Sadly, there are many people out there who say that wine causes them headaches – even migraines. Sometimes it’s easy to pass this off as a hangover (and/or blame it on the questionable wine your friend brought over last night), but there may be more to it than that – there are several (organic) compounds found in vino that you may actually be allergic to. When a recent round of migraines forced me to consider the frightening possibility of this being my own situation, I decided to look into it a bit more. (Personally I have yet to decide which is a worse fate – life with migraines, or life without wine.)

Fortunately I’m now pretty sure that my headaches have nothing to do with my favorite libation, but if you think you are cursed, maybe I hope this will help you figure out what’s going on. If you can pinpoint exactly what hurts, at the very least you may be able to determine which over-the-counter medicine to take before the next wine dinner or tasting that you just have to go to.

(Rather than scattering this post with lots of links to the same place, I’ll just confess that most of what I didn’t know here came from Wikipedia – as well as a couple of tidbits from a good medical friend who is internet-shy and will therefore remain anonymous)

I’m pretty sure that it’s not accepted by the medical community, but the term “Red Wine Headache” (”RWH”) has apparently become a common term among sufferers. Although much of the below info came from source material with that heading, you’ll notice that most of these substances are (at least) as prevalent in white wine as red, so I won’t use it at all.

First – and most obvious – is alcohol itself. Needless to say, if you react badly to alcohol you should drink wine in extreme moderation (while it pains me to say it) – on average it’s 13% or so allergen to you. (That’s more than twice as much as most beer.) For those of you who aren’t actually allergic to alcohol but do find yourselves more prone to hangovers after wine than other beverages, I have only one word of advice: HYDRATE. Especially when drinking wine with dinner, it’s way too easy to forget to drink water too, and even when drunk on its own good wines (should?) tend to lack the alcohol burn that may remind you to take a break now and then to down something non-alcoholic. Drinking some water between each glass really is the simplest way to avoid pain the next day (plus it’s free and it tastes good). Trust me on this one… it’s been proven.

Next come sulfites, the most feared compound in wine, due to the completely random insistence by the US TTB (who regulates all wine labels in this country on behalf of the FDA) that “THIS PRODUCT CONTAINS SULFITES” be displayed almost as prominently on the label as the name of the winery. Along with scaring people out of their wits with something that is in fact naturally occurring in wine, this has lead to many misconceptions. It’s true that sulfites are commonly added as preservatives/stabilizers (or to stop fermentation and leave some residual sugar in the wine) but even 100% organic wines are not 100% sulfite free. Furthermore, sulfites are also present in many other products that you may consume on the regular, like processed meats, potato chips, and even dried fruit (see – you’re screwed even if you try to snack healthy). In any case, less than 1% of people are actually sensitive to sulfites, most of who suffer shortness of breath and/or throat swelling almost immediately after consuming them. If this group includes you, you’ve probably known it since childhood, so the rest of you can calm down and breathe easy now (no pun intended).

Now, histamine is a “vasoactive substance” which is far more prevalent in red wine than white – and it’s precisely the same substance that is released by our bodies when they are attacked by allergens. “Vasoactive” means that it causes swelling (or constriction, but swelling in this case), which is usually localized but in extreme cases can be general and ultimately lead to anaphylactic shock. Luckily, for the most part this one also has an easy fix –an anti-histamine! (creative, I know). One of the most common is Loratadine (Claritin), which lasts all day and can also be purchased without a prescription. This is the same stuff you probably take for your spring sneezing.

Tannin is another one of those terms I’m sure you hear incessantly in relation to wine but may not actually understand; it is a polyphenolic compound found in the skin of grapes and many other fruits, as well as the leaves of many plants – including those used in tea – and trees. It is the main factor in determining the ageability of a wine, and it’s an astringent, meaning it dries your mouth out makes you pucker. If you’re not sure what I’m talking about, just make some tea and let it steep for a while – you’ll notice that along with a very strong (and possibly bitter) flavor, you’re left with some cottonmouth after you swallow.

(Yes – I realize this paragraph leaves lots of room for double entendres, but it’s the best I could do. If you really can’t resist please comment cautiously… or just email me)

It’s worth mentioning that tannins are not the only things contained in grape skins – they contain all the coloring agents as well (with very rare exceptions). This means that white wine can be made from almost any grape, simply by limiting the time that it spends “macerating” with the skin. As a result red wines tend to have a much higher tannin content, although in some cases white wine will pick up additional oak tannins if it is fermented and/or aged in a barrel.

Unfortunately, from what I’ve read, most theories about tannin allergies are just that – theories. There doesn’t seem to be much recourse other than avoidance, and maybe some prescription medication that decreases swelling if your doctor believes you’re reacting specifically to tannin. If this is you, please accept my heartfelt condolences… and let me know if you want some good beer recommendations!

Finally, we come to prostaglandins, another organic compound that may cause swelling and pain (and which I’d never heard of before). This one is easily combated with Advil (or generic ibuprofen). While that probably isn’t the greatest call for your liver, if it helps you enjoy a special bottle every once in a while, I promise I won’t tell. Just don’t quote me on this.

I hope this helps some of you! In any case, it felt great to write again after so long.

(If any of you winos – or doctors – feel that I left something out, please don’t hesitate to comment. If on the other hand I’m just plain wrong about anything, I’m sure I won’t need to twist your arm.

Labels: headaches migraine RWH sulfites tannin histamine

This entry was posted 10 months ago on Saturday, November 7th, 2009 at 3:10 am and is filed under Lifestyle Entries. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.