Alcohol and migraine: what should we tell patients?

If you’ve had a bit too much to drink and are suffering from a headache, several remedies can help alleviate the discomfort. Alcohol is a diuretic, leading dehydration that contributes to headaches. If you notice consistent patterns, then chances are it’s the alcohol that’s causing your migraine headache.

Be sure to talk with your healthcare provider about your “cocktail headache” plan. Drinking even a small amount of alcohol can trigger headache symptoms in certain individuals. These symptoms may begin within minutes or hours of drinking and vary widely in severity.

What can I do to prevent a headache when I drink?

While people who have these headaches report a connection to alcohol, there’s no real consistency in how alcohol causes these headaches to develop, according to studies that have been done. Instead, researchers suggest that alcohol as a trigger is more of a personal reaction — common in certain types of headaches — than a general effect. Alcohol is identified as an occasional trigger in about a third of people who experience migraine headaches, but it’s only a consistent trigger in about 10 percent of migraine sufferers. If alcohol is a confirmed trigger for your migraine, then avoiding alcohol is the best solution. If you’re unsure whether alcohol is triggering your migraine, keep a detailed migraine journal that includes any foods and alcohol consumed throughout the week. This will be a valuable resource for you and your doctor to start identifying more specific migraine triggers.

Higher acetaldehyde concentrations can lead to increased histamine levels, which may trigger migraines in susceptible individuals. Early effects of alcohol can dull sensations and have an analgesic effect, but as alcohol leaves the body can alcohol cause migraines it can have the opposite effect and actually increase sensitivity to pain. Some studies have reported that alcohol can trigger a migraine headache in people who are sensitive to it in as little as 30 minutes — or it could take 3 hours.

Factors Influencing Alcohol-Related Headaches

Receiving a formal migraine diagnosis is the first milestone when working with your doctor to identify a personalized and effective treatment plan. Continuing to talk with your doctor throughout the course of your treatment is important for determining the strategies that prove beneficial and those that may not be as effective. Pregnancy can add another complicated layer to your migraine journey, but having a strong support system will make it easier to navigate the ups and downs.

It has also been proposed that alcohol triggers an inflammatory response that can lead to a headache. If alcohol only occasionally causes you a headache, then moderation or striking that balance (as opposed to abstinence), may be a more reasonable approach. Drinking plenty of water before having a drink should also help ward a cocktail headache off. For example, drinking even a small amount of alcohol decreases sleep quality. Sleep deprivation can cause negative effects such as increased blood pressure or gastrointestinal discomfort.

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Some migraine patients get an aura, which is characterised by ringing in the ears, flashing lights, or blind spots [5]. However, a headache after drinking will usually resolve itself over time. Avoiding drinking is the best way to prevent an alcohol-related headache. Males should aim to drink two or fewer drinks daily, and females should aim to drink one or fewer.

• Alcohol consumption can cause blood vessels in the brain to widen, leading to increased blood flow and potential migraine onset.
• In fact, around 30 percent of people who experience recurrent migraines report alcohol as a trigger.
• However, if the role of ADs in triggering MA and TH will be confirmed, a common trigger site should be considered.

Staying hydrated and keeping alcohol consumption to a minimum can decrease the chance of experiencing a headache. Individuals who experience severe headaches after drinking alcohol may also avoid alcohol altogether. Migraines are a neurological condition characterized by severe headaches, often accompanied by other symptoms such as nausea, sensitivity to light and sound, and visual disturbances. Alcohol has long been recognized as a trigger for migraines in many individuals. Research has shown that approximately one-third of migraine sufferers identify alcohol as a trigger for their migraines. The exact mechanisms behind alcohol-induced migraines are not fully understood, but several factors may contribute.

More on Migraine & Headaches

A 2014 survey of 692 students, 95 of whom had migraine, found that those with migraine were more likely to experience migraine-like symptoms during a hangover. However, these individuals were not more vulnerable to other hangover symptoms. In many cases, researchers say it’s more a matter of individual triggers or other factors that coincide with your alcohol consumption, like stress. Alternative migraine therapies can work alongside traditional treatments to reduce migraine attack frequency and lessen the impact of symptoms. Mounting evidence suggests there may be a connection between migraine and mental health.

• There is even some debate about whether alcohol itself or another chemical component in alcoholic drinks acts as the trigger.
• Yawning and fatigue are typical symptoms of prodrome, the first phase of a migraine attack.
• A 5-ounce glass of wine (or 12 ounces of beer or a 1.5-fluid-ounce shot) may be OK every now and then, so long as it doesn’t bring on a headache.
• Some studies have reported that alcohol can trigger a migraine headache in people who are sensitive to it in as little as 30 minutes — or it could take 3 hours.
• Body weight plays a role in how much alcohol it takes to trigger a headache.

There’s no proof that drinking raw eggs or downing hot sauce will get rid of your morning-after migraine faster. Downing more alcohol (the “hair of the dog” theory) won’t help either. Once it gets into your system, it is converted into a chemical that triggers migraine. Many things can trigger a migraine, from stress at work to changes in the weather to foods like aged cheese.

Some people may experience an alcohol-related migraine between 30 minutes and 3 hours after drinking. Making sure to drink plenty of water during and after alcohol consumption can decrease the chance of headaches. The relationship between the BK α subunit and ethanol had previously been explored in vitro, ex vivo and in live invertebrates. Alcohol impacts your blood circulation by causing your vessels to dilate. This dilation increases the flow of blood to peripheral tissues, including those in your brain – a key factor that contributes to those notorious headaches. There is some evidence that certain distilled spirits may cause fewer headaches.