Alcohol and HIT: why it's so hard, and what I do at events

Why it's a problem (as I've come to understand it)

• Alcohol can block the DAO enzyme, the one that breaks histamine down.
• Some drinks (wine, beer, champagne) are high in histamine to begin with.
• So the effect is a double one: more histamine + less ability to process it.

What I do at events

• I always have an alternative in my hand — water, water with lemon — so I don't feel "left out" and I'm not asked about it non-stop.
• One simple line: "I don't drink, it makes me ill" — no long explanations.
• If I do decide to taste something, I do it knowingly, on the good days, and I know I'll pay for it.

It took me a while to make peace with this. But the days afterwards, alcohol-free, are the reward.

A practical trick: at events I order myself a non-alcoholic drink that "looks like something" right from the start — sparkling water with lemon, a simple lemonade. With a full glass in hand, no one keeps pushing and I don't have to explain anything. A small detail, a big social difference.