Consider therapy, mindfulness, biofeedback, and other relaxation techniques that work for you. Alcoholic drinks (ADs) have been reported as a migraine trigger in about one-third of the migraine patients in retrospective studies. Some studies found that ADs trigger also other primary headaches. Many studies show that ADs are a trigger of migraine without alcohol and headaches aura (MO), migraine with aura (MA), cluster headache (CH), and tension-type headache (TH). While data on MO and CH are well delineated, those in MA and TH are discordant. There are sparse reports that ADs are also triggers of less frequent types of primary headache such as familial hemiplegic migraine, hemicrania continua, and paroxysmal hemicrania.
Risk factors
Don’t feel embarrassed when talking to your doctor or headache specialist about your triggers—it will help them give you a proper diagnosis and start the best treatment plan for your symptoms. For more information on the various migraine triggers and how to manage them, visit the American Migraine Foundation resource library, or contact us directly. Quantity is definitely a factor in whether drinking alcohol will trigger a headache, and the quality of alcohol probably plays a role as well. We do not know for sure, though, how any specific type of alcoholic beverage will affect people with migraine.
- This is linked to the threshold theory, or Bucket Theory, where a stacking of triggers will induce a migraine attack.
- While these seem to come out of nowhere, many will find that there are usually some signs that a migraine attack is on its way.
- Congeners can also include chemicals like histamine, which can trigger migraine attacks and headaches.
- While there is no magical alcohol that doesn’t cause headaches when consumed in excess, alcohol does vary tremendously from manufacturer to manufacturer.
- However, a 2019 study found higher rates of vodka consumption among drinkers with frequent migraine attacks.
Why Does Alcohol Give Me a Headache? A Doctor’s Tips for Imbibing
We’re so busy working during the day and it’s understandable to overlook hydration. You may experience a headache in the afternoon due to things like https://ecosoberhouse.com/ muscle tension, dehydration, stress, hunger, among other things. Completely avoiding alcohol and eating a balanced diet can help minimize damage.
How Do You Know When Alcohol Triggers Your Migraines?
When you can identify your triggers, you are one step closer to effectively managing your migraine and avoiding future attacks. This review was performed using a literature search on PubMed from 1988 (date of the first IHS classification) to December 2014. Search terms of “alcohol,” “wine,” “food trigger,” “dietary trigger,” “migraine,” “headache” were used. Additional sources were identified via manual search of bibliographies, references lists, and previous peer reviews.
Alcohol as a Migraine Trigger
Identifying your specific food and drink triggers is a key part of any migraine prevention and treatment plan. The difference between these two types of headaches is subtle. While anyone can experience DAIH, people with migraine are more susceptible. Even a modest amount of alcohol can cause people with migraine to develop a delayed headache or trigger an attack.
What to know about headaches after alcohol
What Are the Symptoms?
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Relieving Headache Pain: Preventing and treating migraines and other headaches
- Individuals reported a mean (SD) of 6.1 (3.3) migraine days per month and 3.7 (1.7) migraine attacks per month.
- As dehydration can cause headaches, staying hydrated when consuming alcohol is key.
- The investigators even found a slightly lower probability of a migraine attack on the second day after alcohol consumption.
- This review was performed using a literature search on PubMed from 1988 (date of the first IHS classification) to December 2014.
- This could potentially explain why some people with migraine find they can’t drink certain darker drinks like beer or red wine, however, more research is needed to find out.