Correlation between alcohol and asthma?

Question

I rarely drink and am really not a drinker, but tonight I had a few glasses of wine and a mixed drink. The effects of the alcohol had worn off but later on in the night, my asthma started acting up - I started coughing like crazy and was having a really hard time breathing. Had to take my rescue inhaler 3 times and I took my nightly puff of the preventative. I'm ok now, just a little sore in the chest.

This is the second time this has happened to me after I had a few drinks, so I was just wondering if there is any correlation between asthma and alcohol. Does it cause or increase attacks?

The mixed drink was Southern Comfort and Coke

Answer 1

There are three common possibilities that are alcohol related.
The first is that the alchohol contains one of your triggers; e.g., sulfites. The wine is most likely to contain sulfites. I don't know about the other "drink" you refer to. The other is that with alcohol on board your airway protection is compromised and you are aspirating saliva instead of swallowing. Related to this is also the possibility that you have GERD and it is aggravated by the alcohol.

These 3 possibilities are most likely sources of recurring alchohol-related asthma. The 4th possibility is that you've just had 2 coincidental alcohol related episodes that had nothing to do with the alcohol.

This is a good story to relate to your pulmonologist; I do hope you have a pulmonologist!

Answer 2

Alcohol if anything prevents asthma to some extent. In your case probably the warm feeling after drinks prevented you from wearing enough warm clothing . Thus exposed to cold you had an attack of asthma. Clothe yourself well even after drinks.

Answer 3

I have never personally seen a difference and I have asthma