pain the next day after drinking even a very little red wine. I am thankful to know that I am not the only one with this peculiar symptom. It also confirms for me that red wine and alcohol in general is a no no for me.
Regards
Avril
wine allergy ?
I am quite definitely allergic to wheat (but not coeliac) and I can be sensitive to yeast (vinegars, sugar in products etc). My allergy comes out in the form of swollen eyes, skins rashes and itching. However, I’ve noticed that sometimes (within an hour or so) after drinking wine I become very sniffly – allergic rhinitis ? The next morning I wake up with a blocked nose, a bit like I’ve got a cold (which I don’t). I realise there is yeast in wine but drinking wine never brings on any of my “usual” symptoms. At the moment I’m not sure if it’s white wine or red or both that can cause this problem – I’ve only just realised (through internet searches) that allergic rhinitis can indicate a wine allergy (my wheat allergy does not cause this). I drank some white wine last night and when I went to bed I was “full of the cold” and am still that way this morning – even though I do not have a cold. I will track it and see if red wine causes the same problem.
Yeast and Wheat allergy symptoms
Thanks for the description, Kaz.
Symptoms are very individualistic. There could be someone else out there who gets allergic rhinitis from eating wheat, but not from drinking wine.
It is very useful to track your own symptoms and find out what allergens cause those symptoms for you.
Should be interesting to hear if red wine causes the same symptoms for you. If not, then we have to wonder: what is the difference between red wine and white wine (in terms of allergens)?
Im searching this very post right now because I get the same thing. I love wine, white wine. But depending on how much of it I drink; my hangovers vary from allergic rhinitis(intense sneezing.) to full blown nausea. But too much beer or too much white wine get me sniffly.
If I am allergic to yeast can I drink wine? What can I drink?
I wish to know if my yeast allergy prevents me from drinking wine. If so what can I drink.
Depending …
Most would recommend staying away from wine completely in the case of a yeast allergy.
A true yeast allergy would put such a person in an impossible situation. There is yeast absolutely everywhere!
You may be able to have some wine, depeinding on how sensitive you are to yeast.
If you are new to managing your yeast allergy, avoid wine.
If you’ve been successfully managing it for a while, try a sip of wine and see how you are. Next time try a little more.
This way you’ll find out if wine works for you or not.
Do not attempt this if yeast causes serious problems for you.
red & white don’t mix
I have gone to many wine tastings and wine dinners and have learned that if I drink both red and white wine at the tasting, I become violently ill the next morning. I can drink many glasses of white, or many glasses of red, but it only happens when I mix the two. I am fine after the tasting and even take a breathalyzer immediately afterword and usually blow a 0 or very close to it. The next morning (or sometimes in the night) I wake up with diarrhea, stomach cramps, and nausea. I also occasionally drink martinis after wine with no side effects. What could be causing this???
I have no known allergies to food, just to penicillin and sulfa drugs.
If you are allergic to sulfa drugs then you are allergic to sulphites which are found abundantly in wine — especially non-organic ones. Sulphites occur naturally in organic wine production, but in non-organic wine production synthetic sulphites are added to preserve the wine and give it consistency. If you drink organic wines you will likely have either fewer symptoms, or none at all.
Brain fog, migraines, but not with mead?
I stopped drinking red wines years ago, as they are a migraine trigger for me. I recently tried some honey wine – actually mead – and to my surprise, had NO adverse reactions at all. Typically after 1 or 2 glasses of wine (any grape based wine) I have blurred vision, slurred speech, difficulty following a conversation, nausea, headache, etc. I always thought this was it meant to be “drunk”. Yet I can drink an entire bottle of mead with none of those issues and wake up fine in the morning. The alcohol content is the same, so apparently what affects me in wine made with grapes is not the alcohol. I’m still trying to figure this out…..
How about spirits?
