Getting headaches after drinking alcohol

[Juldet]

Great Thread!

I love the taste of beer but I started getting headaches drinking draft from kegs at law school when I was 26, never had them before through heavy drinking at University. Now I know, guaranteed, after 1 or two beers a headache will come. You feel like you want to blow your head off and end your misery and your eyes feel like they are bulging out of your head. I have to grab a few advils asap!

I try and stick to single malt scotch now and also avoid wine.

Thanks to the previous posters like burlboy and massman for the great info.

One solution (for me at least) to relieve the pain is to get in the shower and point the shower head directly at my eyes, hot water. Anyone know why this works? I have to do this several times over a few hours.

 

[incognito]

I read on the net that it could mean a liver problem or diabetes. I don't think i have either one but you never know. Gonna get myself checked up by the doc.

 

[burlboy]

Dirty Tap?

This happens to me when I drink Draft beer at some places. Have been told it has something to do with the Co2 setting on the kegs regulator.

Interesting observation. The CO2 setting for draft is actually lower than for bottles. However, the Brewers Retail used to offer tap cleaning as part of the keg delivery service. Bar owners have to pay for this service now. Some bars are very conscientious and clean the line regularly, some only if they become so dirty it's obvious to the customer. If you have a mold allergy then this could be why you have a reaction to some draft beer. Maybe your local bar owner is to cheap to clean his lines. I personally have a hard time drinking beer at the Legion (notoriously cheap operators in my town). If the lines are clean the beer in the bottle should be the same as the keg except for CO2 counter pressure. If the lines are dirty the beer has to travel through moldy lines to your glass so the beer is not as clean.

The good news is no human pathogen can grow in beer so it won't kill you, but that doesn't mean you can't get a head ache or the runs not to mention a crappy beer flavour from a dirty keg line.

My guess is if the bathroom is not clean in the bar then neither are the keg lines

 

[goodtime]

Gonna get myself checked up by the doc.

Or by an MPA. Just kidding. Probably nothing, my migranes are usually stress induced.