Re: CFS - Alcohol sensitivity connection?

[Guest guest]

Sue

THis is quite wonderful!!! Onward and upward

mjh

In a message dated 1/28/2006 3:21:50 PM Eastern Standard Time,

morabshadow@... writes:

I am doing so much better. The big test for me is tolerating SAMe for 3 days

in a row with no reaction except elevated mood.

mjh

" The Basil Book "

http://foxhillfarm.us/FireBasil/

[Guest guest]

Hi .

Many people with CFIDS (PWCs) have an intolerance to alcohol, maybe

most. I discovered this shortly after getting sick. I visited a

friend for Thanksgiving and drank quite a bit (I was very sick but it

was a tradition that we get together for Thanksgiving since we both

lived away from our families). I won't describe the reaction I had

but I avoided even smelling alchohol for a long time after.

I have attempted to drink small amounts of alchohol from time to time

since but it still causes me to feel sick immediately and hungover

the next day.

I haven't been able to find a solution to this intolerance. I have

taken a lot of liver support supplements and when I get my liver

enzymes tested they look fine. A doctor told me that it was yeast

causing the problem, but my tests for candida came back negative

until recently.

Has anybody been able to correct this intolerance? I would love to

have a beer or glass of wine now and then.

Tom

[Guest guest]

To the discussion about reactions to alcohol, I would like to add an

experience my daughter (23 years old, CFS since 2001) had in 2004.

She had taken Zithromax for some days, and there was improvement in

her symptoms, so she went to a party, where she had some alcohol.

She then began to feel ill, drank water, vomited, developed a severe

headache, came home and went to sleep.

Then she had a grand mal seizure, and I called the ambulance. The

seizure was over when the ambulance came, but she was not fully

conscious, so she was taken to the hospital. There she slipped into

coma.

Blood tests showed high neutrophils, low lymphocytes and very

importantly, sodium and potassium below minimum value. Sudden loss

of sodium (acute hyponatremia) causes a swelling of the brain, which

can be life threatening. She was therefore given IV sodium and

potassium, slowly, because of the risk of brain damage. After 24

hours in coma she woke up.

A lumbar puncture had been done while she was in coma, and they

could rule out meningitis as a cause. An EEG showed no epilepsy. As

she had been taking Zithromax, the hospital then concluded that the

reason for the seizure and coma was acute hyponatremia, possibly

caused by alcohol and Zithromax.

I have since thought about another possible cause for the

hyponatremia. A Metametrix test in 2003 showed high toluene/xylene

(from air pollution, I think), and low sulfate. Maybe the toluene

detoxification problem was still there (although she was taking

glutathione, but maybe not enough), and the alcohol could have

caused an already high level of toluene to increase further. And

then high toluene plus alcohol could have caused the sudden loss of

electrolytes?

Or maybe it was a mix of many factors. Whatever the cause,

fortunately there seems to be no lasting damage.

ne

(Quotes and links about toluene/alcohol:

" Acute consumption of ethanol inhibits toluene elimination resulting

in increased blood toluene concentrations and tissue exposure. This

is probably due to competition for alcohol dehydrogenase. "

In:

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/research/job185drugs/toluene.h

tm

" Toluene inhalation can result in multiple electrolyte and acid-base

abnormalities "

In:

http://www.hkmj.org.hk/hkmj/abstracts/v11n1/50.htm )

[Guest guest]

Hi ne,

So glad it was a happy ending. I worried about my son partying in college . .

I know he has CFS, but in denial for now. I'll get myself figured out then his

is next. He must have the same Liver and transulfation problems as I had(maybe I

still do . . we'll see how it goes).

I am doing so much better. The big test for me is tolerating SAMe for 3 days

in a row with no reaction except elevated mood.

HUGE THANKS to Rich and the DAN! program it is starting to give me a life

back!

Best wishes,

Sue T

s_fibaek <s_fibaek@...> wrote:

To the discussion about reactions to alcohol, I would like to add an

experience my daughter (23 years old, CFS since 2001) had in 2004.