Not that I recommend drinking excessively but …
Have you tried spirits/mixed drinks?
wine allergy
when I drink any kind of wine (including organic ones) I get achy joints and feel itchy (no hives). I can drink Sake and other alcoholic drinks (including beer) without these symptoms.
do i have an allergy to red wine?
i used to drink loads when i was younger but decided to stop drinking completely for about 3 years. Then i really started to fancy a glass of wine in the evening with my wife but started being really ill the next day. id wake up feeling like i had the flu and as soon as i sat up out of bed i wanted to throw up and the room would spin, this would carry on till about 3ish in the afternoon then id start to come to, after a while we decided that it must be the wine so i stopped having it and didn t have a problem again, someone said that i could have an allergy to the suphites in the wine but im not sure what it is. any ideas?
Wine allergy link
Please see the related article wine allergy.
I’ve added the link to the main article above – forgot to add the cross reference, thanks for reminding me!
Wine Allergy
I just recently started drinking wine again after not drinking for 5 years. I am breaking out in very ichy hives. They can manifest in different places such as palms of hands, arms and feet. Do you think that it could be wine?
Wine Allergy
Hi Mary,
Sorry to hear about the hives.
Hope it’s not the wine, but it could be.
The only way to know for sure is to stop drinking wine for a while and see if it clears up.
After it clears up, if drinking wine brings it back, then you’ll have bad news about drinking wine.
Hope it clears up and doesn’t come back.
Wine and Gluten Allergies
I have been cutting glutens out of my diet as I have developed a BAD rash and itch on legs mid section arms and back…cutting out glutens seems to be working..my itching has greatly declined. So to celebrate I poured a glass of Merlot and within 15 mins I started to itch like crazy!! I have NEVER been allergic to wine before but then I wasn’t allergic to Glutens either. I am having a hard time finding information on wine causing this type (ITCHING) of allergic reation. I of course dumped the wine and will not drink red wine again….(I’ll try white wine which I prefer anyway…luckily) but I am still curious as to what in the wine could cause such severe itching.
Wine and gluten – Multiple allergies likely
Hi Linda,
Well, that’s no fun – having a problem with gluten and wine!
Few people have just one allergy, so it could well be that you’ve developed multiple allergies.
It is also possible that the gluten allergy masked the symptoms to the wine.
I hope it isn’t the yeast that is causing the trouble – that is common between wine and bread, forming a kind of link (almost) with gluten – if you see what I mean.
Give wine a good long rest (or red wine, if you fine you’re OK with white) and then you might see what happens in a few months or a year or two – if you dare.
Good luck!
White wine – ? reaction
The reason for writing at 1240pm is that I am unable to sleep because I am itchy all over! I cannot see any hives.
The only connection I can make, is that I had a glass and a half of a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc tonight – I generally only drink a small amount of red, and this is all we had!
I have had this itching in the past, but not for a long time, it generally comes on when I am in bed and I am warm and then it starts! Thats it then, I have to get up, sometimes I take a shower as it occasionally helps, and I also take an anti-histimine just in case it was a reaction. I thought I’d look it up on the computer tonight, and found this site, which is when I thought I’d write, I have never thought it would possibly be connected to the wine.
I not a “sensitive” person, and never react to food or any other drinks.
Itching
I have experienced extremely itchy feet when drinking some red wines, the same occurs on occasion when eating Chinese food. The itching is always confined to my feet.
alcohol allergy?
I’ve always had aversion to alcohol since I usually felt pretty lousy after drinking even a few sips of beer and wine, but last night I slowly drank a glass of white wine (this is the most i’ve ever drank of wine before) and had a very obvious reaction. My face got beet-red, I was very dizzy, drunk-like feeling instantly and my face got numb and i got extremely sleepy and disoriented with a sinus headache and congestion. It was almost like a wave of flu-like symptoms, my face was burning hot but my body was freezing. In the past I had this same reaction to hot sake, an almost immediate flu-like sickness and disorientation. (also felt this way to excessing amounts of MSG in food, but I don’t’ know if that is related) I have noticed that rum-based drinks do not bother me the same way. I am a definite lightweight so rum makes me tipsy very quickly but those immediate flu-like symptoms are not present with rum.
