Can alcohol cause diarrhea?
Hello, my name is Kamil. I am 30 years old and lead a stressful lifestyle. As a result, on weekends I often have to unwind these emotions somewhere out on the town. I drink a lot. Every week I’m drunk or at least a little tipsy. Everything would be ok, but since about three weeks I started having terrible diarrhea after alcohol. I’ve had them before as well, but not as intense as they have been lately. Last week I was at a club and after having a few shots of vodka and two beers, I spent almost half the party in the toilet.
What can diarrhea after alcohol even result from? Also, what does abdominal pain mean? Could the quality of the alcohol be the reason? I visit a variety of venues, but they are usually clubs that a lot of students go to, so I’m guessing the bartenders, especially later in the night, may serve lower quality o alcohol. I drink mostly vodka and beer, sometimes wine, though much less often than those two previously mentioned.
As for the diarrhea itself, the stool is usually semi-liquid, although there have been times when it has been almost completely liquid. Thank you in advance for your reply and any advice on what doctor I should go to and what tests to do. Greetings.
Doctor explains why diarrhea occurs after alcohol
Diarrhea is a condition in which the patient passes stools that are too loose in consistency with increased frequency. There are many causes and types of diarrhea. We divide diarrhea into acute diarrhea, which lasts less than 14 days and chronic d iarrhea, which lasts longer. Most causes of acute diarrhea are bacterial infections or ingestion of toxins. Chronic diarrhea is usually caused by inflammatory bowel disease, colon cancer or irritable bowel syndrome.
Alcohol, being a toxin, can cause discomfort in the form of diarrhea. Usually, consumption of its larger amount in high concentration causes such symptoms. Alcohol has a toxic effect on the mucous membrane of the digestive tract, which impairs the proper absorption of food. Alcohol causes damage to the cells of the digestive tract – enterocytes, which manifests itself in diarrhea.
In addition, diarrhea is often accompanied by weakness, nausea, abdominal pain, lack of appetite. In the case of diarrhea after alcohol, it is important to remember about adequate hydration and electrolyte supplementation. You can additionally reach for preparations available at the pharmacy. Diarrhea should subside within 1-2 days. If this condition persists, you should seek medical attention. It may be necessary to administer intravenous hydration. Intense diarrhea and lack of adequate fluid supplementation can lead to severe dehydration.
I would suggest that you stop consuming alcohol and evaluate if the condition continues. Also, please think of other ways to cope with stress than reaching for alcohol. Alcohol abuse can lead to addiction and serious health consequences.
If your symptoms persist, you should visit your primary care physician. After taking a complete medical history and examining the patient, the doctor will decide on further treatment. If necessary, he/she will refer you for diagnostic tests or refer you to a specialist and implement the appropriate treatment.