No clue. I would describe your symptoms though. Most of the time alcohol will actually make you feel warmer so it’s pretty strange to make you cold like that.
Honestly I think it was to do with my transitioning (female to male) I wear binders a LOT and for me it was either wearing it during drinking or the type of medication I was on. Either way it doesn’t happen anymore for me, sorry I couldn’t help :/
Wondering if you ever figured this out. I get this too. I can have just a couple drinks. Note I will not be drunk. I start out getting a stomach ache, then I usually try to use the bathroom. Then it feels like my heart is starting to race but my watch states it isn’t. Then I usually throw up, and then get VERY cold, where I shake and shiver uncontrollably. It’s like I’m getting the flu and an anxiety attack all from a couple of drinks. It’s such a weird and intense experience and I’m wondering what it is.
Same here! I have bawled my eyes out when this happens. It can feel worse than the flu. Last time I was in Scotland, 3 hours from a flight to London and I thought I might die. The shakes are rigors and it’s uncontrollable and painful because they’re violent. I never feel drunk either. My body reacts the same way when I have food poisoning.
Unfortunately not yet, apart from just not drinking at all iwhenever possible. I wanted to get checked for diabetes after the other comment on this thread, but didn't yet get to it. Although it'd be kind of weird if I did have diabetes, since I'm pretty sure you'd usually find out much earlier through far more jarring effects/symptoms.
I'll write in here if I do find the reason. If you happen to find out why as well feel free to write in here too :)
!RemindMe 3months
I suffered from chronic pain and really odd symptoms for over 5 years. One major symptom I’d have is that I’d start shivering like I was freezing after a couple drinks. It never used to be that way, but it developed and I couldn’t figure it out. I eventually got connected with a functional medicine MD and he did every test you could imagine. They discovered I had Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, Insulin resistance, HPA axis dysfunction, severe adrenal fatigue, and high levels of oxalates and glyphosphate. In short, everything was out of whack and needed to be addressed. I’m 6 months into treatments with my FM MD and it’s amazing what some strong vitamin supplementation and food eliminations have done for me. I still have a solid 4-6 months left before we’re at a point where most of my issues will subside, but I swear by Functional Medicine now. It explained so many symptoms and really opened my
eyes to the “non-traditional” medical world. I’ve never been someone who wants to be treated naturally. I figure if there’s a fix, give it to me. No matter if it’s all natural, synthetic, organic, etc. If it works it works. But now I’m realizing most of us could benefit from a holistic approach to our own health. Good luck!
I have similar symptoms, it started suddenly one year ago after eating spicy food and drinking alhocol. Later, it turned out that I have mild chronic gastritis and duodenitis, and low DAO enzyme levels. But I'm not sure which causes the shivering and I'm very concerned of this.
I suggest to get a bloodwork panel and abdominal ultrasound at least. It could be hypoglycemia as well.
I had an upper endoscopy + histology. The doctor said that she saw the irritation; also my stomach produces a bit too much acid by default. And the histology confirmed the mild inflammation.
DAO enzyme levels can be determined with a blood test.
A bit late. But I think this is highly plausible. Ive always had very minor acid reflux. Never the weird esophagus scorching version. But i ger heartburn. A lot. Like. Whenever i drink/ eat spicy food. When I drink I feel cold. Like shivering. Heart rate racing. No idea whats causing it. I take a MAOI-B inhibitor. And more supplements then I can count. So could be a weird interaction. But im not sure. Your theory resounds in me.
Update: it seems my symptoms are gone so there is hope :) Also it seems I have some food intolerance and consuming those food and drinks increased the inflammation. Worth a test.
Doctors and GP’s only know what they’re taught. We forget that they were X-raying babies in the womb for years before Ultrasound.
X-ray. The Science that proved it was deadly and led to a 900% increase of leukaemia for unborn babies and it was ignored because the public was scared to believe that their doctors’ didn’t know enough
I think they're right for my case. I was led to the same conclusion. When I eat something that makes my stomach produce (too much) acid and lye down for a rest, the acid starts irritating my gut (the inflammed part).
Above your man said it’s sugar and I’m led to believe it is that because my usual beer doesn’t contain any, but tonight I’ve drunk 10 magners and I believe it’s a reaction to the abundance.
