A woman wearing a white shirt and beige cardigan holding her two hands across her middle from stomach pain after drinking alcohol.

Stomach Pain, Diarrhoea, & Gut Issues Caused by Alcohol

Page Clinically Reviewed on by Kerry Canning, MBChB | Medical Editor

Consuming alcohol can have a severe impact on both your mental and physical health, particularly if you drink excessively, including causing stomach pain after drinking alcohol. If you are struggling with alcohol addiction, then you may be experiencing gut health problems such as stomach pain after drinking alcohol, diarrhoea, and other issues caused by the regular or excessive use of alcohol.

Are you experiencing stomach pain after drinking alcohol? Are you noticing that you need more alcohol to achieve the same effects? Are you finding that you prioritise alcohol over other responsibilities? Or it may be the physical or mental health symptoms that are causing concern, such as weight loss, irritability and low mood.1-3

This article will explore the effects of alcohol on the gut, the problems that it can lead to, and how CATCH Recovery’s private outpatient programme can support individuals in reducing their alcohol intake.

Why Do You Experience Stomach Pain After Drinking Alcohol?

Alcohol can affect the stomach through both long-term use and short-term use, known as ‘binge drinking’. UK guidelines advise that alcohol consumption should be limited to 14 units per week in both men and women. These units should be spread over three or more days, with multiple alcohol-free days and no binge drinking. It can be tricky to know how many units are in different drinks.

For context, both a 175ml glass of 13% wine and a pint of 4% beer contain 2.3 units of alcohol.4

Exceeding the 14 unit recommendation regularly can lead to a variety of physical, as well as psychological, health issues, including impacting gut health.

Our stomach, small intestine, and large intestine (or colon) enable us to digest food. Other organs, organs like the liver, also play major roles in the functioning of our gut and can be negatively impacted by misusing alcohol. Excessive alcohol consumption puts you at greater risk of a number of health conditions. These include stomach ulcers, nutritional deficiencies, liver damage, and alcoholic gastritis.1,5

Gastritis means ‘inflammation of the stomach lining’, which can cause mild to severe stomach pain after drinking alcohol. This can be caused by various factors, including an excessive or prolonged intake of alcohol. The stomach lining has various layers, some of which secrete mucus to help protect the lining from stomach acid and other harmful substances.5,6

Over time, alcohol can erode the stomach lining and damage this layer of protection. You may notice alcoholic gastritis symptoms like abdominal pain or stomach pain after drinking alcohol, a burning sensation in the stomach, nausea, vomiting, and excess wind. If untreated, alcoholic gastritis can cause a risk of developing further complications such as peptic ulcers, which are painful open sores in the lining of the stomach or duodenum (first section of the small intestine) that may bleed. One of the risk factors of chronic gastritis is the risk of developing stomach cancer.5,7

Vomiting Caused by Alcohol Can Be Dangerous

The stomach has nerve endings that send signals to the brain whenever an excessive amount of a harmful substance is present. The area of the brain known as the ‘brain stem’ can also sense a high level of alcohol, which can alert the body’s vomiting reflex to remove the harmful substance from the system.

A major risk of excessive drinking is the potential to aspirate from vomiting. Normally, the airway is protected by a flap of tissue called the epiglottis, which folds over when swallowing to protect the airway. Under the influence of high levels of alcohol, the muscles that control the epiglottis lose their tension, and this increases the risk of vomit entering the airway to the lungs, causing infection or even death.8

What Other Health Problems Are Linked to Alcohol?

Cancers

Alcohol consumption increases the risk of a number of cancers of the digestive tract, including the mouth, oesophagus (food pipe or gullet), stomach, bowel, and liver.7

Alcohol is broken down by the body into a harmful substance called acetaldehyde. Acetaldehyde is a carcinogen; a substance that causes cancer. Although it is quickly broken down to less harmful byproducts, it can still inflict significant damage to the body, especially in sites where alcohol breakdown takes place. This includes the liver, pancreas, digestive tract, and brain.

The amount of alcohol consumed, as well as a person’s genetic makeup and their overall health and nutrition can affect how alcohol is metabolised, or broken down, in the body. This means that some people may be more at risk of harmful effects, like cancer, than others. For example, people who smoke and drink alcohol are more likely to develop oesophageal cancer, as alcohol can make the cells in our mouth and oesophagus absorb more carcinogens, like tobacco and acetaldehyde.6,9

Pancreatitis

The pancreas is an organ in our upper abdomen that controls the body’s blood sugar levels and helps with digestion. Inflammation of the pancreas is called ‘Pancreatitis‘ and it can be caused by a number of factors. Pancreatitis can be either acute (sudden episode) or chronic (long-term condition).

Alcohol is the second most common cause of acute pancreatitis and is responsible for around 80% of chronic pancreatitis cases. Pancreatitis caused by alcohol is known as ‘alcoholic pancreatitis’. This condition can be extremely dangerous and may be life-threatening. Early symptoms can include upper abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and fever.

Treatment for acute pancreatitis takes place in hospital and typically involves intravenous fluids, oxygen and painkillers. Chronic pancreatitis treatment also focuses on preventing nutritional deficiencies and managing complications, like diabetes.

