Health Tips: A Reason Not To Drink This Christmas

I haven’t been much of a drinker for the past 5 years now, being pregnant twice and breastfeeding for a while has meant I haven’t really been able even if I’d wanted to. However, there is a new reason I will be saying ‘never again’ to drink and one that people should know more about.

Over the last year I had noticed that it doesn’t take much to get the worlds worst hangover. Actually it isn’t even a hangover as quite often I was getting ill before my head hit the pillow. Now, back in my uni days I would drink a whole bottle of Baileys to myself and yes, that would make me very ill, but half a glass of wine?

I can count on one hand the number of times I have been out this year, so it makes it quite easy to document the problem. Last new year’s eve I went out and I did indeed drink a lot, so probably shouldn’t count that one. The other times though, perhaps 3 or 4 nights out, I have had one or two glasses – nothing major by anyone’s standards. By midnight I am stooped over the toilet, feeling very poorly indeed. This will go on throughout the night- worse than morning sickness let me tell you!

Surely that isn’t normal?

The final straw came a month or so ago when I went on my friend’s hen do. Knowing what a lightweight I was, I decided not to drink at all. Except hen do’s don’t work like that do they? One of the other hens convinced me to at least have a white wine spritzer, I watched the barman measure out the teeny tiniest amount of wine and top it up with lemonade. Bare minimum as regards alcohol.

That night I was so sick, all through the night. I felt as though I had done 18 shots and mixed every drink under the sun.

Something was wrong. 

Now I know people say you aren’t meant to Google things with regards your health, you end up fearing the absolute worst. Well I agree to a point but think if you are sensible you can actually learn a lot from Google. I know I diagnosed Little G’s Toddler Hypoglycemia using Dr Google (later confirmed by a paediatrician) so I have faith!

After reading and reading and reading, I found that adults can develop a late onset intolerance to sulphites– these are found in quite a few things- including wine! As soon as I read the symptoms I knew that was it. I am allergic to wine! Who would have thought it?

You can buy sulphite free wine but do you know what? I am totally fine with being T-total. I don’t need alcohol to have fun and certainly don’t need the hangovers that come with it!

If you suffer badly when you’ve only had a small amount of wine then maybe this could be the answer!