Alcohol and Cluster Headaches: Understanding the Connection

Cluster headaches are extremely painful, and according to the Mayo Clinic, headache bouts can last for weeks or months. Avoiding alcohol may be one way for sufferers to reduce the number of bouts and headaches they experience.

Instigating a Bout

• Consumption of alcohol can provoke cluster headache bouts or cycles, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).

During a Cluster Bout

• Once a cluster headache bout begins, consuming even small amounts of alcohol can trigger a new headache in the cycle.

Why Alcohol is a Problem

• Alcohol is a vasodilator, a substance that causes blood vessels to dilate or enlarge. According to Brown University, pain from cluster headaches occurs when cranial blood vessels dilate and press against the fifth cranial nerve.

Types of Alchol

• Although cluster headache sufferers have indicated that any type of alcohol can trigger an attack, NINDS notes that red wine in particular seems to be linked to the beginning of cluster headache bouts.

Abstinence

• Avoid drinking alcohol to minimize cluster headache attacks. If you consume alcohol and are taking medications to prevent or mitigate cluster headaches, talk to your doctor to understand potential interactions between alcohol and your medication.