Wet Brain: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

Aftercare, or post-recovery treatment, is essential for maintaining sobriety after treatment. It involves ongoing support through counseling, support groups, and relapse prevention strategies, helping individuals transition back into everyday life successfully. Wet brain is the direct result of a lack of thiamine in the body, making it hard for the brain to process sugar into the energy it requires to function properly. People can develop wet brain for a number of reasons, either because they are suffering from cancer, a chronic infection or infections, or AIDS. People who don’t eat enough, are on extreme and dangerous diets, and/or Alcohol Use Disorder have eating disorders like anorexia can also become thiamine deficient and develop wet brain. Unfortunately, once Wet Brain advances to the second stage, it is permanent.

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Some memory rehabilitation therapies, like ones used for other forms of dementia, can help a person manage their symptoms. However, for those with more severe cases, residential care is often needed. Treatment for wet brain depends on the individual and what stage of wet brain they are in. Life expectancy for individuals living with wet brain can depend on a variety of different factors.

• Wet Brain, or Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (WKS), is a brain disorder that happens when your body doesn’t have enough vitamin B1.
• In Korsakoff’s syndrome, a person may have memories or recall experiences that never actually happened, however, they do not produce these false memories intentionally.
• “Encephalopathy” refers to any disease that affects the structure or function of the brain.

How common is wet brain?

The alcohol will prevent the liver from converting the thiamine into a usable form. This causes the body to not be able to have enough thiamine to properly function. A thiamine deficiency can happen for a number of reasons including autoimmune diseases and malnutrition, but chronic consumption of large amounts of alcohol is the most common cause of thiamine deficiency.

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• It can affect the brain, heart, liver, and pancreas, and put a person at a higher risk of certain cancers, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
• People who have chronic conditions (like cancer or AIDS) or alcohol dependency should have their thiamine levels regularly monitored by healthcare professionals.
• Around 80 to 90% of people with alcohol use disorder who have Wernicke’s encephalopathy develop Korsakoff’s psychosis.
• A healthy diet that includes vitamin B1 will reduce your chances of the wet brain occurring again in the future.

It also causes the body to excrete more thiamine through urine than normal. Finally, chronic drinking causes an increased need wet brain meaning for thiamine due to alcohol-related neuropathy (nerve damage). Alcohol-related dementia is diagnosed when alcohol abuse is most likely to be the cause of the symptoms of dementia a person is experiencing. If you or a loved one are experiencing alcohol withdrawal symptoms, it is important to get professional help right away. Alcohol withdrawal occurs when a person who has been drinking an excessive amount of alcohol regularly suddenly stops drinking.

Unraveling the Mystery: What is Wet Brain Syndrome?

Remember, the journey to sobriety can bring remarkable changes to your brain. Even after just six months of being alcohol-free, many individuals report significant improvements in cognitive function, mood, and overall well-being. It’s important to note that the effectiveness of treatment can vary widely. Some individuals may see significant improvement, particularly if caught early. Others, especially those with long-standing Korsakoff’s psychosis, might have more persistent deficits. However, even in these cases, treatment can help prevent further deterioration and improve quality of life.