What is Wet Brain? Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

what does wet brain mean

You have all the ingredients necessary to pursue a full life without addiction. In particular, your brain cells need thiamine to synthesize several other enzymes. If thiamine is absent, these enzymes will not be created, and your brain cell’s metabolism will slow down. Your brain cells won’t be getting the energy they need to stay healthy. We provide a healthy environment uniquely suited to support your growth and healing. Merck Manuals suggest a mortality rate of 10%-20% for individuals with Wernicke’s encephalopathy.

Korsakoff Psychosis

This condition is a lesser-known side effect of alcohol abuse but is still a real possibility that you should be aware of. “Mush brain,” “mush brain alcohol” and “wet brain” are unfamiliar terms to many people. While unsettling, the words are memorable short descriptors of a disease that can affect long-term alcoholics at some point in the trajectory of their addiction.

  • Besides, the onset of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome and symptom severity is not considered to be a direct relation to how much or what kind of alcohol a person drinks over their lifetime.
  • The treatment goal for Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome is to improve symptoms and delay the disease progression.
  • Wernicke encephalopathy can also lead to death and is considered the most dangerous stage of wet brain for quickly causing coma and death.
  • This second wet brain phase can be destructive and permanent if not attended to early and adequately.
  • However, if you experience these symptoms when not intoxicated, you might be experiencing wet brain.
  • In addition to this biological factor, many alcoholics have lifestyles that can contribute to thiamine deficiency, such as a poor diet lacking in essential nutrients.

What Is the Standard Treatment for Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome?

  • Vitamin B/thiamine deficiency causes damage to the brain, as well as the heart and nervous system.
  • The primary symptoms of Korsakoff’s psychosis are memory impairment and loss.
  • Stopping alcohol use can be difficult, but it is essential if you are at risk of developing wet brain or have experienced it before.
  • Korsakoff syndrome is a chronic condition that usually develops after an episode of Wernicke’s encephalopathy.

Within 7 days, endothelial cells malfunction, leading to neuron death and increased permeability of the blood-brain barrier (high-risk factors for stroke). Thiamine is essential for converting sugar to energy in our bodies and creating chemical messengers in our brains. Chronic alcohol users often have inflamed digestive tracts, making it difficult for the body to absorb the thiamine it needs from the foods they consume. The early stage, known as Wernicke encephalopathy, is more intense but reversible. Korsakoff’s psychosis can also cause personality changes and confabulation. Confabulation occurs when you use stories to fill in gaps created by memory loss.

What is the Official Medical Term for Wet Brain?

This inflammation eventually causes permanent damage called Korsakoff syndrome. Treatments cannot cure individuals, but they can be used to improve symptoms and prevent further damage to the brain. Attending alcohol rehab is recommended for those with a drinking problem, before the problem gets much worse. The best way to protect the brain is to stop drinking, and doctors can recommend a host of treatments and therapies for those in need. In addition, increasing thiamine levels can help to reduce the severity of symptoms and improve quality of life.

How to Support an Alcoholic With Beating Addiction

what does wet brain mean

These physical changes to the brain can impact other areas of the body as well. As soon as you recognize symptoms, you need to get medical attention right away. 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 mush brain nutrients intravenously until the body is able to adequately absorb them on its own. When you call our team, you will speak to a Recovery Advocate who will answer any questions and perform a pre-assessment to determine your eligibility for treatment. If eligible, we will create a treatment plan tailored to your specific needs.

Wet brain happens when a person is deficient in vitamin B1, or thiamine. The body needs adequate levels of thiamine, a water-soluble vitamin, for heart and nervous system function. Thiamine also helps the body maintain the right levels of glucose in the bloodstream. Amnesia is typically found in people with alcohol use disorder (AUD).

Eighty-five percent of survivors develop the final stage of wet brain, which is called Korsakoff’s psychosis. Knowing early signs and symptoms could be the wake-up call you need to get help for your drinking problem. Long-term successful recovery from alcohol addiction is possible through a medical detox and ongoing professional support. When a person is in the final stages of a wet brain, they will need 24/7 nursing care. Alcohol is a neurotoxin that shrinks the brain (a phenomenon known as “cerebral atrophy”) and slowly destroys the frontal lobe, cerebellum and limbic system.

what does wet brain mean

The condition occurs slightly more in males than it does in females, and it occurs evenly across the population of people aged 30 to 70. However, once the patient enters stage 2, Korsakoff Psychosis, the outlook is less optimistic. Patients may experience some improvement with the initial treatment, but the remaining symptoms are likely permanent. Additionally, doctors will monitor patients’ guts to ensure proper absorption and adjust their treatment plan accordingly. It can take several months for patients to experience a full recovery, which must be accompanied by improved nutrition and abstaining from alcohol. In a study of Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome (WKS), 97 alcoholics whose autopsy confirmed WKS were observed.

what does wet brain mean

Alcoholism Warning Signs

what does wet brain mean

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