Despite this common belief, there is little scientific evidence to suggest that wine is more likely to trigger a headache from drinking than another type of alcohol. Learning more about your specific health history and drinking habits can help you better understand your risk of alcohol-induced headaches. At Monument, you can speak with a specialized physician, can alcohol cause migraines like myself, to get personalized information and care. Ethanol is the primary toxin responsible for why alcohol makes you drunk. Like histamine, ethanol is a vasodilator, which directly dilates blood vessels and can often trigger migraines and other headaches. If alcohol is a confirmed trigger for your migraine, then avoiding alcohol is the best solution.

  • Don’t be overly critical of yourself, but look for small changes that can have huge impacts on your headaches.
  • To find the best alcohol addiction treatment for yourself or a loved one, talk to your healthcare provider or contact us today.
  • However, if you still experience a migraine attack after drinking any kind of alcohol, the best solution is to avoid alcohol altogether.
  • However, according to this idea, populations with higher migraine prevalence should have lower alcohol consumption.
  • By learning how migraine and mental health impact one another and ways to manage both, you can improve your quality of life.
  • National Library of Medicine, one-third of migraine sufferers point to alcohol as a trigger.

Ark Behavioral Health offers 100% confidential substance abuse assessment and treatment placement tailored to your individual needs. Talk to your doctor if you are concerned about the potential side effects of benzodiazepines. Catherine is a dedicated freelance health and science writer committed to excellence and professionalism. She specializes in health topics including diet and nutrition, immune-related diseases, surgery, and cancer. The big picture here is to take charge of your headache health.

How a Medical Intuitive Can Accelerate Your Health and Wellness Journey

Medical literature, the report said, also shows being intoxicated can hike the risk of cognitive dysfunction, depression, or suicidal thoughts. But it came with a downside — feelings of sadness, anxiety and stress in the days that followed. And for someone with diagnosed anxiety and depression, the Toronto resident began to re-evaluate the role casual drinking played in her life, and what it meant for her wellbeing and mental health. Congeners are minor compounds that occur in alcoholic beverages as a natural result of distilling and fermenting. Congeners are primarily found in darker liquors like brandy, whiskey, and wine.

alcohol and headaches

Original studies were selected if they reported in the results a numeric percentage of headache patients referring any ADs as a trigger factor. Thirty-five papers were found corresponding to these criteria. Other studies useful for the correlation of the results with the pathogenesis of the primary headaches where also selected. ADs have been reported to trigger the principal types of primary headaches. While the results in MO and CH are in relative agreement, those in MA and TH are discordant.

How Do You Know When Alcohol Triggers Your Migraines?

It can help you identify patterns over time and help your doctor identify if you are experiencing migraine. You should not have to deal with migraine—or pregnancy—alone. It’s critical to have a support network of understanding people who can not only check in on you but also empathize with your experience. Then consider joining our Move Against Migraine support group on Facebook so you can connect with others who live with migraine. The American Migraine Foundation is committed to improving the lives of those living with this debilitating disease.