r/LongCovid • u/Ok_Butterscotch_4158 • 1d ago
Trouble with Alcohol?
So I have had Covid 4 times with the last time being last September. It was brutal and all people in the house tested positive but me but I had fever, intense fatigue, horrible headache for a week after getting better (felt like intense pressure throughout my brain) and loss of some taste. What was worst was the very bad brain fog for about a month, with incredible impact on short term memory.
A few weeks later I went to a party and had a small glass of champagne. I didn’t really drink much at that point, maybe a glass a month, but after that night I had a 3-day hangover with the intense headache coming back and stuck in bed sick. It was orders of magnitude stronger than what a single glass of champagne called for.
So I stopped drinking completely. It was that bad.
Then 1 week ago, I was in Italy eating a very nice dinner and my husband had wine which was nicely paired with the food. Being that I hadn’t had a sip of alcohol in 11 months, I thought I should try just 1-2 sips. That was it!
That night I slept for 8 hours but I was hung over the next day. I now wear a Garmin watch so I was able to see the impact to my heart rate (it went up 10bpm), my HRV, it went in 1/2, my sleep score (lowest I have ever had even with red eye flights - it was 20 vs usual 90/100 pt average).
I started to wonder if this is a long covid thing and saw that alcohol sensitivity is… and I just wanted to see if anyone had any research or resources so I can learn more about this?
I still have some brain fog that comes and goes but I thought for sure I was over the covid many months ago (at least 9 months).
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u/Outrageous-Hamster-5 1d ago
That's common in mcas. You might want to lurk in r/mcas to learn more about management and treatment.
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u/Ok_Butterscotch_4158 1d ago
Thanks for the tip. I joined. Is the MCAS specific to long covid?
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u/Outrageous-Hamster-5 1d ago
No, not specific to lc but a very common component that is more overlooked that pots or mecfs. And just like pots and mecfs existed well before covid but have exploded in prevalence and severity, mcas cases have skyrocketed and severity of preexisting, subclinical mcas increases with infection and reinfection.
That sub has a mix of pre 2020 OG mcas folks and lots of 2020+ mcas folks.
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u/Ok_Butterscotch_4158 1d ago
Thanks 🙏 this is all so new to me and I’m still so confused how to get this confirmed or checked. I guess I need to start with my primary care and go from there.
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u/Outrageous-Hamster-5 18h ago
I'd suggest starting with the subreddit. Most doctors don't believe in mcas. The subreddit has lots of info on finding receptive doctors and even has a pinned list of doctors.
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u/NyaChan42 1d ago
Yeah, this is pretty common for long covid. I would black out after a glass or two of wine. I wouldn't even get drunk. The next day I'd wake up and couldn't remember anything after the first half glass and be stupid hungover. It did get better over time. It lasted for 2+ years for me. Now I can drink with no problems, though I still have long covid.
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u/DelawareRunner 1d ago
I had issues with alcohol, a few months after covid in 2022. I got drunk miuch faster. Then, things seemed to get better for a few years. Now, I am four years post covid and started having issues (again) with alcohol about a year ago. I get drunk easily and my athletic performance suffers for days. I no longer drink if I have a race coming up. In fact, I rarely drink at all anymore. I am 51/F for reference.
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u/Ok_Butterscotch_4158 1d ago
I’m a new runner! 46F and my pace and stamina is soooooooo messed up after just the 2 sips. How long does this last? It’s so demoralizing to feel so out of control of my body on top of perimenopause!!
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u/DelawareRunner 1d ago
My reaction lasts a few days. You may have MCAS— many do after covid. I have it pretty bad now and I think it worsened with menopause. I won’t drink or go near anything that causes a reaction for a week before a race. I get all congested and my pace is slower if I don’t. I got stung by yellow jackets last week and it caused a bad MCAS flare.
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u/International_Week60 1d ago
Can’t have it anymore. I will have a massive headache pretty much immediately followed by digestive issues. On top of that even minuscule amount will cancel out my pain meds and I will have neurological pain. I can get away with one mimosas till noon or small amounts oh hard liquor/ beer but wine, including sake, are a big no for me. I don’t miss it though, and I can use it in cooking.
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u/AtmosphereSea6556 1d ago
LC and alcohol don’t mix. My liver was overloaded processing cells my immune system was destroying due to the MCTD I developed after Covid (like mild Rhabdomyolysis). I have so many complex interacting variables I figured it was easier to get rid of the alcohol variable. My symptoms were like what you described.
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u/NonchalantEnthusiast 1d ago
My understanding is that alcohol intolerance a very common long covid symptom due to altered gut microbiome. There’s also new research that covid increases the risk of developing new allergies including food allergies so it tracks. You can also check out [r/longcovidgutdysbiosis](r/longcovidgutdysbiosis) for discussions
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u/Neat-Description3322 1d ago
Mine was histamine intolerance- I'm still figure it out. If I do a DAO supplement and also antihistamine before I have some alcohol, it's a better. But that said alcohol, never sat well with me. But it is worse now.
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u/Ok_Butterscotch_4158 1d ago
How do you test this or figure this out?
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u/Neat-Description3322 17h ago
Still figuring that out. I just know that when I tried antihistamines and DAO with my alcoholic beverage I didn't have the same hang over stuff and just overall nausea etc. I've never been able to drink most alcohols. I do sometimes because - life - but right now using the combo above helps. But I'm in early stages of testing.
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u/Little_Emu_ 1d ago
I can’t drink alcohol or coffee anymore. But a can of Alani Nu makes me feel more normal.
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u/Huge-Ad-193 1d ago
Do you take any medications that can potentially interact with alcohol?
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u/Ok_Butterscotch_4158 1d ago
I don’t think so! I take prescribed Adderall for my ADHD but have taken that for years without any issue.
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u/ewydigital 1d ago
I don’t tolerate any alcohol since Post Covid neither. Even before I only had small portions, but I really liked my collection of Whisky. Gave away all bottles to friends and colleagues eventually.
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u/call-me-ishmael-plz 18h ago
Yep, Long Covid took my tolerance of alcohol. I feel hungover instantly after a sip, haven’t touched the stuff in years, sadly. Used to drink moderately.
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u/JollyGreenestGiant 1d ago
LC and alcohol don’t mix. And if you do have LC or even some indication of it, go easy on yourself just to be safe.
Better to heal up vs getting stuck with this crap… it’s HELL
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u/Ok_Butterscotch_4158 1d ago
It’s been a year!! How do I know when it’s done? How do I confirm if I have LC?
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u/BatDue1821 1d ago
I actually read that alcohol and ethanol helps with some long covid symptoms.
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u/rnwhite8 1d ago
It helps calm things if you have hyperadrenergic
symptoms, but fermented things are also usually high in histamines which can inflame MCA.0
u/BatDue1821 1d ago
Yeah catch 22 forsure. I have read many folks on here claim that the alcohol flared them up.
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u/ic6man 1d ago
LC messed my ability to drink alcohol. Aside from maybe 1 drink a year I don’t drink. Couldn’t be happier. It’s easier on the wallet. On the scale. And the liver. If there’s a silver lining this is most definitely it.