Autobrewery syndrome is a rare condition in which your body converts sugary and starchy foods into alcohol. This can cause symptoms of being drunk, even if you have not consumed alcohol.
Autobrewery syndrome is also known as enteric fermentation syndrome and endogenous ethanol fermentation. It is sometimes called "drunkenness disease". This rare condition causes you to be intoxicated – drunk – without drinking alcohol.
This happens when your body converts sugary and starchy foods (carbohydrates) into alcohol. Autobrewery syndrome can be difficult to diagnose. It can also be confused with other conditions.
But onesome casesof autobrewery syndrome have been reported in recent decades. However, this medical condition has been mentioned in the news several times. Most of these stories involve people arrested for drunk driving.
For example,a womanwas found to have the condition after being arrested in New York for driving under the influence. Her blood alcohol level was four times the legal limit. She was not charged because medical tests showed that autobrewer syndrome caused her blood alcohol levels to rise.
It's the kind of story the media loves, but it's unlikely to be repeated often. Nevertheless, this is a very real situation. It is important to get diagnosed if you think you have the condition. Let's take a closer look at that.
Autobrewery syndrome can cause you to:
- drunk without drinking alcohol
- very drunk after drinking only a small amount of alcohol (such as two beers)
The symptoms and side effects are similar if you are slightly intoxicated or if you experience:hangoversby drinking too much:
- red or reddened skin
- dizziness
- disorientation
- headache pain
- nausea and vomiting
- dehydration
- dry mouth
- the belch or eructation
- fatigue
- memory and concentration problems
- mood swings
Autobrewery syndrome can also cause or worsen other health problems, such as:
- chronic fatigue syndrome
- irritable bowel syndrome
- depression and anxiety
In autobrewery syndrome, your body – 'brewers' – makes alcohol (ethanol) from the carbohydrates you eat. This happens in the intestine or intestines. It can be caused by too much yeast in the intestines. Yeast is a type of fungus.
Some types of yeast that can cause autobrewery syndrome include:
- Candida albicans
- Candida glabrata
- Torulopsis glabrata
- Candida krusei
- Candida kefyr
- Saccharomyces cerevisiae(biergist)
Who can get it?
Adults and children can have autobrewery syndrome. Signs and symptoms are similar in both. Autobrewery syndrome is usually a complication of another disease, an imbalance, or an infection in the body.
You cannot be born with this rare syndrome. However, you may be born with or develop another condition that causes autobrewery syndrome. For example, in adults, too much yeast can be caused in the intestinesCrohn's disease. This can cause autobrewery syndrome.
In some people, liver problems can cause autobrewery syndrome. In these cases, the liver cannot remove the alcohol quickly enough. Even a small amount of alcohol produced by intestinal yeast leads to symptoms.
Toddlers and children with a condition calledshort bowel syndromeare more likely to develop autobrewery syndrome. A medical case reported that a
Other reasons you might have too muchyesterdayin your body include:
- poor nutrition
- antibiotics
- inflammatory bowel disease
- diabetes
- low immune system
There are no specific tests to diagnose autobrewery syndrome. This condition is still newly discovered and more research is needed. Symptoms alone are usually not sufficient for a diagnosis.
Your doctor will likely do a stool test to find out if you have too much yeast in your intestines. This involves sending a small sample of stool to a laboratory for testing. Another test that may be used by some doctors is the glucose test.
For the glucose challenge test you will receive a glucose (sugar) capsule. You should not eat or drink anything else for a few hours before and after the examination. After about an hour your doctor will check your blood alcohol level. If you do not have autobrewery syndrome, your blood alcohol level is zero. If you have auto-brewery disease, your blood alcohol level may vary1.0 to 7.0milligram per deciliter.
If you suspect you may be suffering from this autobrewery syndrome, you can try a similar test at home, although you should not use it for self-diagnosis. Eat something sugary, such as a cookie, on an empty stomach. After an hour, use a breathalyzer test at home to see if your blood alcohol level has increased. Write down any symptoms.
This home test may not work because you may not have any noticeable symptoms. Home breathalyzers also may not be as accurate as those used by doctors and law enforcement agencies. Regardless of what you observe, see a doctor for a diagnosis.
Autobrewery syndrome is treatable. Your doctor may recommend reducing the carbohydrates in your diet. Treating an underlying condition such as Crohn's disease can help balance the fungus in your intestines.
Your doctor may prescribe antifungal medications. These medicines work to get rid of yeast infections that may be causing the problem in your intestines. You may need to take the medicine for three weeks or more.
Antifungals and other medications to help treat autobrewery syndrome include:
- fluconazole
- Nystatine
- oral anti-mold chemotherapy
- acidophilus tabletter
You will need to make dietary changes to help treat autobrewery syndrome. While taking antifungal medications, you must follow a strict diet:
- no sugar
- no carbohydrates
- no alcohol
Change your daily diet to help prevent autobrewery syndrome. Alow carbohydrate dietcan help balance the fungus in your intestines.
Avoid sugary foods and simple carbohydrates such as:
- corn syrup
- High fructose corn syrup
- white bread and pasta
- White rice
- White flower
- Potato chips
- biscuit
- sugary drinks
- fruit juice
Also avoid table sugar and added sugar in foods:
- glucose
- fructose
- dextrose
- maltose
- levulose
Eat plenty of complex carbohydrates with a higher fiber content:
- whole wheat bread and pasta
- Brown rice
- fresh and cooked vegetables
- fresh, frozen and dried fruit
- fresh and dried herbs
- heb
- happened
- peace
- lenses
- quinoa
- couscous
Although not common, autobrewery syndrome is a serious illness that can affect your life. In some cases, people with autobrewery syndrome are wrongly suspected of being "closet drinkers." As with any disease, your symptoms may differ from those of someone with autobrewery syndrome.
Although it has been used a few times as a defense against drunk driving, hangover syndrome does not typically cause your blood alcohol level to rise above the legal limit. You may feel a little drunk, while someone else may feel hungover.
If you think you have this condition, write down the symptoms you experience. Make a note of what you ate and when you showed signs of autobrewery syndrome. Tell your doctor immediately. Ask them to check your intestinal yeast levels and give you other medical tests to find out what is causing your symptoms.
Feeling "buzzed" or drunk without drinking may not sound like a major health problem. However, it can affect your well-being, safety, relationships and work. Seek emergency medical attention. Autobrewery syndrome can also be a sign of an underlying condition that is spiraling out of control.
If you have been diagnosed with autobrewery syndrome, ask your doctor or nutritionist about the best diet plan for you. You should make follow-up appointments to check yeast levels even if you have been treated and no longer have symptoms.
