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Menopause

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Original poster

Wine intolerance post menopause?

53 replies

GameBoy · 10/04/2023 12:59

Anecdotally, talking to similar age female friends, this seems to be common. Lots of us seem to have found that in our late 40s/ 50s we simply can't tolerate wine any more?
In my case, my tongue swells a bit (gets 'fluted/ ridged' on the sides and feels big in my mouth) and then I get terrible indigestion/ stomach pains. Sometimes diarhorrea later. Also all the usual alcohol symptoms seem more pronounced - rapid heart beat, flushing etc.

I wondered if it was a sulphites thing and tried a few organic wines, but often they aren't great-tasting and of course it's a pain when people want to share a bottle etc.

Now I mostly drink a gin & tonic instead, which doesn't have any of the same effects.
But I feel sad and miss my 'social' glass of wine with others.

Is this a 'thing' in menopause? Any solutions?

OP posts:
atthebottomofthehill · 11/04/2023 19:09

Thank you for the recommendation @GameBoy I'll try those.

@gogohmm is it the antihistamines that you use too?

Thegoodbadandugly · 11/04/2023 19:24

So glad you ladies have posted this I keep thinking it's my thyroid.

lljkk · 11/04/2023 19:27

Not a challenge here.

Vroomfondleswaistcoat · 11/04/2023 19:34

I now get alcohol-induced migraine which has me on the bathroom floor vomiting so hard that I fear I will suffocate. This lasts about eight hours, after which I am, fairly naturally, exhausted but slowly recover. I've yet to identify the substance that causes it, because at first I put it down to over indulgence, but when I drank one of those individual single-portion bottles of Prosecco and was sick all night, I gave up drinking all together.
I'd love to be able to drink something, but aversion therapy is a powerful thing and I just daren't. Will just about manage a few mouthfuls of a very good wine, but no longer get any buzz from alcohol. Just very very sick and blinding headaches.

orangeflags · 11/04/2023 20:08

I now have so many rules about what I can drink. I sound like an absolute dick when I go to a friend's house in the evening. Can't have wine anymore. Diet Coke no because of caffeine. Green tea no, palpitations. Coffee, we'll only if decaf because of caffeine. So it ends up water or herbal tea bags.

GarlicGrace · 11/04/2023 20:18

orangeflags · 11/04/2023 20:08

I now have so many rules about what I can drink. I sound like an absolute dick when I go to a friend's house in the evening. Can't have wine anymore. Diet Coke no because of caffeine. Green tea no, palpitations. Coffee, we'll only if decaf because of caffeine. So it ends up water or herbal tea bags.

Sad As an ex-alcoholic I'm wary of recommending booze, but I do sympathise with your "awkward guest" predicament! How do you get along with beer? There are lots of gluten-free options now, if that also helps.

Nsky62 · 11/04/2023 20:41

So glad I don’t drink, just don’t like it

TorviShieldMaiden · 11/04/2023 20:48

I’ve not been able to drink red wine now for about 3-4 years. It makes me instantly sick, like one sip. As well as heart burn, dizzy and yuck. I seem ok on white wine for now, but I’m only 42! Sauvignon blanc always gives me awful heartburn now.

I do often get the waking up at 4am too. I’m not easy to completely quit yet though 😆

adriftabroad · 11/04/2023 20:51

orangeflags · 11/04/2023 20:08

I now have so many rules about what I can drink. I sound like an absolute dick when I go to a friend's house in the evening. Can't have wine anymore. Diet Coke no because of caffeine. Green tea no, palpitations. Coffee, we'll only if decaf because of caffeine. So it ends up water or herbal tea bags.

Well I simply sound like I have an alcohol problem.
"I only drink vodka"
I am clearly tetchy about it as I am not keen on explaining my menopause symptoms. But it looks like I am having withdrawals or something.

HouseByTheSeaside · 11/04/2023 22:10

Keepthetowel · 10/04/2023 23:57

I’ve had to give up all alcohol, the plus side is that I feel so much better and I have lost several stone.

I'm seriously considering this!

Sunsetchaser01 · 11/04/2023 22:28

I have had problems for a couple of years now 48 years old don't drink much due to histamine intolerance. However if I do fancy a drop I buy wine wands off Amazon. Been really good for me , take out histamine and sulphates. No itching or flushing. Expensive but may be worth a go 👍

GarlicGrace · 12/04/2023 01:12

Crikey, I didn't even know such products existed! I've ordered a Clean Wine Spray for £8 from Amazon. I'll post results! (Wonder if it works on sausages?)

