Alcohol & Health
Treatment
Helping Alcoholics
Medically Reviewed by Annamarie Coy, BA, ICPR, MATS
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“Wet brain,” technically known as Wernicke-Korsakoff (WK) syndrome, is a neurological disorder. It’s caused by thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency.
Thiamine deficiency is a long-term side effect of poor nutrition and long-term alcohol use disorder. Once diagnosed, immediate medical treatment is necessary to avoid irreversible and potentially fatal neurological symptoms.
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Wet brain syndrome includes two distinct stages. These are Wernicke's encephalopathy (acute phase) and Korsakoff’s syndrome (chronic phase). If caught in the acute phase, the worst symptoms of wet brain can be avoided.
Wernicke's encephalopathy is the acute phase of wet brain syndrome. It’s characterized by confusion, ataxia, and eye movement disturbances.
If thiamine replacement therapy is promptly initiated during this stage, it can reverse or improve neurological symptoms and prevent the progression to the chronic phase.
Korsakoff’s syndrome is the chronic phase of wet brain. It may develop if Wernicke's encephalopathy is untreated or not adequately treated.
It’s characterized by severe memory loss, amnesia, and cognitive deficits. Once Korsakoff's syndrome sets in, the neurological damage is often permanent, making early intervention during the acute phase crucial for better outcomes.
Symptoms of wet brain vary depending on how the brain is affected and how early treatment incites.
For Wernicke's encephalopathy, symptoms include:
In more severe cases, or when a person reaches Korsakoff’s psychosis, symptoms can include:
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Wet brain occurs because of thiamine deficiency, often due to poor nutrition and excessive alcohol consumption. Unlike vitamin D, vitamin B1 cannot be produced by the body and must be ingested.
Common food sources for vitamin B1 include:
Thiamine, or Vitamin B1, is essential for a healthy brain and dendrite function. Dendrites are the parts of your neurons that send and receive information. Without thiamine, dendrites cannot properly function, and brain function declines.
Other functions of thiamine include:
Excessive alcohol consumption hinders thiamine absorption, affecting all organ systems, including the liver, heart, brain, and kidneys. Many people suffering from alcohol addiction have poor diets, further diminishing the body’s thiamine levels.
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Roughly 80% of people suffering from alcohol use disorder also suffer from thiamine deficiency. Chronic alcohol abuse can lead to poor nutrition and malabsorption, meaning your body lacks the proper nutrition to be healthy.
In the early stages, such as in Wernicke's encephalopathy, the damage is often reversible. Treatment involves replenishing thiamine levels and providing proper nutrition and hydration.
It is essential to start thiamine replacement before beginning nutritional replenishment. Doctors might also recommend drug therapy. Halting the use of alcohol may prevent further nerve and brain damage.
Wet brain can be challenging to diagnose. Its symptoms can resemble alcohol withdrawal or intoxication.
Physicians diagnose wet brain through a detailed clinical examination. This examination includes:
The examination covers the following:
Many symptoms of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome are reversible if caught in their acute phase and diagnosed early. Treatment at this stage includes:
If caught in the chronic stage, recovery is not guaranteed. People in the later stages of wet brain are likely to have lasting neurological and physiological effects.
If left untreated, outcomes can be grave:
When untreated, Wernicke-Korsakoff (WK) syndrome can lead to serious complications that worsen over time. The most severe of these complications is the progression into Korsakoff’s psychosis.
At this point, the brain is irreparably damaged and suffers memory problems, hallucinations, and behavioral changes. In very severe cases, the disease leads to a loss of brain function, resulting in coma or even death.
It is possible to reverse the effects of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. Brain function can at least partially return within one to six months.
Unfortunately, few make a full recovery. Outcomes depend on the following:
Early intervention is the best way to increase the body's ability to restore normal function.
The primary goal of diagnosing and treating wet brain is to prevent permanent brain damage. A doctor should diagnose wet brain and begin treatment immediately.
Early-stage treatment can limit and even reverse the harmful effects of thiamine deficiency.
There are three main methods for early-stage treatment, which should all be applied together:
Overcoming alcohol use disorder is the only way to mitigate the devastating effects of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. Although there are different types of alcoholics, alcoholic personalities, and tolerances, the health effects are the same, especially long-term. Permanently giving up alcohol will prevent further losses in brain function and nerve damage.
Depending on the severity of one’s alcohol use disorder, addiction treatment, like medically-supervised detoxification, might be necessary. Suddenly stopping or drastically reducing alcohol intake can lead to severe symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. If you have an alcohol use disorder and a mental health problem, seeking help for both conditions is essential.
After detox and thiamine levels are regular, eating a nutritious and balanced diet could ensure complete control of the effects of wet brain. Depending on the severity and stage of the condition, these changes could lead to a full recovery.
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