Can Alcohol Trigger Migraine Attacks?

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 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.

Alcohol and migraine: what should we tell patients?Current Pain and Headache Reports, June 2011.

It can involve difficulty speaking, understanding speech, reading, or writing. Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Get our printable guide for your next healthcare provider’s appointment to help you ask the right questions. Get in touch with a member of our team today, or alcohol causes migraines learn more about how it works. In fact, it was also suggested that dural mast cells could promote headache by releasing 5-HT, prostaglandin I and histamine [61]. On the other hand, there are many foods such as dried fruits, chips, raisins, soy sauce, pickles and juice fruits containing concentration of sulphites even ten times higher than that of wine.

Data collection and measures

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. In addition to red wine, other alcoholic beverages, including beer, white wine, and liqueur, have also been reported as headache triggers. 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.

Find a Doctor

This will be helpful in guiding conversations with your doctor about your symptoms. Reviewed for accuracy by the American Migraine Foundation’s subject matter experts, headache specialists and medical advisers with deep knowledge and training in headache medicine. Generally, these episodes resolve within a few hours but can last up to a whole day.

• This disruption can result in aphasia, where you may have trouble finding words, speaking clearly, or understanding language.
• The research found that 21% of people with migraine say that alcohol is a tension headache trigger, compared with just 2% of people without migraine.
• Talk with a doctor about ways to identify your migraine triggers and what to do if you develop these headaches.

Alcohol and Headaches: Why They Happen and What You Can Do

• Let’s explore the relationship between these two conditions, as well as the symptoms and treatment of aphasia caused by migraine.
• However, these individuals were not more vulnerable to other hangover symptoms.
• Migraine typically begins slowly and may increase in severity if left untreated.
• Identifying your specific food and drink triggers is a key part of any migraine prevention and treatment plan.
• Individuals from different ethnic backgrounds may have variable sensitivity to alcohol.
• Wine, beer, and spirits did not elevate the risk of migraine with aura, but sparkling wine did.

You might have heard that red wine is most likely to cause problems. But other drinks like sparkling wine, beer, and hard liquor may be just as likely, if not more, to cause problems. Although alcohol intolerance can affect anybody, those of East Asian origin are more likely to inherit the genetic mutation that causes alcohol intolerance, making them more susceptible to developing the condition.

Other histamine-laden foods may also be triggers

Examples of migraine aura include visual phenomena such as seeing geometric shapes or bright spots, or flashing lights, or even loss of vision. Some people may develop numbness or a pins and needles sensation on one side of their face or body, or even difficulty speaking. At the end of a migraine attack, you might feel drained, confused, or washed out for up to a day. Drinking too much can trigger migraines, and possibly other types of headaches—such as cluster headaches and tension headaches—in people who are already susceptible to these issues. Such headaches can occur while you are drinking, or a few hours after—even if you’ve had as little as one drink.

But the exact cause of a migraine after a few glasses of red wine is likely multifaceted and may be due to a combo of the following causes. This information is not designed to replace a physician’s independent judgment about the appropriateness or risks of a procedure for a given patient. Migraine.com does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Use of the site is conditional upon your acceptance of our terms of use. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. For some people, a warning symptom known as an aura occurs before or with the headache.

• You might have tried some alternative therapies, but did you know about these complementary and integrative treatments?
• Research still needs to determine which remedy is most effective.
• Expecting someone to push through or just take your mind off of it is never good advice.
• Additional sources were identified via manual search of bibliographies, references lists, and previous peer reviews.
• Staying hydrated and keeping alcohol consumption to a minimum can decrease the chance of experiencing a headache.

So with that goal in mind, we spoke to a number of physicians specializing in headache and migraine treatment as well as addiction medicine to find out exactly why drinking may trigger a headache. The principal substances of the alcoholic drinks thought to be involved in headache provoked by alcoholic drinks are successively discussed. Certain additives can increase the chance of developing a headache after drinking.

They occur due to various factors such as dehydration, changes in blood flow to the brain, and alcohol’s impact on serotonin levels. 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. Wine does not need to be ingested in excessive quantities to produce headache. The interval between drinking red wine and developing headache varied from 30 min to 3 h, and only one or two glasses need to be ingested.