She had taken Zithromax for some days, and there was improvement in

her symptoms, so she went to a party, where she had some alcohol.

She then began to feel ill, drank water, vomited, developed a severe

headache, came home and went to sleep.

Then she had a grand mal seizure, and I called the ambulance. The

seizure was over when the ambulance came, but she was not fully

conscious, so she was taken to the hospital. There she slipped into

coma.

[Guest guest]

Hi Tom,

Now that I don't drink at all, I wonder about this desire to have

even a beer or a glass of wine. I don't " understand " it. I must

lack whatever the normal thing is that most people have that allows

them to treat alcohol as " just another thing " to ingest or imbibe.

It's this " lacking thing " (or perhaps a presence of something that

doesn't belong there -- or maybe something that's present in too

large a quantity?) that I'm trying to figure out. It must be

something like that, or possibly an " imbalance " of some sort.

When I did used to drink, I never experienced being sick right away

(and, in fact, I'm generally not " a throw-up kind of person " --

lovely thought that is!...so that may be relevant), but I was always

terribly hungover the next day.

The only way I can relate to any " desire for alcohol " now is if I've

been able to do something outside that leaves me pooped out, and

because of (I guess) the heat and exertion, I seem to " want a nice

cold tall glass of beer. " But that's the extent of it really.

Odd thing, this alcohol thing...that's for sure.

Thanks, Tom.

>

> Hi .

>

> Many people with CFIDS (PWCs) have an intolerance to alcohol, maybe

> most. I discovered this shortly after getting sick. I visited a

> friend for Thanksgiving and drank quite a bit (I was very sick but

it

> was a tradition that we get together for Thanksgiving since we both

> lived away from our families). I won't describe the reaction I had

> but I avoided even smelling alchohol for a long time after.

>

> I have attempted to drink small amounts of alchohol from time to

time

> since but it still causes me to feel sick immediately and hungover

> the next day.

>

> I haven't been able to find a solution to this intolerance. I have

> taken a lot of liver support supplements and when I get my liver

> enzymes tested they look fine. A doctor told me that it was yeast

> causing the problem, but my tests for candida came back negative

> until recently.

>

> Has anybody been able to correct this intolerance? I would love to

> have a beer or glass of wine now and then.

>

> Tom

>

[Guest guest]

Alcohol is extremely hard on the liver -- I think that's the explanation. Our

livers are

already dealing with waaaay too much just trying to keep us alive...

Just my 2 cents.

Dan

> >

> > Hi .

> >

> > Many people with CFIDS (PWCs) have an intolerance to alcohol, maybe

> > most. I discovered this shortly after getting sick. I visited a

> > friend for Thanksgiving and drank quite a bit (I was very sick but

> it

> > was a tradition that we get together for Thanksgiving since we both

> > lived away from our families). I won't describe the reaction I had

> > but I avoided even smelling alchohol for a long time after.

> >

> > I have attempted to drink small amounts of alchohol from time to

> time

> > since but it still causes me to feel sick immediately and hungover

> > the next day.

> >

> > I haven't been able to find a solution to this intolerance. I have

> > taken a lot of liver support supplements and when I get my liver

> > enzymes tested they look fine. A doctor told me that it was yeast

> > causing the problem, but my tests for candida came back negative

> > until recently.

> >

> > Has anybody been able to correct this intolerance? I would love to

> > have a beer or glass of wine now and then.

> >

> > Tom

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Tom,

Could this happen due to something related to systemic candida.I think I

have read that people with Candida crave for yeast containing food

sometimes. Do you also crave for cheese sometimes?

best wishes.

nil

>

>

>>

>> Hi Tom,

>>

>> Now that I don't drink at all, I wonder about this desire to have

>> even a beer or a glass of wine. I don't " understand " it. I must

>> lack whatever the normal thing is that most people have that allows

>>

[Guest guest]

Hi Nil.

