What helps with stomach pain after alcohol?
If the stomach aches occur only occasionally after drinking alcohol and are not felt to be too strong, basic measures can be taken to stop the symptoms. This includes drinking sufficient chamomile tea or still water (no highly carbonated drinks such as fizzy or soft drinks, and no orange or apple juice! ), as well as the intake of a light, low-fat meal.
If the stomach pains after alcohol consumption cannot be brought under control with these basic measures, it must be determined whether the complaints are caused by the above-described promotion of gastric acid secretion by the alcohol and the resulting irritation of the stomach lining, or whether they are caused by a reflux of the acidic stomach contents into the esophagus. The former is indicated by constant, more or less constant pain in the central, sometimes rather left area of the upper abdomen. What makes this case particularly complicated is the fact that the most common pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory drugs can themselves cause stomach problems, as they inhibit the production of the mucus that protects the stomach lining.
For this reason, the drugs in question, such as ibuprofen or acetylsalicylic acid (Aspirin®), should be taken with extreme caution – and if possible not at all. Patients who experience stomach pain after alcohol and who are relieved by taking proton pump inhibitors or H2-receptor antagonists, but who experience similar symptoms again immediately after the drugs have subsided, should not make the mistake of switching to permanent medication. In this case, it is likely that the symptoms are caused by an underlying disease of the stomach lining, such as a stomach ulcer or, in the worst case, even a stomach carcinoma, and that the consumption of alcohol is only the last straw.It is therefore strongly recommended to consult a doctor to clarify the described possibilities.
A reflux of acid stomach contents into the esophagus is more likely to be caused by burning pain behind the breastbone up to the throat. This backflow occurs because alcohol (along with nicotine or fatty foods) is one of the most effective inhibitors of the lower esophageal sphincter, which is normally responsible for preventing this backflow. Since there is no irritation of the gastric mucosa here, in contrast to the cases mentioned above, the use of common painkillers such as ibuprofen is less problematic.
However, it has been shown that proton pump inhibitors and H2-receptor antagonists are also the most effective drugs for rapid relief of stomach pain after alcohol in these patients. Patients suffering from stomach pain after alcohol often report that these symptoms become even worse when they smoke the evening before or the morning after. This is because nicotine, like alcohol, reduces the tension of the lower esophageal sphincter muscle, thereby facilitating the reflux of acidic stomach contents into the esophagus.
When inhaling cigarette smoke, it not only reaches the lungs, but to a small extent also the stomach. The smoke that arrives there attacks the stomach lining and can lead to gastritis if smoked regularly. Under certain circumstances, this can develop into complications in the form of a stomach ulcer or even a stomach carcinoma. All these complications can also be the result of excessive alcohol consumption, as described above. This makes it clear that the combination of alcohol and cigarettes in particular can have dangerous effects on the stomach and should therefore be avoided if possible.
