Hello and thank you for submitting your question.

Your question is a good one and I will work on providing you with some good information and recommendations regarding your concern.

There has been no convincing evidence that consumption of alcohol at least on a moderate basis leads to an increase in intracranial pressure. You can consider it safe to drink one or two alcoholic beverages in a single sitting safely. I would not however advocate excessive alcohol consumption or intoxication.

In the setting of intoxication a patient may run the risk of developing nausea or vomiting which can increase intracranial pressure.

In summary, it is safe for a patient to consume a small amount of alcohol in the setting of having a shunt in place without developing increased intracranial pressure.

Thank you again for submitting your question. I hope you found my response to be helpful and informative. If you have any additional concerns I would to be happy to address them.

Sincerely,

Dr. Robert

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