Rare syndrome creates drunkenness without drinking, with devastating consequences

For many, the struggle not to drink alcohol is a difficult one. But those with a rare syndrome have no choice in whether or not they become drunk, going from sobriety to drunkenness in as little as 15 minutes, without ever having a drink.

It's called auto-brewery syndrome, a debilitating and dangerous condition where a person's body turns carbohydrates into alcohol through fermentation, raising their alcohol levels to well above the legal limit for driving without warning.

Only about 100 people worldwide have been officially diagnosed, but the number of sufferers is estimated to be much higher because of the lack of awareness and difficulty diagnosing it. Patients say it's not only dangerous, but also describe the deterioration of social and family relationships, workplace issues and social stigma, even after diagnosis.

Here & Now's Robin Young talks to Dr. Fahad Malik, a gastroenterologist at St. Joseph's Health in Syracuse, N.Y., and patient David, whose last name is being withheld to protect him from discrimination based on his diagnosis.