Hey guys.
I have a mild form of EM, which means no pain, no burning, only redness/warmth and a bit swelling veins when it flares.
But is one thing I am curious about, and thats alcohol. Havent tried to drink it since I got the EM, like 1 year ago, because I fear that it will make my EM alot worse. So I am curious, can anyone here drink alcohol, without getting huge flares, and only major? With alcohol I mean doing shots/bear/wine etc.
Why would alcohol make your EM worse?
Wearing socks/shoes (heat), standing and feet hanging down, makes mine worse.
@hayley3 Alcohol is known as one of the largest triggers for EM. It is a potent vasodilator. Flushing with alcohol consumption is common among the population that don’t even have EM. I personally just stay away from it as it causes a flare.
Interesting…I thought heat was one of the largest triggers for EM.
I am 63 yrs old and have never had a “flushing” episode when I drank.
So I googled flushing since I had never experienced it and this is what I got:
Alcohol flush reaction is a condition in which a person develops flushes or blotches associated with erythema on the face, neck, shoulders, and in some cases, the entire body after consuming alcoholic beverages. … This syndrome has been associated with an increased risk of esophageal cancer in those who drink.
That is wonderful that you don’t flare with alcohol, I’m a little jealous of that. But unfortunately alcohol is a pretty common trigger for EM sufferers. Alcohol flushing is also common in the Asian population and EM has a higher incidence rate among that population, maybe there is something there, but maybe not.
I don’t drink with tablets I take, but it is annoying that sweet/spicy foods cause EM to go wild.
I think how much I want?
As some times my EM seem to flare for no reason.
For me, some types of alcohol cause flaring, some do not. I can drink margaritas / white wine, whiskey is a big no, and champagne causes me to flare with one sip.
Absolutely CANNOT drink alcohol! I’ve tried to have even two sips of wine with my husband and immediately my hands flare. I have erythromelalgia in my hands and knees. I can’t be in a room or outside if the temperature is above 72 degrees, which is awful. I do let others know that I have a medical condition and if I leave suddenly to just please excuse me. I don’t know how folks handle having it in their feet. I frequently walk around like a surgeon who has just scrubbed for surgery to try and keep my hands from flaring! Alcohol, I’ve discovered, is definitely a huge NO for me. Not to mention that some of the medications I’m on now stress the importance of staying away from alcohol.
I can’t drink either and boy do I miss it. It flares my EM. I have once or twice - before I started meds that couldn’t be mixed with alcohol - tried to drink enough that the flares didn’t bother me. For me that was about 3 glasses of wine. It was not worth it. I was in pretty rough shape for the next 20 hours or so.
Sorry to hear.
How is ur EM otherwise? Do you have pain? Can you workout?
It is stable. I can workout but can’t do any exercise that involves a lot of foot friction - like running. But biking, swimming, weight lifting are great - if I can get myself to the gym. Exercise helps me a lot.
I have weekly, frequent episodes if not daily. I work in the healthcare field and wear gloves like its going out of style along with constantly washing my hands and using hand sanitizer. It can get embarrassing when other co-workers, and even patients that I work with, notice my hands. Not sure if its the type of work I do but do others experience extreme tightness and stiffness, along with swelling of course, causing it to be slightly difficult to move you hands and fingers as you’re use to?
Do your hands flare? Mine flare ALL THE TIME. I provide mental health therapy but if the temperature in the room is above 72 degrees, my hands flare. They get extremely blotchy, itchy, and hurt. Also, if I put my hands down at my sides they flare. I have to hold them up. Do you experience this as well?