There is some evidence that vitamin B6 taken before drinking can be mildly helpful. An anti-inflammatory drug called tolfenamic acid has been shown to be somewhat helpful when taken during alcohol consumption. While this drug is not available in the U.S., other related medications, including ibuprofen, naproxen, and prescription nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may be similarly helpful.
Does the Type of Alcohol influence the severity of a sore throat?
People who experienced migraine with alcohol were more likely to have migraine with aura and to experience more migraine days and more frequent attacks. If drinking alcohol appears to be a potent headache trigger for you, then, by all means, abstain from it. But if a cocktail with friends once in a while or a glass of wine https://virginiadigest.com/top-5-advantages-of-staying-in-a-sober-living-house/ with your dinner on Saturday night does not seem to trigger a bad headache, then it’s probably OK. Talk to your doctor about any concerns and about whether it is safe to drink alcohol with any medications you are taking. Alcohol can trigger headaches, including migraines, cluster headaches, and tension-type headaches.
The possible triggering site
- For this reason, it is important to see a doctor about migraine symptoms or chronic headaches, with or without drinking.
- However, in some countries, the occurrence of alcohol as headache trigger is negligible, perhaps determined by alcohol habits.
- While not a disease we treat at the Johns Hopkins Headache Center, delayed alcohol-induced headaches are extremely common, disabling and costly to society.
- If you start feeling unwell after drinking just a small amount of booze, you might want to get to the bottom of what’s going on.
- This is known as the postdrome stage and can make you feel very fatigued and ‘hungover’.
- If there seems to be a connection between alcohol and your migraine, you’re not alone.
Then make an appointment with your health care provider to discuss your headaches. After a migraine attack, you might feel drained, confused and washed out for up to a day. Certain additives can increase the chance of developing a headache after drinking. People prone to headaches may be at a higher risk of experiencing alcohol-related headaches. 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.
Other effects of drinking alcohol
Even people who are not prone to headaches can find themselves with hangover headaches, and about one-third of patients with migraine note alcohol as a trigger for their attacks. A cocktail headache is a headache that occurs within the same evening of drinking alcohol. Unlike a hangover headache, cocktail headaches can be caused by even small amounts of alcohol. If you develop a cocktail headache, take care to rest and nourish your body with water, electrolytes, and a healthy fruit or vegetable snack if possible. The type of alcohol does not seem to affect whether a person gets a headache. While red wine has been described as a dominant trigger of migraines and cluster headaches, white wine, champagne, sparkling wines, and beer have also been linked to headaches.
- Alcoholic beverages act as a diuretic, which means you may feel the need to urinate more often, which ultimately dehydrates your body.
- The most common signs and symptoms are stuffy nose and skin flushing.
- As mentioned above, B vitamins such as B6 and B12 can also be helpful after drinking, and pain medication should be used sparingly and with caution.
- Tannin, a component in red wine, has been long considered the culprit.
- To determine if drinking is one of yours, it’s helpful to learn the signs of alcohol-induced headaches.
- You should also record how much alcohol you drink, what types of drink you’ve consumed, and how much.
Have a consistent schedule, get adequate sleep, and learn strategies to cope with the stresses of life using mindfulness and meditation. Empower yourself to manage migraine with lifestyle changes and migraine specific treatment options. Together you and your doctor can manage the disease of migraine.
Many of the same tips for preventing a headache after drinking also work for treating one. Hydration and electrolyte replacement is one of the best things you can do to help recover from an alcohol-induced headache. Make sure to avoid hydrating drinks that are heavy in sugar, as either low blood sugar or high blood sugar can make a hangover headache worse. As mentioned Top 5 Advantages of Staying in a Sober Living House above, B vitamins such as B6 and B12 can also be helpful after drinking, and pain medication should be used sparingly and with caution. Aside from contributing to the flavor of the alcohol, congeners increase the severity and frequency of hangover symptoms, including headaches. Congeners tend to aggravate brain tissue and blood vessels, which contributes to headaches.
Like food triggers, the likelihood of a particular type of alcohol triggering a headache is probably different from person to person. If you suffer from migraines, talk with your doctor about how alcohol may affect you. Brandy, red wine, and rum have the highest levels of congeners, while gin and vodka contain fewer of these chemicals. However, a 2019 study found higher rates of vodka consumption among drinkers with frequent migraine attacks. The response to alcohol varies from person to person, and there is no alcohol that absolutely will not cause a migraine or other headache.
According to the American Migraine Foundation, all alcoholic drinks can provoke either an immediate or delayed headache. But red wine has an especially bad rap as a headache trigger (even when compared to other alcoholic bevvies). Most of us can break down about one drink’s worth of alcohol each hour.
However, when combined with alcohol they might increase the risk of stomach bleeding. Gatorade or other fitness drinks may be better than water alone, but there is no scientific proof. A chemical called N-acetyl-cysteine may be useful in detoxifying the body from acetaldehyde buildup, but this too is an unproven treatment. The quality of the alcohol consumed may be a factor in whether it triggers a headache. Lower-quality wines contain molecules known as phenolic flavonoid radicals, which may interfere with serotonin, a signaling molecule in the brain involved in migraine attacks.