I was really keen on this Üllo Wine Purifier gadget but it's beyond my price range, especially for an experiment. Has anyone tried it?

Needapadlockonmyfridge · 12/04/2023 06:31

I have used Clean Wine before - not perfect but definitely helped.

Sunsetchaser01 · 12/04/2023 08:05

GarlicGrace I will check out the clean wine spray, that's loads cheaper! Thanks for the tip 😁

TorviShieldMaiden · 12/04/2023 10:41

HouseByTheSeaside · 11/04/2023 22:10

I'm seriously considering this!

Show quote history

Me giving up alcohol has been at the “academic” stage for while. In that I consider it a lot and can see the benefits. Then another shit week happens and I drink wine 😂

WarriorN · 12/04/2023 20:43

Yes I haven't been able to have any Alcohol since my second child at 41. I just can't tolerate it.

Very tentatively felt I could more than in the past just these last few weeks - I'm on a lot of hrt and testosterone too now though. But I'm so nervous I only have half a glass. That's more than I could manage before though...

IrisAtwood · 12/04/2023 20:47

Same experience here with wine post menopause. I also get horrible insomnia with any alcohol now.

DustyLee123 · 12/04/2023 21:24

My face burns after two sips, so I’ve given up. Unfortunately I’ve not lost any weight.

Heatherbell1978 · 12/04/2023 21:34

It gives me awful insomnia - even just one glass and I feel like I'm awake all night. It's really sad as I do love a nice chilled white. Sometimes I just bite the bullet and go for it but always regret when I feel like hell the next day.

changer121 · 12/04/2023 21:50

This thread is so interesting- wine and Prosecco seem to really affect my bladder - if I drink I'm up all night needing to wee and most of the next day !
Gin seems fine 🙏

I'm 8 years post abdominal hysterectomy and been on HRT all that time but this is a very new occurrence I'm finding very annoying.

Summerhillsquare · 13/04/2023 10:57

Perhaps this explains why I feel great the day after a dose of Night Nurse!

Fififizz · 13/04/2023 15:40

I struggle massively with my mood dipping in menopause. Alcohol just makes me feel horribly down and depressed now.

HowcanIgetoutofthisalive · 16/04/2023 22:25

I came on MN to find exactly this post.

I'm 53, peri and on hrt and when I drink white wine/prosecco (my only tipple) I end up waking at 2am/3am/4am with awful palpitations and not getting back to sleep. This has happened for 10 years or so and I just suffer it because I love wine! I know, I know...how stupid to continue drinking alcohol when it makes me feel so bloody awful!! (If anyone has the answer please tell me!)

Anyway, for the last 6 months, I'd noticed a horrible hot red rash/welts appearing on my upper chest and neck area and itching on my torso. Doc diagnosed hives and daily anti histamine meds which I've taken and all fine. This coincided with an increase in progesterone so I just thought it was down to hormones and decided I'd rather deal with that as a side effect than how shit I was feeling on the lower progesterone dose.

However, tonight I've had an awful reaction to the bottle of white wine...within 5 mins of drinking some, I've come up in awful hives again. I've not been taking the anti histamines for about 2 weeks as I had covid. I've now realised that the hives are connected to alcohol and reading up on whether I have an intolerance to alcohol!!

I think I'm going to have to knock alcohol on the head. Which is no bad thing as I'm having 3 bottles a week which is stupid. Sorry for long post!

Lysianthus · 17/04/2023 22:08

Clean wine is great. I used Sulfree before they ceased trading and apparently Clean wine has taken over. It's a game changer.

Notjustamum10 · 17/04/2023 22:30

Yup, my alcohol intolerance definitely came with the onset of peri menopause, improved slightly when I started HRT, and now is back with a vengeance.
Red or white wine causes a red face, dizziness, insomnia later (I fall asleep ok then wake with a start around 3am) and upset stomach the next day. I can manage 1 small glass with food on a special occasion, but that is it.

I’m a connoisseur of alcohol-free craft beers now though! I recommend Big Drop beers, or German Schofferhoffer grapefruit (2.5%).