In many cases, researchers say it’s more a matter of individual triggers or other factors that coincide with your alcohol consumption, like stress. People who consume greater quantities of alcohol report more alcohol-related headaches, according to several studies. Then again, in some groups, alcohol appears to have protective effects against headaches. If you know a migraine is likely to come on and plan to drink anyway, triptans can help. Of course, like all medications, they have their own side effects. Also, follow your doctor’s recommendations regarding alcohol consumption.
How can alcohol-related neurologic disease be prevented?
People can talk with their doctors about possible methods to prevent or ease alcohol-induced headaches. Research still needs alcohol causes migraines to determine which remedy is most effective. However, a headache after drinking will usually resolve itself over time.
- One of the most common symptoms of a hangover is a headache.
- Downing more alcohol (the “hair of the dog” theory) won't help either.
- Headaches are one of the most common neurological symptoms related to the sensation of pain [1] and cause a decrease in patients’ quality of life [2].
- If you know a migraine is likely to come on and plan to drink anyway, triptans can help.
- Only few studies [46, 48,49,50, 52] provided the data about the period in which alcohol drinking was considered and measured.
Should people with migraine avoid alcohol?
In addition to this, people are sometimes more likely to drink more when they are feeling stressed and a little reckless. Over the years, research has shown that moderate alcohol consumption may provide health benefits over total abstinence. In spite of this, there are some people for whom combining alcohol with a tendency toward migraines. Patients often make this decision after experiencing a strong connection between alcohol and migraines firsthand.
Alcoholic neuropathy
- Include how you felt the prior 48 hours as well as any stress or anxiety you were under at the time.
- 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.
- Learn how these common therapies can help you manage migraine.
- Sulfites are often used as a preservative to make the alcohol last longer, while also helping to prevent contamination from bacteria or other microorganisms.
- Of the studies included in our analysis, 19 were based only on questionnaires while five included interviews with patients.
- According to the National Headache Foundation, a person can also consume oral rehydration solutions to help manage dehydration.
Avoiding alcohol is the best way to treat these conditions and relieve symptoms. The earlier you stop intake, the more likely you are to recover. Some tests can be performed by a doctor to rule out other causes of neurologic symptoms.
- Information on the gender of participants was unavailable for analysis.
- Finding a community of people who understand exactly what you’re going through is like being welcomed home after a long, tiring day.
- However, further studies related to primary headaches and alcohol consumption with low risk of bias are required.
- But if you're prone to migraine headaches, drinking even a small amount of alcohol can bring on an attack.
- Possible answers were “Yes”, “No”, “Unclear” or “Not applicable”.
Staying Healthy
Nineteen studies used questionnaire methods to assess drinking [36, 44,45,46,47,48,49,50,51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59, 61, 62]. In two cases, questionnaires were supplemented by medical interviews [53, 61]. The rest of the studies were based on information obtained during a medical interview [26, 27, 44].
Ever read your medical record? Here's why you should
- But ask your healthcare professional if this is safe for you and how much medicine is best for you.
- Many studies show that ADs are a trigger of migraine without aura (MO), migraine with aura (MA), cluster headache (CH), and tension-type headache (TH).
- While there is some research on each possible reason why alcohol causes headaches, study authors have not definitively proven the link between the two.
- Studies have shown that alcoholic drinks act as a trigger for migraines in up to one-third of patients.
- These symptoms may begin within minutes or hours of drinking and vary widely in severity.
