Man arrested for drunken-driving discovers his stomach 'brews beer'

The man was suffering from a rarely diagnosed condition, 'auto-brewery system'.

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A 46-year-old, who was pulled over for drunken-driving couldn't make his case to police and doctors when he swore that he hadn’t had alcohol before he was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving.

His blood-alcohol level was 0.2, more than twice the legal limit for operating a car. After refusing a breathalyzer test, was hospitalized and later released after researchers discovered an unusual truth— the man was suffering from a rarely diagnosed condition, 'auto-brewery system'. Fungi in the 46-year-old man’s digestive system were turning carbohydrates into alcohol.

The syndrome that causes fermenting fungi or bacteria in the gut to produce ethanol, which can lead to the patient showing signs of drunkenness. Also known as gut fermentation syndrome, it is more common in patients with diabetes, obesity or Crohn’s disease.

“A person is intoxicated from this fermenting yeast, and it’s a horrible illness,” said Barbara Cordell, a researcher of the auto-brewery syndrome and the author of 'My Gut Makes Alcohol.'

The condition made news in 2014 when the driver of a truck that spilt 11,000 salmon onto a highway claimed to have the auto-brewery syndrome.

People with auto-brewery syndrome tend to smell like alcohol or feel too tired to work or pursue other activities. Patients sometimes tend to skip meals to stay sober.

Some causes of the syndrome include environmental toxins, preservatives and other drugs that could disrupt the body’s normal balance of bacteria.

Experts recommend those suffering from the condition to seek treatment for alcohol poisoning if the person feels severely intoxicated.