Drunk without drinking: Canadian woman diagnosed with rare alcohol-producing condition

A 50-year-old woman was admitted to emergency rooms seven times over two years, for alcohol intoxication despite not having any drinks.

The Canadian Medical Association Journal published an article this week, highlighting the rare condition known as auto-brewery syndrome.

The article said for years the woman would reportedly fall asleep suddenly while getting ready or preparing meals.

She was diagnosed with a rare condition, called auto-brewery syndrome, that allows fungi in your gut to produce alcohol.

The report says the syndrome presents when microorganisms, capable of fermenting alcohol from carbohydrates, outgrow normal gut flora.

According to a 2021 review in the United European Gastroenterology Journal, only 20 people in the English-speaking medical world have been diagnosed with the condition, also known as gut fermentation syndrome.

After having visited the ER several times, the Canadian woman was reportedly referred to a gastroenterology clinic and a dietician suggested a low-carbohydrate diet, and anti-fungal therapy.

The article says she then ate mostly fruits, vegetables, eggs and meat and the symptoms went away, but returned when she starting eating carbs again.