That could be the case, but I have been tested for candida at least a

couple of different ways since early on in my illness. The tests

were negative until the last year or two. I have been alchohol

intolerant for about 14 years now. The intolerance started with my

sudden onset CFIDS (bad flu that didn't go away).

Tom

> >>

> >> Hi Tom,

> >>

> >> Now that I don't drink at all, I wonder about this desire to have

> >> even a beer or a glass of wine. I don't " understand " it. I must

> >> lack whatever the normal thing is that most people have that

allows

> >>

>

[Guest guest]

Alcohol intolerance is an unusual and consistent feature of CFS. Wessely

actually brought up alcohol intolerance, believe it or not, as evidence that CFS

was a discrete disease. Chaudhuri that it suggested a channelopathy in the brain

I believe. I dont know how that works, however.

Tomcy6 <tomcy6@...> wrote:

Hi Nil.

That could be the case, but I have been tested for candida at least a

couple of different ways since early on in my illness. The tests

were negative until the last year or two. I have been alchohol

intolerant for about 14 years now. The intolerance started with my

sudden onset CFIDS (bad flu that didn't go away).

Tom

> >>

> >> Hi Tom,

> >>

> >> Now that I don't drink at all, I wonder about this desire to have

> >> even a beer or a glass of wine. I don't " understand " it. I must

> >> lack whatever the normal thing is that most people have that

allows

> >>

>

This list is intended for patients to share personal experiences with each

other, not to give medical advice. If you are interested in any treatment

discussed here, please consult your doctor.

[Guest guest]

Hi, ne.

That must have been very frightening!

I don't understand what caused it, but perhaps there was an

interaction between the antibiotic and the alcohol.

Rich

>

> To the discussion about reactions to alcohol, I would like to add

an

> experience my daughter (23 years old, CFS since 2001) had in 2004.

>

> She had taken Zithromax for some days, and there was improvement

in

> her symptoms, so she went to a party, where she had some alcohol.

> She then began to feel ill, drank water, vomited, developed a

severe

> headache, came home and went to sleep.

>

> Then she had a grand mal seizure, and I called the ambulance. The

> seizure was over when the ambulance came, but she was not fully

> conscious, so she was taken to the hospital. There she slipped

into

> coma.

>

> Blood tests showed high neutrophils, low lymphocytes and very

> importantly, sodium and potassium below minimum value. Sudden loss

> of sodium (acute hyponatremia) causes a swelling of the brain,

which

> can be life threatening. She was therefore given IV sodium and

> potassium, slowly, because of the risk of brain damage. After 24

> hours in coma she woke up.

>

> A lumbar puncture had been done while she was in coma, and they

> could rule out meningitis as a cause. An EEG showed no epilepsy.

As

> she had been taking Zithromax, the hospital then concluded that

the

> reason for the seizure and coma was acute hyponatremia, possibly

> caused by alcohol and Zithromax.

>

> I have since thought about another possible cause for the

> hyponatremia. A Metametrix test in 2003 showed high toluene/xylene

> (from air pollution, I think), and low sulfate. Maybe the toluene

> detoxification problem was still there (although she was taking

> glutathione, but maybe not enough), and the alcohol could have

> caused an already high level of toluene to increase further. And

> then high toluene plus alcohol could have caused the sudden loss

of

> electrolytes?

>

> Or maybe it was a mix of many factors. Whatever the cause,

> fortunately there seems to be no lasting damage.

>

> ne

>

>

> (Quotes and links about toluene/alcohol:

> " Acute consumption of ethanol inhibits toluene elimination

resulting

> in increased blood toluene concentrations and tissue exposure.

This

> is probably due to competition for alcohol dehydrogenase. "

> In:

>

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/research/job185drugs/toluene.h

> tm

>

> " Toluene inhalation can result in multiple electrolyte and acid-

base

> abnormalities "

> In:

> http://www.hkmj.org.hk/hkmj/abstracts/v11n1/50.htm )

>