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Alcohol related chest pain - is this an allergy?

Recently i've discovered certain alcoholic beverages trigger severe heart pain. It feels like extreme fatigue in the heart and arm muscles.  Most alcohols don't bother me. The only drinks i know of that do are smirnoff fruit twists, or seagrams fruit coolers. However not all fruit drinks react in this way. The amount i drink doesnt seem to be a factor. This has happened to me three times and the least severe were the two times i had downed about two bottles. The worst of it began after i had taken only a sip. It was so bad I thought I was having a heart attack.

  I know the best solution would be to stop drinking. And seeing as I know that is my cure, i'm more curious than concerned. Is this even an allergy?
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Avatar universal
I took two shots of a blended whiskey and I started sweating and feeling as if the alcohol was somehow just above my stomach but below my esophagus. I did my best KING Kong impersonation in the bathroom to no avail.

I do not drink often, once or twice a year in fact, but I did drink a few shots of Beam yesterday.I actually ate a salad with a pretty heavy amount of Italian dressing an hour before taking the shots.

My younger cousin had acid reflux and so I've actually tried taking his medicine before drinking.  I seemed to lessen the pain but it was definitely still there. Warmer climates and tempatures seem to make it more severe.

I regularly eat Tabasco on my corn and my potatoes without experiencing any heartburn.

Lying down and a glass of water helped me somewhat.

I think this may have something to do with our blood pressure. I'm 6'4" about 195 and workout often. My hands and feet feel like they are too warm. A little swollen but nothing crazy.

Good luck everyone. This thread is quite old now.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Down a Mikes Harder Lemonade over ice and it is a "heart attack"; crushing chest pain.  Maybe esophageal reflux, maybe esophageal spasm.  Does not happen with red wine.  I think it is the fructose - alcohol - histamine? reaction.

No more Mikes for me.