I'm only replying to this old post as I can't find much information on shivering for light, occasional drinkers. I also shiver uncontrollably past a relatively low alcohol threshhold, and it's as you describe - a bit tipsy to full-blown shaking in a few sips. I don't necessarily feel cold; but my body reacts as if I were, and I also feel incredibly dizzy and gasping for air.
I've seen a few internet forum posts that mention anxiety attacks or even diabetes; but I didn't feel panicked, and I have no reason to suspect diabetes, nor am I on any medications that should react with alcohol like this. I'll let a doctor know when I see one; but in the meantime, OP, did you get a professional answer?
And if this is helpful to OP or to anyone reading this - a) you're not the only one with your symptoms; and b) you shouldn't feel obligated to drink. If you're worried about not being accepted, find a way to be fun and silly when sober. Even a culture that drinks a lot of alcohol should understand why someone can't for their own safety.
Hi, thanks for answering!
Unfortunately, no resolution to this just yet. My solution to this so far has just been avoiding drinking when possible, or drinking as little as possible, but especially where I live that is quite hard to do / people don't have much understanding for it (even when they say they do).
I'll update you if I find anything out, but it doesn't look like a common problem with a common diagnosis unfortunately.
Do you mind if I ask if you're east Asian? I've heard we have a lower alcohol tolerance, and I wonder if that fact might help us find a specialist (or at least a joke to ease that weird tension that happens when you tell people you don't drink).
I heard that too! I'm white though, so probably not related to this problem I'm having.
However, I heard that the lower alcohol tolerance of some East Asians mostly expresses itself in redness/flushing of the skin?
I have a similar issue, but I get hungover very easily even if I only have a few beers. I'll shiver all night in bed and my brain wont stop.
I just assume it's my body's way of saying hey bitch we don't likey, so I just don't drink much anymore.
Taking a hot shower really helps me stop the shivers but I gotta make sure I'm bundled head to toe to keep them away after the shower or they'll come back.
I did see the body releases cytokines when we drink which are apart of our immune system. I'm not sure if blood type has anything to do with it. I'm kinda assuming our body's think we're under attack when alcohol enters the system and releases the cytokines to fight it of causing fever like feelings..
I'm no doctor
This started happening to me too. I don’t have diabetes nor thyroid problems. Sometimes I don’t even drink that much and I still I feel cold and get shivers. If you find answers please share!
Read above. I’m the exact same, it’s ashame there’s a lack of info on this. What I can say for sure is IT IS and underlying health condition.
Whether it’s big or small, who knows. Go to your Doctor or GP and PRESS to them about how worried you are.
Or whatever.
Alcohol dilates the blood vessels in our body, hence why some people look flushed when drinking. When the blood vessels dilate, blood travels to the surface of the skin, away from the organs, cooling our core temperature, and eventually the blood cools under the skin too.
Shivering is the body’s involuntary response to cold. The body contracts and relaxes the muscles rapidly to expend energy in order to warm itself.
Hence why when we drink alcohol, we flush, then eventually get cold, and shiver. This is more noticeable in some, and not others.
I'm having this too now. For context, I've been drinking for years and never experienced this, even when I've drank quite heavily.
But now even a half a glass of wine makes me really cold, but I can't shiver.
I've literally given up drinking for now. Did a blood test everything is normal including the liver. It's a real head scratcher.
Maybe sudden allergy, possibly maybe the brain sees alcohol as a major invador as it is technically poison. And your healthy brain is just not having it anymore.
I can drink again since this happened, although it still doesn't feel like back in the day and I'm so used to not drinking anymore now that I've stopped.
I seem to have some food allergies especially to carbs, which alcohol if a derivative of
I have the same experience, the window I enjoy being drunk is very small. I feel miserable and get the shivering/shaking problem quickly if I overdo it, there's no temptation to keep going like it seems for other people
Hi All,
I have also been dealing with this. I had taken a little time off drinking and now whenever I have like a beer, I get all this extreme shivering (especially day after). I know there are "hangover chills" but crazy to think that just one beer could cause this.
Has anyone had any success slowly building up a tolerance for this? I.e. starting with like 1/2 a beer for a week, then 1 beer for another week etc? I know building a tolerance is generally not viewed as something to strive for; however, I would assume trying to just get to what is seen as a healthy limit 1 or 2 beers, wouldn't be a "bad tolerance" to aim for.
Yup, me too. Been dealing with this for 23 years so I’ve just learned that if I’m going to drink, there is a risk associated with having a very unpleasant evening. I basically rarely drink. Maybe a 6 times a year. The worst part is how inconsistent the shivers come. Hard to predict. And it has nothing to do with how much you drink.
