Strange but True: Bourbon Allergy

[Enoch]

A friend of mine in Kentucky has a bourbon allergy. He drank bourbon all of his adult life and has developed an allergy to it (He's around 60 now.) It turns out when he drinks even small amounts of bourbon his heart develops an arrhythmia that can be life threatening. When he stops it goes away. After numerous tests and trials (drink or not drink) the doctor concluded it was that result of an allergy to bourbon. He now cannot drink bourbon at all. Clear liquor doesn't seem to have that effect.

Just thought it was interesting. Glad I didn't start bourbon till later in life.

[macdeffe]

Oh, thats sad

What about other kind of whiskies, like single malts ?

I know a person who get hayfever reactions to alcohol!

Steffen

[smokinjoe]

Huh, that's weird. I have the exact opposite affliction. It's when I don't drink bourbon, my heart develops an arrhythmia. And, when I start, it goes away.

[camduncan]

Can he drink White Dog? I'd never want him to risk his health (or life), but it'd be interesting to know if it's something in the raw whiskey off the still or something from the aging process.

[IronHead]

A friend of mine in Kentucky has a bourbon allergy. He drank bourbon all of his adult life and has developed an allergy to it (He's around 60 now.) It turns out when he drinks even small amounts of bourbon his heart develops an arrhythmia that can be life threatening. When he stops it goes away. After numerous tests and trials (drink or not drink) the doctor concluded it was that result of an allergy to bourbon. He now cannot drink bourbon at all. Clear liquor doesn't seem to have that effect.

Just thought it was interesting. Glad I didn't start bourbon till later in life.

I now a guy who has the same allergy. I can't recall his reaction or if it causes heart related symptoms. But he cannot drink any brown liquor either.

[RyanL]

As someone that has multiple food allergies/intolerances this doesn't surprise me that some people would be allergic to it. Some people I think are allergic to alcohol in general, wheat(so they can't drink beer), hops(can't drink beer), im sure some are allergic to grapes, etc...

I developed my allergies to seafood when I was about 13ish. I developed an allergy to beans like pinto beans, black beans, lentils, when I was about 25 and never really ate beans much throughout my life so it just kind of came out of nowhere. Luckily though so far I have no allergies to any kind of alcohol.

[MarkEdwards]

Our dungeon master in college was very allergic to alcohol. He discovered this after having his first beer to celebrate his 21st birthday.

Whenever he was being particularly brutal to our characters in a dungeon campaign, we threatened to bring a rum cake to the gaming session.