You will swear you are having a heart attack.
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Avatar universal
I’m getting a gassy burp kind of thing.....a little stabbing quickly subsiding pain as well.
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Avatar universal
Same as whoops97 here. Uncle Google led me here. I just experienced this 30 minutes ago. The symptoms were chest and back pain. It's like there's a belt around my upper torso that cramps up, the cramps lasting for a few seconds, then eases, then comes back after about a minute or so. This goes on for about 20 minutes. I've noticed a little pain after drinking some red wines, but the worst up until now has been the white wines, although not all kinds. This time it was beer. But a very acidic beer. I forgot the name, but it was brewed using dairy bacterias, making it quite acidic. I drank half a pint (very slowly) and the pain started after I had finished it, gradually increasing. At its peak I started to feel dizzy. That part's new to me. And the lightheadedness just got worse and worse. I raced back to my hotel with my friends and had to sit down just outside the hotel entrance, fearing I would pass out if not. I was very close to fainting, but managed to find my way to my hotel room and hit the bed. There was an extreme tingling sensation in my hands, like I had been working non-stop with a jackhammer for the past hour. The tingling and dizziness receded after about 10 minutes, as did the chest "cramps" later on. I tried to drink something, and it feels like my throat and esophagus has swelled up as swallowing is now a slow process. Sorry if I elaborate too much on the symptoms here, but it kinda felt good to recognise some of these symptoms in these other posts. What I will say is that I have never had any problem with acidic non-alcoholic beverages. So the common denominators seem (in my case) to be alcohol and acid. I won't be looking for any medicine to help with this, because the solution is simple enough: Don't drink that combo again. What I would like to figure out, however, is what are the ingredients that trigger this. Because I've had acidic alcohol drinks before with no sign of this.
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Avatar universal
Really glad to see some people who really can relate. I was looking up “chest pain after taking sip of alcohol” and it led me here. I literally was drinking Seagrams and someone mentioned that that’s what triggers it. An antacid seemed to help and I experienced all the symptoms y’all are describing—severe chest pain for about 5 min, radiating to arms (but mostly my right), hot flashes—it was also very uncomfortable to lay down (not like sitting up was much help) . However I do feel a lot better now and I will probably sip slower next time
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Avatar universal
Hey, I know this is a super old thread, but I think I experience the same thing! I'm 18, and have been drinking for a few years (not a heavy drinker though, I can count on one hand the amount of hangovers I've had). My first experience with this pain was earlier this year, I was drinking Archers Peach Schnapps (I also had a couple shots of vodka) and I started feeling a terrible deep pain through my chest. I had to lie down and try to suck in air in an attempt to relieve the pain. It felt like I had poison running through my heart. It took maybe 20-30 mins to pass and then I was fine the rest of the night (though that night led to one of my few, very terrible hangovers). Now, over the past month or so, I've found that it comes on very quickly. I'm not one for strong drinks as I hate the taste (other than tequila) so I mostly drink cider like Rekorderlig and Kopparberg, but even after maybe two sips the pain returns (although not quite as painful as that first experience with the Archers) and lasts around fifteen or twenty minutes. It eventually passes but I find it quite frightening because, despite being just 18, the second I feel pain and heaviness around my chest and arms I instantly think heart attack! I'm rather paranoid haha, because I have a slew of health problems, though none relating to my chest, mostly just affecting my blood. I try not to drink in excess anyway as I have ITP (autoimmune condition causing low platelets). It does seem to be especially sugary drinks, but on nights when I'm drinking more, once that first initial pain passes I don't think it returns for the rest of the night, though that could be because the drunker I get, the less I care about drinking tasty, sugary drinks haha! Just thought I'd pop in my experience!
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Avatar universal
When I was around 14 or so, I had my gallbladder removed. This was around the same time I began experimenting with alcohol. I thought at the time the pain I was experiencing when I would drink was a result of my having gallstones, but nearly twenty years later, I still can't drink alcohol. When I do, it feels as though I'm having a gallstone attack all over again and believe me, I've gone to doctors and the ER to make sure there aren't any stones hiding in the clamped off ducts as well as having my heart checked countless times.  I've been told it's GERD and esophageal spasms caused by the acidity in alcohol; nothing else I consume leads to such distress. Another crappy factor in not having a gallbladder is the susceptibility to pancreatic attacks when I consume large portions of fried or fatty foods which sometimes lands me in the hospital for pancreatitis which is just as painful as those phantom heart attack pains incurred by GERD and the esophageal spasms. I've found, oddly enough, that morphine sulphate actually not only helps the daily pain but gives me an appetite I wouldn't normally have. Though most see this as a controversial treatment method because of the dependence issue that comes along with opioids, in my opinion the reward outweighs any risk associated because in the end I am able to get out of bed, eat like a human being without vomiting bile or having diarrhea after every meal and exist peacefully with limited amounts of pain. I realized the correlation between the morphine sulphate and my stomach issues dwindling by chance, really; I was prescribed the medication because my knees are quite literally deteriorating from years of bmx racing and noticed how much my life improved all around from that medication. These days, you couldn't pay me to drink liquor because after about two sips, I'm rolling on the floor in extreme pain. I'm also not advocating morphine to everyone with this illness, just sharing what has been working for me and my own journey to living a life somewhat free of the agony associated with extreme gastrointestinal issues.
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Avatar universal
Wow didn't know what this was...had it for years... Smirnoff vodka Bacardi  or fruity drink...I just had a drink called jolly ranchers... And it made my chest hurt in the middle of my chest .. Like I'm about to die...had to put the fan on....I became hot fatigue.... I started rubbing my chest then after about an half hour I'm good...like wtf!!!!
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Avatar universal
Omg... for the last week I've been having serious chest pain. I literally thought something was wrong with my heart. I went in and got tests and everything but I ended up being okay. I really had no idea what was wrong. Over the last week I was on vacation drinking mixed drinks. It's a little after my vacation and my chest has been feeling fine. I thought I would drink a lime a Rita because I had them on my trip and they are better then beer. Instant heart pain. It caused me to look it up and this! The sugary preservative drinks is what causes this chest pain. I'm currently experiencing it now. It feels like I'm having a heart attack, it's seriously bad. I'm so glad I came across this post
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Avatar universal
I have had these symptoms with one particular brand of alcoholic root beer. Heart racing, chest and arm pain, weakness in limbs, shaky, sweaty, light headed. I had my finger on the call button for 911, and luckily it passed in about 20 mins. I am having food allergy testing done today. I have asked the manufacturer for a list of their 'natural ingredients', hopefully this will help me find out if this is caused by a reaction to the ingredients, the sugar or by heartburn like others have suggested. I will let you all know what I find out!
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1 Comments
The brewing company sent a list of the 'natural ingredients' to me. Unfortunately, I was not able to be tested for all of them, but did find a significant allergy to nutmeg. I am also allergic to ginger, which could explain the reaction i had to the hard ginger ale made by the same brewery. The doctor said that if I am allergic to the ingredients in an alcoholic drink, my reaction would be more intense and rapid because the alcohol would dilate the blood vessels in my digestive system. So...nothing definitive, but there is definitely the chance that I am allergic to one/some of the ingredients which caused the serious reaction. Maybe try to keep note of the drinks that cause a reaction and see if there are common ingredients. My doctor mentioned corn syrup as a common allergen, although not in my case
Avatar universal
Lomrie

I honestly thought I was the only person on earth with this issue!  

