Rash During Heavy Drinkng Sessions

[TenDreams]

Sometimes I get a bright red rash (not itchy or raised, but feels hot) after drinking a lot, usually for 2 or 3 days on the trot.

Starts on neck or face and covers chest, back and shoulders.

Doesn't seem to make much difference when or what I drink, but spirits cause it most often.

Has only started since I came to Asia, a little over 4 years ago. I'm 28 now.

Having a long ice cold shower nearly always gets rid of it but is not very convenient. I drank through it once without going for a shower at new year, and it went of its own accord after a few hours, I think...

Im guessing it could be due to dehydration/heat, but anyone else get it?

I have never seen anyone, outside of a Japanese izakaya, that look like they get it, and I don't know why it would just start so suddenly...

...abstinence is not an option !

[gburns57au]

Sometimes I get a bright red rash (not itchy or raised, but feels hot) after drinking a lot, usually for 2 or 3 days on the trot.

Starts on neck or face and covers chest, back and shoulders.

Doesn't seem to make much difference when or what I drink, but spirits cause it most often.

Has only started since I came to Asia, a little over 4 years ago. I'm 28 now.

Having a long ice cold shower nearly always gets rid of it but is not very convenient. I drank through it once without going for a shower at new year, and it went of its own accord after a few hours, I think...

Im guessing it could be due to dehydration/heat, but anyone else get it?

I have never seen anyone, outside of a Japanese izakaya, that look like they get it, and I don't know why it would just start so suddenly...

...abstinence is not an option !

Dehydration.....when you have the shower the skin absorbs the water and rehydrates...I would worry that it went on its own accord in that situation.

Probably find that you sweat more when drinking in the hot climate....surprised you dont get it around the groin area.

Try drinking some water during the drinking sessions to keep your fluid levels up.

[TenDreams]

Dehydration.....when you have the shower the skin absorbs the water and rehydrates...I would worry that it went on its own accord in that situation. Probably find that you sweat more when drinking in the hot climate....surprised you dont get it around the groin area. Try drinking some water during the drinking sessions to keep your fluid levels up.

Cheers, well, I'll experiment with more water and see if that helps.

I don't sweat a lot and have never had the rash above my navel, so I dont think sweat is the cause, could be to do with the heat though, for sure.

Ta

[Jingthing]

It might be rosacea.

[ding]

maybe you lack an enzyme necessary to process alcohol, soreness, red/flushed face

or, gin blossom like W C Fields' red nose

[andyc2006]

Sometimes I get a bright red rash (not itchy or raised, but feels hot) after drinking a lot, usually for 2 or 3 days on the trot.

Starts on neck or face and covers chest, back and shoulders.

Doesn't seem to make much difference when or what I drink, but spirits cause it most often.

Has only started since I came to Asia, a little over 4 years ago. I'm 28 now.

Having a long ice cold shower nearly always gets rid of it but is not very convenient. I drank through it once without going for a shower at new year, and it went of its own accord after a few hours, I think...

Im guessing it could be due to dehydration/heat, but anyone else get it?

I have never seen anyone, outside of a Japanese izakaya, that look like they get it, and I don't know why it would just start so suddenly...

...abstinence is not an option !

My first thoughts are that it sounds like simple vasodilation to me. A natural result of drinking alcohol is that your blood will rush to your body's extremities. This is what gives you the "warm" feeling (though if you're someplace cold, the net result will be cooling you off in a hurry) and the blushed look.

Different people produce different amounts of the liver enzyme that breaks down alcohol in the blood -- the less you produce, the longer and more pronounced the effect.

If it's lasting 2 or 3 days, that does sound strange (how much are you drinking!?!).

Then again, you could just have a case of full-body herpes.

[dolemite]

Hi

I have definately suffered from this problem too. The last time I noticed it happened was with cheap 'scottish' import type whisky 'spey royal'. I assumed it was due to some kind of fortified additive. I have heard scary stories that chemicals are added to some thai achoholic drinks to raise the percent level, such as formaldahyde. As to the truth of this story I cannot comment.

The only other time it happened outside Thailand was when I was in China. A friend gave me a pill which was supposed to do something to your metabolsim to use during drinking. He said it was supposed to speed it up to prevent hangovers??? I went bright red and ended up staying indoors that night!

Hope this helps.

[bizzniz]

Maybe you are just allergic against alcohol

[kolat]

Maybe you are just allergic against alcohol

It's sounds like something two of my friends have. When they drink the get very large red blotches on their skin. It's caused my a lack of a certain enzhyme for breaking down alchohol. It's actually more common in Asian people but Westerners suffer from it as well. Supposedly it's harmless but irratating.

[wilko]

prbably gravel rash from when you fell over and forgot all about it!

