Simply put Wet Brain Syndrome is a form of brain damage that afflicts chronic alcoholics. Wet Brain Syndrome or Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is a combination of the diseases Wernicke Encephalopathy and Korsakoff Psychosis. These diseases can appear independently or at the same time. If drinking is stopped and the condition is caught and treated in time the symptoms of Wet Brain Syndrome have been known to improve but in most cases the symptoms are irreversible, permanent and often fatal.
Wet Brain (Wernicke-Korsakoff) Syndrome has also been called Beriberi. Beriberi is a condition endemic in Asia in the 1800’s when “rice” stripped of its nutrient ingredients was the staple diet. Both Wet Brain and Beriberi are caused by a thiamine vitamin B1 deficiency. Chronic heavy drinking of alcohol blocks the body from absorbing the essential thiamine vitamin B1 which the body needs and breaks down the body’s glucose energy molecules. One of the symptoms of thiamine B1 deficiency is severe lethargy and fatigue. Wet Brain Syndrome can affect the cardiovascular system, the nervous and muscular systems, and the gastrointestinal systems of the chronic alcoholic. Alcoholics who reach this stage in their disease have been concerned with nothing more than drinking alcohol and have seriously neglected their diet and their day to day lifestyle. Wet Brain Syndrome is known to be fatal in twenty percent of the diagnosed cases.
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Wet Brain Acute Stage (Wernicke’s Encephalopathy)
Wet Brain/Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome’s “Acute Stage” is “Wernicke’s Encephalopathy”. The symptoms include; a staggering gait similar to an intoxicated persons walk, a swallowing difficulty, slurred speech, difficulty with eye movements and confusion. At this acute stage, if the alcoholics’ drinking continues and his or her symptoms are ignored they will soon progress to the “Chronic Stage”.
Chronic Stage (Korsakoff Psychosis)
The characteristics of the Wet Brain “Chronic Stage” are; recent past memory loss but long term memory seemingly unaffected. In some cases alcoholics at this stage may suffer total memory loss. If and when the memory shuts down alcoholics at this stage have been known to fabricate stories. They may be lose the ability to converse meaningfully and even become apathetic and lose interest very quickly. They may even object to change.
Treatment of Wet Brain Syndrome
It is possible that Wet Brain/Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome can be treated successfully if it is caught before the condition reaches Korsakoff Psychosis (Chronic Stage). At this point it is likely that the alcoholic may successfully recover but the process could take up to a year.
Treatment will include several intravenous thiamine (vitamin B-1) injection to replenish the the vitamin loss sustained during active alcohol use. The alcoholic will most likely have to be admitted into the hospital during treatment for monitoring until the symptoms relax. The alcoholic must stop drink at this point if the treatment is to work. But if the syndrome reaches the chronic stage of Korsakoff Psychosis the symptoms will persist for the rest of his or her life and the only treatment is thiamine replacement and abstinence. If the alcoholic does not get help and stop drinking at this point THEY WILL DIE.
Symptoms
The symptoms of Wet Brain Syndrome include; a staggering and irregular gait, and a lack of muscular coordination, confabulation (remembering events that never happened), an inability to form new memories, severs memory loss, hallucinations, a change in vision, double vision, drooping eyelids, abnormal eye movements
