Introduction
Abdominal pain that occurs after the consumption of alcohol can be caused by pathological processes in several organs. If alcohol is drunk only occasionally, the gastrointestinal tract is usually the place where the pain develops, whereas with regular consumption, organs such as the liver, pancreas or gall bladder can also be responsible for the pain.
Causes
If the origin of the pain is in the gastrointestinal tract, the trigger is in most cases an imbalance between stomach protection and acid production. Normally, the stomach protects itself by a layer of mucus lining the stomach wall, which prevents the gastric acid from coming into direct contact with the wall of the stomach and thus damaging it. If the balance between the production of gastric acid and the production of mucus that protects the stomach is disturbed, this can lead to an inflammation of the mucous membrane of the stomach (gastritis), which often manifests itself through stabbing pain in the upper abdomen.
As alcohol stimulates the production of gastric acid, it shifts the balance between stomach protection and attacking acid and can thus promote gastritis. This can even lead to the formation of a stomach or small intestinal ulcer (ulcer) as a result of alcohol consumption, which then causes permanent pain that no longer needs to be directly related to alcohol consumption. If the mucous membrane of the stomach has already been damaged by other factors, even small amounts of alcohol are sufficient to upset the balance of acid production and stomach protection and cause stomach pain.
Regular consumption of alcohol can damage the body to such an extent that individual organs are damaged. A typical example is cirrhosis of the liver, which is promoted by chronic alcohol consumption. Here, abdominal pain often manifests itself in the form of dull pain above the right upper abdomen.
Symptoms
Sometimes abdominal pain after alcohol consumption is accompanied by diarrhoea. This can be explained by an altered absorption (recovery) of water and sodium from the intestine caused by alcohol. In this case, more sodium remains in the intestinal tract, which is followed osmotically by water and thus leads to a liquefaction of the stool.
This in turn leads to diarrhoea. In addition to the diarrhoea that can occur with occasional alcohol consumption, there is also the diarrhoea that can be caused by chronic alcohol drinking due to damage to internal organs. Typical organs affected by alcohol are the liver and pancreas.
Both are essential for a functioning digestion. If these organs are restricted in their function, diarrhoea can occur. In contrast to diarrhoea after a single consumption of alcohol, this is chronic and does not disappear on its own.
If such persistent diarrhoea is present, a doctor should definitely be consulted. Alcohol has a slowing effect on digestion by relaxing muscles. Therefore, the peristalsis of the intestines can be impaired, causing the chyme to remain in the intestines longer than usual before it can be transported and absorbed.
This is exploited by intestinal bacteria, which in turn break down the food and metabolise sugar, which is often accompanied by the formation of gases. These gases can cause the intestines to swell and thus lead to severe abdominal pain. Apart from abstaining from alcohol, a lot of exercise can help to transport the collected gas out of the body and positively influence intestinal motility (intestinal movement). Espresso has a similar effect after a meal or after drinking alcohol. It stimulates the peristalsis and can thus have a positive effect on intestinal inertia caused by alcohol.
