A New Jersey coach’s mysterious symptoms led to an Auto-Brewery Syndrome diagnosis, revealing his body produced alcohol, not drinking.
Back in 2006, Mark Mongiardo was a teacher and coach at a high school in New Jersey. He loved his job and worked with students every day, leading the basketball team.
But one day, things started to change in ways he couldn’t understand. Colleagues began to notice a smell of alcohol around him, even though he had not taken a single drink.
His words sometimes came out slurred, and he felt unsteady on his feet.
Mark knew he hadn’t touched alcohol at work or anywhere else. He told everyone something was wrong with him, but no one believed him right away.
Later, the school placed him on administrative leave as they got worried.
Mark later went to doctors and hospitals. They ran tests on his blood and even looked inside his body to see what was going on.
Later, they learned about a rare condition called Auto-Brewery Syndrome, or ABS. It was Dr. Prasanna Wickremesinghe who confirmed his diagnosis.
In this illness, tiny germs, such as yeast or bacteria in the gut, convert sugars and starches from food into alcohol.
As a result, the alcohol gets into the blood, which makes a person act and feel drunk without ever having a drink. It often happens after consuming foods like bread or pasta.
His diagnosis proved that he wasn’t lying and that something was really wrong with him. However, the damage was already done.
Mark focuses on getting better and helping others. He takes medications to combat the germs in his gut, such as antifungal drugs.
Likewise, to avoid triggers, he follows a careful diet and checks his alcohol levels often to stay safe.
Above all, Mark shares his story and awareness for those who suffer from ABS.
