A former teacher’s life was nearly destroyed when he suffered from a rare disease that caused his body to produce alcohol.
Mark Mongiardo, 40, of Florida, has autobrew syndrome, also known as autofermentation, a condition that causes microbes in his gut to convert sugar into alcohol.
In this way, Mark can get himself intoxicated even if he hasn’t drunk a single drop of alcohol.
Confused about his condition, Mark only managed to get a proper diagnosis after losing his career and home. He was even the target of lawsuits.
His couple was also hanging by a thread when he moved in with his wife’s family because she suspected him of secretly drinking beer.
“For years [ma femme] I thought I would hide to drink and I would come home every day practically drunk,” he told TODAY.
Countless problems
In fact, Mr Mongiardo’s condition caused a slew of problems, including some at work when his bosses accused him of “smelling alcohol” at school.
“I had the symptoms of intoxication, from slurred speech to balance problems. And it even happened at social events where I didn’t drink,” he said.
The father of two therefore changed his job to become a sports director. However, problems soon caught up with him.
In 2019, he was arrested twice by police for “drunk driving” when he was not drinking.
While his bosses agreed to override the first arrest, Mark lost his job on the second arrest.
“I lost everything then. I’ve lost everything there is to lose,” he told ABC7.
“I had to sell my house, I had to sell my car. I couldn’t find a job as a teacher or in a grocery store. I had a court case pending. I risked jail for two drunk drivings when I wasn’t drinking,” he said.
find diagnosis
It was at this point that her mother suggested she see a doctor, pointing out that research online suggested her body might be “producing” alcohol.
Autobrew syndrome is caused by an imbalance in the gut microbiota, which can be triggered by poor diet or antibiotics, among other things.
This imbalance leads to a predominance of yeast and other microorganisms in the gut, which convert sugar into alcohol rather than energy.
This alcohol can then be absorbed into the bloodstream, causing a person to become “drunk” even if they haven’t been drinking.
consultation with a doctor
Mr. Mongiardo consulted a Staten Island gastroenterologist, Dr. Prasanna Wickremesinghe who specializes in this pathology.
They performed a blood alcohol test before and about an hour after consuming a sugary drink.
The results showed that although he had not been drinking alcohol, his blood alcohol level had risen to 0.14 units of alcohol per 100ml of blood.
A score above 0.5 is legal proof that you are drunk.
“You have autobrewery syndrome. You absolutely have autobrewery syndrome,” the doctor said upon reading the results.
“We cried. Honestly, it was so moving,” recalls Mark.
Today, to manage his condition, Mark takes about 30 pills a day and eats a low-carb diet.
He also now requires a breathalyser test before driving… and good news: the misdemeanor charges have been dropped.
– According to the Chron