Do you swell up after a glass of wine? Why does this happen?

jackalope39
jackalope39 Posts: 13 Member
Anybody else swell up like crazy after one glass of wine? Any idea why? Even with a small glass of white wine my fingers get ridiculously swollen - can't even take off my rings. ??? My feet swell too, and it's gross.

I would get it if it was just red wine and it was sulfites, but even with white? Anyone else? Or anyone else have any idea why this might be?

Replies

  • tru2one
    tru2one Posts: 298 Member
    Anybody else swell up like crazy after one glass of wine? Any idea why? Even with a small glass of white wine my fingers get ridiculously swollen - can't even take off my rings. ??? My feet swell too, and it's gross.

    I would get it if it was just red wine and it was sulfites, but even with white? Anyone else? Or anyone else have any idea why this might be?

    I'm a pretty avid wine drinker and I can't say I experience this. Usually just the opposite...any extra water my bod is holding onto is flushed right on out. It could definitely be a sulfite allergy/reaction...even white wine can have some sulfites in it, depending on how it was made (they're added to prevent mold growth). The sweeter the white, the more likely it will contain higher sulfite levels.
  • JisatsuHoshi
    JisatsuHoshi Posts: 421 Member
    I avoid wines while on keto. Could be the sulfites or Carbs from sugar in the wine. Not sure how much Carbs is in a glass but 1g of carb = 4g of water retention.
  • Avy1976
    Avy1976 Posts: 9 Member
    Sounds like an allergic reaction. Most alcohol is made from some kind of grain, so if you have a sensitivity to something in the wine, you could have a reaction.
  • puckertoe
    puckertoe Posts: 16 Member
    Try an orgainic wine without sulphates. I drink red wine and have been keeping in ketosis still.
  • fruttibiscotti
    fruttibiscotti Posts: 986 Member
    Google it. The condition is called edema. Swelling occurs due to dehydration. Try drinking lots of water. It will counteract the dehydration effect of the wine.
  • Wilhellmina
    Wilhellmina Posts: 757 Member
    Try an orgainic wine without sulphates. I drink red wine and have been keeping in ketosis still.

    I got an organic wine and it still happens. In my case it's caused by histamine, kind of allergic reaction in other words.

    "The other non-organic compound used in the winery is, once again, sulphur in the form of sulphites. Sulphites are a preservative. They occur naturally as a by-product of the fermentation process. When wine finishes fermenting it has enough sulphites to protect it. But sulphites evapourate into the air, so unless you plan to bottle the wine instantly, you have to measure and top up the sulphites from time to time. Many people believe they are allergic to sulphites and so only drink organic wines. However true sulphite allergies are actually very rare (about one per cent of the population), but HISTAMINE allergy is common, and histamines occur naturally in wine, especially red wine."
  • sb4480
    sb4480 Posts: 199 Member
    Wine is made from grapes. And commercial liquor (NOT BEER) is so highly distilled that it's safe for people with grain intolerance.
  • Athena98501
    Athena98501 Posts: 716 Member
    Anybody else swell up like crazy after one glass of wine? Any idea why? Even with a small glass of white wine my fingers get ridiculously swollen - can't even take off my rings. ??? My feet swell too, and it's gross.

    I would get it if it was just red wine and it was sulfites, but even with white? Anyone else? Or anyone else have any idea why this might be?

    Do you have Raynaud's? I do, and alcohol causes dilation of the blood vessels of the extremities, and the effect is more pronounced in those with Raynaud's. When this happens to me, my hands are also red, and very warm.
  • allisonrinkel
    allisonrinkel Posts: 224 Member
    That really sucks.
    I love wine.
    I need some right now. Sadly I'm at work.
    Hope you get it figured out.
    My thoughts would be about the sulphites. My friend is a DIAGNOSED celiac (the reason I capped the word diagnosed is because a lot of people say they are celiac although they have not actually been tested, and may have in fact misdiagnosed them self. Not saying that anyone here is/has done that, just sayin'!), and although wine is gluten free, the sulphites trigger a reaction.
    Try drinking lots of water to help with the swelling. If it's really bad maybe get a doctor's opinion in case this is something unrelated or more serious.
  • Scottee3
    Scottee3 Posts: 1 Member
    I see that this forum started a few years ago, but I have to reply that I have the exact same experience with drinking wine. My hands (fingers) and feet get hot and swell. I've read and been told that it is the sulfites in the wine. Red wine has the most. If you insist on drinking wine, you'll have to kiss a few frogs before finding the ones that don't create this reaction. Where the wines are made (meaning country) can make a difference too.

