In these two studies, red wine is the most common ADs involved in triggering TH attacks, in accordance with another study. Other studies find that ADs rarely precipitated both migraine and TH. Furthermore, an old prospective study reports that ADs trigger vascular headaches but not TH. One is the differentiation between hangover headache and migraine attack triggered by alcohol in diagnosed migraine patients. Sober Home In a 2018 study involving 2,197 people with migraine, 25% of the participants who had stopped or always avoided drinking did so because alcohol triggered migraine attacks. More than a third of the participants said that alcohol had this effect, with about 78% naming red wine as the most common alcohol trigger. If you experience migraine headaches after drinking alcohol, it may be best to avoid alcohol.

Often, alcohol-induced headaches also have characteristics that resemble your usual headaches, whether they are migraines, cluster headaches, or tension headaches. People who have frequent migraine attacks may wish to consider migraine prevention medications such as topiramate , divalproex , or propranolol . A 2016 review notes that alcohol may trigger a tension headache, especially if a person also has migraine. 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. About two-thirds of people who drink alcohol develop these headaches. People who suffer from migraine are more prone to these reactions — even after drinking less alcohol than people who don’t get migraine headaches.

Here is the advice of one wine expert

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. Moreover, there were significant trends of decreasing prevalence of migraine and non-migraine headache with the increasing number of alcohol units consumed . Hangovers can last up to 72 hours after drinking, but most are shorter in duration. Again it depends on how much was consumed, how dehydrated you became, nutritional status, ethnicity, gender, the state of your liver, medications, etc. Repeated drinking can lead to liver scarring, known as cirrhosis. Certain inflammatory chemicals increase in the blood and affect various natural hormonal pathways. The stomach lining may become irritated, increasing nausea and the chance of bleeding. I admire their ability to function despite the pain, & other symptoms that may accompany migraines. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.

We asked these experts what a person who struggles with migraine would expect if they stopped drinking, and the answers were varied. Overall, physicians state that stopping drinking certain types of alcohol, like those with tannins, may lead to fewer migraine headaches. Savage-Edwards advises that if alcohol is found to be a trigger, then it’s best to avoid it. Migraine causes a specific type of headache that involves neurological symptoms such as light sensitivity and aura. Other types of headaches, including severe headaches, can occur as a result of alcohol consumption. Of the 1,547 participants, 783 said that alcohol was a trigger, and 195 were not sure. People who experienced migraine with alcohol were more likely to have migraine with aura and to experience more migraine days and more frequent attacks. Without a consistent cause-and-effect situation, though, it could be a number of factors — not just alcohol — that are triggering your migraine headache.

Migraine without aura

The manufacturer suggests using topiramate with caution in people with impaired liver function. Chronic alcohol abuse may be linked to the development of epilepsy in some instances. People who have had seizures after binge drinking may begin to have seizures even when not consuming alcohol. However, if you have a serious reaction or severe pain, see your doctor. Also, if your symptoms seem to be linked why does alcohol cause migraines to an allergy or a medication you’re taking, see your doctor. No correlation between wine intolerance and histamine content of wine. Sulfites are chemicals that occur naturally during fermentation and are also cited as a headache culprit. Sometimes more sulfites are added during the wine-making process to help preserve the drink. If you’re tannin-sensitive, the above foods will also likely trigger you.

Binge drinking and resulting alcohol withdrawal may lead to status epilepticus, which could potentially be fatal. Some common side effects of Topamax include weakness, dizziness, drowsiness, appetite/weight loss, mood changes , memory and sleep problems, and a feeling of pins and needles. One way to limit your risk and stay social is to order a Migraine-friendly Ginger Ale in a beer glass. Beer may seem like it quenches your thirst, but in fact, it can actually dehydrate you. Dr. Lawrence C. Newman, MD, Chair of the American Migraine Foundation, says that excessive alcohol intake increases urination frequency, which can result in dehydration. Alcohol intolerance occurs when your body doesn’t have the proper enzymes to break down the toxins in alcohol.

Others find that it is more likely to trigger migraine attacks during vulnerable periods—hormonal changes, stress, and weather changes, for example. So, she recommends reducing alcohol intake or stopping drinking altogether if a patient does, indeed, find a connection between drinking and migraine. 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. Flavonoid phenols and tannins, both alike in character and action, are by-products of alcohol fermentation. These congeners, or alike minor chemical substances, give wine its distinctive character. Others known congeners include acetone, acetaldehyde, fuseil oil, and furfural. These alcohol by-products have been suggested as responsible for triggering migraine.

Instead, researchers suggest that alcohol as a trigger is more of a personal reaction — common in certain types of headaches — than a general effect. In a forward-looking study published in 2007, Austrian researchers examined a large number of factors related to migraine. After an advanced data analysis, they found limited importance of nutrition, including alcoholic beverages in the precipitation of migraine. This work considered alcohol and other nutritional factors taken the day before onset of headache. After a night on the town, it’s easy to blame a headache on too much alcohol. But if you’re prone to migraine headaches, drinking even a small amount of alcohol can bring on an attack. Learn the importance of knowing the migraine forecast and about other strategies for dealing with weather-related migraine.