The Student Room Group

Feel sick when I drink (even when not drunk)

The last 2 times I've had alcohol I've felt like I was close to physically being sick. However what made it really weird was that I knew I was 100% sober. Not even the tiniest bit tipsy. It's annoying because I wanted to drink more but my body wasn't letting me. Any idea what this is? It's felt like this with different types of drinks

Scroll to see replies

Lightweight
You might be intolerant to alcohol. It sucks, but it happens. I have a slight intolerance to it so I don't drink often, but when I do it pretty much kills me hahaha.
Reply 3
I get that with beer for some reason. Fosters can make me vomit on the first can, hence why I stick to cider and spirits, but even Bulmers can do it. :frown:
What were you drinking? Cider makes me feel dizzy and sick, wine hits me quite quickly, but spirits don't. Alcopops used to make me feel sick because of the caffeine.
What were you drinking?
Probably genetic, especially if you are not Caucasian.

Everyone has 2 copies of the ALDH2 gene that is responsible for producing the enzyme that decomposes alcohol, but some people have 1 defective copy, and some people have 2 defective copies.

People with 2 working copies can drink all day. People with 1 working copy can drink moderately, but will have mild flush reaction, and definitely can't drink as much as people with 2 working copies. People with 0 working copies will feel very uncomfortable after having just 1 or 2 drinks, due to acetaldehyde buildup. Usually they aren't drunk (because the actual amount of alcohol consumed is small).

Alcohol first gets converted into acetaldehyde by another enzyme (this most people don't have problem with), and then acetaldehyde gets converted into acetic acid (harmless) by ALDH2.

Acetaldehyde is toxic, and acetaldehyde build up is what's responsible for both flush reaction and nausea, etc.

Judging by your description, unless you are allergic to alcohol (which is totally different and much less common), you probably have 0 working copy of ALDH2.

Most Asians have 0 or 1 working copy, and most Caucasians have 2. Don't know about other races.
I think have 2 as I can drink pint after pint- however make sure you burp and stuff as trapped wind can build up especially when drinking lager
Original post by hamburgerandbeans
The last 2 times I've had alcohol I've felt like I was close to physically being sick. However what made it really weird was that I knew I was 100% sober. Not even the tiniest bit tipsy. It's annoying because I wanted to drink more but my body wasn't letting me. Any idea what this is? It's felt like this with different types of drinks


What did you drink and how much.



Inb4 "just half a bottle of vodka."
Original post by CJKay
I get that with beer for some reason. Fosters can make me vomit on the first can, hence why I stick to cider and spirits, but even Bulmers can do it. :frown:


Fosters does that for everyone mate.

In cans as well? Grim. You'll be telling me they were warm next.
Reply 10
Original post by cole-slaw
Fosters does that for everyone mate.

In cans as well? Grim. You'll be telling me they were warm next.


Ice cold, man, but it happens with all beers. I can't even smell Guiness, and Corona? Yeurgh.
Original post by cole-slaw
What did you drink and how much.



Inb4 "just half a bottle of vodka."


Ok I can drink a LOT (naturally I've always been like that). But I get this sick feeling with anything... beers/lagers/ciders, vodka, rum, whiskey, gin. It's nothing to do with being drunk as it comes after not a lot and i know i'm way better than most people with alcohol.

I'm Caucasian.
Original post by hamburgerandbeans
Ok I can drink a LOT (naturally I've always been like that). But I get this sick feeling with anything... beers/lagers/ciders, vodka, rum, whiskey, gin. It's nothing to do with being drunk as it comes after not a lot and i know i'm way better than most people with alcohol.

I'm Caucasian.


psychological perhaps. I feel happy and relaxed when I drink beer - even non alcoholic beer.
Reply 13
Try eating on a fuller stomach it could resistance to the flavour of the alcohol, if it's spirits. I say just grit your teeth and bear it, you don't wanna be a puss puss forever.
Reply 14
you're either eating too much or not enough beforehand
I actually have a similar problem and I thought I was making it up because nobody has ever heard of this before. My stomach doesn't like alcohol in any form and volume. I don't feel like throwing up, but let's just say I still have to stay near the restroom the whole night. I've never really looked into it, maybe it was only one kind of drink that made me react like that, but I don't fancy experimenting in this area. I gave up on drinking it, it's not like I crave the taste anyway. :rolleyes:

Posted from TSR Mobile
This wouldn't look out of place if 'alcohol' and 'drink' was replaced with 'heroin' and 'shoot up'. Just stop drinking alcohol then FFS.
Don't drink it. You are clearly intolerant to it and don't listen to people saying you need to 'man up'. You can be just as manly without and it's completely out of your control if genetic.
Original post by Neverdie
This wouldn't look out of place if 'alcohol' and 'drink' was replaced with 'heroin' and 'shoot up'. Just stop drinking alcohol then FFS.


I don't get what you're trying to say.
Heroin is illegal and incredibly harmful and addictive, even in small amounts.
Alcohol can be used responsibly and be very positive for the person.
I agree that he should stop drinking alcohol, at least for now, but maybe an investigation into why this is happening would be a good idea.
Reply 19
That's what happens when you drink vodka

Posted from TSR Mobile

Quick Reply

Latest