[b2bme]

I started getting the same thing in my early to mid thirties.

An other person noticed it first and asked me what happened. I did not feel anything physically different. I went and looked in the mirror and found neck and chest area blush colour. Gave me some concern. I lay down for a while and it went over an hour or two. It took me a while to work out what it was. I had bought a new aftershave and at first thought it was something to do with that. Process of elimination bought it down to alcohol.

Further elimintation over a few months found I had a faster and bigger reaction to white rum (Barcadi) Big disappointment. No more long island teas, or cocktails with white rum. I had drank rum for years, and cocktails with rum in them as well.

I find it will happen after a few days of excessive drinking. Faster reaction if spirits are involved. I've not really tested it with a hard night on bourbon or whiskey. Sticking to beer has been the solution for me. A bottle or two of white or red wine seems to be ok for me as well, apart from the head ache next day.

If I go onto whiskey after drinking beer I occasionally get a touch of it, but this seems to depend on how run down I am.

I find now that when it starts to happen I get a bit itchy around the side of the neck. It seems to start there.

I find it will happen more if I'm run down or have not slept enough over a few days. This normally goes hand in hand with a few hard nights out.

I think a few of the posts are on the right track. Allergic reaction to achohol. I believe this causes the vasodilation, and rosea is related.

I've tried to be philisophical about it and to think it is natures way of saying slow down. Now in my early fourties and have not really had much of a concern with it for a few years. I try to stick to beer and it seems manageable. I find I'm better off with lagers than some of the heavier European beers. This may not be entirely true as I only drink European beers when I'm there, and this often involves a few nights out in Bangkok before I go, and drinking on the plane by which time I'm run down. I'm sure there are certain preservatives in different beers and spirits which can set it off.

I've had many a hard night involving beer and then shooters. B52's, blow jobs, galliano shots and so on. (none containing rum) and seem to have been ok. Tequila I'm not sure about. I've had a few shots here and there, and margeritas which seemed to have been alright.

I've not had any hard tequilla nights for a long time though. Maybe it's time I tried.

Other liquers I've been alright with such as Baileys, Cointreau, Drambui, but have not really drank alot of it. Same with Cognac.

I met an English guy in Ubon airport a few yeas back. I overheard his conversation while he was telling his story about the same problem. He had been in the middle east for some years, so not really drinking alot and he had the same problem just start. He had been a rum drinker as well. He was reluctant to drink, but I said try a beer. He was ok after a few.

Moderation seems to be the answer.

[TenDreams]

i think some kind of allergy must be the answer.

it's weird that it just started in asia, never even had it when i have been back home, that i remember, and working in a bar, i drank a lot before i came out here.

looked at some pics online, sure its none of the above mentioned conditions (f/b herpes etc!)

drank quite a lot at the weekend, slowly, only beer, and didnt get it at all.

yep, the last time i had a long island iced tea, the burn wasnt far behind it!

agree that moderation and hydration will probably sort it out.

the longest it's ever lasted is maybe 2 hours, sorry if my first post wasnt clear, if it lasted 2/3 days, i would be a bit more worried!

thanks for the responses everyone

[andyc2006]

I think a few of the posts are on the right track. Allergic reaction to achohol. I believe this causes the vasodilation, and rosea is related.

I'm not sure that alcohol is an allergen... can anybody confirm that alcohol allergies exist?

As for that causing the vasodilation, all alcohol, when ingested, causes vasodilation in all people. The extent of it varies based on many factors, but alcohol is a classic vasodilator (relaxes the muscles around the blood vessels, increasing blood flow to the extremities and lowering blood pressure). Google "vasodilator alcohol" and you'll learn more than you ever wanted to know.

Moderation seems to be the answer.

Absolutely. Not only do moderate drinkers live longer than heavy drinkers, but they live longer than non-drinkers too!

Edited January 15, 2008 by ajc1970

[wilko]

Yes...anything can generate an allergic reaction...if you look around hard enough, you'll find someone allergic to just about anything

[moldy]

Yes...anything can generate an allergic reaction...if you look around hard enough, you'll find someone allergic to just about anything

Alcohol is a toxin. Rashes are often a way the body gets rid of them. There's other stuff in booze too. Find the poison that suits you, and avoid the ones that don't. Maybe a pack or 2 of cigs could help fumigate you a little.

[themuse1969]

By the symptomology you are presenting, sir, my professional opinion is that this rash is an inflammatory response to alcohol or toxic additives in the liquor, or both. It is not a simple allergy. It may be having an accummative effect, and is now external, in your skin. It is the messenger and the message is serious.

