Stress triggers the release of cortisol and other stress hormones, which can contribute to headaches by affecting blood pressure and causing tension in the muscles surrounding the skull. When someone has been drinking regularly and chooses to quit, alcohol withdrawal can result in a series of uncomfortable symptoms, and some of them can put a person’s health at risk. Experts suggest you should seek the help of a doctor or treatment center to detox safely. For instance, many people with migraine report they cannot drink red wine. Experts think this is because red wine contains histamines, sulfites, and other ingredients that may trigger migraine.
- Symptoms can vary from light sensitivity and dizziness to food cravings or body chills.
- Once it gets into your system, it is converted into a chemical that triggers migraine.
- These experiences can dehydrate the body, putting additional stress on organs.
Eyestrain and Headaches
More than half of those who experience cluster headaches say that alcohol is a trigger. People who experienced migraine with alcohol were more likely to have migraine with aura and to experience more migraine days and more frequent attacks. There are many different resources available to support you when you decide to quit drinking and embrace a sober lifestyle. You should seek help from a doctor or treatment center because the initial symptoms of alcohol withdrawal can cause serious health issues. After detoxing under the supervision of a professional, you can choose between outpatient or inpatient treatment. If either or both of these things are migraine triggers for you, gin could trigger a migraine attack.
Treatment
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. Distribution of daily alcoholic beverages consumption (total daily quantity and by type of alcoholic drink), for all person‐days, within‐person means, and within‐person SDs. The majority were female (419/487, 86.0%), actively working (293/378, 77.5%).
Can Alcohol Trigger Migraine Headaches?
Factors like neurotransmitter imbalances, alterations in blood flow, and dehydration, not to mention heightened stress, will continue to impact their severity and onset. Healthy strategies to ease the pain of headaches, as well as working with your recovery support network, can help to reduce the severity and frequency of the headaches. It is best to remember to be easy on yourself and to focus on reaching your goal of achieving a sober lifestyle.
- While there are a variety of different symptoms that occur during the detox process, a common symptom that many people have to cope with is chronic, severe headaches.
- The best way to find out what triggers your migraine is to keep a journal.
- Check labels closely if you know that sulfites mess with your head.
- In addition, another study reported a surprisingly higher correlation of spirits and sparkling wine to migraine attack, compared to other alcoholic drinks.
Because migraine is a highly nuanced disease, it is important to learn about all possible symptoms that may appear before, during or after a migraine attack, including less common ones such as aura. Headaches during the later stages of alcohol withdrawal can vary in intensity and duration, affecting just about everyone differently. These headaches often stem from various underlying physiological and neurological changes in the body due to the sudden cessation of alcohol.
Alcohol is a diuretic, which means that it increases urination and in doing so increases your risk of becoming dehydrated. Dehydration, especially when coupled with the loss of electrolytes that happens while drinking, can lead to severe headaches. Alcohol can trigger headaches immediately or following prolonged periods of drinking. Ethanol, the key ingredient of alcohol, is a natural diuretic and causes the body to lose vital salt, vitamins, and minerals. Over-consumption of alcohol can cause dehydration and chemical imbalances in the body and brain, leading to headaches that last for can alcohol cause migraines hours to days. Migraine and cluster headache sufferers can be especially sensitive to alcohol, even in small amounts.
Finally, 22 articles 26, 27, 36, 44,45,46,47,48,49,50,51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62 were retrieved for further analysis. A detailed description of the steps performed during study selection is presented in Fig. This was an observational prospective cohort study among individuals with migraine who registered to use a digital health platform for headache.
DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT
The American Migraine Foundation (AMF) suggests that alcohol as a trigger is more of a personal reaction — common in certain types of headaches — than a general effect. Results of the logistic regression models of the log odds of migraine attack in relation to alcohol consumption. Alcohol-induced headaches generally resolve within 72 hours of onset, although they can and many do last for a shorter time period. While these headaches eventually do subside, it is important to talk to a medical provider about headache triggers and develop a plan to minimize them.
A slice of cheesecake or pizza can do far more damage for some people than others. Talk with your doctor about how long after drinking alcohol to wait before you can take any prescription migraine or OTC medications. Without a consistent cause-and-effect situation, though, a number of factors — not just alcohol — could be triggering your migraine headache. Alcohol has different effects on your body depending on when you drink it.
If both stress and alcohol are migraine triggers for you, combining them won’t do you any favors. In addition to this, people are sometimes more likely to drink more when they are feeling stressed and a little reckless. Other hard liquors, beer, and sparkling wine have also been identified as culprits by the scientific community.
