Drinks containing more alcohol and congeners may worsen the chance of developing a headache. Migraine typically begins slowly and may increase in severity if left untreated. They involve throbbing pain that generally occurs on one side of the head. Those diagnosed with a specific type of headache may be more prone to develop a specific type of headache after consuming alcohol.

Alcohol may trigger migraine attacks, and it’s very unlikely to ease them. Alcohol-induced migraine is different than a hangover, which is caused by overconsuming alcohol. A 2019 study recognized alcoholic beverages, especially red wine, as a migraine trigger factor for people with migraine. Chemicals called congeners are also a component of alcoholic drinks. These chemicals may also trigger migraine headaches in certain people. If alcohol is a confirmed trigger for your migraine, then avoiding alcohol is the best solution.

Deal of the Day

Receiving a formal migraine diagnosis is the first milestone when working with your doctor to identify a personalized and effective treatment plan. Continuing to talk with your doctor throughout the course of your treatment is important for determining the strategies that prove beneficial and those that may not be as effective. Pregnancy can add another complicated layer to your migraine journey, but having a strong support system will make it easier to navigate the ups and downs. You can find additional support from people in your position and those who have already experienced pregnancy with migraine in our Move Against Migraine Facebook group. Finding people whom you can lean on for support can help lift some of the burden of managing migraine before, during and after pregnancy. Our Move Against Migraine Facebook group is full of mothers with migraine who can offer encouragement and support throughout your journey.

Common food additives

People with migraine might confuse later-occurring headaches for regular hangover headaches, which are different from the migraine kind. Hangover headaches typically occur when blood alcohol levels go down or reach zero. Regardless of the percentage of people affected, it is clear that the effects of alcohol can result in migraine episodes for some people.

Similarly, common beliefs may influence patients habits, e.g., the conviction that “red wine causes migraine”, even if studies present conflicting evidence 80, 81. Consequently, it seems likely that people with migraine to some extent avoid alcohol, which would be one interpretation of our results. After using the above key terms, 1,892 articles were identified in the three databases. 511 papers were found in PubMed, 773 in Embase and 608 in Web of Science.

Alcohol as a Migraine Trigger

  • One theory involves chemicals called histamines, which are released by the immune system and are best known for their role in causing allergy symptoms.
  • They found limited importance of nutrition, including alcohol intake, in the triggering of migraine.
  • Students who reported marijuana smoking more than once were considered as marijuana smokers.
  • It can happen even if you drink less than people who don’t get migraine headaches.
  • With 30 years of paying close attention to consumption and the boundaries, I have evolved to limiting high alcohol, highly tannic, and heavily processed wines.
  • Other data shows that alcohol is more likely to be a trigger if it is consumed during a time of stress.

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. However, the type of alcoholic beverage that triggers these headaches is not clear. Should you eat or avoid certain foods to prevent migraine attacks?

Tips for management when the attack is already happening

Red wine’s propensity for causing headaches is usually attributed to the sulfates and sulfites it contains. But experts do not link migraine headaches to sulfates and sulfites alone. Other potential contributors in red wines include tannins, flavonoid phenols, migraines and alcohol histamines, and more. While this is not necessarily true for everyone, it’s true for so many people that a trend toward abstinence developed among migraine-sufferers. In fact, one Dutch study found that 25% of people who suffered from migraines had stopped drinking because it was either an actual or potential trigger.

All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.. As long as you don’t eat meals containing other triggers, this is one of the best things you can do. Try to stick to just a glass or two and eat enough for the food to soak up some of that alcohol.

While it is doctor-verified, it is not intended to serve as medical advice, and users are advised to seek the advice of their doctors before making any decisions based on the information in this article. If, when the above foundations are in place, you still experience migraine, preventative medication maybe advised. There is some evidence to suggest a genetic link to certain migraines although it is so common you may know someone in your family who has migraine. The exact cause of migraine is still unknown however there is some evidence to link changes in the chemicals of the brain. In particular, levels of a chemical called serotonin decrease during migraine.

While migraine is a common disease that affects 39 million Americans, no two migraine experiences are the same. Symptoms can vary from light sensitivity and dizziness to food cravings or body chills. Explore these Frequently Asked Questions about migraine symptoms to see if you might be experiencing migraine. Treatment options vary, from acute treatment to relieve symptoms to preventive treatment to reduce the number of attacks you experience.

Migraine is a symptom of an underlying condition, and one of the elements of a migraine is a headache. A migraine is headache with other symptoms such as sensitivity to light and sound, nausea, vomiting, aura and more. We know that if we treat the underlying cause, we can make great strides in helping migraine patients live pain-free. Immediate alcohol-induced headaches are rarer than hangovers, and even a small amount of alcohol might trigger them in people who, for instance, experience migraines.

  • The tables below group alcohol types by the amount of these additives.
  • You may also notice signs of poor sleep hygiene such as frequent trouble falling and staying asleep through the night.
  • In a survey of college students who drank, 57% reported eating something they were “craving” after consumption.

Plus, how to identify the snacks and drinks that could be fueling your bad headaches

Many studies show that ADs are a trigger of migraine without 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. However, in some countries, the occurrence of alcohol as headache trigger is negligible, perhaps determined by alcohol habits. The frequency estimates vary widely based on the study approach and population.

MD Reveals the Best Remedies for Headaches That Involve Pain Behind The Eyes

You can try sips (or other small amounts) of different types of alcohol to see how your migraine reacts. Keep in mind that you may have to deal with several migraine attacks before you can determine what kind of alcohol causes your symptoms. Given that, this may not be the best approach if you’re unwilling to trade discomfort for a personal “safe” list of beverages. A second explanation for the results presented in our meta-analysis might encompass a certain protective role of alcohol with regards to migraine.