I’ve learned that my Grandmother had similar red-faced and alcohol aversion issues and I had a great Aunt who passed from esophageal cancer. Any ideas on what my problem is would be appreciated!!
alcohol allergy
Hi. I feel for you. I have the same and what you are allergic to is simply Brewers Yeast. It is used in all alcoholic beverages so stay away from it. Also be aware of Balsamic Vinegrate. Same thing
I am 35 and I just recently
I am 35 and I just recently found out I have barrett’s esophagus and for years if i ever drank wine i would instantly turn into the life of the party…”my face is numb…oop, there goes my chin, my legs, etc” in some cases i could barely brush my teeth normally for days because it hurt to put my teeth together. I even asked my dentist and we discussed a possible alcohol allergy. I am a light-weight as well and could never drink much without feeling some effect immediately. My son just got tested today and found he has a grape allergy along with mold and candida, among other things. I am also prone to yeast infections and had them on my chest while nursing my 2 kids. I am now definitely calling to get allergy tested for grape, mold and yeast. The Barretts came out of nowhere last July and if I can stop the progression of it before it turns into esopahgeal cancer I will do anything. Check into why your Aunt died from E. Cancer, did she have heartburn? . Good luck!
Reaction to alcohol
I am having immediate reactions to alcohol. My sinus become inflamed and I immediately loose my sense of taste and smell. My cheeks become flushed and a hot flash passes over me. My lungs feel tightened, like I’m having an asthma attack. I guess I’ll go back to the allergist to be tested again. I never had the food allergy tests.
wine
I’ve recently noticed that if I drink Rose wine, then my stomach starts to gurgle then I get bad diarohhea. I don’t get any type of stomach pain or any other symptom. Two nights ago I was out with friends and drank white wine….. and it happened again. I’m not allergic to anything and I never drink on an empty stomach.
Crazy from Rose Wine
I have noticed on a few occations that only 1 – 2 small glasses of rose wine can transform me into a monster. I can not remember what I say or do all I know is I have to be somewhere on my own as I hurt my hubby emotionally and nothing and none can stop me. My brain is ponding, I can hardly descripe the feeling. I can drink red or white without these effects, but rose is dangerous for me. It took me a while to figure out it could be the rose wine, always thought I get drunk very quick. I can sip 3 – 4 glasses of white on a nice evening and have no reaction. I get a bit tipsy, but nothing like from the rose. I wake up the next morning feeling terribly hangover with strong headaches and still feeling slightly drunk even half through the day. I stay away from it…I have no idea what causes it. Some people told me it could be the sugar content, but then I can drink slightly sweeter whites.
Wine/gluten allergy
I deffinately have a gluten allergy however celiac test was negative…
I get diarrhea from even the smallest amounts of gluten. Since finding this allergy I’ve noticed I can’t drink alcohol either. Even white wine cooked in home made bearnaise sauce gave me diarrhea! I seem to be ok with vinegarettes though. I never used to have this problem. Now I can’t even have 1mouthfull of red or white wine without getting diarrhea! I can generally feel a burning sensation inside straight after a sip and then 1-2 hrs later it starts coming through and I can be on the toilet for hours after that. It is painful!
Wine and sleepless nights dehydrated and feeling sick
Until recently I had no problem drinking 2 or 3 glasses of wine when out at dinner. However over the past month after having anything between 1 and 3 glasses of wine in the evening with dinner, I will wake up in the middle of the night unpleasantly dehydrated and very awake. No matter how much water I drink, I don’t feel refreshed. I then get a really bad headache.
I have a very bad gluten and wheat allergy, but I have been diagnosed with this for over 10 years.
What could it be? I mainly drink white wine and often rose in the summer, and I’m getting the same reaction to both the past month.
Instant Back Pain/Spasm from Alcohol
I have always been allergic to alcohol but the reaction was losing my voice due to the vocal chords swelling. Now when I drink, within 10 minutes of sipping alcohol my middle back goes into one big very painful muscle spasm that lasts for 20 minutes. After that I can drink as much as I like and it doesn’t come back. Needless to say I choose not to drink. I just find it very curious and wondered if anyone else has the same reaction.
Possible Wine Allergy!
This is not being clever but since the late 70’s have been drinking between one and two bottles of red wine a night with very varying feelings – sometimes one glass is far too much and other times could like more.
In the last six months I have noticed that my tounge feels swollen in my mouth and I think its the wine.