    Good Luck
  • KnitOrMiss
    KnitOrMiss Posts: 10,103 Member
    The "getting hot" before swelling definitely points to it being related to histamines, too, if not alone, in conjunction with sulfites, @Scottee3

    I had to stop drinking Kombucha and eating sauerkraut a while back due to ocular migraines triggered by histamines. For most folks, it is a threshold thing. If you haven't hit too many, a glass of wine might not trigger much, but if you regularly hit that level, the wine will trigger the reaction hard and fast... I've never been one whole loves wine due to a weird reaction my body has to tannins, so I can't give specific feedback there, but I've definitely been down the histamine side of things.
  • mandydraper
    mandydraper Posts: 1 Member
    I just started experiencing swelling from drinking wine. It's not all, but most. I've started a running list of wines that cause swelling and ones that don't so I can still drink when I want. It's a bummer. I did a food sensitivity test and it came back that I was sensitive to lots of things, the first two are almonds and brewers yeast. This means wine can make me swell, have a sore belly, and even cause my nose to congest. I hate it and I'm not sure exactly why I've got this going on but I do. I've googled swelling due to wine a few times and there seem to be a myriad of possible reasons. Hoping I found the culprit and crossing my fingers you can figure it out too! (The blood test I did is from EverlyWell. Good luck!)
  • elize7
    elize7 Posts: 1,088 Member
    I always get a very very runny nose as soon as I drink wine. My mom does, too. When I was younger that never happened. Started at about age 50. No real idea what or why...feels like an allergy type thing.
    I just don't drink wine anymore. Hard liquor and beer don't have the same reaction for me. So, that's what I go with.
  • KnitOrMiss
    KnitOrMiss Posts: 10,103 Member
    I have a reaction to histamines (extension of allergies) so anything fermented causes this reaction for me. Additionally, I get this reaction to any leftovers that are more than a day or so old... It really stinks, but histamines are kind of like a threshold thing - below, it's just annoying allergy type stuff...above a certain combination/amount, I get migraines. Not worth it!
  • nill4me
    nill4me Posts: 682 Member
    I too get histamine-like reactions to things like wine, beer...but mine is due to mastocytosis (a mast cell disorder). it sucks, but that's why Tito started making Vodka.
  • KnitOrMiss
    KnitOrMiss Posts: 10,103 Member
    @nill4me

    So, I was not familiar at all with mastocytosis... I just looked it up, but it is really vague as to how to you get diagnosed... Do you mind explaining what lead you to this diagnosis? It's just weird, because the list of symptoms it says "might be included, depending on which part of you is affected," etc., is pretty generic and common...
  • nill4me
    nill4me Posts: 682 Member
    @KnitOrMiss sure. The symptoms can be generic and common. The disease itself is extremely rare. I think at the time They found it there were only 400k folks that had it worldwide. They found it by accident, as most mastocytosis diagnoses are. It’s generally not something they look for. They’ll check for things like Lupus first.

    I’ve had an issue with skin flushing for years. Then I noticed I started getting little red/brownish spots on my skin. Kind of like freckles, but a tad bigger. I had a couple of dark spots on my leg I had checked for skin cancer, and mentioned the spots and flushing as well so they also biopsied some of the spotty areas. The dermatologist found an unusually large amount of mast cells in the skin biopsy and referred me to a local hematologist/oncologist. He tested me for lupus and it was negative, but did diagnose me with mastocytosis due to the mast cell ratio. I also had to have a bone marrow biopsy to ensure I didn’t have mast cells invading my marrow / organs yet (systemic), and was tested for leukemia. So far it’s only in my skin. Which isn’t great but it’s better than the alternative. I have to have another bone marrow biopsy in a year or so to check for progression, as once progression starts it’s no bueno..

    Mast cells carry/produce histamine (along with a plethora of other chemicals) and they release it regularly. That’s normal. I just have way too many. And I have no allergies other than codiene. Go figure.

    I carry an epipen in case something triggers those mast cells to release too much or too many release at the same time. It could cause anaphylactic shock.

    Thanks for asking
  • KnitOrMiss
    KnitOrMiss Posts: 10,103 Member
    @nill4me - That is some crazy, scary stuff! Sending you all the best thoughts.
  • bunniy1
    bunniy1 Posts: 1 Member
    Lol. This is crazy. I've eaten this "keto diet" since the 90's. And it wasn't a diet. It was just how I've always eaten.. Any way. I had some red wine today any my feet began to swell. It happens. Sometimes. Worse with zinfidal wines. I find. Red, white, pink wines, some do it some don't. That's just reality.

    So, I was going through the discomfort and pain in my feet and said forget wine I'm going back to a whiskey tonight. See how that feels and call it a night.. And GUESS what!!!! ... My feet calmed down after two sips and a bit of time. They are calm and cool and not itchy or swollen!!! Omg my feet feel fantastic! And so does this buzz!! Yeh Canadian whiskey! Nothing much beats it. Maybe tequila!!!