Alcohol and the stomach – Your stomach is one part of the gastrointestinal tract system that digests food, taking the nutrition your body needs and getting rid of the waste. By adding acid and enzymes to food and drink you consume, your stomach breaks them down before they carry on their journey through your gut.
Drinking alcohol is associated with acid rising up from your stomach into your throat (known as acid reflux), or causing heartburn.1 Some evidence suggests alcoholic drinks can make your stomach produce more acid than usual, which can gradually wear away your stomach lining and make it inflamed and painful (gastritis).2 Over weeks or months, this could mean you develop painful ulcers in your stomach lining.
Want to drink less? Find out how
Contents
Why do I hurt when I drink alcohol?
Recap – Some people who use alcohol experience pain with drinking. Most of the time this pain is due to alcohol intolerance or allergies to alcohol or other beverage ingredients. Other health issues also may be at work, and some of these conditions may be more serious. They include Hodgkin’s disease and carcinoid syndrome.
How long can alcohol make your stomach hurt?
Is It Alcohol Gastritis Or A Hangover – The signs and symptoms of a hangover and alcohol gastritis may be similar in some cases, e.g. nausea or stomach pain after drinking. With a hangover, symptoms generally begin to ease around 24 hours. Whereas, symptoms of alcohol gastritis may continue after 24 hours have passed.
Have the symptoms disappeared after 24 hours? No – seek medical attention.Do I still have abdominal discomfort or stomach pain when not drinking? Yes – seek medical attention.Am I dependent on alcohol, and do I require a clinically managed detox to stop my drinking?Yes – consider supervised rehabilitation treatment
Clinically Managed Detox For Those Dependent On Alcohol Clinically managed detox is a safe, professional, and monitored way to withdraw from alcohol. Detoxing in a clinic means the prescription can be modified to meet the needs of each individual. The clinic can administer medication at the required times throughout the day, in a safe and supportive environment.
Success rates for completing detox are high, as the patient is removed from the home environment, and from the ability to purchase and use alcohol or drugs. Whilst undertaking therapy conducive to achieving and maintaining long-term sobriety. For daily drinkers it can sometimes be hard to assess why stomach pain, especially if they have gotten used to a dull or sometimes sharp pain in this area.
And in some cases, light drinkers may encounter alcohol gastritis due to the sensitivity of the stomach lining. The recommendation is not to ignore this stomach pain, but to seek medical attention if concerned. In all cases it is better to rule out alcohol gastritis than to go on suffering without appropriate medical care.
Is it OK for your stomach to hurt after drinking?
Alcohol and the stomach – Your stomach is one part of the gastrointestinal tract system that digests food, taking the nutrition your body needs and getting rid of the waste. By adding acid and enzymes to food and drink you consume, your stomach breaks them down before they carry on their journey through your gut.
Drinking alcohol is associated with acid rising up from your stomach into your throat (known as acid reflux), or causing heartburn.1 Some evidence suggests alcoholic drinks can make your stomach produce more acid than usual, which can gradually wear away your stomach lining and make it inflamed and painful (gastritis).2 Over weeks or months, this could mean you develop painful ulcers in your stomach lining.
Want to drink less? Find out how
Can you be alcohol intolerant?
Alcohol intolerance can cause immediate, uncomfortable reactions after you drink alcohol. The most common signs and symptoms are stuffy nose and skin flushing. Alcohol intolerance is caused by a genetic condition in which the body can’t break down alcohol efficiently.
- The only way to prevent these uncomfortable reactions is to avoid alcohol.
- Although not a true allergy, in some cases, what seems to be alcohol intolerance might be your reaction to something in an alcoholic beverage — such as chemicals, grains or preservatives.
- Combining alcohol with certain medications also can cause reactions.
Signs and symptoms of alcohol intolerance — or of a reaction to ingredients in an alcoholic beverage — can include:
Facial redness (flushing) Red, itchy skin bumps (hives) Worsening of pre-existing asthma Runny or stuffy nose Low blood pressure Nausea and vomiting Diarrhea
Having a mild intolerance to alcohol or something else in alcoholic beverages might not require a trip to a doctor. Simply avoid alcohol, limit how much you drink or avoid certain types of alcoholic beverages. However, if you have a serious reaction or severe pain, see your doctor. Also, if your symptoms seem to be linked to an allergy or a medication you’re taking, see your doctor.
Will gastritis go away if I stop drinking?
Reversing the Effects of Alcoholic Gastritis – It is possible to treat gastritis using medicines that soothe and heal the stomach lining if other means don’t work. For people who misuse alcohol on a regular basis and who develop either acute gastritis or chronic gastritis, one way to potentially reverse the damage is to stop drinking.4 In some cases, altering one’s diet can also help reduce the symptoms of alcoholic gastritis.4 If the damage is extensive before drinking is stopped, it may not be able to be fully reversed, and lifelong management of chronic gastritis may be required, including reparative surgeries, regular medication, avoidance of irritating foods and other treatments to prevent additional damage.