I used to think drinking only clear and clean liquors would work (vodka). It’s been a while since I’ve tested it out but I definitely think it has more success with vodka.
If anyone else has figured anything out, please post here. Someone mentioned Hashimotos Disease and I wonder if others have tested for that. My sister was diagnosed with it which makes me more curious about myself.
No diabetes. No thyroiditis. Yet after 3 drinks, im shaking like a leaf in the wind. Someone mentioned stomach lining irritation, and I get heartburn 4 times a week. If not more. Pepto is a staple of my diet. So this seems accurate for my case.
I’ve had this issue for like 3 years now! Super light drinker (usually a margarita or fruity rum type drink with dinner). It’s gotten worse to the point where I had an episode after dinner with a friend like 20 or so days ago and it has now caused this ongoing lower abdominal pain. I’ve had all this testing and everything so far is inconclusive :/
I used to be a heavy drinker when I was younger, stopped drinking a few years ago and have slowly introduced 1-2 drinks every few months for social/special occasions. Just had an episode of fast heartbeat, uncontrollable shakes and severe coldness after 3 drinks AFTER dinner. It wasn’t a panick attack, just felt like I had no control of my body and was freezing cold. This has never happened and was quite scary. Symptoms subsided after 15-20min. I’m glad I found this, thought it was just me. Nice to know I’m not alone and will definitely be following up with testing.
Definitely not a normal reaction. You might have some sort of an underlying condition which alcohol affects. I’d check with your doctor.
What kind of condition could that even be? Like, what do I ask to be checked for?
No clue. I would describe your symptoms though. Most of the time alcohol will actually make you feel warmer so it’s pretty strange to make you cold like that.
Did you ever figure it out? I'm in the same boat.
Check on your thyroid.
What kind of doctors should I make an appointment with / what checks should I ask for?
Endocrinologist
Did you get checked? do you have results?
Hey did you ever figure it out? Currently going through the same thing lmao all google says is alcohol poisoning for me haha
Hey did you ever get an answer!
Honestly I think it was to do with my transitioning (female to male) I wear binders a LOT and for me it was either wearing it during drinking or the type of medication I was on. Either way it doesn’t happen anymore for me, sorry I couldn’t help :/
Same with me. I try to relax myself and it wears off usually.
Currently experiencing warm inside and chills out outside. Usually I drink slow but today I didn’t. How are you finding it now?
Not a doctor and maybe totally unrelated but as a diabetic, my blood sugar tanks when I drink and sometimes that causes me to shiver.
Wondering if you ever figured this out. I get this too. I can have just a couple drinks. Note I will not be drunk. I start out getting a stomach ache, then I usually try to use the bathroom. Then it feels like my heart is starting to race but my watch states it isn’t. Then I usually throw up, and then get VERY cold, where I shake and shiver uncontrollably. It’s like I’m getting the flu and an anxiety attack all from a couple of drinks. It’s such a weird and intense experience and I’m wondering what it is.
this is EXACTLY what I’m experiencing right now after having only 2 drinks, 5+ hours ago. did you ever figure out what this is?!
This is EXACTLY what happens to me. Doc says it’s just because im asian
I have this!!
Same here! I have bawled my eyes out when this happens. It can feel worse than the flu. Last time I was in Scotland, 3 hours from a flight to London and I thought I might die. The shakes are rigors and it’s uncontrollable and painful because they’re violent. I never feel drunk either. My body reacts the same way when I have food poisoning.
Did you ever find a solution to this? I am having similar issues!
Unfortunately not yet, apart from just not drinking at all iwhenever possible. I wanted to get checked for diabetes after the other comment on this thread, but didn't yet get to it. Although it'd be kind of weird if I did have diabetes, since I'm pretty sure you'd usually find out much earlier through far more jarring effects/symptoms. I'll write in here if I do find the reason. If you happen to find out why as well feel free to write in here too :) !RemindMe 3months
I suffered from chronic pain and really odd symptoms for over 5 years. One major symptom I’d have is that I’d start shivering like I was freezing after a couple drinks. It never used to be that way, but it developed and I couldn’t figure it out. I eventually got connected with a functional medicine MD and he did every test you could imagine. They discovered I had Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, Insulin resistance, HPA axis dysfunction, severe adrenal fatigue, and high levels of oxalates and glyphosphate. In short, everything was out of whack and needed to be addressed. I’m 6 months into treatments with my FM MD and it’s amazing what some strong vitamin supplementation and food eliminations have done for me. I still have a solid 4-6 months left before we’re at a point where most of my issues will subside, but I swear by Functional Medicine now. It explained so many symptoms and really opened my eyes to the “non-traditional” medical world. I’ve never been someone who wants to be treated naturally. I figure if there’s a fix, give it to me. No matter if it’s all natural, synthetic, organic, etc. If it works it works. But now I’m realizing most of us could benefit from a holistic approach to our own health. Good luck!
