Alcoholic drinks are a migraine trigger in about one third of patients with migraine in retrospective studies on trigger factors. Many population studies show that patients with migraine consume alcohol in a smaller percentage than the general population. Moreover, research has shown a decreased prevalence of headache with increasing number of alcohol units consumed. The classification criteria of alcohol-related headaches remain problematic. We discuss the role and mechanism of action of alcohol or other components of alcoholic drinks in relation to alcohol-induced headache. In accordance with data from a recent prospective study, we believe that reports overestimate the role of alcohol, as well as other foods, in the triggering of migraine. If a relationship between the intake of alcohol and the migraine attack is not clear, a small dose of alcohol is not contraindicated either for enjoyment or its protective effect on cardiovascular disease. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.
CITATION STYLE
Panconesi, A., Bartolozzi, M. L., & Guidi, L. (2011, June). Alcohol and migraine: What should we tell patients? Current Pain and Headache Reports. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11916-011-0184-4
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