Let me give you some background and my thoughts:

Stats:
I am 34 y/o Male.  I have body mass index that places me in the high over weight column.  I am 6' tall with a weight of 210. I am proportionally carried and I exercise occasionally.  No major health issues, diabetes runs on my fathers side of the family and my grandfather on my mothers side has heart disease.
I drink fairly heavily and know my body well regarding alcohol tolerance.  My regular alcohol consumption on the weekend can be as high as a 1/2 gallon of rum.
I do not care for beer, however, I have always enjoyed drinking (especially as a kid) smirnoff Ice, mikes hard lemonade, and other high sugar malt type drinks.

Experiences:
Like you, when i drink these high sugar malt beverages it often (not every time) cause a ferocious pain that begins in my chest directly IVO my heart.  The pain begins to radiate very rapidly and predictably up to my shoulder and down my right arm.  The pain will then spread down to my back and knees within about 5 minutes.  The onset from 0 or no pain to excruciating pain 100 is approx 10 minutes.  
During the peak of my pain, i begin to experience flashes of heat and sweating (resembling a heart attack).  If I attempt to move to a cooler place or in front of a fan/air conditioner I become extremely cold.  
My pain causes me to want to constantly change positions, typically when I feel the onset of this reaction, I MUST segregate myself from friends and allow the experience to pass.  I have had friends over the years who have DEMANDED they call an ambulance.  During these events I have to argue with them (which is the worst.) that this reaction is normal when I consume those types of beverages.
The experience is very predictable.  5-7 minutes to full pain, Full pain for apron 18-20 minutes, and around 5 minutes to come down.  Ordeal is typically 30 minutes.  

Thoughts:
This has plagued me for YEARS.  I brought it yup to various doctors over the year who look at me like i am crazy and say, "your solution is to not drink those drinks."  This has been frustrating none the less.. I agree I know how to contain the problem but I have always wanted to know if this is an underlying symptom of a larger problem.

Experiments:
I have tried to capture exactly what the issue is for me triggering this. I have purposely attempted to trigger on 100s of occasions to see if i can see what the magic formula is to avoid this reaction.. This is what I have found:

Findings:

This reaction is NOT always triggered by alcohol!  In fact, I have managed to trigger the reaction with multiple foods and times.
All of the foods in my findings are extremely high in sugar.  Pixy sticks and candy (lots of it), Macdonlds (and other fast foods), energy drinks,
What i found triggered my reaction to these items was when I had a very very busy day (strenuous work or exercise), and very low food intake.
During these times, if I consumed a high sugar meal (IE a large MacDonalds quarter pounder with cheese, large fries and soda).  The reaction would present itself.

Like wise, If I had a single mikes hard lemonade after the same amount of work and did not accompany it with food.  The reaction would also be triggered.

Now in other situations, where I would have the EXACT same type of day (work wise) and take a mikes hard lemonade and pour it over heaping ice. Sipping very slowly over 15 minutes.  The reaction did not present.

Closing:
I am not a doctor, I can only deduce based on what my experiences tell me (and in have had 1000's of these experiences).
I believe this reaction has something to do with the rapid absorption of concentrated sugar into your system.  The reactions begin relatively quickly on an empty stomach leading me to this conclusion.  The reaction is deeply magnified by alcohol (even just a little).  

Avoidance:
If you must have one of these malt drinks, do yourself a favor.  Eat something light about 30 minutes prior to drinking, also, pour your beverage into a glass to cut the concentration of sugar/alcohol to approx a 50% level (many of those are great on ice!).
Avoid downing your first drink.  Sip slow until your body has a chance to process the beverage.  These tips have managed to keep me from having this experience in years.  
However, yesterday I wanted to see if the problem still existed.  I grabbed a 6 pack of Jack Dan fruit punch and crushed it in about 10 seconds.
as fully expected I was dropped to the floor within 15 minutes rolling around like a puppy that got sprayed in the face with a skunk.