You might have only 2 choices: (1) stop drinking entirely for 6 months and begin a gentle 30-day herbal detox of your liver. Within a week, do the Master Cleanse for 3 days. (You can find directions on the internet). Rest one month. In the 3rd month, repeat this cycle. Rest the 4th & 5th months. Repeat the cycle for the last time. You do NOT want to dislodge the toxins all at once! You could become very ill and damage your liver.

(2) Carry on as you have been and maybe return to your homeland in a box in about a year, depending on your constitutional strength.

[borracho]

Sometimes I get a bright red rash (not itchy or raised, but feels hot) after drinking a lot,

...abstinence is not an option !

Perhaps moderation should be your option.

Skin problems are often symptomatic with early stages of liver toxicity and impairment.

Consider yourself lucky to catch these symptoms early.

It's a bit of a drag to catch liver problems after full blown cirrhosis or liver cancer has set in.

A wise person heeds these warnings.

[Jingthing]

American doctors are now suggesting that women drink 1/2 to 1 drink per day (wine, spirits, or beer) and men 1 to 2 drinks per day, everyday. I don't like all this alchohol bashing. There is now strong evidence that it prevents heart disease if used everyday, always in moderate amounts.

Edited January 26, 2008 by Jingthing

[Wrong Turn]

Yes...anything can generate an allergic reaction...if you look around hard enough, you'll find someone allergic to just about anything

Alcohol is a toxin. Rashes are often a way the body gets rid of them. There's other stuff in booze too. Find the poison that suits you, and avoid the ones that don't. Maybe a pack or 2 of cigs could help fumigate you a little.

I use to go on heavy drinking sessions over a period of severals days at Uni. I wouldn't call it a continuous binge. But I'd probably start drinking at say, 1 PM, until after midnight, and get up and do it again for a few days.

I would get rashes, and rash spots on different parts of the body.

I was told by one guy who used to be a hardcore drinker, that the rash was because it's how the body deals with the "poisoning of the body."

So, it could be the OP's body dealing with the poison in that manner.

[ding]

I used to drink heavily and moderation is not the answer for me anymore. When I drank I got a strange growth, not a rash really;

[azabujubanman]

There are a few potential explanations for this redness. The most common theory is that the affected people have a condition called rosacea. This is a disorder that affects about 5% of the caucasian population, and usually first shows up around age 30 or 40. The blood vessels in your nose and cheeks enlarge and become leaky, causing inflammation and redness in your skin. Over time this redness becomes more and more permanent. Severe cases of rosacea can cause acne-like bumps and eventually make your nose lumpy and swollen like W C Fields. There is no cure, but there are ways to manage rosacea.

Edited March 3, 2009 by azabujubanman

[toret]

Happens to me every now and then, sometimes it feels like I'm breathing harder but it might be from paranoia.

Anyway, one time I tried to change from Gin & Tonic to Vodka Sapparot. Worked wonders.

[Pakeha]

Whenever I notice any adverse effects from drinking alcohol I always revert back to a tried and true cure - flush it out with beer. But only beer. Stick strictly to beer. No other forms of alcohol.

Disclaimer: This advice is in no way intended as advcie from a medical professional and should in no way be taken as such

On a more serious note the liver can process approximately one unit of alcohol per hour. Drink more and you will start to get drunk (of course). If you are on binges and drinking, say, from 5pm to midnight (7 hours) 2 drinks per hour (14 drinks) your liver will still be (trying to) processing the alcohol at 7am! I love a drink but I think this fact is a good way to explain many a drinking related health problem.

Cheers. Off for a beer now

[bizzniz]

I dont come in so I can read, dumb swed, so I dont understand how to.

[Pakeha]

I dont come in so I can read, dumb swed, so I dont understand how to.

Could you please clarify your statement fine Sir?

[Netfan]

Sometimes I get a bright red rash (not itchy or raised, but feels hot) after drinking a lot, usually for 2 or 3 days on the trot.

Starts on neck or face and covers chest, back and shoulders.

Doesn't seem to make much difference when or what I drink, but spirits cause it most often.

Has only started since I came to Asia, a little over 4 years ago. I'm 28 now.

Having a long ice cold shower nearly always gets rid of it but is not very convenient. I drank through it once without going for a shower at new year, and it went of its own accord after a few hours, I think...

Im guessing it could be due to dehydration/heat, but anyone else get it?

I have never seen anyone, outside of a Japanese izakaya, that look like they get it, and I don't know why it would just start so suddenly...

...abstinence is not an option !

so just ignore it. drink more, you wont even notice it.

[dmax]

i get it too on back of neck coming off the drink. maybe something to do with sweating too much...would worry nmore about your drinking than the rash mate !

[philo]

Fatty liver or ealy cirrhosis. Go get a LFT (Liver Function Test).

ph

[ronz28]

Its probably Rosacea.