Have you ever felt drunk to the extent that you cannot stand or sit straight, slur while talking, and feel wasted and absolutely smashed – despite not even taking a drop of alcohol?
According to experts, this could happen due to a rare gut condition known as auto-brewery syndrome, which causes alcohol intoxication in those who have not had anything to drink.
Scientists now say they have figured out the specific way auto-brewery syndrome plays out in people’s bodies. In a report in the journal Nature Microbiology, researchers have said certain species of gut bacteria appear to drive auto-brewery syndrome, opening the door to treatment for the disorder. One patient even experienced relief from the disorder after he underwent a fecal transplant, researchers found.
“Auto-brewery syndrome is a misunderstood condition with few tests and treatments. Our study demonstrates the potential for fecal transplantation,” Dr Elizabeth Hohmann, co-senior researcher and infectious disease specialist with Mass General Brigham in Boston, said in a news release.
“More broadly, by determining the specific bacteria and microbial pathways responsible, our findings may lead the way toward easier diagnosis, better treatments, and an improved quality of life for individuals living with this rare condition,” Dr Hohmann added.
What is auto-brewery syndrome?
Auto-brewery syndrome, or ABS, is known as gut fermentation syndrome and happens when microbes in your intestines ferment the sugars that you eat to produce ethanol, just like a brewery in your gut.
While microbes are living in your guts, usually harmlessly, alcohol-producing bacteria and fungi like Saccharomyces cerevisiae are part of a normal gut microbiome. They also produce small amounts of ethanol, which a normal metabolism usually clears before it reaches the bloodstream.
In auto-brewery syndrome, these microbes produce ethanol at a rate that exceeds your body’s capacity to clear it. The excess alcohol in your bloodstream causes your blood alcohol content to rise to intoxication levels. Yeast overgrowth, high blood sugar, and impaired metabolism can all contribute.
Signs and symptoms of Auto-brewery syndrome
A few milder symptoms of ABS may happen if you take meals and drinks high in carbohydrates, like pasta, potatoes, and fruit juice. The process can take up to 24 hours. If you’re not aware of how this works, symptoms will seem to occur randomly. These include:
- Brain fog
- Clumsiness
- Delayed reaction time
- Drowsiness
- Impaired judgment
- Memory issues
- Reduced inhibitions
- Agitation
- Balance issues
- Abdominal pain and blackouts
- Bloating and gas
- Severe fatigue
Experts say there are fewer than a hundred cases of ABS documented, and due to low awareness, it makes it difficult for people and doctors to recognize and diagnose it.
How was the study conducted?
For the new study, researchers compared 22 people with auto-brewery syndrome with 21 household partners who aren’t affected by the disorder, as well as another 22 healthy people. “This study is the largest cohort of patients with auto-brewery syndrome to date,” researchers wrote in their paper.
Stool samples taken during a flare of the disorder produced significantly more ethanol in the lab than samples from either partners or healthy people, the study found. This indicates that a stool-based test could be used to diagnose auto-brewery syndrome, researchers said.
Further, stool analysis indicated that several specific bacterial species are key drivers of the syndrome, including common causes of illness like E. coli and Klebsiella.