Auto-brewery syndrome, self-production of alcohol, is a condition in which the gut starts producing ethanol and results in alcohol intake experience, without any actual intake. Gut fermentation syndrome also suggests that it is an auto-brewery syndrome. It is a rare condition that makes you drunk without drinking. This condition occurs when the body turns starchy and sugary foods into alcohol.
Individuals with a high carbohydrate diet and regular antibiotic intake are prone to this condition. Even a small amount of alcohol intake can worsen this condition. However, this condition arises when the body is unable to eradicate alcohol all by itself.
How can antibiotics make an individual more susceptible to the illness?
High intake of antibiotics can result in a condition where the yeast grows in the gut fermenting substances producing ethanol. Diseases like Sinuses, Bronchitis, Urinary tract infections can place an individual in antibiotic treatments. The antibiotics kill the good bacteria along with the bad ones that cause the illness. The good bacteria help the region to maintain its acidity. When the area loses its acidity, it creates a favorable environment for Yeast growth.
There are also cases where police wrongfully arrested few people for drunk driving. For instance, a woman in New York was arrested for drunk driving because her blood alcohol level was four times the legal limit. But, they didn’t charge her as her medical reports concluded she was suffering from the auto-brewery syndrome.
How does auto-brewery syndrome develop?
It can be a consequence of a high population of the microbiome, especially yeast. The species of yeast that is highly responsible for this fermentation is Saccharomyces Cerevisiae. As a result, this yeast can brew alcohol in the gut by itself by fermenting carbohydrates resulting in this condition [Brewer’s Yeast]. Even during diagnosis for this illness, S.Cerevisiae is the most populated yeast responsible for this condition.
For instance, the Vaginal yeast infection– a vaginal yeast infection, also known as candidiasis, is a common condition. A healthy vagina contains bacteria and some yeast cells. But when the balance of bacteria and yeast changes, the yeast cells can multiply. It also results in intense itching, swelling, and irritation.
Previously diagnosed individuals with Crohn’s disease are more susceptible to auto-brewery syndrome.
Crohn’s disease: Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory bowel syndrome disease. This inflammation can spread to the deeper layers of the skin. It can lead to life-threatening complications. The exact cause is unknown, but diet and stress are two of the factors causing the disease and can also develop when the immune system while fighting off invaders attacks its cells.
Yeast infections are common in Crohn’s disease. A fungus found in the human hair follicles also resides in the gut that makes these inflammatory bowel disorders—for example, Malassezia retrica in Crohn’s infected patients.
Reasons for too much yeast growth
- Poor nutrition
- Poor immune system
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Diabetes
- Antibiotics
Diagnosis for auto-brewery syndrome in exceptional cases
The condition can sometimes escape the diagnosis. The doctors who haven’t performed the colonoscopy and the stool test also claim that the patient is a heavy drinker. In 2010, doctors performed a different diagnosis on a 61-year-old man for unexplained alcohol intoxication.
Before the observation, the police took him into custody as his Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) was four times more than the legal limit. They checked the patients’ personal belongings for alcohol. The doctors were surprised as there was nothing that could indicate alcohol abuse. They talked to his family to find out whether he was a regular drinker.
Having found nothing, they performed colonoscopy. Clinicians diagnosed the patient with lactose intolerant. The stool samples of the patient were collected to find a high population of S.Cerevisiae. They also presented the glucose challenge in which the patient was given a high carbohydrate diet, and his BAC was regularly observed.
Bad breath from the patient was similar to the one observed after alcohol consumption. They later concluded that the yeast present in his gut converted the carbohydrate into alcohol, giving rise to the symptoms. The clinicians finally diagnosed the condition as Auto-Brewery syndrome, self-production of alcohol.
Symptoms of the syndrome
- Dizziness
- Disorientation
- Headache
- Nausea and vomiting
- Bad breath
- Memory lapses
- Abdominal pain
- Concentration
- Burping & belching
- Dry mouth & severe dehydration
Treatments for the illness
- Low carbohydrate diet
- No alcohol intake
- Frequent observation for the presence of yeast
- Anti-fungal drugs like Fluconazole and nystatin
There was a special treatment using Micafungin.
