Man Diagnosed with “Auto-Brewery Syndrome”

CARTHAGE — Doctors in East Texas think they’ve solved a medical mystery. A man was getting drunk without having a single alcoholic drink. Dr. Barbara Cordell at Panola College says they diagnosed him with a super-rare disease called the “auto-brewery syndrome.” Cordell says, “Somehow, alcohol was showing up in his bloodstream, and they think it was due to this overgrowth of yeast.” So, basically, his stomach turns starchy food like bread and pasta into beer — and that beer was getting him wasted. He’s been put on an anti-fungal medication while they try to find a long-term treatment.