Enigmatic occurrence - A woman has been consistently intoxicated without consuming any alcohol.
Over the course of two years, a mother of two experienced seven episodes of being admitted to the hospital due to alcohol poisoning. This case initially appeared to be a clear example of alcoholism. However, the woman claimed that she had not consumed any alcohol for years, which baffled both herself and the doctors who examined her.
The 50-year-old woman from Canada used to relax on special occasions with a glass of wine. Nonetheless, she stopped completely due to her religious beliefs. Despite this, she continued to face odd health issues, including bouts of excessive sleepiness. She would even fall asleep at work or while cooking for her family. At times, she would struggle to speak clearly, while also emanating the smell of alcohol. During one of her several hospitalizations, a CT scan of her head revealed no abnormalities. Multiple meetings with psychiatrists from addiction medicine found that she scored zero on their standard alcohol consumption questionnaire. This ruling out any likelihood of an alcohol addiction, assuming she was honest about her responses to questions like whether she'd ever felt guilty about her drinking.
The doctors were dumfounded when her emergency room visit revealed an alcohol level of almost 2.8%, a level near to unconsciousness for some people. One of the attending physicians had a breakthrough when he considered the possibility of Brewer's Syndrome. This rare condition involves a colonization of the digestive system with specific yeasts or bacteria producing alcohol. If the system's resistance is compromised due to a weaker immune system or after taking antibiotics, the microbes can multiply uncontrollably, transforming into a quasi-brewery. Their fermentation process generates substantial amounts of alcohol, causing individuals to become intoxicated.
Potential Cause: Antibiotics
During one of her hospital visits, she took medication for a fungal infection while receiving guidance from a gastroenterology specialist for a low-carb diet. Her symptoms resolved shortly after. However, after resuming her regular diet, she experienced another episode and was given another round of anti-fungal medication with a recommendation for a strict low-carb regimen. Additionally, she was given specific probiotics to aid in restoring her gut flora. This time, her disorder went into remission.
In a review of medical literature from 2020, only 20 instances of this disease were identified since 1974. This condition was first described in Japan in 1952, under the name Meitei-sho or "alcohol autointoxication syndrome". The most recent public instance occurred recently—a 40-year-old from Belgium who repeatedly got into trouble with the police for having dangerously high Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) while driving. When charged with driving under the influence, he provided an insightful defense. His illness caused the high BAC levels and he was powerless to stop it. Not too long ago, he received a favorable verdict in court.
Read also:
- The medical puzzle was further complicated when it was discovered that the woman had been taking antibiotics for a fungal infection during one of her hospital visits.
- Despite following a strict low-carb diet and taking probiotics to restore her gut flora, the woman's symptoms returned after resuming her regular diet.
- The case of the intoxicated woman without consuming alcohol sparked interest in the microbiome, leading researchers to investigate the role of carbohydrates and gut bacteria in alcohol production.
- Intriguingly, mushrooms, known for their ability to produce alcohol, were brought into the discussion as potential contributors to the woman's intoxication, although no definitive evidence was found.