Would love to discuss this more with anyone that would care to chat.  This is actually the first med based conversation that I have ever read that accurately depicts what I go through.

Feel free to drop a line at ***@**** to discuss!

Good luck fellow fake heart attackers!  

Out!
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Avatar universal
I have the exact same thing happen to me. I'm a 21 year old female, and I have been drinking since I was about 15 or 16. I almost always drink mixed sugary drinks (I also don't always stick with the same drink throughout the night so I haven't been able to pin point exactly which drink causes it). However, I did drink a jack Daniels strawberry flavored drink tonight and it caused the chest pain. It starts in my chest and it moves to my shoulders. It's a very heavy feeling (like it's weighing me down). Almost like my chest will explode. The only thing I find that helps is time, however I haven't tried antiacids or milk. I see that sugar seems to be the common denominator here, but I don't understand how I can eat sugary foods all the time and have no chest pain. The only thing I could think of if it does have something to do with sugar, is that it has to been the combination with alcohol. I wish there were answers on here, but it is comforting knowing others have the same problems, and that I'm not suffering alone.
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Avatar universal
Look up hyperglycemia ... alcohol hits the body like megasugar, and when mixed with sugar ... well yeah.
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Avatar universal
I have this issue. It feels as though I'm having a heart attack, after several expensive and unnecessary trips to the ER at the age of 18, I figured I'd do some experimenting lol! I found that wines and alcoholic beverages with moderate to high amount of sulfuric acid are what causes my chest back and arm tightness, something to do with acid reflux. I stay away from heavy sultanated drinks and no more tightness!.  
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1 Comments
Bye I'm now 25 and realized this at 23
Avatar universal
I can honestly say I think it has something to do with acid reflux or something in that matter.  I have no issues with any alcohol until I drank a margarita from Texas road house. My chest became tight and the extreme pain in my chest came not even 5.mims after taking a big swig of the drink.  It lasted for 20 or 30 mins.  I thought I was having a heart attack.  I'm a healthy 26 year old black female with no major health issues besides minor asthma. I was told I had acid reflux about 2 years ago.  This has happened to me twice with the same drink.  I don't like the feeling and I wanna get checked out for it.  
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
I just found a simple solution to this problem! I drank a bud light margarita mixer and immediately I was doubled over in pain. My heart felt like it was being squeezed, and my shoulders were radiating pain! All I did was take two cap sized shots of APPLE CIDER VINEGAR and my pain was gone in an instant. I read somewhere how vinegar is an awesome anti-acid, even better than tums, and other anti-acids. Now before I drink I take shots of the vinegar, and I have no problems drinking whatever alcoholic beverage it may be.
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Avatar universal
It is NOT GERD(gastroesophageal reflux disease).  
I had this happen to me after a sip of a wine cooler, mikes hard lemonade, Smirnoff of any kind.  But I can drink beer and be ok.  
I had to do my own research because the first thing the dr will say is, dont drink.  that is a simple fix.  But why can't you drink is what you want to know!
True alcohol allergies are rare but the reactions can be severe. What most people believe to be alcohol allergy is actually a reaction to an allergen in the alcohol. Common allergens in alcohol include:

barley
hops
yeast
rye
wheat
gluten
histamines (often found in red wine)
sulfites (often found in white wines)
People often call alcohol intolerance an alcohol allergy — and vice versa.

I find that I have a reaction to the histamines.  Which is found in mikes hard lemonade, Smirnoff, fruity drinks etc.

Here is a link that may help you.

