Wernicke encephalopathy is an acute neuropsychiatric disease with heterogeneous symptoms, including changes in mental status, ataxia and ocular abnormalities; if left untreated, these symptoms can lead to morbidity and even to mortality. The treatment is thiamine suppletion. Because of the heterogeneity of the symptoms and the high risk of morbidity and mortality if the symptoms are not treated, it is vitally important that on observing a patient’s early symptoms the clinician immediately suspects that the symptoms could point to Wernicke encephalopathy.