"Auto-brewery syndrome" Symptoms and causes

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The Canadian Medical Association reported that doctors discovered a woman with "self-brewery syndrome" had been taking antibiotics along with medications to treat gastritis reflux for several years.

This case was discovered by a group of Canadian doctors headed by researcher Rachel Zyoud from the University of Toronto, while following the life and health of a 50-year-old Canadian woman who repeatedly visited the hospital emergency department due to severe daytime sleepiness and incomprehensible speech.

Doctors say: “Autobrewery Syndrome” - the continuous production of alcohol in the body, is considered a very rare disorder in the functioning of the intestinal flora, which leads to the fermentation of alcohol in the body of the bearer. During the entire follow-up period, about 20 cases of its development were recorded. We were able to This disease was identified in a 50-year-old Canadian woman who had been taking antibiotics and medications to treat reflux gastritis for five years.

Subsequent analysis showed a high percentage of alcohol in this woman's blood, although she confirms that she never consumed alcoholic beverages to excess and in addition completely stopped drinking alcohol several years ago for religious reasons.

Experiments conducted by doctors after several accidents at work related to drowsiness showed that this woman suffers from “self-brewery syndrome,” and she contracted it as a result of taking, over several years, the medications ciprofloxacin and nitrofurantoin to combat infections of the genitourinary system, as well as taking medications to treat reflux gastritis, as these The drugs create ideal conditions in the patient's intestines for the emergence of yeast colonies, which actively absorb sugar and convert it into ethanol.

It became clear to doctors that these colonies were very resistant to therapeutic effects. But they were able to rid this woman of “self-brewery syndrome” after a long course that included taking antifungal medications, in addition to reducing the proportion of carbohydrates in her diet.

Doctors suggest that as yet unidentified genetic factors could contribute to the development and persistence of “self-brewery syndrome,” which should likely be taken into account when diagnosing and treating this rare disease.