I usually drink from boxes of wine and keep the bottles for dinner parties etc.
I am wondering if one can develop an allergy later in life – I am now 60.
Is it posiible there is now some sort of additives in boxes of wine.
Could it be a certain type of grape.
I really like my wine and have grave misgivings that its the wine that is causing problems.
I have stopped drinking wine for a couple of weeks and it appears to relieve the problem and recently had a glass and within minutes my tounge seemed to be too big for my mouth.
I do have health issues and do take medication.
Has anyone got any similar happenings.
Allergies later in life possibe, also health problems
It is possible to develop allergies later in life, or for existing ones to become worse.
Just because you have a reaction to food or alcohol, does not necessarily make it an allergy.
It could be that alcohol interacts with your other health problems. I must day, one to two bottles per night is rather a lot of wine. I’m sure that much wine all at once hasn’t done you any good over the years.
I have been noticing that in the last year I can’t drink wine anymore without feeling poorly the next day. I used to become stuffy in the nose until I had surgery on my deviated septum. Still, I get horrible headaches and heart palpitations, dilated eyes and even just 2 glasses of wine or even 1 and I feel poorly the next day. Sometimes I even get rashes and raw skin. Last night I did have several glasses of white wine(I prefer Chardonnay) over several hours and probably a bit too much. This morning I woke up with a massive headache, no surprise, but later in the day I started to have very bad chest pains like indigestion and then hives all over, even on the bottom of my feet, in my ears, my eyes, my forehead, my chest, everywhere. Then my throat started to swell and I got very scared. I took a benedryl immediately and 2 steroid pills which I have on hand because I have a severe allergy to fish. I was afraid I would have to use the Eppy Pen. I was considering going to the ER, but I took a nap and feel so much better after the benedryl. Hangover symptoms have disappeared. I think I must have developed an allergy to wine.
I too have a severe allergy with Fish, and have managed to avoid the problem with it for many years now. The allergy to FISH was a progressive allergy over a number of years which became life threatening. I am worried this may be happening with wine now. I too prefer Chardonnay. Over the past few years, I have increasingly developed symptoms of sneezing, rhinitis, itchy eyes and palpitations even tingling of my tongue and tightness in throat and chest, this is happening quicker and quicker, now down to only 1/2 a glass of white wine! So I guess I cannot drink white wine anymore either just like no more fish!
I have never been much of a drinker. Recently, we started a ladies night once a month. It seems that each time I have a glass of white wine (3-4 oz) I do not feel well. Usually the symptoms would occur in the middle of the night while I was sleeping. I would wake with hot flashes, feeling like I had a terrible hang over – unable to quench my thirst for several hours, overall feeling terrible. Last week I had a glass of white wine after a full plate of food and with in 15-30 minutes I was experiencing hot flashes, my face, neck and chest looked like I had been out in the sun for hours, I felt disoriented, my face was tingly all over – just felt out of it – switch over to water and had some fresh fruit – about an hour later I was feel better again. I am about to have a mixed drink without any symptoms. (Malibu with fruit juices – 1 glass) Is it possible that I am suffering from an allergic reaction? (42yoa and never experienced this before – started to notice it over the passed 6 months – symptoms progressively getting worse) And, of course, I will not be drinking any white wine.
It could be an allergic reaction. Or it could be that wine does not agree with you for some reason.
Either way, if it makes you feel bad, you’re best to avoid it. At least mixed drinks work for you
I have found when I drink some white wine I feel terrible. Today I had one glass of Riesling with lunch and I had hot flushes from my chest to the top of my head. I felt very tired and my eyes feel like I haven’t slept in ages. When I came back to work I was asked if I had been crying. Now, some 3 hours later I still feel very tired and lethargic. I won’t be drinking that Rielsing again!
I have been experiencing swollen lips that turn into very sensitive, chapped and cracked lips over the last 4 months. I am noticing that white wine seems to cause the swelling. There is no common food that I can link the swelling/chapping to. I am also Celiac, and after reading all these posts, am wondering if there is a connection to being sensitive to white wine?? I am 52 and have been diagnosed for 20 years, and have been drinking white wine for even longer than that with no problem.
