Alcoholic Wet Brain Treatment

Wet Brain Syndrome

What is wet brain in alcoholics? Wet brain, also referred to as Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is a brain disorder that occurs due to vitamin B1 deficiency. Wernicke’s encephalopathy is a degenerative brain disorder caused by the lack of thiamine. It may result from alcohol abuse, dietary deficiencies, prolonged vomiting, eating disorders, or the effects of chemotherapy. B1 deficiency causes damage to the brain’s thalamus and hypothalamus. 

Who Gets Alcoholic Wet Brain?

Wernicke encephalopathy and Korsakoff syndrome are not different conditions. They are different stages of the same disease process. Both are due to brain damage caused by a lack of vitamin B1. Lack of vitamin B1 is common in people who have alcohol use disorder. It is also common in people whose bodies do not absorb food properly (malabsorption). This can sometimes occur with a chronic illness or after weight-loss (bariatric) surgery.

Korsakoff syndrome tends to develop after symptoms of Wernicke encephalopathy go away. Wernicke encephalopathy causes brain damage in the lower parts of the brain called the thalamus and hypothalamus. Korsakoff syndrome results from permanent damage to areas of the brain involved with memory.

Wet Brain Symptoms

Wet Brain Stages

Wernicke–Korsakoff syndrome has two stages. First, there will be a brief time when a person has intense inflammation of the brain. This is known as Wernicke’s encephalopathy. If this condition isn’t treated quickly, the person may develop a more long-term condition called Korsakoff’s syndrome. This has many of the same symptoms of dementia.

Early Stages of Wet Brain

Wernicke encephalopathy is an acute neurological condition characterized by a clinical triad of ophthalmoparesis with nystagmus, ataxia, and confusion. This is a life-threatening illness caused by thiamine deficiency, which primarily affects the peripheral and central nervous systems. [2]

Thiamine deficiency is characteristically associated with severe alcohol use disorder. Although Wernicke encephalopathy mostly affects people who have a thiamine deficiency due to chronic alcoholism, various other causes include severe malnutrition, hyperemesis gravidarum, prolonged parenteral nutrition, malignancies, immunodeficiency syndromes, liver disease, hyperthyroidism, and severe anorexia nervosa. Chronic alcohol consumption may cause thiamine deficiency due to impaired absorption of thiamine from the intestine, a possible genetic predisposition, inadequate diet, reduced storage of thiamine in the liver, and other nutritional deficiencies.

Final Stages of Wet Brain

Korsakoff syndrome is a neuropsychiatric disorder associated with memory disturbances in which there are significant deficits in anterograde and retrograde memory. Immediate memory is maintained, but short-term memory is diminished with intact sensorium. The disorder is associated with patients fabricating stories in the setting of clear consciousness. Confabulations can be spontaneous or provoked with provoked confabulation commonly seen in chronic Korsakoff syndrome and spontaneous confabulation usually noted in the acute Wernicke state.

How Dangerous is Wet Brain?

Without alcoholism and wet brain treatment, Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome gets steadily worse and can be life-threatening. With treatment, it is possible to control symptoms (such as uncoordinated movement and vision difficulties). This disorder can also be slowed or stopped.

Possible Complications

Complications that may result include:

• Alcohol withdrawal
• Difficulty with personal or social interaction
• Injury caused by falls
• Permanent alcoholic neuropathy
• Permanent loss of thinking skills
• Permanent loss of memory
• Shortened life span

Wet Brain Treatment

Wet brain treatment depends on the underlying condition. Many conditions are treated mainly with rehabilitation and supportive care to help the person with activities lost due to areas where brain function is affected. Medicines may be needed to reduce aggressive behaviors that can occur with some of the conditions.

Abstaining from alcohol and maintaining a healthy diet is a cornerstone of effective long-term wet brain treatment. For those suffering from addiction or alcoholism, the We Level Up treatment center is here.  As a licensed and accredited rehabilitation center, we are dedicated to helping you meet your goals, one day at a time.

The goals of wet brain treatment are to control symptoms and to prevent the disorder from getting worse. Some people may need to stay in the hospital early in the condition to help control symptoms.

Monitoring and special care [4] may be needed if the person is:

• In a coma
• Lethargic
• Unconscious

Vitamin B1 is usually given by injection into a vein or a muscle as soon as possible. This may improve symptoms of:

• Confusion or delirium
• Difficulties with vision and eye movement
• Lack of muscle coordination

Vitamin B1 often does not improve the loss of memory and intellect that occur with Korsakoff syndrome. Stopping alcohol use can prevent more loss of brain function and damage to nerves. A well-balanced, nourishing diet can help, but it is not a substitute for stopping alcohol use.