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A cocktail headache is a headache that occurs within the same evening of drinking alcohol. Unlike a hangover headache, cocktail headaches can be caused by even small amounts of alcohol. If you develop a cocktail headache, take care to rest and nourish your body with water, electrolytes, and a healthy fruit or vegetable snack if possible. The type of alcohol does not seem to affect whether a person gets a headache. While red wine has been described as a dominant trigger of migraines and cluster headaches, white wine, champagne, sparkling wines, and beer have also been linked to headaches.

• “The most common alcohol that triggers a migraine attack is red wine, followed by white wine, champagne and beer,” she says.
• People who cannot stop drinking should talk with a doctor about treatment for alcohol use disorder, which is a serious but treatable condition.
• A migraine each time you have a night out should be a good reason to abstain.
• So while drinking water in between drinks and before bed is a good idea, it won’t actually replenish your depleted mineral stores.

What Are The Types Of Alcohol Induced Headache?

Drinking too much can trigger migraines, and possibly other types of headaches—such as cluster headaches and tension headaches—in people who are already susceptible to these issues. Such headaches can occur while you are drinking, or a few hours after—even if you’ve had as little as one drink. Although any type of alcohol can trigger a migraine, people who experience regular migraine attacks cite red wine as the most frequent culprit. Whether alcohol acts as a trigger is really a case-by-case basis for people with migraine. For some people, it could be the amount of alcohol consumed that triggers an attack.

How to Get Rid of a Cocktail Headache

The ingestion of too much ethanol can cause an unhealthy imbalance of chemicals within the body, which over time may lead to more serious conditions than just a headache. Anyone who suffers from regular migraines will know how debilitating they can be, and unfortunately, alcohol can be a huge trigger for this condition. Alcohol is responsible for creating a relaxing effect on the blood vessels.

How Much Alcohol Can Cause A Headache?

Many of the same tips for preventing a headache after drinking also work for treating one. Hydration and electrolyte replacement is one of the best things you can do to help recover from an alcohol-induced headache. Make sure to avoid hydrating drinks that are heavy in sugar, as either low blood sugar or high blood sugar can make a hangover headache worse. As mentioned above, B vitamins such as B6 and B12 can also be helpful after drinking, and pain medication should be used sparingly and with caution. And many people are surprised to find out that it doesn’t take much alcohol to trigger them.

• Many people have turned to abstinence as their preventative measure for reasons stated above.
• This may partially explain why you wake up with a pounding headache after a night of drinking and dancing.
• It has been suggested that a tendency to experience alcohol-induced headaches could be genetic.
• The results indicated people with migraine had higher chances of having hangover symptoms similar to those they experienced during episodes.
• Cocktail headaches arise around three hours after you first start drinking alcohol.
• Along with the other symptoms of a hangover, such as regret and embarrassment, anxiety can drive feelings of irrational worry, panic, or fear.

Why does alcohol cause headaches?

Migraines in general have been linked to variations in genes, especially those that regulate blood flow to the brain. Migraine episodes can be a periodic inconvenience, or they can be debilitating. The most severe migraine attacks may last up to 3 days or longer and make it impossible to do anything.

These can be very uncomfortable and can be caused by dehydration after consuming alcohol. If you find yourself waking up with a headache after drinking alcohol, or if you experience one shortly after drinking, taking care of yourself is crucial. Aside from this, there is some evidence to show that drinks that have been through an ageing process are liable to cause more reactions within the body. Wine contains tannins that are found in the skins of the grapes used to make the wine.

While the exact reasons why alcohol triggers headaches are still not fully understood, there are some steps you can take to reduce your risk and enjoy a drink without pain. Staying hydrated and keeping alcohol consumption to a minimum can decrease the chance of experiencing a headache. Individuals who experience severe headaches after drinking alcohol may also avoid alcohol altogether. A 2019 study recognized alcoholic beverages, especially red wine, as a migraine trigger factor for people with migraine. Vasodilation may trigger migraine attacks in certain individuals.

