How a Rare Alcohol-Producing Condition Led a Man to DWI Charges and Job Loss

Mark Mongiardo, a man with a rare condition called ABS (Auto Brewery Syndrome), opened up about his struggle. The man would often get stopped by authorities for drunk driving, even though he quit drinking in 2018 because of his condition. 

In an exclusive interview with The New York Post, he discussed the challenges he regularly faces as someone living with ABS. Basically, his body produces alcohol from the overgrown yeast living inside it.

Should he have consumed bread, cake, or similar substances, the yeast would convert the contents into alcohol. This means that even though he hasn’t had a drop of alcohol, a device detecting it would almost 100% find traces of alcohol. 

For the man with the rare condition has resulted in two DWI charges in New York in just six months. He would often experience “slurred speech, loss of coordination, confusion, and dangerously high blood alcohol levels.” 

Before recognizing them as symptoms of perhaps something serious, he had to endure many hardships in his career and socially. As for his career as an educator, he ultimately lost it.

Because when he was a professor, his colleagues would often complain about him “smelling” like he’d gotten drunk. Even though he denied the allegations, his blood alcohol would tell an entirely different story, eventually resulting in him losing his job.

The man recalled that instead of his symptoms resulting from drinking alcohol, it was triggered by eating certain kinds of food.

Although he experienced increased symptoms after eating carbohydrates or sugary food, certain “normal meals” would also trigger his condition. 

He also described his overall demeanor when experiencing these symptoms. Mongiardo said, “It’s very difficult to stay awake or eat anything during a flare-up with the extreme feeling of nausea, so generally, I’m bedridden.” 

A Simple Test Revealed His Rare Alcohol-Producing Condition 

After losing his job, getting hit with two DWIs, and having no explanation for his symptoms, he and his family began to investigate. Their hunt for the truth led them to the Richmond University Medical Center in Staten Island. 

Dr. Prasanna Wickremesinghe, a gastroenterologist at the medical facility, performed a simple glucose challenge test that led to the man’s ABS discovery within.

The test is reportedly generally conducted for pregnant women to test them for diabetes. 

It involved getting blood alcohol tests over four hours. Mongiardo was shocked to learn that within 30 minutes, his levels had sharply increased. 

His levels went from 0.09 to 0.14, both of which are considered the level for being legally drunk. That explains why he might have obtained two DWIs even though he denied alcohol consumption. 

What Causes ABS? 

Reports by a Cleaveland clinic delved into the finer details of Mongiardo’s ABS condition. Firstly, a person living with ABS appears intoxicated even when they aren’t. This explains the different symptoms experienced by Mongiardo, followed by the two DWI’s. 

Some of those symptoms include brain fog, dizziness, nausea, fatigue, confusion, and the other ones mentioned earlier. The reason it’s so rare is that there are officially fewer than 100 cases of ABS ever recorded in history. 

However, some experts suspect there are more than that, and it’s actually more common. But no solid evidence exists about it being common. Although it is a difficult condition to live with, it is manageable. 

Mongiardo revealed what his life has been like after diagnosis. Firstly, he’s on a very strict diet given the nature of his condition. Next, because his condition is also unpredictable, he always has a breathalyzer. 

About managing his ABS condition, he said, “The best management of the symptoms is to rest or sleep as much as I can until my BAC is back to zero.” 

Although he still faces challenges, he claimed that the experience has made him a calmer and more disciplined person. He said, “I feel like I’m moving forward instead of just trying to keep up.”