Wet Brain: Definition, Symptoms, Causes, Treatment

Our compassionate, friendly staff is available 24-hours a day to take your call and help you begin your recovery journey. Kelly is a board certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner who earned her Master of Science degree in Nursing with a concentration in mental health at Fairleigh mush brain Dickinson University. Kelly has fourteen years nursing experience as a Registered Nurse, Nurse Manager, and Advanced Practice Nurse in both psychiatric and substance use disorder settings. She has worked in inpatient settings as well as provided community nursing as a Nurse Practitioner.

How Is Alcohol Abuse Connected To Wet Brain?

Heavy alcohol use interferes with your body’s ability to absorb nutrients. Don’t assume that taking a vitamin B1 vitamin will be enough to prevent problems. Additional supplements might also be a part of treatment to further improve health. BetterHelp can connect you to an addiction and mental health counselor. The first, Wernicke encephalopathy, causes damage to the lower part of the brain.

• However, the absence of treatment or delayed intervention can lead to severe, irreversible damage, significantly impacting life expectancy and overall well-being.
• However, doctors may suspect thiamine deficiency or malnutrition based on physical appearance.
• Treating alcohol misuse and addiction is one of the best ways to avoid developing wet brain syndrome and other health issues related to heavy alcohol use.
• When a person is in the final stages of a wet brain, they will need 24/7 nursing care.

Prognosis of Patients with Wet Brain

These parts of the brain regulate sleep, wakefulness and alertness, as well as body temperature, hunger, and metabolic processes. In the UK, this condition is found in people with severe alcohol use whereas in other parts of the world it also occurs where people have a poor diet. Most commonly it’s characterised by confusion and impaired memory.

Why Thiamine Deficiency is so Dangerous

If the oral supplements are not sufficient, thiamine may be given as an intramuscular or intravenous injection. Additional vitamins and supplements may be given based on the patient’s unique situation. I’ve spent the last seven years researching and understanding alcoholism, addiction, and how people get sober. Additionally, I examine the way mental and physical health as well as our relationships with others impact the reasons people drink and their role in maintaining sobriety long-term.

Alcohol’s Damaging Effect on the Body

When untreated, Wernicke encephalopathy causes death in up to 20 percent of cases. Eighty-five percent of survivors develop the final stage of wet brain, which is called Korsakoff’s psychosis. The early stages of wet brain are known as Wernicke encephalopathy. Wernicke encephalopathy causes brain damage in the lower parts of the brain called the thalamus and hypothalamus. The signs of wet brain can be hard to spot, especially if you have chronic alcoholism. This is because early symptoms of wet brain are similar to those of intoxication.

What Happens When You Take Trazodone and Alcohol Together?

Humans need the thiamine ingested in a healthy diet (through poultry, nuts, whole grains, beans, vegetables etc.) to support cells, tissues, organs, and functioning. Alcohol inhibits the absorption of thiamine in the intestines, the primary part of the body where nutrients enter the bloodstream. An essential nutrient, vitamin B1 must be obtained by eating food containing thiamine, such as poultry, peas, brown rice, whole grains, and bread. The best approach is to work with your doctor to determine where you stand regarding nutrient balance. This way you can create a medically supervised plan to supplement and improve your health.

Table of Contents

• However, if you experience these symptoms when not intoxicated, you might be experiencing wet brain.
• Alcohol cessation requires a medical detox under supervised care, such as in a specialized rehab center.
• Wernicke encephalopathy causes brain damage in the lower parts of the brain called the thalamus and hypothalamus.
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• Anyone concerned about symptoms indicative of wet brain needs immediate medical attention.

This is essential for those who have developed severe addiction or dependency, certainly the case where Wernicke-Korsakoff has developed. The detox lasts between seven to ten days and includes a Librium prescription to manage alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Medical treatment includes thiamine supplementation in the form of oral supplements or intravenous administration. Support and ongoing input are required to develop the skills and mindset to make a full recovery. This goes on to reduce enzyme activity and the deficiency causes damage to the brain, nerves, and heart. Heavy drinkers are also more likely to develop cancer, heart failure, and long-term dialysis alongside the risk of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome.

• Inpatient rehab is an intensive, residential treatment program that provides patients with 24/7 care and support in a safe and structured environment.
• However, diagnosing this syndrome can be challenging, as there is no specific laboratory test or imaging procedure to confirm it.
• One of the primary treatment options we offer is inpatient rehab for alcohol addiction.
• Our compassionate, friendly staff is available 24-hours a day to take your call and help you begin your recovery journey.

If full-blown WKS is caught early enough, doctors will typically treat it with intense thiamine replacement therapy for approximately 5 days. Patients will likely receive these additional nutrients intravenously until the body is able to adequately absorb them on its own. The combined diagnosis of these two stages is called Wernicke Korsakoff Syndrome (WKS). Thiamine, also known as Vitamin B1, is important because is essential for carbohydrate metabolism and the normal function of the nervous system.

• Many doctors think of them as different stages of the same disease.
• Thiamine is essential for converting sugar to energy in our bodies and creating chemical messengers in our brains.
• Of these 97 individuals, only 16% had documentation of all three classic symptoms.
• When Wernicke’s encephalopathy is left untreated, and a person continues to abuse alcohol, they will likely develop Korsakoff’s psychosis.
• Quitting alcohol requires a medical detox under specialized and supervised care, such as addiction treatment facilities.
• The rate of occurrence in the general population is not known, but it is higher amongst certain subsets, such as the homeless and the elderly.