Expert: Michael S. Fisher, <B>Ph.D., M.D.</B> - 10/31/2009

Question
Whenever my boyfriend drinks things such as captian morgans, or any beer containing any sort of wheat (sam adams, 312) his face gets really red and blochy and sometimes purple. He has alot of difficulty breathing and he gets really hot. What are some reasons why this might be happening?

Answer
Your boyfriend has developed an allergy to some component in the beer.  I recommend that he go to an allergist and get tested to find out what the ingredient that is causing the reaction.  If he keeps drinking the beer and developing this reaction, the reaction can become more severe over time leading to a hospital visit or even worse -- anaphylactic shock which is a severe allergic reaction.