Hi Ellen,
Your symptoms sound like a drag.
I’m sure you are very careful to avoid gluten. I do suggest that you re-check everything you’re eating, to make sure you (or more likely someone else) is not slipping up somewhere, or that one of your trusted brands hasn’t gone and changed the ingredients on you.
As for the possibility of white wine causing the problem, the only way to find out for sure is to stop drinking it for a few weeks.
Its also possible that the problem is not caused by food. It could be other environmental circumstances, like mold or pollution etc. This seems unlikely but don’t rule it out.
Hi Ellen,
I have been experiencing the exact same symptoms with my lips. Every weekend for the last 6 weeks, my lips become very chapped and sensitive, slight burning feeling and even a clear ooze along the outside of my lips. It only happens over the weekend so I thought maybe it was a reaction to being in the sun. I eliminated that suspection after not being out doors last weekend and the symptoms still came back.
The only thing it could possibly be is white wine (which is typically the only type of alcohol I drink and only on the weekends). I have not changed my eating habbits and the patterns match exactly.
Then around Tuesday of each week, they start to peel slightly, the oozing stops, and by wednesday or Thursday, my lips are almost completely fine. Then once the weekend comes around and I drink the white wine again, the cycle starts all over. Earlier last week I did have a few glasses of red wine and my lips did not have a reaction. Last night, however, I had wine wine and again this morning, my lips are going through another reaction. Next weekend I am going to forego the white and try drinking only red wine and see what happens.
I’ve been drinking white wine for years and it’s very strange that this is just now happening. The reaction makes me feel absolutely miserable and leaves me in extreme discomfort and if white wine is the issue, I will be hugely disappointed!
I have just suddenly in the past 2months become less tolerant towards alcohol. I have always randomly got a red face when drinking (unpredictable and also incurable apart from time once I have it, and it doesn’t always occur) which I recently found out could be due to a histamine intolerance. This is fine, and I can accept it. However, I have recently (in the past two months) dropped my weekend binge drinking and am feeling rather nauseous after just one glass of red wine. After reading the responses from this website, I could possibly see a link in sulphites….maybe. But could there be any other reason? I am waking up some mornings dreadfully terrible – drowsy, yucky mouth, headachey (AND I NEVER GET HEADACHES) and just basically dread-full however I have not had a big night at all, just one glass of red wine. Also, I have gone off beer, more than twice I have had one beer and literally felt so nauseous afterwards I have not been able to watch tv comfortably or even relax easily, this is also the same brand beer I have always drank.
I drink the normal daily limit of 2litres of water per day, and do not eat excessive junk food either. I did have a bad tummy bug shortly after (and a couple of times during) traveling through South and East Africa which I did for 3 months. Could this possibly have stripped the good bacteria in my stomach which makes my digestion of alcohol a lot let thorough? I don’t really know what I am talking about, but I just don’t know why this is anymore, histamines and sulphites and all sorts just arn’t convincing me enough. Thoughts? Any help?? Thanks heaps
Hi Merryl,
When you say you’ve dropped “binge drinking”, I assume you were drinking far too much. Could be your body has had just about enough of alcohol for the time being, or more specifically to your favorite drinks.
Good that you’re sticking to moderation. Try different types of drinks.
Yeast could be the problem, and that would certainly be a commonality between beer and wine. Cocktails might suit you better (but not too many!)
Whenever I drink wine, a few hours later, I get terrible CHILLS! Where I’m cold all over, especially my feet, can’t get warm and I can feel the wine is in my system still, as if my body isn’t processing it..I haven’t seen these symptoms mentioned anywhere on this site or on the internet so maybe it’s the wine reacting with another ‘medical issue’ that I don’t know I have! But anyone with any advice/suggestions or similar situation, I’d love your input!
