Auto Brewery Syndrome and OVI Charges

In 2016, an upstate New York woman was charged with DUI after blowing a blood alcohol level more than four times the legal limit. However, after hearing testimony that the woman suffers from “auto-brewery syndrome,” a judge dismissed the charges after she hired Columbus DUI defense lawyers Sabol Mallory.

“Before this case, I had never heard of auto-brewery syndrome,” her attorney told CNN. “But I knew there was something wrong when the hospital police tried to release her right away because she wasn’t showing any symptoms.”

“That makes me want to go on the Internet to see if there is any kind of reason for a strange reading,” her attorney adds. “Up comes auto-brewery syndrome, and we’re off.”

“I’m in contact with about 30 people who think they have this syndrome, and about ten of them have been diagnosed,” said Panola College Dean of Nursing Barbara Cordell, who has researched the syndrome for years. “They will operate at alcohol levels of 0.30 to 0.40, when the normal person would be comatose or dying. One of the mysteries of this condition is how they can have such high levels and yet walk around and talk.”

Auto-brewery syndrome is an extremely unusual disease. Even if they do not drink alcohol, people with auto-brewery syndrome have abnormally elevated blood alcohol levels.

Auto brewery syndrome is thought to be caused by Crohn’s disease, liver disorders, inadequate diet, antibiotics, inflammatory bowel disease, a compromised immune system, and diabetes. Moodiness, confusion, trouble concentrating, lack of physical control, and memory issues are all possible symptoms.

When people with this condition, their bodies produce alcohol from the carbohydrates they consume. This occurs inside the stomach or intestines. It may be caused by an overabundance of yeast in the stomach. Yeast is a form of fungus. Any yeast strains that may be responsible for this condition are as follows:

  • Candida albicans

  • Candida glabrata

  • Torulopsis glabrata

  • Candida krusei

  • Candida kefyr

  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae 

The syndrome was discovered for the first time in 1912. It was then referred to as “germ carbohydrate fermentation.” It was researched in the 1930s and 1940s as a potential cause of vitamin deficiencies and irritable bowel syndrome. There are currently no diagnostic or treatment guidelines for auto-brewery syndrome, making it much more difficult to determine when patients have the condition.

The auto-brewery syndrome may result in a DUI arrest because it causes patients to have a blood or breath alcohol content above the legal limit despite the fact that no alcoholic beverage was consumed. It can, however, be used to protect against a DUI charge.

The defense will have to use expert testimony to prove to the court that the condition is valid, as well as the defendant’s medical history to prove that the disorder exists and that it led to the DUI crime.

If you have been arrested for a DUI crime, you can contact an OVI attorney Columbus Ohio right away. It is important that you meet with an attorney if you think you might be suffering from auto brewery syndrome.