Following recovery, it is extremely important that a patient who has had pancreatitis receives support to avoid alcohol in the future, as this may trigger further attacks.10

Liver Disease

The liver is an organ that plays a wide variety of roles in the body, and is necessary for detoxifying your blood and breaking down nutrients. It is sensitive to alcohol and can be damaged by high levels, both in the short and long-term. Prolonged high levels of alcohol consumption can damage liver health and may lead to scarring of the liver, known as ‘cirrhosis’. Symptoms of alcoholic liver cirrhosis include feeling weak or tired, loss of appetite, weight loss, and the yellowing of the skin or eyes (also known as jaundice).

Treatment of alcoholic liver disease involves reducing or ceasing the patient’s alcohol intake. Alcoholic liver cirrhosis is considered a chronic, late-stage disease and can be life-threatening. Some patients require a liver transplant as damage to the liver is irreversible and the liver begins to fail.7

If you are experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned, it is important to consult a medical professional for assessment and appropriate care.

A range of foods including meat, fish, grains, pulses, vegetables and fruit as part of a healthy or balanced diet.

How Can I Protect My Gut?

Eating a snack or meal before drinking alcohol and staying well hydrated can help to protect the stomach. Reducing the amount of alcohol you drink can also reduce the damaging effects alcohol has on the gut.7

Alcohol affects the balance of microorganisms, including bacteria, in your gut. This imbalance can lead to inflammation, tissue damage and organ problems within the gastrointestinal tract. Eating plenty of fibre-rich foods such as fruits and vegetables can help to restore your gut health. Eating foods that are rich in prebiotics, like whole fruits and vegetables, and probiotics, such as yoghurt and pickles, can also be beneficial. This will help avoid imbalances in gut bacteria and promote improved gut health, reducing stomach pain after drinking alcohol.11

Treatment Options

If you believe that you or a loved one is suffering from alcohol addiction or stomach pain after drinking alcohol, an important first step is reaching out to a medical professional for help. For those who consume excessive amounts of alcohol, an important method for protecting gut health is reducing alcohol intake and heavy drinking episodes. Abstinence from alcohol allows the gut to recover and prevents further damage to the digestive organs. Reaching out to a healthcare professional for a medical assessment can help you to receive appropriate support.7

CATCH Recovery also has links to residential rehab services for patients who require a detox period from alcohol. We also provide online therapy for patients looking for treatment that they can fit around ongoing work and family commitments, or those requiring ongoing support. A free screening can be booked on the CATCH Recovery website.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Does the Type of Alcohol I Drink Affect My Chances of Getting Cancer?

    The risk of getting cancer from excessive alcohol consumption is determined by the quantity of alcohol consumed, or total units, rather than the type of drink. Whether you drink beer, wine or other types of alcoholic drinks, it is broken down into the same harmful substance, acetaldehyde, which causes cancer to develop.6,12

  • Is Binge Drinking Worse for Me Than Spreading out My Drinks?

    It is better to spread your drinking out over several days and to give yourself some alcohol-free days to help protect your gut from the effects of alcohol. Drinking too much alcohol over a short space of time (binge drinking) causes inflammation of the stomach lining and can lead to life-threatening complications, like alcohol poisoning.7

  • Should I Stop Drinking Completely, or Is Occasional Drinking Okay?

    To help protect the stomach and lower health risks, you should limit your alcohol intake to no more than 14 units per week. This can be a safe limit for some people, however, in other cases, it will be necessary to stop drinking completely. This includes cases of advanced liver disease, such as alcoholic cirrhosis, where the liver is irreversibly damaged, and drinking more alcohol would be dangerous. Patients who have had alcoholic pancreatitis should also avoid alcohol completely, due to the risk of triggering another episode. If you suspect that you could be addicted to alcohol, it is important to reach out for help by speaking to a medical professional.7,10,13

  • Should I Stop Straight Away, or Reduce My Consumption Gradually?

    Abstinence-based recovery may be necessary to help you reduce or quit alcohol in the long-term. If your body has become dependent on alcohol, stopping suddenly may cause you to go into withdrawal. The effects of alcohol withdrawal syndrome can be severe and may require emergency medical treatment, for example if you experience seizures or symptoms of delirium tremens (sudden confusion and shaking). It can therefore be necessary to reduce your alcohol consumption gradually with the help of a medical team. This can be provided through professional addiction treatment services such as CATCH Recovery.14

  • Will My Gut Recover From Heavy Alcohol Use?

    If you consume alcohol in binge drinking episodes, it is important to take precautions, such as drinking plenty of water and eating before you drink to help protect the stomach. The most effective way to ensure the gut is protected is to drink less alcohol and avoid binge drinking. Eating a diet rich in fibre as well as prebiotics and probiotics can also be beneficial and promote a healthy gut.7,11

    Long-term outcomes will depend on the nature of the problem and amount of alcohol consumed. Some conditions such as advanced liver disease and pancreatitis can be life-threatening and will require medical treatment and complete abstinence from alcohol.10,13

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