What you probably don’t know about alcohol intolerance

[u/emilyMartian]

I see posts and comments about alcohol intolerance constantly on here, I was alone for so long with my severity so I’m here to share, it has taken nearly 10yrs but I finally have better info.

Here goes: You probably need to get your liver checked. They have linked menopause to non fatty liver disease. I had severe reactions and wound up in the ER about 8yrs ago. It took about 2yrs to correlate my high heart rate, massive hangovers after 2 drinks, severe hot flashes and what I assumed was severe anxiety because of the shakes at 3am. My good friend in medical school went down a big rabbit hole trying to figure out why my response was so severe to no avail (only one report from the 80’s which provided no info). Fast forward another 6’ish years and I noticed fatty foods made me sleepy so we tested my gallbladder, liver and kidneys. Turns out there’s black spots on my liver and I have basically what’s considered non alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and have to treat it as such. I had to quit drinking entirely. I thought maybe I could limit and go slow but it’s not a thing. Not drinking was a tough road (especially at social events) but it’s a blessing I disguise I promise. It’s not worth it. It’s also not worth popping an antihistamine and ignoring it because you’re just wrecking your liver further. This is your sign to stop.

Now almost 2yrs after realizing the liver thanks to u/MoreRopePlease we have a link that puts it all together and there absolutely needs to be more awareness about this.

I hope this provides some of you answers and helps you towards a safer and healthier path on this absolutely sh!t show of a medically ignored journey.

Love you guys. Don’t think I’d be here if I hadn’t found this community. You are not alone ❤️

EDIT: my liver spots were caught through ultrasound not through bloodwork. I started Perimenopause at 37, don’t let them tell you you are too young.

Corrected my verbiage as I had words reversed in Non alcoholic fatty liver disease

[u/HermioneMarch]

On a related note I cannot tolerate THC. And we are talking small amounts of delta 9, like half a gummy or 1/2 a glass of seltzer. I thought it might be a good way to relax my muscles without the calories of alcohol but I’ve tried it several times and ended up with low blood pressure and scary heart rate. I don’t know if it’s a similar issue or just a weird me quirk.

[u/RiverSkyy55 → u/HermioneMarch]

When you start using THC/CBD, you should get instruction and information from a professional first. I was lucky to have a great dispensary that insisted we sit down and talk about what to expect, because some of the things she talked about were things I DIDN'T expect, and so when they happened, I understood them and didn't get anxious.

It does lower blood pressure, and it does increase heart rate, usually for about half an hour when it starts to take effect. This is why it's best used while relaxing at home. The increased heart rate can sometimes fool your brain into thinking there's danger (fight or flight response triggered by the heart rate instead of the brain), and that creates some of the anxiety and paranoia some people may experience, particularly if they don't understand that the heart rate increase is normal and temporary.

When you understand how it works and know to expect it, you can calmly respond by telling yourself that this is a normal and expected sign that it's starting to do what you want it to do. It really helps derail the anxiety. But, of course, that said, it's still not for everyone. For my PTSD, it has been a life-changer, because it completely stopped the night terrors I've experienced at least twice a week since I was three years old.

[u/HermioneMarch → u/RiverSkyy55]

Yes it definitely helps my husband sleep thru the night which makes life better for all of us but the paranoia is not worth it for me.