Wine and Joint Pain

[WhistlePig]

Hey Dr. Steve! Love you and your show!

I've noticed when I drink wine (Chardonnay only, and not that much--maybe 2-3 glasses) I wake up the next morning extremely achy in my joints. This does not happen when I drink beer or hard liquor--only wine. Is there some ingredient in the wine that could be causing this?

Thanks,
WP

[Thebazile78]

Hey Dr. Steve! Love you and your show!

I've noticed when I drink wine (Chardonnay only, and not that much--maybe 2-3 glasses) I wake up the next morning extremely achy in my joints. This does not happen when I drink beer or hard liquor--only wine. Is there some ingredient in the wine that could be causing this?

Thanks,
WP

Does the wine you're drinking have sulfites in it? My step-dad can't drink wine with sulfites in it because it aggravates his gout, so you may be sensitive to sulfites.

[Dr Steve]

Hey Dr. Steve! Love you and your show!

I've noticed when I drink wine (Chardonnay only, and not that much--maybe 2-3 glasses) I wake up the next morning extremely achy in my joints. This does not happen when I drink beer or hard liquor--only wine. Is there some ingredient in the wine that could be causing this?

Thanks,
WP


The clue may be in the wine you're drinking...I was stumped until I read it again...Chardonnay may have higher sulfite levels than red wines, and 1000s of times more than in beer and infinitely more than in hard liquor. As an amateur vintner, I should have caught that immediately (off topic, but my most recent red wine I labeled "Suk Mai Pinot" and is quite tasty).

Sulfites are naturally produced in wine making, but are added to wines to stabilize them (more is needed in wines that have residual sugar...without something to kill the yeast, they'd continue to ferment, drying out the wine and increasing the alcohol content).

Sulfites (particularly, sodium and potassium metabisulfites) are known to cause asthma and other symptoms, but have also been widely reported as causing joint pain. Now, this could be bullpizzle...I did a search of the medical literature and it's not there but it's "commonly understood" (which doesn't always mean it's right).

If you just like white wine, try this test: instead of Chardonnay, try a high quality Reisling or Chablis. If you still have the joint pain, you're going to have to make a choice in your life...drink wine and suffer the next day, or switch to something else.

Hope this helps...let me know what you figure out!


your pal,



steve

[Dr Steve]

Does the wine you're drinking have sulfites in it? My step-dad can't drink wine with sulfites in it because it aggravates his gout, so you may be sensitive to sulfites.


oops, I just noticed this post in the "Ask Dr Steve" thread...I'll append it to the Wine and Joint Pain thread.

and PS, I agree...see above/below...good diagnosis, Bazile, as always.

[Thebazile78]

oops, I just noticed this post in the "Ask Dr Steve" thread...I'll append it to the Wine and Joint Pain thread.

and PS, I agree...see above/below...good diagnosis, Bazile, as always.

I think I may have missed my calling ... *sigh*

[Tenbatsuzen]

I think I may have missed my calling ... *sigh*

it's not too late. we can put the babies on hold and you can go to med school

[Thebazile78]

it's not too late. we can put the babies on hold and you can go to med school

And increase my commuting time, hours away from home and stress level?

No, thanks.

If I was going to do it, I should've started with freshman year of college. And gone to Douglass (to live in Bunting-Cobb) instead of Rutgers.

Watching reruns of House is enough at this point.

[Tall_James]

it's not too late. we can put the babies on hold and you can go to med school

There's always Hollywood Upstairs Medical College.

http://www.selfnoise.net/blog/363px-Dr_Nick.png

[Tenbatsuzen]

There's always Hollywood Upstairs Medical College.

http://www.selfnoise.net/blog/363px-Dr_Nick.png

sorry, I was trying to fulfill one of my fantasies of the wife and someone else as saucy nurses.