Migraine triggers: alcohol

No matter what you call it—a headache journal, migraine diary, headache tracker—keeping track of your symptoms can be a versatile tool to help better manage your health. It can help you identify patterns over time and help your doctor identify if you are experiencing migraine. It may be worth considering some treatment options to help you manage your symptoms. This includes being careful about the amount of alcohol you consume https://ecosoberhouse.com/ and paying attention to how and when your migraine symptoms flare up in relation to drinking. Migraine is complex, and other neurological conditions may cause migraine-like symptoms. For this reason, it is important to see a doctor about migraine symptoms or chronic headaches, with or without drinking.

What Are the Main Differences Between Headaches and Migraines?

Therefore, this hypothesis seems a less likely explanation for our results. In the USA, 51% of adults consumed alcohol in the last year; additionally, 11% of those over 50 years old and 6% over 65 age reported the symptoms of alcohol abuse or dependence 21. In Europe, 60% of adults over 60 years of age are current drinkers, and 20% of these had higher levels of consumption than the general population 22. Statistically, males drink more alcohol than women and have more alcohol-related behavioral disorders 23.

• It’s unclear why alcohol may trigger migraine, but red wine and liquor may be more likely to do so because of the chemical compounds they contain.
• Plots of iterations versus sampled values for each variable were inspected to check model convergence.
• This uncertainty makes it difficult for many people who want to responsibly enjoy alcohol during the holidays or on special occasions to effectively manage their migraine symptoms.
• Therefore, patients with primary headache need to determine for themselves the association between alcohol and headache without any myths and influences.

Quit your wine-ing?

Scientists are still trying to understand how or why alcohol acts as a trigger for some people who suffer from migraines. At present, most studies seem to link to headaches after alcohol to congeners, a byproduct of alcohol, most commonly found in darker drinks, such as whiskey, brandy and red wine. Remember, everyone’s experience with migraine and migraine triggers is different. Don’t feel embarrassed when talking to your doctor or headache specialist about your triggers—it will help them give you a proper diagnosis and start the best treatment plan for your symptoms. For more information on the various migraine triggers and how to manage them, visit the American Migraine Foundation resource library, or contact us directly.

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Our enzyme tests suggest that quercetin glucuronide disrupts your body’s metabolism of alcohol. This discovery points to what’s known as a secondary, or synergistic, effect. Lack of sufficient fluids causes the brain to temporarily contract or shrink, pulling away from the skull and triggering pain receptors. Additionally, dehydration can lead to electrolyte imbalances, disrupting nerve function and further exacerbating headache symptoms. Electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, and magnesium play crucial roles in nerve signaling and muscle function, and their imbalance can contribute to headache onset.

• Consumption varies greatly between cultures, regions, and between individuals, a fact which may explain why different studies have found opposing results.
• Variable alcohol intake had 10.6% missing values on day‐1 and 11.6% on day‐2; migraine on day‐2 was missing in 7.4%.
• Drinks containing more alcohol and congeners may worsen the chance of developing a headache.
• Eligible individuals were aged ≥18 years with EM who consumed alcohol and had tracked their headache symptoms and alcohol intake for ≥90 days.
• If you or someone you know is struggling with alcohol-related issues, contact our specialised treatment advisors to get the help you need.

In some studies, about one-third of people living with migraine reported alcohol as a migraine trigger (at least occasionally). In these retrospective studies, only 10% reported a frequent link. People who find that alcohol (often in any amount) triggers their migraines might limit their alcohol consumption or take note of when their alcohol intake prompts a headache.

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG): Enhancer or Headache Trigger?

Moreover, some of the studies alcohol triggers migraines included in our review do not present results in an accurate way or do so without assigning patients to specific headaches. Therefore, it was not possible for our meta-analysis to contain all those studies where drinking was described with primary headache. The ways describing alcohol consumption habits were variously presented in almost each study, therefore could develop the observed heterogeneity among migraine analysis. Also, the majority of the studies had high or moderate risk of bias.

• Then, the enzyme ALDH converts the acetaldehyde to acetate, a common and innocuous substance.
• It’s clear that individual responses to MSG vary, making it a contentious topic in nutrition and headache research.
• For more information on alternative migraine treatments, visit our Resource Library.
• Menstruation was found to increase the likelihood that food and drinks would be more likely to trigger an attack.

These are by-products of the fermentation process, and they’re found in higher concentrations Sober living home in dark liquors. Congeners can also include chemicals like histamine, which can trigger migraine attacks and headaches. Migraine attacks alcoholism can be debilitating, and most people who experience them will do anything to find relief. Avoiding personally known triggers can be a useful way to reduce the number of potential attacks.