Introduction
Some people complain of kidney pain after excessive alcohol consumption. Most of the time, however, there is no serious damage or illness underlying the complaints.
Causes
The kidneys are not directly damaged by an occasional intake of even large amounts of alcohol. Nevertheless, there are various reasons for kidney pain after too much alcohol. On the one hand, alcohol promotes the formation of kidney and/or ureteral stones, which lead to colicky pain (here you will find more about symptoms of kidney stones).
The stones press on the walls of the renal pelvis or the ureters, which manifests itself in the form of these intense, mostly wave-like pains. Alcohol also promotes inflammation of the kidneys. The human immune system is weakened and germs can multiply better, so that a bacterial inflammation of the renal pelvis is possible.
The consequences are rather dull but persistent kidney jokes. Likewise, regular excessive alcohol consumption can also lead to chronic inflammation of the kidney tissue and thus cause pain. Often the kidneys are not affected at all, but back pain is misinterpreted as kidney pain. For example, the lack of restful sleep for the body after too much alcohol can lead to back pain.
Symptoms
Depending on the trigger of the kidney pain, which occurs after drinking too much alcohol, various accompanying symptoms can occur. Pain triggered by a kidney stone often causes nausea and possibly vomiting. If an inflammation of the urinary tract is the cause, there is also often pain when urinating and pain in the lower abdomen (above the bladder).
Caution is required when bloody urine is detected. Here too, various causes are possible. A rarer but all the more significant cause is cancer of the kidneys or urinary organs (bladder or ureter cancer). Anyone who notices bloody urine should therefore consult their family doctor or urologist for clarification as soon as possible.
Kidney pain on the right
Kidney pain that occurs only on the right side after high consumption of alcohol indicates disease of the corresponding kidney. Normally, a person has two kidneys, one on the right and one on the left side of the flank (lateral/rear back between the costal arch and the iliac crest). In the case of kidney pain on the right side, a bacterially triggered inflammation of the right renal pelvis is possible or a stone sitting in the urinary tract on the right side causing pain there.
An inflammation of the kidney tissue due to an increased alcohol consumption over a longer period of time, however, usually affects both kidneys. Nevertheless, pain can only occur on the right side. Pain emanating from the back may also radiate only to the right side and cause supposed kidney pain.