Common side effects and symptoms of Wernicke’s encephalopathy include mental confusion, loss of coordination, auditory hallucinations, apathy, and visual disturbances. If caught early, some of the short-term effects caused by excessive alcohol use that lead to wet brain can be reversed and early detection can also help slow down the progression of this condition. The symptoms of wet brain vary based on whether it is in the early, reversible stage or in the later, permanent stage.
Renewal Center for Ongoing Recovery
Despite its efficacy, an alcohol detox program on its own is not a solution for long-term sobriety. Continuing your addiction treatment with a drug and alcohol rehab program can help you develop the necessary life skills and coping strategies to maintain your sobriety. Vitamin B1 should be given as soon as possible to patients presenting with symptoms of the wet brain. A Vitamin B1 injection will help to address symptoms of confusion, delirium, vision problems, and trouble with muscle coordination.
- Brain fog is common, and a provider can help you find out what’s causing your symptoms.
- It is also possible that genetics can play a role in the extent of brain damage from alcoholism.
- People who don’t eat enough, are on extreme and dangerous diets, and/or have eating disorders like anorexia can also become thiamine deficient and develop wet brain.
- Sleep may take a backseat to everything else when you’re under a lot of stress.
What Are the Final Stages of Wet Brain?
The more someone drinks and the longer someone drinks without quitting, then the higher their risks of developing cancer, liver damage, sexual dysfunction, and nutritional deficits. Alcoholic wet brain is a form of dementia caused by brain damage that can occur in the advanced stages of alcoholism. Over time, this disease develops as the result of a deficiency of the vitamin thiamine. Wet brain, formally known as Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, is a type of brain damage that can mush brain occur after extended and repeated exposure to heavy drinking. The excessive consumption of alcohol can cause a deficiency of thiamine, or vitamin B1, which is an essential vitamin for the proper functioning of the brain and body.
- Often, when a person doesn’t receive treatment for wet brain, Wernicke’s disease can develop into Korsakoff’s psychosis.
- It’s like trying to navigate a complex maze while wearing foggy goggles—frustrating, disorienting, and potentially hazardous.
- The earlier someone seeks help for their drinking, the quicker they can resume a normal life.
- When most people think about drinking-related problems, they picture car accidents, fights, and run-ins with the police.
Can You Reverse the Effects of Wet Brain?
Our facility offers comprehensive treatment programs for each client’s unique needs. Take the first step toward recovery, and speak with a representative of The Recovery Village at Palmer Lake today. Every cell in the body needs vitamin B1 (thiamine) in order to function. This workhorse vitamin converts food into energy in the brain, nerves and heart. It helps the body process fats and proteins and break down carbohydrates.
Treating brain fog
Because the two syndromes often occur together, the above symptoms can overlap and do not necessarily occur on a specific timeline. It is more common to experience the symptoms of Wernicke encephalopathy first, though it is not a rule that drug addiction treatment they have to appear that way. The primary symptoms of the wet brain can be broken down into two categories since it is really the occurrence of two separate syndromes.
Is Wet Brain a Disability?
WK syndrome is diagnosed by looking at the individual’s history as well as the symptoms present. It’s essential to continue eating foods that are rich in thiamine even after you discontinue thiamine =https://ecosoberhouse.com/ supplements. Foods like oranges, milk, spinach, pork, and soybeans are all rich in thiamine.
- AAC is so confident in their ability to help people stay sober that they offer a 90-day promise.
- But for an added cognitive boost, try to make sure you’re getting helpful nutrients.
- Replacing thiamine will stop the progression of wet brain and reverse symptoms caused by its early stage.
- So, it may be very challenging for individuals to find freedom from alcoholism without professional help.
Individuals with memory loss may tell these lies as a subconscious way of filling in memories and details that they don’t remember. Individuals with wet brain may also appear poorly nourished and experience weakness and decreased coordination. The main symptoms of Korsakoff’s syndrome include confusion and memory problems. Wet brain can impact various brain regions including the thalamus, hippocampus, hypothalamus, and cerebellum. These regions play an important role in functions such as vision, movement, sleep, language, motivation, and memory. If you know someone who abuses alcohol or you need help yourself, The Recovery Village at Palmer Lake can help.