Wine reactions here too. This is all very new to me. The back of my throat swells up and I have a lot of trouble breathing. I figured it was asthma exacerbated by alcohol although I haven’t yet been diagnosed with asthma (still waiting for the specialist appointment *sigh*). The symptoms seem to come on when I drink red wine. So I stopped almost a week ago and I’m breathing better. Plus the rash on my legs and torso is fading. As I’m writing this, I realize it sounds pretty miserable…There’s nothing quite like feeling like you might die but not wanting to spend the night in the emergency room just to be sent back home. So yeah, I guess I’ll give it up for a couple of weeks and try it again. Possibly on a weekend so I can get myself to the hospital if needed.
BTW, this quite saddens me as my father always took great joy in making his own wine from his friends grape farm. I never had a problem with it until this year…
What a drag, Nic!
I wonder … is it home made wine you have a problem with, or commercial wine?
I haven’t had any of homemade wine for a couple of years (my father’s friend recently passed away) so I’d have to answer store bought. It seems more likely than not that I will get a reaction from any reds. I haven’t tried whites as I don’t care for them. I can’t believe it’s taken me a couple of months to figure out that red wine is at least one of my problems. Go figure. Denial I guess.
Sounds like you’ll definitely have to give it a rest. Given the reactions you have, drinking wine sounds pretty scary! Good luck with it.
Hi,
I can not begin to tell you how reassuring all these comments have been. I have been a fairly big drinker (and appreciator) of wine for a long time. I gave up smoking a year ago and ever since have noticed that when I drink wine (particularly white) the next day I have the mother of all hangovers, splitting head ache, acute sinus attack, vomiting and black outs. I have been struggling with the idea that this is an allergic reaction to wine, as most have just scoffed at the idea. I thought perhaps I was drinking quicker since cutting out cigs, but the symptoms are gradually getting worst (it took me all week to get over last saturday and i still have a sinus infection) I find spirits or cocktails do not have the same effect….oh dear, life without wine is a sad contemplation.
I think i might be allergic to wine but not sure. About a month ago the boyfriend and i ate dinner and had some white wine, a reisling. i immediately felt hot and my arms got splotchy and a few bumps appeared but only on my arms. it went away and i was fine. since then i’ve drank mainly margaritas and beer and occasionaly some wine. this past tuesday night we went to eat mexican food and i had a sangria margarita. when we got in the car i noticed my arms were splotchy and i had red spots that looked like mosquito bites on the insides of my arms. again, my arms were the only place doing this.
i think i’m allergic to wine. what do you think?
I get terrible headaches caused by Sinusitus the following morning after drinking wine. I never get any symptoms the night I am drinking and always feel fine until the next day. Do I have an allergy to wine?
I have been having terrible reactions to rose wine (has happened occasionally with some reds but not as bad as this).
I feel fine when I am drinking it but during the night I can’t sleep and I feel like I’m stuck in a nightmare, my thoughts race along without any control and I feel as if I am going mad, if I do manage to sleep then it is lucid dreams/hallucinations and then my head feels like there is pressure inside (not a headache) and even thought I was having a stoke last night.
I hadn’t drank rose for about a year because of these symptoms but had 3 glasses last night at a party hoping it would be ok but obviously not. Still feel out of it now. I don’t feel sick just shaky and disorientated and still pressure in my head.
I wondered if this had happened to anybody else? and also if anybody knows what is there in rose that isn’t in white? or what is there more of? I am absolutely fine with white wine.
Obviously after this I am never touching rose again but would be great to get some feedback.
Ive had a rash apear on the corners of my mouth…. they are not scabby or itchy or raised…just red skin. I tried cutting out different food/drinks and couldnt find the reason then one night I was round a friend – lots of white wine and I woke in the morning to VERY bright red lips…. so I thought maybe its the white wine – so I stopped and changed to red and the marks certainly faded – still there but not very noticeable. So I hadnt drank white wine for ages and the other night just thougth id try a glass and the same thing happend in the morning RED marks in the corners of my mouth. So Im certain that im allergic to white wine – but like i say the rash is still there but just very faint….im wondering if there is something else that im drinking/eating that is stopping the rash from completly disapearing…something that contains the same thing as white wine?
On 3 occasions in the last 6 months I have drank white wine and got extremely drunk from very little, often falling asleep. I have always drank white wine and dont really like other alcohol and the majority of the time can easily drink a bottle and feel ok. Why has this happened on 3 occasions and other times I can drink twice the amount and be ok? I never drink on an empty stomach so it cant be that. I am starting to wonder if I may be allergic or intolerant to specific wines or chemicals in them.
