Nausea from Alcohol: Here's Why You're Feeling Sick After Drinking Small Amounts of Alcohol

Feeling queasy after just one drink? You're not alone. If a couple sips of wine or a single beer leaves you hugging the toilet, you may be dealing with alcohol intolerance. This sudden and severe reaction can be bewildering, even scary. Why is your body rebelling? Why are you experiencing the spins from drinking alcohol? How can you curb the nausea and enjoy social events again?

This guide has the answers.

We'll explore the common culprits behind alcohol intolerance, from medications to health conditions. You'll also discover actionable tips to manage symptoms, from dietary changes to aids that minimize nausea. Equipped with this advice, you can troubleshoot your intolerance and toast to healthier, happier hours ahead.

Why Do I Feel Nausea From Alcohol After One Drink?

Feeling sick after drinking small amounts of alcohol can be really frustrating. It's not like you had too much alcohol. So - why do you feel like you're suffering from alcohol poisoning? What causes nausea after drinking alcohol in such small quantities?

Some people can develop sudden alcohol intolerance without even realizing what it is. This condition causes negative symptoms from drinking alcoholic beverages. Every body processes alcohol differently, the main difference between a regular night of drinking being that those with alcohol intolerance feel badly almost immediately after drinking instead of uncomfortable hangover symptoms felt the next day.

Even a small amount of alcohol could be enough to trigger negative symptoms, including feeling nausea from alcohol after one drink. So even though your blood alcohol level is quite low, you still may experience uncomfortable symptoms as if you were hungover already.

Alcohol intolerance occurs in otherwise healthy individuals, and many people will feel it at some point in their lives as a factor of stress, medications, or immune system issues (ever tried a hot toddy to help with a cold that only made you feel worse?) — there are plenty of factors that can impact how alcohol is processed in the body.  Those affected will experience negative symptoms, no matter what type of alcohol they are drinking.

Alcohol Intolerance Symptoms

There's a few common alcohol intolerance symptoms, such as:

• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Feeling hot
• Stomach pain
• Flushed skin (usually on the face)
• Headaches (or migraines in severe cases)

Because an extremely common symptom is getting a bright red face, this condition is often referred to as alcohol flush reaction (among many other names, too). Either way, your body has a hard time dealing with alcohol and results in negative side effects, often felt right away.

Why Do I Feel Like Throwing Up After Drinking Alcohol - But I'm Not Drunk?

So many people feel sick to the point of throwing up after drinking alcohol - but not drunk. You've only had 1-2 drinks but you feel nausea...why is this happening? Here's a quick look at the science behind alcohol nausea.

Those with alcohol intolerance have a hard time breaking down alcohol after drinking it and can sometimes experience nausea for days after drinking. Alcohol irritates many biological processes, but usually the body breaks down alcohol fairly quickly and it's eventually eliminated from the body entirely. Those with alcohol intolerance can usually only break down alcohol in part, turning it into a harmful chemical called acetaldehyde.

Acetaldehyde causes those really uncomfortable symptoms, like nausea and headaches. You can learn more about this in our complete guide covering how to remove acetaldehyde from the body naturally. Or, read our complete guides to aldh2 deficiency.

Many people believe they are allergic to alcohol when they experience these types of side effects. It's not surprising why: many of these symptoms look like an allergic reaction.

However, it's likely not the case. While a true alcohol allergy is possible, it's extremely rare (and only a tiny subset of those will be severe allergic reaction or anaphylaxis that needs to be dealt with by healthcare professionals). More often than not, these kind of symptoms represent an intolerance and not a true allergy to the alcoholic beverage or ingredients.  If you're not sure about your symptoms, make sure to visit your doctor or allergy specialist before drinking alcohol again.

Here's What to Do If You're Feeling Sick After Drinking Small Amounts of Alcohol

Whether you're throwing up after drinking alcohol but not drunk, dizzy after one drink of alcohol - or simply feeling sick after drinking small amounts of alcohol - feeling nauseous after drinking alcohol sucks. And a repeated occurrence of this can be awful for your stomach lining.

But it doesn't have to be this way! Here are some tips to get rid of nausea from alcohol once and for all.

The most efficient way to reduce nausea from alcohol is to look for a supplement that helps break down alcohol quickly. Supplements like Sunset Alcohol Flush Support's Asian glow pills help the body break down alcohol efficiently and remove toxic acetaldehyde as quickly as possible. Since it's acetaldehyde that causes negative symptoms, Sunset can help reduce those symptoms by reducing the main cause.

Other ways to limit your negative symptoms would be to drink alcohol slowly, thus giving your body more time to break it down internally. Making sure you drink enough water and stay hydrated is also a good option when reducing negative symptoms, including minimising any hangovers the next day (or 2-day hangovers for that matter!).

Final Thoughts on Nausea from Alcohol

There you have it - all about nausea from alcohol. If you struggle with feeling sick after drinking small amounts of alcohol, or throwing up after drinking alcohol but not drunk, you now know why that is. And, you have been given some of the best tips to help you make these frustrating, embarrassing symptoms a thing of the past.

The best part? With our Sunset Pills, you can still drink alcohol without the nasty drawbacks! And, you won't deal with other unpleasant hangover symptoms - like hangover anxiety, shortness of breath after drinking alcohol, or nasal congestion after drinking alcohol.

You can also explore our blog for additional resources to help you with hangover symptoms. Read our full articles on how to get rid of a hangover fast, alcohol headache cures, and why you get drunk so fast.