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Headaches when drinking alcohol?

Discussion in 'Alcohol' started by Andorphin, Feb 1, 2016.

  1. Andorphin

    Andorphin Member

    Hello guys. I remember about two years ago when I used to drink beer that I had some terrible headaches minutes after drinking. I also remember that I used to break out pretty bad when drinking alcohol. Has this type of thing ever happened to you? Is this normal?
  2. Waterel

    Waterel Active Contributor

    It could be an allergy you have to alcohol. Headaches are not supposed to appear the second you begin drinking, but the day after. Or you can also take this as a sign that you should not drink alcohol, which makes it easier for you to abstain!
  3. Joethefirst

    Joethefirst Community Champion

    Consider yourself lucky. It is clear that your body doesn't tolerate alcohol. All the symptoms that you have described are the reaction to an allergy.
  4. Mara

    Mara Community Champion

    It's clear that you and alcohol do not go well together. I suggest that you veer away from it. Usually, we get headaches when we've had too much to drink and that we do not have enough water in our system. Just stick to water and you'd be fine. :D
  5. L_B

    L_B Community Champion

    Alcohol always had the same effect on me. Beer gives me a terrible headache. I have just found that it is not worth it to drink. I never really enjoyed it and couldn't understand why people would rather get drunk then just go somewhere and have a good time without alcohol. It is so much better when you remember everything the next day. Yours could have been an allergy or it was just your body telling you that it didn't agree with you. Even way its a good thing.
  6. IgCho

    IgCho Member

    Agreed with those here. The symptoms you are describing are classic signs of an alcohol allergy. It likely is a good thing for you, but remember like most allergies the impact of these symptoms can change in severity over time. I actually have an uncle who used to be badly allergic to most beers, but at this point doesn't experience any additional adverse effects from the consumption of them. Either way it's also probably important to remember you may have an allergy to the alcohol itself or some other ingredient in the beer which could pop up in other places as well, so that's something you may want to be considerate of in the future.
  7. melody

    melody Active Contributor

    I get a headache as well. I actually asked my doctor about it and she said that I do not have a full blown allergy, but a sensitivity. That just seems to be the new word for less severe allergy. I am kind of glad that it has this effect one me because it makes me not want to drink. There are too many alcoholics in the family.
  8. gracer

    gracer Community Champion

    I also experienced head aches and the feeling that I'm almost going to pass out when I used to heavily drink alcohol. I had to keep myself awake for some time or drink a heavy dose of coffee first before laying down on bed or else Everything around me would turn and my head would feel like it's going to burst. It was really an awful feeling I don't ever want to feel again.
    melody likes this.
  9. Rosyrain

    Rosyrain Community Champion

    I would say that your body is doing you a favor and rejecting the alcohol. I sometimes get dehydrated on the summer after drinking, but that does not start for at least a couple of hours.
  10. Shenwil

    Shenwil Senior Contributor

    Most likely you are allergic to the alcohol. I would good for you, at least you won't have to worry about getting addicted to it.
  11. Okaviator

    Okaviator Senior Contributor

    You should consider yourself very lucky. Your body is trying to tell you that alcohol shouldn't be consumed. If I were you I would stay away from alcohol before it becomes an addiction.
  12. lonelyfaith

    lonelyfaith Member

    I used to get headaches too when drinking alcohol. Even when I didn't drink that much, I remember getting a headache. I am not sure what caused them. I know the next day if I had one after drinking a lot it was due to a hangover. Usually headaches are caused from dehydration when drinking or after drinking. Not sure if there is any other cause or not. I so don't miss those headaches or hangovers.
  13. Vinaya

    Vinaya Community Champion

    Perhaps you are allergic to alcohol. Years ago, when ever I took more than three drinks, I would puke in couple of minutes. Then I limited my drinks to two, I did not went to that condition again.
  14. bleblanc10

    bleblanc10 Senior Contributor

    There was a period of time in which I experienced this as well. It eventually just stopped.
  15. serenity

    serenity Community Champion

    I have not experienced that personally but I would have to agree that you might be allergic to alcohol. That's a good thing though, since you won't be able to drink more of it, so it's beneficial to your health.
  16. dyanmarie25

    dyanmarie25 Community Champion

    I have never experienced such a thing with alcohol before. I would usually get headaches the morning after I have drank alcohol, but not after a couple of minutes. It's a good thing you didn't suffer from any major health issue.
  17. Nancy D.

    Nancy D. Senior Contributor

    I hardly drink alcohol because of the damaging affect and the way I feel afterwards is no walk in the park. I don't think we should abuse alcohol more importantly we should drink it in moderation...just like anything else. The long term affects are astounding and are just as bad as prolonged drug use.
  18. MichelleVL

    MichelleVL Senior Contributor

    Oh my God Andorphin! This happens to me too! When I was in college I would drink at least once every weekend. As college got more and more serious, I stopped partying and that was that. After that I would drink 2 or 3 times a year on Christmas or Thanksgiving, or maybe like a company party, and never more than 1 or 2 drinks. After that I spent about 2 years without drinking any alcohol, because I simply didn't feel like it. Ever since Christmas this past year, every time I've had a drink my head hurts. Not right away though, it takes about 15-20 minutes to start hurting. I noticed it because I had a drink on Christmas and it happened, then I had one on New Year's and it happened as well. I tried having one on my Class Reunion and hadn't even had 1/4 of the drink before it started it hurting, so I just let it go. It was the weirdest thing. It was like having a hangover at the beginning the night.

    I'm highly allergic to seafood, peanuts bananas, and it's really bad. I've been rushed to the hospital when I've had these things because I couldn't breathe and would break out hives. I would totally swell up. So I don't think that the theory about me being allergic to it is accurate, maybe it's something else altogether, but who knows. Sorry I couldn't help, but at least you know that you're not the only one.
  19. bretthuda33

    bretthuda33 Active Contributor

    I experienced this the other night. I hardly drink. Maybe once or twice a year but the symptoms came on maybe half an hour after drinking. It lasted pretty much the whole day. I don't think I am allergic or sensitive to the alcohol but I know most drinks have lots of other chemicals and preservatives which may have caused it. I was also bored, that's why I decided to have a drink and it just made me kind of sick which frustrated me even more. Glad I'll never have that problem again!
  20. kassie1234

    kassie1234 Community Champion

    I never experienced any headaches - unless it was the next day with a hangover. But not whilst drinking. To me, like others have said, your symptoms sound like some kind of allergic reaction (particularly the breaking out - sounds a bit like hives).

    All the more reason to stay away from it!