Alcohol can trigger migraine headaches in some people. To prevent an alcohol-related migraine headache, try sipping your drink slowly or avoiding triggers.
Many people have experienced a headache after drinking alcohol — especially after drinking too much.
While headache is generally recognized as a side effect of alcohol in many people, its reputation as a migraine headache trigger may be overestimated.
Many things can trigger migraine headaches: stress, lights, smells, and even certain foods and drinks. Some examples of food and drinks that may trigger migraine headaches include:
Types of headaches associated with alcohol
When investigating what’s triggering your headaches, it’s important to know exactly what kind of headache you’re experiencing. Alcohol can trigger different types of headaches and migraine headaches, such as:
- migraine without aura
- migraine with aura
- cluster headache
- tension headache
It’s not known how alcohol exactly causes migraine headaches. The American Migraine Foundation (AMF) suggests that alcohol as a trigger is more of a personal reaction — common in certain types of headaches — than a general effect.
The number of drinks you have, what you’re drinking, and what’s going on in your life may be the primary culprits rather than alcohol itself.
Conflicting research about alcohol-related headaches
People without migraine who consume greater quantities of alcohol often report immediate headaches. Then again, according to a
The review also suggests that having migraine leads people to avoid alcohol, rather than alcohol having any protective role against migraine.
Alcohol may increase blood flow to certain parts of your brain. But whether this causes or relieves headache symptoms depends largely on the type of headache.
Another thing that remains unclear is if the quantity and type of alcohol you drink determines whether you will get a migraine headache. The AMF suggests this could be on a case-by-case basis.
Alcohol has different effects on your body depending on when you drink it. These are called immediate and delayed alcohol-induced headaches.
Early effects of alcohol may dull sensations and have an analgesic (pain-relieving) effect. But as alcohol leaves your body, it may have the opposite effect and increase pain sensitivity.
The AMF reports that alcohol can trigger a migraine headache in people who are sensitive to it in as little as 30 minutes. But it could also take up to 3 hours.
A 2022 study in people with migraine, however, found that drinking alcohol didn’t affect the probability of a migraine attack 24 hours after drinking. The likelihood was even lower 24 to 48 hours after consumption.
Those who were included in this study had episodic migraine and self-identified as low dose alcohol consumers.
Headache from alcohol withdrawal — also known as delayed alcohol-induced headache, or a hangover — usually develops the morning after you drink alcohol, when the level of alcohol in your blood drops to almost nothing.
You don’t have to completely stop drinking alcohol to avoid an alcohol-related migraine headache. The key is knowing what types of alcohol cause your headaches, in what amounts, and what other factors might be involved. Try to keep a list of:
- what you’re drinking
- how much you’re drinking
- what else happened that day (stress, lack of sleep)
- how often you develop headaches after drinking this type of alcohol
If you notice consistent patterns, then chances are it’s the alcohol that’s causing your migraine headache. You may try avoiding those drinks in the future to prevent migraine attacks.
Without a consistent cause-and-effect situation, though, a number of factors — not just alcohol — could be triggering your migraine headache.
Preventing a migraine headache
- Drink in moderation. The
U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommend at most 1 drink per day for women and 2 drinks per day for men. - Sip your drink slowly.
- Alternate your drink with nonalcoholic drinks, like water.
- Mix your drinks with fruit or vegetable juices.
- Eat food before you drink to slow the absorption of alcohol.
If you’ve identified alcohol as a trigger for your migraine headaches, avoiding it altogether is probably best. The same is true if you find that some types of alcohol trigger your migraine headaches more than others.
Trying to avoid migraine triggers is one of the only surefire ways to avoid migraine symptoms.
If you develop a migraine headache while drinking alcohol or immediately after, try the following techniques to relieve your symptoms:
- taking over-the-counter (OTC) pain and headache medications
- taking prescription migraine medication
- relaxing or sleeping in a darkened room
- using a cold compress
- getting acupuncture
- using essential oils like lavender and peppermint
- practicing meditation and yoga
- getting a massage
For delayed headaches or hangovers,
- consuming foods high in fructose, like tomato juice or honey
- drinking fluids with electrolytes, such as sports drinks
- taking OTC medications for pain relief, like ibuprofen or acetaminophen
Talk with your doctor about how long after drinking alcohol to wait before you can take any prescription migraine or OTC medications. Many medications should not be taken with alcohol.
Whether or not alcohol is a common migraine headache trigger is debatable. While some people may experience migraine headaches after drinking alcohol, others may not.
It’s more often a matter of individual triggers or other factors that coincide with your alcohol consumption, such as stress.
If you experience migraine headaches after drinking alcohol, it may be best to avoid alcohol or that certain type of alcohol. Talk with a doctor about ways to identify your migraine triggers and what to do if you develop these headaches.