Hi Louise,
What is your definition of “very little” wine?
A whole bottle is a lot of wine. Half a bottle is still more than plenty.
The question is: what happens if you have just one glass of wine?
hi, i’m a 57 year old male ans have drunk wines & beers since my teens. i had two incidences of Syncope (fainting) immediatly after drinking white wine. i was taken to hospital both times by ambulance and after the second event fitted with a pace maker. 3 weeks later i had the same thing happen. i have had almost every heart test done except an EP (electrophysiology) study which they now want to do. there was a susspicion that drinking was a factor so i stopped. whilst staying in a hotel with my wife we were presented with a bottle of white wine on arrival to our room. within seconds of drinking the wine i got flushes and sweats and passed in and out of conciousness. i now believe i have some sort of allergy to white wine or something in it. can you help? how can i prove this?
Hi John,
It sounds like you are best to avoid white wine. If you never get another fainting spell, assume white wine is the problem.
Of course this may not really be the case, but given the consequences, it isn’t worth the risk.
Sounds like your doctors think all problems are heart-related. I suggest you find a new doctor with a broader concept of human health.
I stopped drinking red wine because I get drunk super fast on it and I will throw up after only drinking 2 glasses of it!. I tried a glass of white wine with supper recently and a couple hours later I had the worst stomach cramps and sat on the toilet for 1/2 an hour. I didn’t throw up but didn’t feel well either. I love wine, what the heck! I am not allergic to any other foods, all my allergies are environmental, cat and dogs, dust, etc.
1) The type of reaction you get: Dhiarrhea
2) A description of the wine: “white” wines ex. Chablis wine (French), Mijiu (Chinese)
3) Other foods that cause any kind of an allergic reaction: sea food sauces
4) Anything else you think might help: it only happens in chinese and sea food restaurants, but I tested I am 100% negative on all types of sea food.
Hi, I have found over the last couple of years that I can’t drink any wine. I have quite a severe reaction to it.
1).The type of reaction you get: A few mouthfuls and my cheeks start to flare up and I feel hot. My throat starts to feel as though it is closing up, it swells but doesn’t close up completely.
2) A description of the wine: Red and White wine.
3) Other foods that cause any kind of an allergic reaction: Kiwi Fruit. Same reaction as wine.
4) Anything else you think might help:I have found piriton syrup is no help. I have same side effects to it as wine and kiwi?! strange?!
I’m drinking a glass of white wine (I never drink white usually but my Mom left some at my house). I had an allergic reaction earlier in the day (to something unknown). I know I’m allergic to corn but had a turnover (wheat flour, honey, eggs, yeast, salt, butter and milk) with spinach and feta cheese in it (the cheese could contain enzymes derived from corn). Immediately after beginning to drink the wine I have an itchy scalp and my telltale right hand has little red bumps on it and is beginning to itch. The rash on my right hand usually appears on my wrist area now, on the right side of the hand. Before I knew about my food allergies it covered all of the tops of my right and left hands from the knuckles to the wrist. I’m totally perplexed because I drink red wine (only Frye) and beer (fishtale organic ales) with no allergic reaction. I also drink 100% agave tequila and 100% potato vodka with no reaction. What is in the white wine that could cause this? I had completely gotten over my reaction earlier today from the turnover when this happened. I’ve wondered if I’m allergic to yeast before, but figured I wasn’t because I can drink beer and wine without noticing a problem. Now I’m totally confused.
Hi, after happily drinking wine for years I have had an increasing problem with bottled wine. Cask seems to be OK but yesterday I had the worst reaction yet after drinking 1 1/2 glasses of white wine at lunch I became increasingly nauseated and had quite severe stomach pain, I became quite wheezy and had nasty diahorrea. By 3 hours later I was a bit achey all over and needed to sleep. The stomach pain has lessened to discomfort by today. I had thought that it was only red wine and up until now it had just caused me to vomit after 2 glasses and a headache followed. Why is this worse in bottled wine and not cask? I am not allergic to anything but am an asthmatic with lots of hay fever and tend to take a lot of anti-histamines. This has only started in the last 2 years. I love my wine and would love to know what it is so i can maybe find something I can drink safely.
