Headaches whenever I drink alcohol

[Bob534]

I now seem to get ' hungover' about two hours after drinking, while drunk. BUMMER! I get a cluster headache during my nights out. I usually get this from vodka.

Why?
Should I pace myself, or try a different alcoholic beverage??? Would wine be better???

[TheFuss]

Hi everyone, around 4 weeks ago i went to the gym, after doing some reps on chest and straining had to cut the session short because I ended up having an explosive headache through straining on the weights, took around a week for it too finally clear, although now every time i take a drink of alcohol, only needs to be  1 pint or  a glass of wine then the headache comes back...drunk water before and after but same result, since the gym injury, I've been unable to drink alcohol, had sme wine last night and said thats it after i awoke with a splitting headache and until the chemist opened 6 hours later so i could buy ibuprofen was suffering. Is it possible i have a trapped nerve in my neck? or Pinched nerve and somehow the alcohol flares the nerve up? Am considering Accupunture tomorrow as do not want to keekp taking painkillers and i do like the odd glass of wine or beer but currently can;t touch any as the headache is far worse than how good a beer tastes etc. Thanks appreciate advise Russ

[Sydney123Jack]

Hi Everyone,

I'm sorry to hear you are getting the same thing that used to absolutely CRIPPLE me. Even after only 2-3 beers. But, I found a solution that, touch wood, is still working after about three months. I'm not sure why it works. But it works every time for me now.

I take a large dose of Folic Acid (Folate) before I drink. Usually 1-5mg. You can buy 5mg tablets at the chemist. They are for pregnant women. It has really changed my life.

For the record, I'm 36-year-old male from Australia.

I hope it works for you guys too!

All the best.

[missconcerned2468]

hi, im 32 years old (female), and almost every evening i like to have a drink or 2.  after my first drink most times, i get a headache, sometimes i have a 2nd and just go thru the pain, sometimes i dont, but i hate the fact that i dont even get drunk but im getting headaches like i have consumed too much when i know i havent...sometimes i get sick of it and i wont have a drink for a few days and sometimes a week, and i get NO headaches at all, then as soon as i start again, the headaches start...

[Momof2wifeof1]

Im 25 years old and  I just had a baby 3 1/2 months ago and  it seems as if every time I have a alcohol beverage  I get a headache thats so bad that I have to take medicine in order for it to go away. The headache usually surface in between a hour or two after the first drink and I try to make sure that I drink plenty of water.  I have experimented drinking red wine, white wine, different types/brands of beers ranging from light to mault liquor, white liquor like vodka, smirnoff grey goose  etc.  Dark liquor remy, crown disaronno etc. I did not have this problem until I became pregnant with my second child.  So I am now led to believe that the reason for these headaches are because my hormones are unbalanced.

[brainsforlunch]

Im 37 and have been dealing with this for about 10 yrs now. Its not an allergy, im in health care and it would not be just headaches. I am startimg to think it has to do with a reaction the -OH (alcohol) is having with something.

Alcohol strips so many enzymrs and nutrients from the body. Im going to start tryimg some thimgs. I already know a simple vitamin usually helps some, but i think its more than that.

I also have a slight reaction to red wine. Insta headache worse than the rest, an intolerance, not an allergy by deffinition. But all alcohol does it. I agree it happens much less with vodka. Beer and wine only takes 1 drink and im screwed.

Im thinking of simply not dri.king anymore. Seems the only real solution.

[Allnightuk]

vodka woks for me no headaches like u beer cider and lager are out

[gagal56]

I am so pleased to see that I am not going crazy!  I was able to drink alcohol in the past but in the last two years I cannot drink even one glass of anythng alcohol related.  I enjoy a glass of wine but cannot even tolerate one glass without it feeling like my sinues are swelling up producing a headache on the left side of my face and head.  I thought it was my sinues, even had surgery, but that did not help.  I was finally dx with migraines & cluster headaches.  We discovered my hormone replacement therapy was causing these headaches so we switch the dosage around to minimize these.  Hot flashes or headaches?  It was choice I made and I chose the hot flashes.  However, I still cannot drink alcohol!  I feel like an out cast when we go anywhere and I simply would enjoy indulging in an adult beverage.  I have tried all kinds of wine and can't drink any of it.  Beer is out for sure.  Does anyone know of an liquor that I might be able to drink without the headache result??  

