Alcohol-Induced Migraine: Causes, Prevention, Treatment, and More

Then, consider exploring more treatment options with our other free resources. Reviewed for accuracy by the American Migraine Foundation’s subject matter experts, headache specialists and medical advisers with deep knowledge and training in headache medicine.

Conflicting research about alcohol-related headaches

According to the third edition of The International Classification of Headache Disorders 2, alcohol hangover headaches are secondary headaches that occur several hours following alcohol consumption regardless of headache history. Among people with migraine, alcohol may trigger headaches with symptoms that are similar to their usual migraine attacks 4 and they may occur as rapidly as 30 min after even small amounts of alcohol intake 5. However, in an analysis restricted to the 580 headaches that participants reported as similar to their usual migraines, the results were not meaningfully altered.

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A 2023 review indicated that the risk of migraine in people who drink Oxford House alcohol is about 1.5 times lower than in those who don’t, though the studies reviewed had a high amount of bias. Alcohol also acts as a diuretic, increasing urine production and rapidly leading to dehydration, which is a common and powerful migraine trigger. Even mild dehydration can lower the threshold for an attack, making the body more susceptible to other triggers. Darker beverages, such as whiskey, brandy, and certain beers, contain higher levels of congeners, which are byproducts of fermentation and aging. These chemicals are thought to be more headache-provoking than the pure ethanol found in clear spirits.

• Its main limitation is the fact that its data is based solely on self-reported questionnaires.
• Clear spirits like vodka and gin generally have fewer congeners and are considered less likely to trigger migraines.
• “Someone may feel a slight relief from a migraine attack after drinking due to the sedative effects alcohol has, but this is only for a short amount of time and will not last,” said neuropsychologist Sanam Hafeez, PhD.

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Distribution of daily alcoholic beverages consumption (total daily quantity and by type of alcoholic drink), for all person‐days, within‐person means, and within‐person SDs. For migraine sufferers who choose to consume alcohol, adopting specific strategies can help mitigate the risk of an attack. Thirty-nine percent of the sample were from the US, and 35% from Great Britain. Together, study participants contributed data on 43,830 diary days; migraine was reported on 9,578 (22%) of those days. Turning to technology Study design may also play a role in the inconclusive findings on the relationship between alcohol intake and migraine.

• Adjusted marginal absolute risk of having a migraine headache on the day following alcohol consumption among 98 participants with episodic migraines followed for 6 weeks.
• Only a few clinical trials have studied treatment for hangover symptoms.
• They can be an early warning sign that the brain is struggling to manage pain properly.
• Triptans work best when you take them at the early signs of a migraine.
• “This is a self-selected population; it’s not necessarily reflective of the larger migraine population.
• When migraine sufferers, also called migraineurs, are asked to list their food and beverage migraine triggers, alcohol is named the most often.

We know that if we treat the underlying cause, we can make great strides in helping migraine patients live pain-free. Over the years, research has shown that moderate alcohol consumption may provide health benefits over total abstinence. In spite of this, there are some people for whom combining alcohol with a tendency toward migraines. Patients often make this decision after experiencing a strong connection between alcohol and migraines firsthand. Avoid alcoholic and sugary drinks when you have migraine, especially during an attack. Dark liquors and red wines may be particularly harmful due to their sugar, sulfate, tannin, and histamine content.

Patients with migraine can also experience a hangover headache, which is different from a migraine attack. Beyond the ethanol itself, various non-alcohol compounds found in beverages are frequently implicated in triggering migraine attacks. Red wine, for instance, is often reported as a potent trigger, potentially linked to its high content of vasoactive amines like tyramine and histamines, which can affect blood vessel dilation and nerve signaling.

People who get migraine attacks during or after drinking should consider reducing or eliminating alcohol. If they find this too challenging, they may have alcohol use disorder, which warrants treatment. Preventing migraine begins with identifying and reducing or eliminating common migraine triggers such as alcohol, dehydration, and certain foods.

This will be helpful in guiding conversations with your doctor about your symptoms. We recommend taking a look at our patient guides, which include useful information like how to talk to your doctor about migraine. You might have tried some alternative therapies, but did you know about these complementary and integrative treatments? For more information on alternative migraine treatments, visit our Resource Library. Consider joining our Move Against Migraine support group on Facebook so you can connect with others who live with migraine. Start your search with these complementary and integrative therapies.

• Consuming plenty of nutrient-rich foods can help stabilize blood sugar levels, reducing headaches.
• Often patients who use the N1-Headache app are very motivated and are keen to identify their triggers,” he said.
• Let’s explore how alcohol might trigger a migraine and offer some tips to manage your symptoms while still enjoying a drink.
• Distribution of daily alcoholic beverages consumption (total daily quantity and by type of alcoholic drink), for all person‐days, within‐person means, and within‐person SDs.
• When determining if alcohol is a trigger, it is important to consider the type of alcohol, the ingredients of an alcoholic drink, and the person’s experience with these beverages.
• We recommend exploring complementary treatments such as biofeedback, green light therapy and aerobic exercise.

For individuals who suspect alcohol is a migraine trigger, several strategies can help manage this relationship. Practicing moderation and responsible drinking, including limiting intake and being mindful of personal thresholds, is often recommended. For individuals with a strong and consistent link between alcohol and migraines, complete avoidance of known triggers may be the most effective strategy. However, research has demonstrated that all types of alcoholic beverages can trigger migraines. A study in the European Journal of Neurology found that while red wine was the most frequently reported trigger, other alcoholic drinks were not far behind. These substances, though common in foods and alcoholic beverages are not proven to trigger a migraine attack alone.

In each case, individual predicted probabilities are compared to the population predictions (in purple) after updating Model 2 to account for all available tracked data for each individual (not only the first 90 tracked days). Table 3 shows the distribution of daily alcoholic beverage consumption. Any kind of alcohol triggers my migraine, so I don’t drink any alcohol.