Because alcohol is a depressant, it suppresses our nervous system. Once the initial effects of alcohol wear off, our nervous system becomes overexcited, leading to anxiety. Because anxiety can trigger or worsen headaches, these two hangover symptoms are often related. Histamine has been known to cause headaches for almost 100 years.² When it enters the bloodstream it dilates blood vessels, which leads to headaches. While all alcohol contains high levels of histamines, red wines have a significantly higher amount than other beverages, and therefore may lead to more severe headaches.

However, if you already have a headache, it is a good idea to stop drinking. If both stress and alcohol are migraine triggers for you, combining them won’t do you any favors. In addition to this, people are sometimes more likely to drink more when they are feeling stressed and a little reckless. As a physician, my best advice for decreasing or avoiding alcohol-related headaches is to take steps to change your relationship with alcohol. Monument is an online alcohol treatment platform that can help provide support every step of the way.

Making sure to drink plenty of water during and after alcohol consumption can decrease the chance of headaches. As a result, a female’s blood alcohol concentration tends to be higher, making it more likely for females to experience headaches and hangovers. Granted, some headaches, like migraine, can be triggered or exacerbated by drinking alcohol, but the throughline is blurry. As you may recall, any kind of alcohol will eventually dehydrate you. Dehydration is one of the reasons why you get a headache after drinking.

Alcohol-related blackouts can be dangerous and increase a person’s risk of injury and other harms. During an alcohol-related blackout, a person is conscious, but later they realize that they don’t remember what happened while they were intoxicated. Blackouts can have consequences, including social, physical, and health effects. While dehydration does not cause anxiety, these conditions are related. Alcohol is a diuretic, meaning it boosts the output of urine.

That’s likely because there are other underlying migraine triggers, such as certain foods, caffeine, fluctuating hormones, and stress. June is National Migraine and Headache Awareness Month (MHAM), which is a great opportunity for communities to spread awareness about suffering from headaches and migraine. That said, broadly speaking, clear spirits like vodka are considered the least likely to cause a hangover and thus result in an alcohol-induced headache compared with darker drinks. Keeping a migraine journal that includes the type of alcohol consumed, time, and any other potential triggers can help you determine whether it’s in your best interest to avoid alcohol. Since the research on alcohol as a migraine trigger is limited, and everyone’s body metabolizes foods and drinks differently, it can be helpful to tune into what yours is telling you.

Drinking floods the brain with the neurotransmitter (brain chemical) gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which contributes to feelings of short-term relaxation. It also inhibits another neurotransmitter, glutamate, which regulates mood. If you find yourself struggling to stop drinking or recognize that you have symptoms of alcohol use disorder, it’s important to reach out for help. Dr. Moore advises talking to your loved ones as a first step. Tannins are naturally occurring compounds (called polyphenols) found in grapes, certain fruit juices, and beer. People who suffer with cluster headaches are particularly sensitive to dark beers, according to Dr. Aurora.

Brain Changes

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. If alcohol only occasionally causes you a headache, then moderation or striking that balance (as opposed to abstinence), may be a more reasonable approach. Drinking plenty of water before having a drink should also help ward a cocktail headache off. Just like food triggers, alcohol headache triggers are individual, varying from person to person.

Dehydration, a change in the balance of body water and essential nutrients, results. This affects the fluids surrounding the brain and decreases the blood pressure and blood flow to the why do i get migraines when i drink alcohol brain. In addition, alcohol-containing drinks can decrease blood pressure in the brain by widening the blood vessels that supply the brain.

Many different factors can contribute to a hangover as a result of drinking. Drinks containing more alcohol and congeners may worsen the chance of developing a headache. A person may experience migraine after drinking if they are susceptible to it. Some people may experience an alcohol-related migraine between 30 minutes and 3 hours after drinking.