https://allergies.knoji.com/how-you-can-be-allergic-to-alcohol/
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2 Comments
Yeah this really sharp heavy hard feeling sneaks up on me and hurts like hell anytime I drink some kind of white liquor or wine cooler...I swear it feels like I'm dying! idk what kind of attack it is and I've done researching but found NOTHING..i usually keep a bottle of peptobismol around and usually it goes away in like 5-10mins and once its relieved the feeling if phenomenal! I haven't tried milk yet but I will next time! thanks guys!
the feeling is* phenomenal once relieved
Avatar universal
Ive had this pain since I was 25, Im a female and i weigh 110. At first I was very confused and scared. My pain started from my head and spread to my chest and left arm and was very intense for about 15 mins.  It always went away very suddenly like it was never there.  I've since stopped drinking any kind of sweet drinks BUT I've noticed that even if I have vodka or beer and if I drink juice or anything sweet but non-alcoholic within the hour I STILL get the pain. So, no I can't help but maybe there is a common denominator in all of this and we can figure it out
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Avatar universal
I just turned 21 this month. I'm 5'4" and I weigh about 130lb. Female. I have the same symptoms a heavy pressure like pain on my chest almost as if a really heavy guy was standing on my sternum. That spreads to my shoulder shortly after it starts, difficulty breathing. Excruciating to the point of just laying on the floor crying sometimes.

I get it with ANY alcoholic drink OR even just normal Soda( with the exception of ginger ale, root beer, or sprite). I have found that spreading my shoulders and arching my back relieves some (but not all) of the pressure and helps to breath. The pressure is accompanied by nausia without vomiting and severe headaches. It usually last anywhere from 15 min - almost an hour.

I have been to the Dr. And they have checked may heart with both an EKG and an Echocardiacagram (? Not sure if I spelled that right, its pretty much an ultra sound of your heart) and they've also checked my lungs with a pulmonary function test and a chest Xray. They couldn't find anything wrong at all.

It really ***** cuz I couldn't even enjoy my 21st birthday with my first (legal) alcoholic beverage with my first visit to a bar and all that stuff your supposed to do on the big 21.

Anyways if anyone here figures out why these thing are happening I would really appreciate it if you would email me to fill me in. Thank you.

P.S.
My E-mail is uc.***@****. Thank you again.
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1 Comments
Drink any kind of milk. Goes away instantly. I drank coconut milk.  Another person has almond milk on here. Life saver
Avatar universal
I have discovered that I have these terrible symptoms when I drink white alcohol. I can drink brown alcohol all day. White kills me.
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Avatar universal
I am 46 and have had this for 20 years and thought it was just me. I had a lot of test's done about 10-15 years ago but they couldn't figure it out. I still don't know what it is.
I have never had heartburn so I don't think it's that because this pain is so bad that I have driven myself to the hospital 3 times (luckily the Rolaids or Tums kicked in before I got there), by the time I get there, I'm totally fine. I always keep antacids with me just in case and while I wait for them to kick in, I feel like I'm dying, am in fetal position on the ground rocking back and forth crying. It starts in my shoulders and then to my chest and it's so bad that it goes to my back. My brother and sister had it and went to the Dr. Actually my brother to the hospital. Both of them had their gall bladder taken out. I had mine tested and they said it was fine. I am baffled by this because we had the same symptoms. My brother ate chocolate ice cream though.
I can only drink things like, wine (not sweet dinner wines), beer, tequila shots, bloody mary's.
I cannot drink rum like captain Morgan spiced rum, fireball, margaritas, any mixed drink with something sweet. It happened with Jack Daniel's once but I was on an empty stomach so not sure about that one. I've since taken shots of Jack and it's fine. I can drink sugary stuff on it's own but when it's mixed with alcohol something must happen.
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Avatar universal
I have this same issue. I was told this was heartburn caused by the excessive sugar in cheap alcoholic drinks although im sure its not limited to just that. I feel the pain with just a few sips of a wine cooler or like right now i had a coconut flavored rum mixed with coke. I do not have this problem when drinking plain alcohol. Furthermore an antacid quickly alleviates the pain
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Avatar universal
Wow, this happened to me yesterday. I drank just 1 root beer flavored beer. the pain was in the middle of my chest and spread to shoulders. Briefly had a strange sensation in my jaw. I told my son to keep an eye on me, it hurt so bad. The pain lasted a good 15 minutes. I was nearly convinced I was having a heart attack. I'm 46, and I had these same pains years earlier drinking very sweet wine coolers. It might have been seagrams brand because it didn't happen with all wine coolers. I've had GERD for many years. I saw a heart dr a year a ago and my heart is just fine. The strange thing is that I've drank the root beer flavored beers before without issue.
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
I had only a few sips of red wine and I got terrible chest pain. Thought I was having a heart attack! Fatigue, feeling like I couldn't get up & I felt like I was going to throw up but I didn't. My left arm hurt as well. Fell asleep on the couch after about an hour. We almost went to the ER. Perhaps an allergy to red wine???
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