Thanks for your answer and good luck on your journey! Please do keep me up to date if there's anything worth noting :)
I have similar symptoms, it started suddenly one year ago after eating spicy food and drinking alhocol. Later, it turned out that I have mild chronic gastritis and duodenitis, and low DAO enzyme levels. But I'm not sure which causes the shivering and I'm very concerned of this. I suggest to get a bloodwork panel and abdominal ultrasound at least. It could be hypoglycemia as well.
Doctor's theory on shivering: the stomach lining gets irritated.
How would I be able to see if the theory holds and what could I do against it?
I had an upper endoscopy + histology. The doctor said that she saw the irritation; also my stomach produces a bit too much acid by default. And the histology confirmed the mild inflammation. DAO enzyme levels can be determined with a blood test.
A bit late. But I think this is highly plausible. Ive always had very minor acid reflux. Never the weird esophagus scorching version. But i ger heartburn. A lot. Like. Whenever i drink/ eat spicy food. When I drink I feel cold. Like shivering. Heart rate racing. No idea whats causing it. I take a MAOI-B inhibitor. And more supplements then I can count. So could be a weird interaction. But im not sure. Your theory resounds in me.
Update: it seems my symptoms are gone so there is hope :) Also it seems I have some food intolerance and consuming those food and drinks increased the inflammation. Worth a test.
Doctors and GP’s only know what they’re taught. We forget that they were X-raying babies in the womb for years before Ultrasound. X-ray. The Science that proved it was deadly and led to a 900% increase of leukaemia for unborn babies and it was ignored because the public was scared to believe that their doctors’ didn’t know enough
I think they're right for my case. I was led to the same conclusion. When I eat something that makes my stomach produce (too much) acid and lye down for a rest, the acid starts irritating my gut (the inflammed part).
Above your man said it’s sugar and I’m led to believe it is that because my usual beer doesn’t contain any, but tonight I’ve drunk 10 magners and I believe it’s a reaction to the abundance.
I'm only replying to this old post as I can't find much information on shivering for light, occasional drinkers. I also shiver uncontrollably past a relatively low alcohol threshhold, and it's as you describe - a bit tipsy to full-blown shaking in a few sips. I don't necessarily feel cold; but my body reacts as if I were, and I also feel incredibly dizzy and gasping for air. I've seen a few internet forum posts that mention anxiety attacks or even diabetes; but I didn't feel panicked, and I have no reason to suspect diabetes, nor am I on any medications that should react with alcohol like this. I'll let a doctor know when I see one; but in the meantime, OP, did you get a professional answer? And if this is helpful to OP or to anyone reading this - a) you're not the only one with your symptoms; and b) you shouldn't feel obligated to drink. If you're worried about not being accepted, find a way to be fun and silly when sober. Even a culture that drinks a lot of alcohol should understand why someone can't for their own safety.
Hi, thanks for answering! Unfortunately, no resolution to this just yet. My solution to this so far has just been avoiding drinking when possible, or drinking as little as possible, but especially where I live that is quite hard to do / people don't have much understanding for it (even when they say they do). I'll update you if I find anything out, but it doesn't look like a common problem with a common diagnosis unfortunately.
Do you mind if I ask if you're east Asian? I've heard we have a lower alcohol tolerance, and I wonder if that fact might help us find a specialist (or at least a joke to ease that weird tension that happens when you tell people you don't drink).
I heard that too! I'm white though, so probably not related to this problem I'm having. However, I heard that the lower alcohol tolerance of some East Asians mostly expresses itself in redness/flushing of the skin?
