Canadian Docs Treat Woman Who Was Intoxicated Without Alcohol

According to a case report published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal on Monday. Doctors treated a 50-year-old woman with a syndrome that made her gut produce alcohol without getting drunk, and feel intoxicated.

At the University of Toronto and Mount Sinai, Doctors diagnosed a woman with Auto Brewery Syndrome, which is a rare condition in which alcohol is created by gut fungi through fermentation.

The women suffered from extreme daytime sleepiness and slurred speech, for two years. In spite of, not drinking alcohol, it had elevated blood alcohol levels and alcohol on her breath.

Nevertheless, Doctors dismissed her case every time, with a diagnosis of being drunk, In spite of her saying, she had not been drinking.

She had recurrent Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) in the last five years. It required repeated courses of proton pump inhibitors ciprofloxacin and nitrofurantoin, as well as gastrointestinal reflux disease, treated with dexlansoprazole.

The woman used to have a glass of wine on holidays but has completely stopped in recent few years due to her religious beliefs.

She had visited the emergency department seven times along with her husband and children, before the correct diagnosis, which shows the lack of awareness about this syndrome among physicians.

"Auto-brewery syndrome carries substantial social, legal, and medical consequences for patients and their loved ones," said Dr. Rahel Zewude, University of Toronto, with co-authors in the report.

This rare syndrome is caused by intestinal dysbiosis, which the physicians "suspect recurrent antibiotics for UTI and dexlansoprazole use led to, with potential contribution of genetics."

This syndrome occurs when microorganisms that can ferment the alcohol from carbohydrates outgrow normal gut flora.

The woman was treated with Low-carb diets and antifungal medicines.

It is rare because it requires several host factors to interact with various fermenting microorganisms and high carbohydrate consumption.

According to the study, Auto-brewery syndrome is associated with comorbid conditions like diabetes, liver illness, gut dysmotility disorders, and inflammatory bowel disease.