The Hidden Cause of Your Brain Fog

While unsettling, the words are memorable short descriptors of a disease that can affect long-term alcoholics at some point in the trajectory of their addiction. Even if a person is diagnosed with wet brain, it may still be very difficult for them to abstain from consuming alcohol. This is especially true if the person is addicted to alcohol or physically dependent on it, which can be difficult for friends and family members to accept. It’s important to remember, however, that alcohol addiction is a chronic and powerful disease and the way an alcoholic behaves won’t always make sense to loved ones. Wet brain is the direct result of a lack of thiamine in the body, making it hard for the brain to process sugar into the energy it requires to function properly. People can develop wet brain for a number of reasons, either because they are suffering from cancer, a chronic infection or infections, or AIDS.

What Are the Early Signs of Wet Brain?

A persistent sign is confusion, which often makes it difficult for people with the disorder to realize that something is wrong with them. Medical experts say the best treatment for living with this disease is to stay sober, eat healthily and receive the most appropriate support for their ongoing cognitive and physical needs. Some kinds of drugs — over-the-counter and prescribed — can cause brain fog.

The Experience Blog

But problem drinking can also lead to a range of severe and sometimes irreversible health problems. The more someone drinks and the longer someone drinks without quitting, then the higher their risks of developing cancer, liver damage, sexual dysfunction, and nutritional deficits. Inpatient rehab is an intensive, residential treatment program that provides patients with 24/7 mush brain care and support in a safe and structured environment. We also offer medical detoxification for alcoholism, a critical component of treatment for alcoholism, as the withdrawal symptoms can be severe and potentially life-threatening.

How is Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome Diagnosed?

Up to 85% of those who survive the first stage of wet brain will Alcohol Use Disorder go on to develop the symptoms of Korsakoff’s psychosis. While early intervention during the Wernicke’s encephalopathy stage can prevent the progression to Korsakoff’s psychosis, many individuals do not receive treatment in time. It’s important to recognize the early signs of this condition and seek prompt medical care. Both of these problems can lead to a deficiency of thiamine as well as other important nutrients and vitamins. As a result, people who suffer from alcoholism may begin to experience symptoms of WKS and become very ill.

• With PET scans and functional MRI, we can observe fluctuations in brain activity by measuring changes in blood flow and levels of nutrients.
• Certain aspects of the condition can be helped with medication and treatment, while issues with memory loss are typically permanent.
• Wernicke’s encephalopathy is the initial stage and is defined by the development of neurological symptoms due to the brain suffering from lesions formed from a lack of adequate thiamine (vitamin B1).
• There’s no single test for the syndrome, but a good indication, particularly when disorientation and confusion are apparent, is testing vitamin B1 levels in the blood.
• Besides, the onset of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome and symptom severity is not considered to be a direct relation to how much or what kind of alcohol a person drinks over their lifetime.

Maintaining a balanced diet can help individuals at risk of developing wet brain to start to get enough thiamine to lower their chances of alcoholic dementia. A proper diagnosis of wet brain can’t be made for a person with alcohol use disorder until they are in recovery. This is because many symptoms of wet brain are similar to withdrawal symptoms from alcohol. Early diagnosis of wet brain is essential for effective treatment of the condition. The treatment goal for Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome is to improve symptoms and delay the disease progression. Following medical https://ecosoberhouse.com/ detoxification and complete physical and mental evaluation, people with wet brain disease receive intravenous administration of thiamine, magnesium, or both.

• Wet brain syndrome (Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome) is caused by nutritional deficiencies most commonly brought on by chronic heavy drinking.
• Supplementing with thiamine can help individuals who have an alcohol addiction reduce the risk of developing Wernicke’s syndrome and Korsakoff syndrome.

Will My Memory Improve if I Stop Drinking?

However, the term «wet brain» carries and perpetuates stigma by inaccurately conveying that people willfully contract it. The truth is two people can have similar drinking patterns and one will develop Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome and the other won’t. It’s a complex condition with many factors and, like alcohol use disorder, no one chooses it.

Seeking Help for Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome

Other vitamins and supplements which will help your body more effectively produce and utilize thiamine might also be recommended by your doctor. However, thiamine does little to help with Korsakoff’s psychosis as it can’t help to reverse memory loss. Because the brain is severely deficient in this vitamin, it is essential to begin restoring thiamine levels. Not everyone with Wernicke’s encephalopathy will also develop Korsakoff’s psychosis; it typically develops due to misdiagnosis and inadequate treatment of the former condition. Wet brain causes varying symptoms depending on the stage of your condition.

• Fortunately, when an alcoholic wet brain is still in this first stage, it is treatable if addressed immediately with intravenous thiamine.
• It’s important to recognize the signs and symptoms of brain fog so that it can be properly addressed and managed.
• Treatment with injections of thiamine should be started as soon as possible.
• Not everyone with Wernicke’s encephalopathy will also develop Korsakoff’s psychosis; it typically develops due to misdiagnosis and inadequate treatment of the former condition.

This stage is marked by chronic and severe memory impairments and cognitive deficits that are often permanent. While some individuals may experience partial improvement with ongoing thiamine supplementation and abstinence from alcohol, the brain damage incurred at this stage is generally irreversible. Long-term management focuses on mitigating symptoms and preventing further deterioration rather than achieving full recovery. Approximately 6.2% of Americans aged 18 years old and older meet the clinical criteria for alcohol use disorder. When most people think about drinking-related problems, they picture car accidents, fights, and run-ins with the police.