Please, open up a new discussion on the topic of "Conditions much worse than the asian glow - Itchiness, Raised blotches for months after a few drinks"
Is there anyone out there who suffer much more than *just* the asian glow? For me, a few sips of beer, wine, mixed drinks etc. will not only bring out the burning and red flushing that everyone talks about. Depending on the type of alcohol and the quantity, I will get hyper-itchy, hives, 3-D/raised spots, swollen lymph noes (armpits, junction of thighs and pelvis), peeling skin and the feeling of getting pricked by pins all over. These symptoms are primarily on my lower back, buttocks, insides of my arms, upper thighs and lymph node areas. Of course, the red flushing and the burning sensations are there, but that's the least of my worries.
The itchiness stays for about 5 days, but the worst thing is that the raised spots stick around for WEEKS. They do get flatter and less red, but it's still really nasty-looking and prevents me from wearing anything summery for a good month or two. I have tried all types of alcohol, but everything gives me a reaction. Benadryl and other antihistamines do not work. Friday night I tried the combination of Pepcid and Claritin, which allowed me to drink one lemon drop (vodka) without any issues! But a mango mojito (rum) on Saturday night gave me a slow-acting reaction that only showed up the next day, and I'm now drowning myselt in hydrocortisol cream....
If anyone else has similar reactions and have any suggestions, please HELP! Advice from docs and allergists are pretty much "don't drink", but it will be good to have some options before going with that.