Gala party turns sour for businessman after consuming alcohol

In a first-of-its-kind case, an Agra-based businessman was successfully diagnosed and treated for Alcohol Allergy at Aswini Allergy Centre by Chief Allergist & Immunologist Dr. Vyakarnam Nageshwar. The patient, Mr. John (name changed), 36, experienced severe symptoms after consuming alcohol at a resort party and contacted Aswini Allergy Centre for help on its toll-free number 1800-425-0095.

The patient underwent an Alcohol Oral Challenge Test and tested positive for alcohol allergy. This process involves the patient consuming the suspected alcohol in a clinical setting under medical supervision the following day after undergoing an allergy test.

It is worth noting that in the published medical literature, there would have been around 100 cases of alcohol allergies worldwide published. The Alcohol Allergy Test is conducted following the protocol outlined in published medical literature.

“There would be many more undiagnosed cases of alcohol Allergy, but due to the lack of awareness & information about this condition, thousands suffer without knowing it” ,says Dr.Vyakarnam Nageshwar , Chief Allergist at Aswini Allergy Centre.

“To perform the test, the patient was asked to bring the remaining bottle of the suspected alcohol that triggered the allergy. Then, 1 ml of alcohol was placed on his forearm and the test was carried out,” said Dr. Vyakarnam Nageshwar, Chief Allergist & Immunologist, Aswini Allergy Centre.

Alcohol Allergy Symptoms:

Symptoms of alcohol allergy include flushing and redness of the face, rashes all over, heaviness of the head and chest, dry cough, and giddiness. He was rushed to the emergency unit of a nearby hospital and discharged after 12 hours of emergency care.

Two months later, Mr. John tried alcohol again at a gathering and experienced the same symptoms. It was later confirmed that he was allergic to whiskey.

“During a preliminary one-hour interaction, the patient revealed that he had a strong allergic family history and six years of past history of severe rashes,” said Dr Nageshwar.

Based on these details, Dr. Nageshwar suggested a Modified Allergen skin prick Test for Alcohol along with 80 other common allergens. The results of the test showed that the patient had high blood histamine levels, high sensitization to groundnuts, masala antigens, chicken, mutton, house dust mite, and mosquito. The patient was also suffering from undiagnosed asthma and allergic urticaria as his computerized Lung Function Test (LFT) suggested asthmatic changes.

The final report concluded that Mr. John had Alcohol allergy along with a few other issues. He was advised to avoid the brand of alcohol to which he was allergic, dilute the alcohol before drinking, and avoid high histamine foods and snacks while drinking. The patient was also advised to avoid alcohol brands that came packaged with cork-based closure lids besides taking an antihistamine tablet 30 minutes before drinking alcohol to decrease the exacerbation of symptoms.

“The case highlights the importance of ruling out cumulative factors along with suspected alcohol allergy, as these cumulative factors can add up to contributory high histamine foods usually consumed while having an alcoholic drink,” advised Dr Nageshwar, while urging patients to keep a watch on allergic symptoms.

Advisory on Alcohol Allergy:

• Avoid the brand of alcohol to which allergy is confirmed

• Dilute the alcohol before drinking and avoid high histamine foods and snacks

• Avoid alcohol that come with cork-based closure lids

• Take antihistamine tablets before drinking to decrease exacerbations of symptoms