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What Causes Back Pain After Alcohol Consumption?
Question: What would cause back pain (mid /upper left and right) after drinking alcohol.I now only have the pain on the right side?
Brief Answer:
Fluids, antacids, No worries for now
Detailed Answer:
Hi and thanks for the query,
It might be important to know if you have any past history of gastritis or peptic ulcer disease or not. The commonest or most probable cause of such pain, though not very classical in your case, would be peptic ulcer disease or gastritis, caused by the irritation of the stomach by the alcohol.
Secondly, it is also possible that this could be due to a transient inflammation of the liver. The liver is the main centre for alcohol metabolism. Alcohol at times could cause an acute inflammation of the liver (hepatitis), which could inflame the liver and cause pain. the greatest portion of the liver is to the right. The pain is usually more to the right or above the umbilicus.
I would suggest you take an antacid (Maalox, Alluminium Hydroxide) to manage any irritation of the stomach and drink a lot of water and fluids. The pain should decrease within a couple of days. Persistence would deserve a proper deep evaluation to exclude other coincidental diseases. This might require a chest X ray and an abdominal ultrasound.
I strongly feel we are not there yet. An antacid and enough fluids in my opinion should be very sufficient for now.
Kind regards as I wish you the best of health.
Dr Bain
Fluids, antacids, No worries for now
Detailed Answer:
Hi and thanks for the query,
It might be important to know if you have any past history of gastritis or peptic ulcer disease or not. The commonest or most probable cause of such pain, though not very classical in your case, would be peptic ulcer disease or gastritis, caused by the irritation of the stomach by the alcohol.
Secondly, it is also possible that this could be due to a transient inflammation of the liver. The liver is the main centre for alcohol metabolism. Alcohol at times could cause an acute inflammation of the liver (hepatitis), which could inflame the liver and cause pain. the greatest portion of the liver is to the right. The pain is usually more to the right or above the umbilicus.
I would suggest you take an antacid (Maalox, Alluminium Hydroxide) to manage any irritation of the stomach and drink a lot of water and fluids. The pain should decrease within a couple of days. Persistence would deserve a proper deep evaluation to exclude other coincidental diseases. This might require a chest X ray and an abdominal ultrasound.
I strongly feel we are not there yet. An antacid and enough fluids in my opinion should be very sufficient for now.
Kind regards as I wish you the best of health.
Dr Bain
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
Answered by
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