I am gluten sensitive and have eosiniphilic esophagitis. I am allergic to grains, chicken, peanuts, olives, onions and green beans which all started in my mid 20’s.
When I drink beer my throat closes almost immediately and it’s hard to swallow and is painful until the restriction releases (10 minutes to several hours later). If I drink whiskey which is half corn/half wheat I am fine, but in excess I will have a worse hangover the next morning. Potato and grape vodkas I am fine.
I can drink all the red wine I want and be fine, but white wines and champagnes give me the same reaction as beer, but I don;t have a yeast or sulfite allergy. I don’t undersxtand it unless something in it just irritates my esophagus?
I usually have a glass or two of wine a night, usually red which I thoroughly enjoy. Like many people on here I find that sometimes 1 glass will make me feel hot and moody, other times I’ll be fine after 3. Every month just a few days before my period (sorry men!) I’ll get a really itchy part on my face between nose and mouth, a very runny nose and sneezing fits. The following day I usually wake up with a red/purple swollen area which could be anywhere on the right hand side of my face. Its been on my nose, to the side of my nose (so much it pushed my nose to one side) under my eye, on my upper eyelid, on my cheek/jaw or all of the above.
I can’t for the life of me think what I’ve been eating that could set it off but am going for a skin prick test in October to rule out allergies.
i wonder if anyone else has had a similar experience around the same time when apparently all my hormone levels are rock bottom. I’ve had blood tests whic have all come back normal so look forward to finding out what could be causing it. i drink a variety of wines from different countries so may have to start a diary.
I recently noticed that every time I drink wine (red or white) I get horrible allergy/sinus problems (sneezing, runny nose, drainage, congestion, etc.) It’s horribe. I love to come home from work and drink 1 to 2 glasses every night and haven’t been able to for the past 2 months. I’m 44 y.o. and haven’t had this problem ever! How does this just happen overnight?
After a few glasses of red wine I wake up in the mornings with a horrible back ache,, kidney ache
Twice I’ve had a severe anaphylatic
reaction after drinking champagne.The first one with blots and rashes and was hospitalised.The second time was in Rheims since I thaught french champagne would be ok.I can drink beer,red wine , spirits and nothing happens so maybe it ’s not yeast or sulfites.
Could there be any other cause?I developed asthma after 58 and had always suffered from rhinitis.
I have no idea if I’m imagining this or not, but I think I get emotional for a few days after drinking cheap whites, or even cheap ciders (that also contain sulphur)
All of my emotions seem to be exaggerated, there are usually even a few teary moments.
I’ve been looking on the internet trying to see if anyone else has the same symptoms, so far with no luck. Is it possible that they’re related – or is it just ‘lucky’ timing?
I’m actually a reasonaby decent drinker, having a couple of big nights a week, but tend to stick with vodka with no ill effects…
Allergies can certainly cause emotional problems and upsets, so I expect you’re not imagining it at all.
Sounds like you know what’s bad for you – best you avoid those things!
I have enjoyed white wine for years but avoided red as it gives me a headache. very suddenly over the last few weeks even 2 small glasses of wine and I have a dreadful night, sweating, vivid dreams, aching, wide awake even though tired. The following day I have sickness, diaarhoea, aching, terrible headache that puts me in bed. I have just started to tie it up to the wine this week but I’m interested in the yeast connection as I’ve been cutting down on bread which makes me bloated. Any suggestions/advice welcome.
Everytime I drink red or white wine I get a stuffy nose and itchy eyes. I’m beginning to think I have a mild allergy to wine!? They aren’t severe symptoms but they sure are annoying
hi, everytime i drink any kind of rose wine i have a reaction, my throat gets really sore and my glands swell alot. i also get terrible fevers where im shivering,sweating and i get headaches. ive gone to the doctors about it but they always say its glandular fever of tonsillitis, however i only ever get this when i drink rose wine i have researched some other sites and found other people who react in the same way to me.