Am I allergic to lambic? (Seriously)

Not to lambic, but super hoppy beers make me sneeze. Doesn't stop me from drinking them though. Mint does the same. Usually only the first couple sips, then I'm good.

 

Log out of Beer Advocate and find a doctor.

 

Rip wifehatesthebike. At least you died doing what you loved.

 

Just saying, this doesn't seem like an emergency, more of someone curious if anyone else experiences this.

 

Send your lambic to me. I'll make sure it never hurts you again.

 

No other related factors? You've been drinking them in different environments with the same result? Were they different 'flavors' of lambic, or one in particular? I'm currently trying to think of one unifying aspect that all those brews share.

 

Try to blend some lambic into another beer and see if you get the same results. Maybe you can seen yourself back into lambic.

 

*Insert overused comment about you sending me said sour beers*

 

I doubt that it's the yeast. Although Lambics are brewed in a specific way, the components that go into them aren't really unlike other varieties of beer. At least to my knowledge.

 

I researched this issue a few months ago though to beers in general, not just lambics, as I was dealing with some major allergy issues. Long story short, beer can definitely effect your allergies. It can also come out of no where and start effecting people who have previously had no symptoms associated with drinking beer before. I am not a doctor (nor did I stay at a holiday inn last night) but my advice would be to take a break from lambics for a few days or a week and see how that makes you feel. Then reintroduce and see if the symptoms return.

 

Wifehatesthebike, bodyhatesthebeer. You can't win, man.

 

How long do the symptoms persist after you stop drinking?

 

& you drink other Belgian styles without incident? This would help to rule out the yeast.

 

Allergies develop overtime. The first time you had a lambic you were fine. It could be the yeast, bacteria, or something else you are allergic to. In the simplest terms possible, once your body is exposed to an allergen, your bodies B-cells bind to the allergen then internalize the allergen and present the peptides from the allergen on its surface. This (along with other steps) causes a class switching from IgM to IgE (antibodies). These IgE antibodies then connect to mast cells that are primed and ready to basically explode. They only need an ignition. The ignition comes in form of re-exposure to the allergen. When that occurs, these mast cells degranulate releasing inflammatory mediators like histamines causing the allergic reaction. The more times you drink the allergen, the more of these prepped bombs are made, and the worse your reaction will be.



In simple terms, the more beer with your specific allergen you drink, the worse your allergic reaction will become. I would avoid those types of beers. Also, simply pre-dosing with an anti-histamine will not work and can be dangerous. Sorry for the bad news.

 

I feel a lot dumber now. Daver just dropped some serious knowledge.

 

However, it does totally depend on your symptoms. Sometimes allergies are often mistaken for intolerances. With true allergies, you eventually develop hives, shortness of breath/ difficulty breathing, tachycardia, and other more serious symptoms. I would say before freaking out too much consult with an allergist or at least your PCP. You may be totally fine, but I would err on the side of caution!