According to a new study, suffering from long Covid could reduce tolerance to alcohol due in particular, according to one of the researchers’ hypotheses, to the weakening of the blood-brain barrier.
- Four patients with long Covid indicated a drop in their tolerance to alcohol.
- This manifested itself by various symptoms.
- These include, for example, difficult mornings after drinking alcohol, the feeling of not being able to move, severe headaches or redness on the skin.
Could this be a new symptom of long Covid? According to a study published in the journal Cureuspeople suffering from this complication of a SARS-CoV-2 infection are less tolerant of alcohol than in the past.
Reduced alcohol tolerance due to long Covid
During their work, the scientists studied four cases of people suffering from long Covid and followed at the Stanford University Specialty Clinic, in the USA. The patients all reported a poorer tolerance to alcohol since they had long Covid.
Alcohol tolerance is defined as the amount a person can drink without becoming intoxicated. When there is an intolerance, which is a metabolic disorder, it means that the body does not break down alcohol and therefore the body has difficulty eliminating it.
Patients have noticed several symptoms after drinking: difficult days after drinking alcohol, the feeling of no longer being able to move, severe headaches which can sometimes last for three days, redness on the skin. Whereas before their long Covid, they had not had such problems.
Long Covid and alcohol: the weakening of the blood-brain barrier to blame?
In their conclusions, the scientists indicate that “new reactions and sensitivities to alcohol may occur after Covid infection in patients with long Covid.“The reason could be due to a weakening of the blood-brain barrierbecause of the virus and the inflammation it causes in the body.
The blood-brain barrier usually prevents certain substances, such as anticancer drugs, from reaching the brain. If the barrier is weakened, more alcohol can reach the brain, explaining the side effects observed by patients.
Another hypothesis: the increase in inflammatory molecules in the blood of patients, due to long Covid, could be the origin of the bad sensations felt after drinking.
In the future, further studies need to be carried out to better understand the new and unpleasant consequences of alcohol intake in people with long Covid.
