The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines light drinking as three drinks or fewer per week and moderate drinking as no more than one drink per day for women and up to two per day for men. Alcohol consumption above those levels is considered heavy drinking. Developing a habit of using alcohol to ease anxiety can cause you to drink more, which can turn into a destructive cycle in which higher levels of anxiety trigger more consumption, further increasing anxiety.
Treatment
- Therefore, other strategies like keeping a journal of your triggers, addressing nutritional deficiencies and balancing blood sugar levels can also support migraine relief.
- Like food triggers, the likelihood of a particular type of alcohol triggering a headache is probably different from person to person.
- Many migraine sufferers start getting prodrome symptoms following a period of chronic or acute stress.
Dealing with migraines can be a pain, but there are practical steps you can take to ease the discomfort. From can alcohol cause migraines natural remedies to lifestyle changes, all three dietitians recommend the following tips to help you find relief and reduce migraine frequency. If you find yourself struggling to stop drinking or recognize that you have symptoms of alcohol use disorder, it’s important to reach out for help.
- However, it is no longer recommended due to serious safety concerns.
- Drinking even a small amount of alcohol can trigger headache symptoms in certain individuals.
- Any kind of alcohol triggers my migraine, so I don’t drink any alcohol.
Specific Foods for Migraines
By tracking your attacks and your drinking and working with a doctor, you can figure out the relationship with alcohol that’s right for you (and your condition). Anytime a person with migraine starts a new medication, it’s important you ask a doctor, neurologist, or pharmacist how the medication might interact with alcohol. If you aren’t sure whether your medication is compatible with alcohol, it’s best — always — to avoid drinking until you have more information.
Conflicting research about alcohol-related headaches
When alcohol is a trigger for one’s usual primary headaches, the pain usually occurs within three hours of alcohol consumption. Studies have shown that a good percentage of people who drink alcohol also smoke, which can raise blood pressure as well. Though drinking can temporarily blunt feelings of anxiety, this isn’t a suitable method to manage anxiety (or any mental health condition). Quitting alcohol can prevent anxiety and give you the space to develop healthy means of managing your condition.
Gender and body weight
- Alcohol consumption above those levels is considered heavy drinking.
- Her work has been published in Parents, Shape, and Inside Lacrosse.
This is linked to the threshold theory, or Bucket Theory, where a stacking of triggers will induce a migraine attack. Sulphites are often blamed for causing headaches too (though not migraines specifically),9 and white wine usually contains higher levels of sulphites than red wine. 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. Many different factors can contribute to a hangover as a result of drinking.
These headaches cause very intense pain that often primarily affects the area behind one eye. More than half of those who experience cluster headaches say that alcohol is a trigger. Of the 1,547 participants, 783 said that alcohol was a trigger, and 195 were not sure. Alcohol-induced headaches generally resolve within 72 hours of onset, although they can and many do last for a shorter time period. While these headaches eventually do subside, it is important to talk to a medical provider about headache triggers and develop a plan to minimize them. Instead of consuming large quantities in one sitting, distribute your intake across several days, ensuring you enjoy alcohol-free days as well.
Data collection and measures
As the alcohol is metabolized and wears off, your brain works to restore chemical balance. It lowers levels of GABA—making you feel less calm—and boosts glutamate, which increases anxiety. Long-term drinking can throw your immune system into chaos, increasing the likelihood of chronic inflammation and respiratory illnesses like pneumonia. Understanding this link can empower you to keep your immune system in check.
What Types of Alcoholic Drinks Are Most Likely to Cause Migraines?
Additionally, keeping a diary to track your triggers and being mindful of other factors like stress and sleep can be helpful. Keep a diary of exactly what brand you drink, how much alcohol you drink, how you’re drinking it, and if there are any other migraine triggers present — like hormonal swings, weather changes, or certain foods. 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. If you’ve identified alcohol as a trigger for your migraine headaches, avoiding it altogether is probably best. The same is true if you find that some types of alcohol trigger your migraine headaches more than others.
Other effects of drinking alcohol
Delayed alcohol headaches or hangovers generally take hours to start, such as the following day after a night of drinking too much. Vodka and gin are both clear liquors that are made through the distilling process discussed above. This process removes congeners, which means that these drinks are less likely to trigger migraine attacks. However, they can still contain other triggers like histamine or tannins. Another type of attack is called the delayed alcohol induced headache and will usually appear the next day. This is the hangover effect that appears in the morning following alcohol consumption when the alcohol in the blood has reached zero.
Steering clear of triggers can go a long way to help keep a migraine attack at bay. Things like skipping meals, excessive alcohol, certain medications, flashing lights, and motion sickness can all potentially bring one on, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke notes. But not every trigger is completely avoidable—just look at Kelsi’s weather- and sleep-deprivation-induced related triggers. Cutting back on drinking has plenty of benefits, including reducing your likelihood of getting a headache.