Those who were included in this study had episodic migraine and self-identified as low dose alcohol consumers. People who cannot stop drinking should talk with a doctor about treatment for alcohol use disorder, which is a serious but treatable condition. Brandy, red wine, and rum have the highest levels of congeners, while gin and vodka contain fewer of these chemicals. It can’t prevent a migraine, but it can help stop one after it starts.

Symptoms

Lastly, genetic factors can also influence the risk of experiencing migraines after consuming alcohol. Genes that play a role in opioid, serotonin, and dopamine systems can affect alcohol sensitivity and the likelihood of developing symptoms such as headaches after drinking small amounts. If you suffer from migraines triggered by alcohol, it is important to identify your specific triggers and consider reducing or eliminating alcohol. Keeping a migraine diary can help you understand your patterns of migraines and identify your personal triggers.

Alcohol is a common trigger for migraines

• Innovative medical devices such as CEFALY Connected offer drug-free migraine relief.
• And for about one-third of people who have migraines, alcohol is also a trigger.
• Alcohol may also lead to tension headaches characterized by continual discomfort, scalp tenderness, and a sensation of tightness.
• A parameter is considered statistically significant when zero does not fall within the 95% CI.

Identifying and avoiding triggers specific to your cluster headaches can significantly decrease the likelihood of an attack. Common triggers include alcohol, certain foods (such as aged cheese or processed meats), strong smells, bright lights, and intense physical activity. Keeping a headache diary can help you identify your personal triggers and develop strategies to steer clear of them. When it comes to managing cluster headaches, seeking professional medical advice is crucial. The Acıbadem Healthcare Group is a trusted authority in diagnosing and treating this condition.

Why does alcohol give you a headache?

While there is no way to completely prevent alcohol from triggering migraines, monitoring your intake and drinking in moderation can help minimize the impact of triggers. It is also recommended to drink water alongside alcohol to prevent dehydration, a common migraine trigger. If you are unsure whether alcohol is triggering your migraines, keeping a detailed migraine journal that includes any foods and drinks consumed can help identify patterns. While ethanol is the biggest trigger for migraine attacks after alcohol consumption, it is likely that a combination of triggers provokes an attack at a given time, and these combinations may be different for each patient.

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• Migraine affects more than 1 billion people worldwide 1, and approximately 20% of people experience migraines at some point in their lives.
• The questionnaires included demographics, headache history and characteristics, health-related habits (smoking and alcohol consumption), and hangover symptoms.

Oftentimes individuals with migraine give up trying to identify which of the multiple potential triggers reported in population‐level analyses drug addiction may apply to them. They may then decide to avoid those which they cannot confirm as a trigger or those for which they cannot develop some coping strategy. In a 2018 study involving 2,197 people with migraine, 25% of the participants who stopped or always avoided drinking did so because alcohol triggered migraine attacks.

It’s interesting to note that cocktail headaches are much rarer than hangover headaches, and they can be triggered by variable amounts of alcohol. For instance, for some people with migraines, just a small amount of alcohol can lead to a cocktail headache, whereas others can tolerate alcohol at the same level as people who don’t get migraines. It causes dehydration, triggers inflammation, alters the balance of brain chemicals, disrupts sleep, and lowers glucose levels — all factors that can increase the risk of headaches. Understanding the relationship between alcohol consumption and headaches is crucial to both general health and head pain management. Although alcohol is a common part of many social events, it can also be a frequent headache trigger for many people.

Downing more alcohol (the “hair of the dog” theory) won’t help either. It may be worth considering some treatment options to help you manage your symptoms. It’s important to stay updated on the latest migraine research and treatment strategies.

In this study we focused on the role of alcohol as a potential trigger of migraine attacks within 24–48 h after consumption. This delayed effect of alcohol on migraine attack onset may be more difficult to ascertain by an individual alcohol and migraines compared to an immediate effect. Consumption varies greatly between cultures, regions, and between individuals, a fact which may explain why different studies have found opposing results. Research shows that people with migraine may also experience related symptoms during a hangover. Reducing or eliminating alcohol may reduce the frequency of migraine attacks. It may also help eliminate triggers that tend to co-occur with drinking, such as dehydration and sleep deprivation.

• Hangovers can affect pretty much anyone who has had too much to drink.
• The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal tools were used for cross-sectional, cohort and case control studies 63.
• The majority were female (419/487, 86.0%), actively working (293/378, 77.5%).
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How Often People With Migraine Drink

While many individuals report alcohol as a trigger for their migraine episodes, the exact cause remains uncertain. Some studies suggest that alcohol’s direct effects on the brain, blood vessels and neurotransmitters may play a role. However, identifying a single reason is challenging due to people’s varying reactions to alcohol. Alcohol is a trigger for migraine in some people, with one study finding that around a third (33%) of people who get migraines are sensitive to alcohol. However, the mechanism for how alcohol triggers migraines is still not fully understood.