A WOMAN was forced to deny she was an alcoholic after a bizarre condition left her peeing booze.
The 61-year-old had been placed on a waiting list for a liver transplant after suffering cirrhosis.
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Doctors carried out tests and found alcohol in her urine, leading them to believe she had an addiction.
But the unidentified woman protested that despite the results she was completely sober.
She went to see specialists at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Pennsylvania and it turned out she was telling the truth.
In the first case of its kind, doctors discovered that it was in fact her own bladder that was producing the alcohol in her urine.
Rare condition
Writing in a paper published in Annals of Internal Medicine this week, medics revealed she had an extremely rare bladder fermentation syndrome.
Tests showed high levels of Candida glabrata – a yeast which is produced naturally by the body – accumulated in her bladder when she ingested sugar.
It’s similar to a fungus known as brewer’s yeast, which is used by beer-makers to convert carbohydrates in grains into alcohol.
She was also diabetic and the extra sugar in her urine provided fuel for the yeast to produce alcohol in her bladder.
This had become taxing on her liver which was forced to try and eliminate it from her body every time she ate certain foods.
Underlying issues
Dr Kenichi Tamama, lead author and associate professor of pathology at the University of Pittsburgh, told Insider: “This yeast is part of the normal body flora — I might have some, you might have some, but in this case, it was the patient’s underlying condition, poorly-managed diabetes.
“The patient’s urine contained very high amounts of glucose. That’s the food for the yeast.”
He said that if she hadn’t been a candidate for a liver transplant – and required to undergo urine testing – the disorder may have never been discovered.
Doctors prescribed the woman with oral antifungals to get rid of the yeast infection, which will hopefully allow her to have the much-needed op.
What is auto-brewery syndrome (ABS)?
Auto-brewery syndrome (ABS), also known as gut fermentation syndrome, is a very rare and somewhat controversial condition.
It is caused by an overgrowth of yeast in the gut that turns excess carbs from food into booze.
The booze in then absorbed into the blood stream and sufferers become drunk.
As the condition is so rare very little is known about it and it is not widely recognised.
Because of the nature of the condition people are mistaken for closet alcoholics.
Those who have the condition may appear drunk, sweaty, confused and have less coordination after eating a meal that triggers an episode.
As the condition is so rare a cure is not yet known, but antifungal medications to control the growth of yeast in the stomach are thought to help.
While the woman is the first to have bladder fermentation syndrome, there have been a handful of other similar cases affecting the gut.
Known as auto-brewery syndrome (ABS), it’s usually caused by yeast accumulating in the intestines after ingesting sugar.
It can cause sufferers to feel intoxicated and unable to perform simple tasks.
In 2014, a man from North Carolina was reportedly charged with drink driving due to the extremely rare condition.
The unidentifited 46-year-old had been pulled over by police and breathalysed – with the results showing he as five times over the limit.
He argued that he hadn’t consumed any alcohol but cops – and his family – refused to believe him.
It was until 2017 that he was diagnosed with ABS when tests revealed that every time he consumed carbohydrates his blood alcohol level shot up.
Medics treated his gut microflora with a combination of anti-fungal therapies and probiotics.
His condition is understood to have been triggered by a course of antibiotics prescribed in 2011 for an injury to his thumb.