How bad is alcohol for you?
Long-Term Health Risks – Over time, excessive alcohol use can lead to the development of chronic diseases and other serious problems including:
- High blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, liver disease, and digestive problems.6,16
- of the breast, mouth, throat, esophagus, voice box, liver, colon, and rectum.6,17
- Weakening of the immune system, increasing the chances of getting sick.6,16
- Learning and memory problems, including dementia and poor school performance.6,18
- Mental health problems, including depression and anxiety.6,19
- Social problems, including family problems, job-related problems, and unemployment.6,20,21
- Alcohol use disorders, or alcohol dependence.5
By not drinking too much, you can reduce the risk of these short- and long-term health risks.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention., Accessed April 19, 2022.
- Esser MB, Leung G, Sherk A, Bohm MB, Liu Y, Lu H, Naimi TS., JAMA Netw Open 2022;5:e2239485.
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- U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.9th Edition, Washington, DC; 2020.
- Esser MB, Hedden SL, Kanny D, Brewer RD, Gfroerer JC, Naimi TS., Prev Chronic Dis 2014;11:140329.
- World Health Organization., Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2018.
- Alpert HR, Slater ME, Yoon YH, Chen CM, Winstanley N, Esser MB., Am J Prev Med 2022;63:286–300.
- Greenfield LA., Report prepared for the Assistant Attorney General’s National Symposium on Alcohol Abuse and Crime. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, 1998.
- Mohler-Kuo M, Dowdall GW, Koss M, Wechsler H., Journal of Studies on Alcohol 2004;65(1):37–45.
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- Kanny D, Brewer RD, Mesnick JB, Paulozzi LJ, Naimi TS, Lu H., MMWR 2015;63:1238-1242.
- Naimi TS, Lipscomb LE, Brewer RD, Colley BG., Pediatrics 2003;11(5):1136–1141.
- Wechsler H, Davenport A, Dowdall G, Moeykens B, Castillo S., JAMA 1994;272(21):1672–1677.
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- American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Substance Abuse and Committee on Children with Disabilities.2000., Pediatrics 2000;106:358–361.
- Rehm J, Baliunas D, Borges GL, Graham K, Irving H, Kehoe T, et al., Addiction.2010;105(5):817-43.
- International Agency for Research on Cancer. Personal Habits and Indoor Combustions: A Review of Human Carcinogens, Volume 100E 2012. Available from:,
- Miller JW, Naimi TS, Brewer RD, Jones SE., Pediatrics.2007;119(1):76-85.
- Castaneda R, Sussman N, Westreich L, Levy R, O’Malley M., J Clin Psychiatry 1996;57(5):207–212.
- Booth BM, Feng W., J Behavioral Health Services and Research 2002;29(2):157–166.
- Leonard KE, Rothbard JC., J Stud Alcohol Suppl 1999;13:139–146.
Why do I throw up when I drink alcohol?
This can make it more likely you’ll experience small tears that can damage the esophagus and potentially lead to bleeding. Drinking alcohol to excess can lead to a host of hangover symptoms, including throwing up. Vomiting is your body’s response to excess toxins from alcohol in your body.
- While vomiting may make you feel awful, the risks from excess toxins can be damaging to your system.
- That’s why it’s best to let your body do its thing, while taking steps to prevent complications like dehydration.
- Throwing up is your body’s way of ridding itself of a toxin — in this case, alcohol.
- Instead of stopping yourself from throwing up, it’s best to simply help yourself feel better until your body’s gotten rid of all the alcohol.
Alcohol overdose or alcohol poisoning is a potentially life threatening occurrence that happens when a person drinks so much that their body can’t compensate for all the alcohol in their bloodstream. This causes symptoms like confusion, vomiting, seizures, slow heart rate, problems breathing, and low body temperatures.
Alcohol poisoning also impairs a person’s gag reflex, so they can’t prevent choking on their own vomit. Anyone who consumes a large amount of alcohol in a short time period can experience alcohol poisoning. If you see a person you think may be experiencing alcohol poisoning, turn them on their side and call 911.
Acting quickly may save their life. Should you make yourself throw up after a night of drinking? You’ll probably notice one suggestion that didn’t make the above list: intentionally making yourself throw up after a night of drinking. While you may have a friend that swears by this approach, it’s a dangerous one.
Making yourself throw up can put greater strain on your esophagus. This can make it more likely you’ll experience small tears that can damage the esophagus and potentially lead to bleeding. Intentional vomiting also increases your risk for acid reflux, damage to your teeth, and aspiration, This is when your stomach contents accidentally go into your lungs.
If you feel like you’re going to vomit, it’s best to let it happen naturally. You’ll retch less and reduce your risk for additional health problems that can happen when you make yourself throw up.