You Can Pry My Booze Out of My Cold Old Dead Hand

The first Perimenopausal Problem I searched for some help with was the alcohol intolerance.  The joke there is obvious, but the truth is it was one of the first symptoms that showed up strongly and I had zero idea it was a symptom associated with perimenopause until after other symptoms started showing up.

The first time it happened, I just thought I had gotten sick.  It took four occurrences before I associated consuming alcohol with the reaction.  I think if I drank more often I’d have suspected it faster.  Basically the symptom was that anything more than 2 delicate sips of alcohol would lead to raging hangover symptoms has if I’d just gone on a bender, and the symptoms would start in less than two hours after the drink.  This is despite long having learned to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated, and also to eat good “drunk” food with alcohol.

The obvious solution was to quit drinking.  I cut way back, but I wasn’t really interested in quitting.  I don’t drink often, but I do really enjoy wine and cocktails, and I enjoy so few things it seemed like quite a shame to give it up completely.

So I started searching for solutions and trying things.  I eventually discovered that if I took two Activated Charcoal pills prior to having a drink, and took two more every two hours until I stopped drinking (there was A LOT of pills taken the day I went wine tasting, although I drank very little volume I was drinking all day), it got rid of the reaction for me.  If you have a similar problem, look at other “hangover treatments” that might help with your alcohol intolerance, but always look for possible interactions with other things you take.   For instance, the charcoal pills should not be taken a the same time as other medications because it will lower the effectiveness of them.

As time passed and I found out it was one of a myriad of perimenopausal symptoms I was being tortured by, I have discovered things to help ease many of those symptoms.  It is possible I no longer need the help of the charcoal, but I’m not willing to risk it.