Limiting or eliminating alcohol may help prevent migraine, but does that mean no booze — ever? If you or someone you know is struggling with alcohol-related issues, contact our specialised treatment advisors to get the help you need. Firstly, alcohol is a diuretic, which means it increases urine production and can lead to dehydration if not accompanied by sufficient water intake. Headaches and migraines are both types of painful sensations in the head, but they have distinct characteristics and underlying causes.
A word of advice if you’re struggling to stop drinking
Plus, we’re always introducing new features to optimize your in-app experience. Receive encouragement from people worldwide who know exactly what you’re going through! While it may seem like a tall order, armed with knowledge and determination, we can take a step towards it by managing our alcohol intake. Everyone’s journey towards a migraine-free future is unique.
How Can You Mitigate Headaches and Migraines Caused by Alcohol?
Consider taking a moment to learn about the relationship between migraine and hormones. 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. Our Move Against Migraine Facebook group is full of mothers with migraine who can offer encouragement and support throughout your journey. Then consider joining our Move Against Migraine support group on Facebook so you can connect with others who live with migraine. You should not have to deal with migraine—or pregnancy—alone. We are a nonprofit organization focused on promoting research, advocacy and awareness for the 39 million Americans living with migraine.
Reframe supports you in reducing alcohol consumption and enhancing your well-being. Ready to say goodbye to alcohol-induced migraines for good? It’s important to distinguish between a “cause” and a “trigger.” The cause of migraines is multifaceted, often involving genetic factors and imbalances in brain chemicals. However, the relationship between alcohol and migraines is complex, involving several scientific theories. A 2018 study found that alcohol was reported to be a trigger in 35.6% of migraine patients.
Since dehydration is a well-known trigger for migraines, it’s no surprise that our beloved drinks can push us towards a throbbing headache. Additionally, alcohol is a natural diuretic, which can lead to dehydration, another common trigger for migraines. Alcoholic drinks contain chemicals called congeners and histamines, which can trigger migraines in certain people.
The sudden onset of migraine means a dark room, bed, and a cool towel for most of us. “This is a self-selected population; it’s not necessarily reflective of the larger migraine population. But she was cautiously optimistic about how the current results celebs famous fetal alcohol syndrome adults might change how people think about the relationship between the two.
PATIENTS
- If you’re not already working with a headache doctor, use our Find a Doctor tool to find someone in your area.
- Keeping a migraine diary can be a helpful tool for identifying personal triggers and understanding migraine patterns.
- Dehydration can cause headaches, and people who suffer from migraines may be particularly susceptible to dehydration.
- “These different chemicals could all potentially contribute to migraine in individuals, but those biomechanical links are not yet well defined,” Pontinen said.
- In addition to dehydration, other factors that may contribute to alcohol-induced migraines include sensitivity to specific ingredients, body weight, genetic factors, and the presence of certain compounds in alcoholic drinks.
- Alcohol consumption is a common part of social gatherings and celebrations for many people.
It is important to note that migraine triggers vary for different people. Red wine can also cause a rise in serotonin levels in the blood, which has been linked to migraine headaches. Keeping a migraine diary can help you understand your patterns of migraines and identify your personal triggers.
- Vives-Mestres acknowledged the evidence suggesting that even low doses of alcohol can cause headache in people with migraine.
- If you’re interested in connecting with more people in the migraine community, we recommend joining our Facebook support group, Move Against Migraine.
- Alcohol can be a real conundrum for those of us who get migraines.
- However, there is a ‘tyranny of the trigger’ in migraine, where people needlessly avoid many things they love, resulting in a lower quality of life.”
- Pain medicine specialist Thomas Pontinen, MD, LCP-C, notes that darker beverages like red wine can have more potentially triggering ingredients than lighter-colored beverages.
- But migraines are often accompanied by a whole carnival of symptoms — including nausea, sensitivity to light and sound, and sometimes visual disturbances known as “auras.”
- Did you know 50% to 80% of pregnant people with migraine actually experience a reduction in migraine attacks during their pregnancy?
According to Aurora, however, alcohol consumption isn’t just a question of what’s considered a safe amount. A well-hydrated person is the least likely to experience headaches or to have the least intensity of headache,” Moore says. In fact, it’s the type of alcohol that is a common trigger.
Keeping the Holiday Cheer: How to Enjoy the Season Without Letting Migraine Steal Your Joy
Dr. Crystal said she finds that many of her patients have a sensitivity to alcohol. “Hydration is probably the biggest protective factor against headache. However, if you do want to drink, hydration is key. Moore says that there may not be a safe amount to drink, and this corresponds with the latest advice from the World Health Organization.
Why Does Drinking Give Me a Migraine Headache?
He also recommends speaking with a doctor before mixing triptans with alcohol or other drugs. Taking one before drinking isn’t recommended or known to be effective. If you’re a chronic migraineur who has decided to have a drink or two, a safe bet is leaving it at that. “For some, drug addiction substance use disorder symptoms and causes avoiding red wine or dark liquor is enough,” Pontinen said. The type of alcohol that contributes to migraine varies by the person, which is why journaling can be helpful.
However, the best way to prevent alcohol-related migraines is to avoid drinking altogether. People with migraines are more likely to experience a delayed alcohol-induced headache. While there is no guaranteed way to prevent alcohol-triggered migraines, monitoring intake, staying hydrated, and identifying specific triggers through a migraine diary can help manage the condition. 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. Alcohol may trigger migraine attacks, and it’s very unlikely to ease them. Avoid alcoholic and sugary drinks when you have migraine, especially during an attack.
Dark liquors also contain higher levels of tannins, which are naturally occurring compounds (called polyphenols) that can trigger migraines. While any type of alcohol can trigger a migraine, dark liquors such as brandy, dark rum, and whiskey contain more congeners than lighter liquors like gin and vodka. This includes drinking in moderation, having an accountability partner to keep an eye on your intake, and holding a glass of water or other non-alcoholic beverage to stay hydrated. To reduce the impact of alcohol on migraines, it is important to monitor your intake. Keeping a migraine diary can help individuals identify their specific triggers and understand their migraine patterns. However, the mechanism behind alcohol-induced migraines is not yet fully understood.
Headaches Doctor Discussion Guide
We asked the experts about the relationship between drinking and headaches to determine why and how alcohol specifically triggers headaches or migraine attacks. “The most common alcohol that triggers a migraine attack is red wine, followed by white wine, champagne and beer,” she covert narcissism and alcoholism says. Ethanol, a natural diuretic present in alcohol, causes the kidneys to excrete more fluid, leading to excessive urination and dehydration, which are common triggers for migraine headaches. To identify specific triggers, it is recommended to keep a migraine diary to track symptoms, food and drink intake, and alcohol consumption. Congeners are chemicals found in alcoholic drinks that may trigger migraine headaches in certain people.
It’s important to stay updated on the latest migraine research and treatment strategies. Additionally, it is important to communicate with your doctor if you experience any adverse effects or if the medication does not seem to be working as expected. We recommend a look at our patient guides, which include useful information including how to talk to your doctor about migraine. As you work with your doctor on next steps, it will be important to maintain access to reliable resources on migraine. 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. Access this page to find migraine and mental health treatment options and self-care tips you may not have considered.