[dallasgoldbug]

Your theory doesn't hold true to whats taking place here.  yes you are correct, but if this were the cause for the 2drink Migraine attacks then this same type of thing would have been noticed by those of older generations.  It has a general age range of those in their 30's with some older but for the majority are within this age bracket.

[PinaAB]

HI

I found your posting really interesting as I suffer from severe migraine generally always on the right hand side of my head which only seems to be caused by alchohol consumption yet sometimes I can get away with it?!  Do you know more about how these cycles work and how often the cycles run?  I also cannot touch wine at all but seem to be ok or at least better with prosecco, cava or champagne which is really odd?
When I do drink and the migraine is triggered I have severe nausea - will always vomit at least 6 times before the migraine will start to improve and each time I am hospitalised on a drip, oxygen with sumitriptan injections.  The 50mg tablets worked at first but I seem to build up immunity fast and they do not seem to work anymore.  I have moved onto the nasal spray and again this seems to be losing it's effectiveness.  The pain really is incredible when I have drunk as little as 2 glasses so I have have to give up alchohol altogether but what I don't understand is that I never used to have migraines as a result of drinking?  I seem to have developed an allergy and a friend mentioned the body going through 5 life changes over the course of a lifetime and an alcohol intolerance can suddenly manifest itself?  Have you always suffered with migraines or did you have an outset later in life?

[samadams12345]

Hello my name is Dan and I get headaches.   I am so bummed, i Love beer...I originally thought is was a sinus problem but then I did not have anything to drink for a few days and my massive headache went away.   The headache is around my right eye, feels like a lot of pressure on my eyeball  very painful and lasts for about an hour.   Usually starts about 2-3 hours after my first beer.     The natural remedy that works within about 10 mins is heating up a bowl full of water and putting my head over the steam,   Then I put ice around the area where the headache is for another 10 mins. I used this because I thought I had a sinus problem but it seems to work with this headache as well.  

I am going to try to experiment with different types of drinks so I guess i will get one of those pens.  Maybe pure grain alcoholic is the way to go.  

Hope the remedy helps.

Dan

[Bob534]

Thanks so much for your advice.  I guess it takes some detective work.

[marileew]

Alcohol can be a headache trigger for many people. It is for me. I don't find that all types of alcohol triggers my headaches. Wine always triggers my headaches, and does for most people... so wine would probably not be better. Beer is another big headache trigger. BUT! Everyone is different. If wine doesn't trigger your headaches, then... you can drink wine without too much worry as long as you don't drink enough to get hung over the next day, right? Try white wine over red wine if you are going to try wine... red wine usually is awful for headache sufferers.

I don't get cluster headaches, I get migraines... so, the triggers are going to be different for cluster headaches and migraines. For example, migraine suffers mainly find that they can't drink wine, but can drink other types of alcohol... cluster headache sufferers often find they can't drink any alcohol. But, it's different for everyone and any type of alcohol can be a headache trigger for any type of headache sufferer. But.. yes, two hours after you drink... that sounds very much like what happens to headache suffers in general, including myself, who find some types of alcohol to be a trigger.

Alcohol is a very common cluster headache trigger. Since alcohol is a common trigger for cluster headaches, you might find that you can not drink any type of alcohol at all... cluster headaches are the absolute worst type of headache that exists and it is probably not worth it at all for you to drink alcohol if it sets of a cluster headache. BUT! If you can find a type of alcohol that does not set off your cluster headaches, and you feel safe drinking it, then that's great! :) Keep us updated on how it goes!!

When you are experimenting with different types of alcohol you probably want to have your headache treatment ON HAND or very near by... so... like, if you use oxygen, be close enough to home and have a way to get home (a ride willing to leave ASAP) so that you can use your oxygen ASAP. Or, if you have a sumatriptan pen (or a lidocaine nasal spray), make sure to have it in your purse or your bag so that you can give yourself an injection (or use the nasal spray) as soon as your cluster headache hits... don't leave your sumatriptan pen (or nasal spray) at home when you go out!

You might also find that the alcohol only triggers your cluster headaches during periods when you are getting cluster headaches. You might find that for years you will be free of these trigger periods... and you will be able to drink alcohol without it being a trigger... but, then there will be times that you cannot drink it because it will trigger attacks. Cluster headaches can come in cycles, and so during one of your cycles, you might have to avoid alcohol. But... you might be fine for months or years between those times.