When i drink alcohol i ALWAYS get cold-like symptoms the next day?? Surely this can't be right?

[Gemmaann07]

I'm 19 years old, and i enjoy going out with my friends on the weekend having a few drinks. I really enjoy doing this but now i find that i don't want to because everytime i drink, i always wake up with cold-like symptoms the next day. I get really bad cold symptoms, runny nose, sneezing, bad sinus conjestion etc. It's really having an effect on my social life, i don't need to drink of course, but i enjoy it and i don't want to have to stop because i feel so ill the next day, i don't think this is normal and want to find out if anyones had the same effects or knows what it might be? I was leading towards thinking its an allergy or some kind maybe? Who knows, but it's putting me off going out whenever alcohol is involved! Not to mention making me lose a day afterwards! :(

[emailbrianjohns]

I'm a physician and have had the same problem for the last 15 years.  Its very inconvenient, but people are correct - alcohol is actually poison to the body and affects people differently.  For example, my wife cannot drink it or will go unconscious (she lacks the enzyme to process it).  Western medicine doesn't seem to have any good explanation for why some people develop cold symptoms with alcohol.  

I can't help but wonder if I have a chronic, latent viral infection that emerges when my immune system is suppressed (such as with alcohol).  Others hypothesize that alcohol may produce an inflammatory, allergic-type reaction whereby the body may attack itself on a cellular level through the immune system.  Unfortunately, there are no known cures or easy fixes except to avoid the offending agent.  Guess we'll always be the sober drivers! ;)  BTW, thanks for posting - I've never actually known other people who suffer from this and most physicians have no idea, as this topic is not covered in medical school or residency training, as it is a little obscure and pretty rare!

[Philsen]

Hi there Gemaanno, well we have the same problem, every time i got drunk I got the same problem but that was before since the day i stop using any mix soda or any juice on on my alcohol, what I do is every time i take one shot I drink 3 to 4 shots of water it also help to get rid of the after taste and also try to avoid putting to much ice on your drink, you can just make it chill, I hope this also works for you, I know how it feels not to able to drink with your friends but consequence wait for us hahaha Its really hard! May the force be with you! :-)

[ddpalm]

Hi, I am a female 49, and I too get the cold- like symptoms after consuming alcohol.  It used to happen only after consuming red wine, but now any type of alcohol causes the symptoms.  I read recently that it is possible that we are not allergic to the alcohol itself, but perhaps the histamine it contains.  Anything fermented (alcohol, vinegars, etc), aged (hard cheese, cured meats)  and simply foods that contain naturally high levels of histamine (coffee, tea, tomatoes, pineapples, etc.) could have an effect. (Everything I adore). This obviously is a whole different animal and needs scientific research, but it could be a start and something you can research.  

[rowe69]

Hi I am 45 and have just started with cold symptoms/ hay fever the morning after a drink.
it last for 24hrs depending on amount of alcohol consumed previously.
Did you find out if it was lack of vit D
I have always drank on a regular basis and probably more than I should but this is my only vice. I am not advising anyone to drink lots but I enjoy a drink and otherwise live a  fit and healthy lifestyle so this is my choice.
I am just wondering why now I have started with these symptoms

[TTinKKerBBell]

This is actually a "blessing in disguise"

Your body is trying to tell You something important and instead of listening we look for a way to get around it so we can still drink.  

If we listen (pay attention) to our bodies, we would avoid much addiction, diabetes, high blood pressure, CAD, etc., etc.  Our bodies are 'smarter' than our minds - it warns us when we are doing something harmful to ourselves but we don't listen.  Alcohol is poison to our bodies and our bodies react when we ingest alcohol.

[martinronan]

Hi Gemma07,
Like yourself I tend to suffer from cold like symptoms after drinking alcohol, depending on how much. I used to call it my Wednesday cold as invariably by mid week I would feel full of man cold (serious form of regular cold:). I spoke to a bio-chemist and she reckons that its an antibody reaction wherby the antibodies see alcohol as an intruder or foreign body and attach themselves to in my case the lungs to fight off infection. Not sure how correct this is but the lady in question is a renowned scientist and I would have great faith in her.

Regards,
Martin