Stomach Cramps with Mead

**chiashurb** · 03-06-2006, 06:54 PM

A good friend of mine reports that she has experienced stomach cramps when drinking commercial meads (more than one variety, not sure which now). The cramps set in almost immediately after imbibing and last approximately four hours.

My friend enjoys the taste of mead and is eager to try mine, but doesn't particularly enjoy the cramps. Any ideas what might cause such a reaction, or if there are specific types of mead that would be less likely to do so?

**matt_maples** · 03-06-2006, 10:15 PM

My guess is that she is allergic or at least sensitive to honey. Some might say sulfite sensitivity but that manifests itself as a headache and not stomach cramps and is rather rare despite what you hear from people. If she is experiencing stomach pain and not cramps than it may be the beginnings of an ulcer or gastritis but that will usually be triggered by most forms of alcohol and not just mead.

If you can give us a little more to go on we might be able to nail it down better. Is it only meads and not wine, beer or sprits?? Is drinking mead the ONLY thing that sets it off or does things like tomato based products?? Has she ever had food sensitivity testing?? Does she have known food allergies??

I myself am sensitive to honey and therefore mead. What that means is that if I have some it will not bother me but if I drink mead for three or four day in a row with will give me some killer heart burn. It is my body’s way of saying it does not like it. I can drink that same amount of red wine, white wine or beer without that effect but mead will do it every time. It still does not stop me from enjoying good mead but it does get me to slow down if I’m taking in more than my body can handle.

Matt

**chiashurb** · 03-06-2006, 10:30 PM

My friend reports that she reacts similarly to ginger (is that a common ingredient in commercial meads?), and can handle honey on its own just fine. No tomato reaction, no known allergies.

**matt_maples** · 03-06-2006, 10:36 PM

DO you know if she gets the same reation from eating raw or processed honey??

Matt

**matt_maples** · 03-06-2006, 10:57 PM

Sorry you did answer the question. I can not think of anything that is specific to the fermentation on honey that would not be in wine or beer although I am not a bio chemist. Sorry I could not be of more help.

Matt

**Lugh** · 03-07-2006, 04:57 PM

An old brew partner has Crohn's disease - a problem that causes inflammation of the digestive/gastrointestinal tract. Honey is one of the things that causes a massive cramping attack, and mead affects him badly.

I'm not saying your friend has Crohn's disease, but they could have some other inflammatory/irritable bowel problem. They should talk to their doctor, probably get an upper GI exam/colonoscopy.