How to Avoid Migraine Symptoms After Drinking Alcohol

Keep in mind that it is important to minimize the use of Tylenol (acetaminophen) when drinking alcohol (or recovering from a hangover), as the combination can harm the liver. Furthermore, alcohol disrupts serotonin levels in the brain, which regulates pain sensitivity and mood. These various factors contribute to alcohol-induced headaches. It has been suggested that a tendency to experience alcohol-induced headaches could be genetic.

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• As we discussed earlier, not everyone is prone to alcohol-related headaches.
• In a study published in 2018, 77.8% of patients reported red wine as a trigger in general, with 8.8% of patients noting it as a consistent trigger.
• Chemically, they are made up of aliphatic and aromatic alcohols with open-chain carbon atoms after the breakdown of amino acids.
• Because alcohol’s a diuretic — it causes your body to increase how much urine it produces.
• Alcohol is broken down in the liver by an enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase.
• Any liquid (except alcohol!) that you find palatable is acceptable, such as boullion, chicken soup, sports drinks, or water.

The risk of developing an alcohol-induced headache is particularly high with mixed drinks that are composed of multiple types of liquor. In an open-bar situation, choose beer, wine, or a mixed drink made with a high-quality brand. In your bloodstream, ethanol can cause headaches through vasodilation. Vasodilation can stimulate certain brain nerves and result in pain. Alcohol also affects chemicals and hormones in your brain, such as histamine and serotonin, which contribute to the development of a headache.

Alcohol and headaches

The organization says the only way to cure a hangover is to wait until the toxic byproducts have cleared from the body. This information is not designed to replace a physician’s independent judgment about the appropriateness or risks of a procedure for a headaches after drinking beer given patient. Migraine.com does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

How can you prevent getting a migraine headache from alcohol?

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. Many people have experienced a headache after drinking alcohol — especially after drinking too much. While headaches are generally recognized as a side effect of alcohol in many people, its reputation as a migraine headache trigger may be overestimated. This dilutes the effect of alcohol in your system and reduces the chance of an alcohol-induced headache or triggering a migraine attack.

If you frequently suffer from alcohol-related headaches, and are struggling to cut back, there are also new solutions. Ria Health’s online program can help you cut back or quit without having to put your life on hold. Get access to anti-craving medications, regular coaching meetings, expert medical advice, digital tools, and more—all from an app on your smartphone.

“And unable to keep my head up or keep my eyes open, because I was so far gone.” “I had absolutely no value for myself and this self-destructive path, it very quickly brought me to a real crisis point and it wasn’t clear at the time the reason. Maybe it was divine intervention.” “It was only until I saw myself after that I was like, ‘All right, I need to fix myself,'” he recalled in June 2021 when  he said he was more than one month sober at the time.

Know Your Risk

• Aim to drink plenty of water before, after, and during alcohol consumption.
• Some studies found that red wine is a main trigger in migraine with aura and cluster type migraine, but they also note that all alcohol could have the same effect.
• In addition, some people may be born with a genetic predisposition to developing worse hangovers than others.
• However, darker liquors may still contain a high level of headache-causing congeners.
• This chemical builds up in the blood as the liver breaks down the alcohol into a form that can be eliminated from the body.

In other words, the only real way out of a hangover is through. Drinking more alcohol will likely just prolong your symptoms. Your vision blurs, your perceptions become unreliable, and you become uncoordinated and disoriented. More severe symptoms may include vomiting, hiccups, lethargy and blackouts. Learn more about the short-term and long-term effects of alcohol. However, the research suggests that alcohol may not be the only trigger and may also depend on other factors.

Alcohol as a Migraine Trigger

“It was easier for me to say that I’m doing it for her because, at that time, I didn’t feel like I was sort of worth much,” he recalled of the early days of their relationship. “I didn’t care as much about hurting myself as I did about hurting her. So, initially it was easier for me to say, ‘I’m doing this for her.’ And now, I’m doing it for myself.” After an incident in Newport Beach where the Olympic swimmer tried to kick in his own hotel room door, Lochte made the decision to seek treatment in 2018. “Ryan has been battling from alcohol addiction for many years and unfortunately it has become a destructive pattern for him,” his rep told E! “He has acknowledged that he needs professional assistance to overcome his problem and will be getting help immediately.”

When to see a doctor

One hypothesis is that red wine causes migraine due to high levels of certain compounds called flavonols, particularly quercetin. This compound might inhibit the body’s ability to break down alcohol, leading to the buildup of a substance called acetaldehyde, which could result in headaches. Most studies point to red wine as a common headache culprit, particularly in people with migraine. These individuals commonly cite wine, especially red wine, as a migraine trigger.