I just found this forum tonight and wanted to share and see if anyone could help me....
I'm a 23 year old female with no asian decent at all (German, Irish and Spanish). I seem to be the only one out of my family who experiences this frustrating flushing issue. I developed this a few years ago. It had NEVER happened to be before that. Like some of you it doesn't happen all the time. Sometimes I go out and drink cocktails or beer and I'm completely fine (I prefer vodka and diet coke). Just last month I was at a friend's bachelorette party at a bunch of wineries which started at 11am and was terrified (because wine seems to induce it the most with me). To my surprise I only got a little blotchy on my jaw line and that's it.
Not only this but it seems there are certain things I (think I) can do to prevent it (not full proof but it's the only thing I've found thus far that helps, haven't tried the Pepcid or Zantac thing yet)
-Being in a very cool environment, it seems hot places or direct sunlight bring it on even worse/quicker
-working out a few hours before I drink
-staying away from wine
For awhile I thought it had something to do with my body temperature because I seem to flush on my face/neck/chest when I workout or am in hot environments while drinking (so much for summer bbq's) but then like some of you I get it if I eat something while drinking. (This doesn't work out so well when you go out to dinner with business clients who insist on you drinking). So then I'm either not drinking or not eating.
I'm basically really confused with what is going on. It even happens when I get embarrassed or emotional sometimes (with or without alcohol involved). With the eating thing I thought it might have to do with my blood sugar level?? Not sure why the workout out thing sometimes works, I thought maybe because I'm forcing my body to over heat it gets it all out and then won't come out later when I drink. Again this could all could just sound ridiculous but I'm pretty desperate. My boyfriend thinks I am huge pain because I need like hours notice before we go out due to my silly rituals of working out, eating in advance, planning the location (cool environments), etc. Geez I used to be so carefree and spontaneous!!
It also gets even worse when everyone questions me about being "sooo RED" or asking me whats wrong and insisting I have an allergy to some sort of food. I've had people try to give me asprin. Then due to the attention I get even more embarrassed and the red facial flushing blotches get even worse.
Sometimes it's not my whole face but weird blotches on my cheeks or jawline and other times it's my whole face :( Does anyone think this is "asian flush" or do I have some other issue. I went to my doctor and she tried to give me Propranolol. I took that a couple of times but it really didn't seem to work. I'm certain for a fact the alcohol does have something to do with it the times I get it while drinking because I am sometimes calm at home, not nervous at all, in a great mood, cool environment and then have 1-2 drinks and it comes on.
Any help or advice would be wonderful!!
PS. Also I feel like time of day or whether I'm tired contributes to it too. Sometimes when I drink in the mornings (like BBQ's or brunch) I'm ok. Then like around dinner or when I'm tired I feel like it is almost certain to come on if I have a drink.