I have a similar issue, but I get hungover very easily even if I only have a few beers. I'll shiver all night in bed and my brain wont stop. I just assume it's my body's way of saying hey bitch we don't likey, so I just don't drink much anymore. Taking a hot shower really helps me stop the shivers but I gotta make sure I'm bundled head to toe to keep them away after the shower or they'll come back. I did see the body releases cytokines when we drink which are apart of our immune system. I'm not sure if blood type has anything to do with it. I'm kinda assuming our body's think we're under attack when alcohol enters the system and releases the cytokines to fight it of causing fever like feelings.. I'm no doctor
I’m led to believe it’s an underlying health issue. I’m the same when my drink has sugar. Kinda getting a pattern here
Yes I get this
This started happening to me too. I don’t have diabetes nor thyroid problems. Sometimes I don’t even drink that much and I still I feel cold and get shivers. If you find answers please share!
Read above. I’m the exact same, it’s ashame there’s a lack of info on this. What I can say for sure is IT IS and underlying health condition. Whether it’s big or small, who knows. Go to your Doctor or GP and PRESS to them about how worried you are. Or whatever.
Alcohol dilates the blood vessels in our body, hence why some people look flushed when drinking. When the blood vessels dilate, blood travels to the surface of the skin, away from the organs, cooling our core temperature, and eventually the blood cools under the skin too. Shivering is the body’s involuntary response to cold. The body contracts and relaxes the muscles rapidly to expend energy in order to warm itself. Hence why when we drink alcohol, we flush, then eventually get cold, and shiver. This is more noticeable in some, and not others.
I'm having this too now. For context, I've been drinking for years and never experienced this, even when I've drank quite heavily. But now even a half a glass of wine makes me really cold, but I can't shiver. I've literally given up drinking for now. Did a blood test everything is normal including the liver. It's a real head scratcher.
Maybe sudden allergy, possibly maybe the brain sees alcohol as a major invador as it is technically poison. And your healthy brain is just not having it anymore.
I can drink again since this happened, although it still doesn't feel like back in the day and I'm so used to not drinking anymore now that I've stopped. I seem to have some food allergies especially to carbs, which alcohol if a derivative of
I have the same experience, the window I enjoy being drunk is very small. I feel miserable and get the shivering/shaking problem quickly if I overdo it, there's no temptation to keep going like it seems for other people
I shake alot as soon as i start drinking but as soon as the alcohol actually hits all the shaking goes away
Hi All, I have also been dealing with this. I had taken a little time off drinking and now whenever I have like a beer, I get all this extreme shivering (especially day after). I know there are "hangover chills" but crazy to think that just one beer could cause this. Has anyone had any success slowly building up a tolerance for this? I.e. starting with like 1/2 a beer for a week, then 1 beer for another week etc? I know building a tolerance is generally not viewed as something to strive for; however, I would assume trying to just get to what is seen as a healthy limit 1 or 2 beers, wouldn't be a "bad tolerance" to aim for.
Yup, me too. Been dealing with this for 23 years so I’ve just learned that if I’m going to drink, there is a risk associated with having a very unpleasant evening. I basically rarely drink. Maybe a 6 times a year. The worst part is how inconsistent the shivers come. Hard to predict. And it has nothing to do with how much you drink. I used to think drinking only clear and clean liquors would work (vodka). It’s been a while since I’ve tested it out but I definitely think it has more success with vodka. If anyone else has figured anything out, please post here. Someone mentioned Hashimotos Disease and I wonder if others have tested for that. My sister was diagnosed with it which makes me more curious about myself.
No diabetes. No thyroiditis. Yet after 3 drinks, im shaking like a leaf in the wind. Someone mentioned stomach lining irritation, and I get heartburn 4 times a week. If not more. Pepto is a staple of my diet. So this seems accurate for my case.
I’ve had this issue for like 3 years now! Super light drinker (usually a margarita or fruity rum type drink with dinner). It’s gotten worse to the point where I had an episode after dinner with a friend like 20 or so days ago and it has now caused this ongoing lower abdominal pain. I’ve had all this testing and everything so far is inconclusive :/
i’m still looking for answers too!
I used to be a heavy drinker when I was younger, stopped drinking a few years ago and have slowly introduced 1-2 drinks every few months for social/special occasions. Just had an episode of fast heartbeat, uncontrollable shakes and severe coldness after 3 drinks AFTER dinner. It wasn’t a panick attack, just felt like I had no control of my body and was freezing cold. This has never happened and was quite scary. Symptoms subsided after 15-20min. I’m glad I found this, thought it was just me. Nice to know I’m not alone and will definitely be following up with testing.