Alcohol Hypersensitivity
Adverse reactions to alcoholic beverages are common and have usually been put down to metabolic differences in individuals and/or the histamine content.
Pure ethanol has rarely been reported as a cause of hypersensitivity reactions. Ehlers et al decided to test whether ethanol itself was responsible for alcohol hypersensitivity in individuals who had experienced anaphylactic reactions after alcohol intake.
Interestingly skin prick tests were all negative but oral challenges resulted in reactions in 50% of those studied. Ethanol itself can, therefore, be responsible for reactions but any testing must take into account the failure of skin prick testing in provoking reactions.
Ethanol as a cause of hypersensitivity reactions to alcoholic
beverages.
Ehlers I, Hipler UC, Zuberbier T, Worm M.
Clin Exp Allergy 2002;32(8):1231-5.