Kidney Pain After Drinking Alcohol: What Could Be Causing It

Seeking professional medical care sooner than later can help you get an accurate diagnosis of what is causing your kidney pain. They will assist you in introducing an individualized treatment plan that will relieve your symptoms and preserve the health of your kidneys. When you drink heavily, your kidneys have to work harder to filter out the alcohol. And in rare cases, binge drinking — five or more drinks at a time — can cause a sudden drop in kidney function called acute kidney injury. This serious condition occurs when toxins from alcohol build up in your blood so fast your kidneys can’t maintain the proper fluid balance.

Kidney Stones Caused by Excessive Alcohol Use

Since one of the kidney’s jobs is to keep the right amount of water in the body, this gives it another job to do. You can try drinking plenty of water to flush them out, but you may need further treatment if the problem persists. Kidney stones alone can be painful but alcohol can cause them to move more quickly and be the pain you feel after drinking.

Treatments for acute kidney injury

• Unfortunately, chronic kidney disease caused by alcohol is usually not reversible.
• You can have a sports drink that has electrolytes and a carbohydrate solution.
• The kidneys are meant to filter harmful substances from the blood and stop extra waste from building up by expelling it through your urine.
• Sciatica is characterized by pain that radiates along the sciatic nerve, which runs from the lower back down through the hips, buttocks, and legs.
• Alcohol and other waste products must be removed from the body by the kidneys.
• Kindly explain the reason for dull pain and pressure in lower right abdomen.

You can make mocktails in a fancy glass if you want to drink something special, especially in social situations. You may wish to swap out hard liquor for beer or wine, since these have a lower alcohol content. Keep track of your drinks using an app or a diary so you can monitor your progress.

extreme stomach discomfort after drinking alcohol

The body may get severely infected or clogged if the stone is not passed. Also, alcohol does not appear to make kidney disease worse or make it more likely that someone with kidney disease will need dialysis. Alcohol increases your risk of many types of cancer, including breast, liver, mouth, and colon. However, 2012 research suggests your risk of developing kidney cancer may be lower if you consume alcohol. The function of the kidneys in the body is to filter harmful substances out of the body.

Alcohol may indirectly increase the risk of developing a urinary tract infection (UTI). Hard deposits of minerals can build up in your kidneys over time. Kidney stones can range from very tiny (smaller than a grain of sand) to larger than a pearl. Since alcohol causes you to urinate more often than usual and dehydrates you, heavy drinking can increase your chances of developing a kidney stone and lead to kidney pain. This can be due to the kidneys needing to work harder to eliminate alcohol in the system as well as any damage the alcohol did to the liver. If you experience kidney pain after drinking alcohol, it can be because your kidneys are working overtime to expel the alcohol from your system.

• This could be caused by kidney stones, and may present with flank pain or an inability to urinate.
• According to the NKF, individuals who have sustained an alcohol-induced AKI may require dialysis, depending on severity.
• Having kidney stones increases your risk of developing hydronephrosis.
• This is why many a hangover recovery involves drinking a sports drink full of electrolytes or (more problematically) a hair-of-the-dog cure in the form of a spicy Bloody Mary.

Some people experience pain only when they drink some alcohol, while others experience a dull pain even when they have stopped drinking. See your doctor to treat kidney stones or a kidney infection if they are the cause. Hydronephrosis is the result of one or two swollen kidneys due to an accumulation how does alcohol affect the kidneys of urine. A blockage or obstruction prevents urine from properly draining from the kidney to the bladder. You may experience flank pain and pain or difficulty during urination. It’s important to understand the reason for your discomfort in case it’s a sign of something serious.

The American Cancer Society suggests that no one should drink alcohol due to its harmful effects on the body and its potential to increase your risk of cancer. If you’ve already been diagnosed with cancer, drinking alcohol could also affect your risk of developing a new cancer. Having an occasional glass of alcohol may not cause any harmful effects if your kidney functions regularly. Still, you should talk with your doctor about the safety and impact of drinking alcohol if you already have kidney disease or kidney cancer.

Kidney Stones

This would be a UTI (urinary tract infection), and drinking alcohol can worsen the severity of a UTI. People who drink too much are more likely to have high blood pressure. And medications for high blood pressure can be affected by alcohol. More than two drinks a day can increase your chance of developing high blood pressure. Drinking alcohol in these amounts is a risk factor for developing a sign of kidney disease, protein in the urine (albuminuria).

The Connection Between Alcohol and Kidney Stones

Acute kidney injury requires immediate medical attention and may result in hospitalization. If the pain is due to muscle strain or inflammation from alcohol consumption, treatment might include resting and hydrating. For conditions exacerbated by alcohol, such as kidney problems or liver disease, a more comprehensive approach including potential lifestyle changes to manage alcoholism may be necessary. There is a noted link between heavy drinking and the development of chronic conditions, such as chronic back pain. When there isn’t enough fluid available to filter out certain substances like calcium or uric acid through urine, those substances will deposit in the kidneys and form into stones.

• Kidney pain symptoms include lower back pain, fever, chills, and more.
• While some kidney diseases cannot be prevented, even those with genetic kidney abnormalities may experience fewer complications if they lead a healthy lifestyle.
• Chronic dehydration puts you at greater risk for these adverse effects.
• Your doctor can give you advice about whether it is safe to consume alcohol while undergoing cancer treatment.