The rare condition that causes the body to produce its own alcohol

A Canadian woman suffered for two years with episodes of dizziness and slurred speech, which doctors chalked up to drunkenness. Chinnapong/ Shutterstock

Imagine you turn up to the hospital looking for help because you feel dizzy and can’t stop slurring your speech – only to be told that you’re simply drunk. Yet, you haven’t had a drop of alcohol.

This recently happened to a woman in Canada, who experienced seven episodes of a mysterious illness that caused her to feel drunk even though she hadn’t consumed any alcohol. It took two years before she finally received a diagnosis: she had “auto-brewery syndrome”.