Can Whiskas cause diarrhea
Why Does Alcohol Give You Diarrhea and How to Prevent It
Drinking alcohol is a common activity throughout the world that is associated with side effects. The effects of alcohol ingestion can vary, ranging from coordination impairment to gastrointestinal distress.
Alcohol is easily absorbed into many tissues in the body, leading to its side effects. Diarrhea can be an uncomfortable result of ingesting alcohol and is associated with other side effects.
What Causes Diarrhea After Consuming Alcohol?
If there is food in the stomach at the time of drinking alcohol, the absorption rate will slow. This is why people feel the effects of alcohol more quickly on an empty stomach.
Alcohol is absorbed by simple diffusion in the stomach and, to a lesser degree, in the small intestine. Alcohol interferes with the large intestines ability to absorb water, which results in the stool becoming runny.
Ethanol, which is the common type of alcohol people drink, can often irritate the gastrointestinal tract and produce inflammation of the tract. This irritation and inflammation are caused by alcohols ability to produce more gastric acid. Beer and wine often have this effect, which can lead to diarrhea.
Different Types of Alcohol Ingestion
Alcohol-induced diarrhea can be of two types:
1. Acute alcohol ingestion
Acute alcohol ingestion causes mucosal erosions and villous-predominant epithelial loss (the intestinal mucosa and villi are responsible for absorption), so more diarrhea will take place as well as malnutrition.
2. Chronic alcohol ingestion
The effects of chronic alcohol ingestion on the intestinal mucosa are not well understood but may include fibrous tissue accumulation.
Chronic alcohol ingestion reduces nutrient absorption, which, along with bacterial overgrowth, increased intestinal permeability, and altered intestinal motility, contributes to malnutrition and diarrhea.
People Who Are Prone to Alcohol-Induced Diarrhea
People with the following conditions are more at risk of experiencing diarrhea from alcohol use:
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Crohns disease
- Other gastrointestinal diseases
- Certain food allergies such as gluten intolerance
- Habits such as chronic alcohol ingestion or binge drinking can increase the likelihood of experiencing diarrhea
- Eating heavy foods while drinking can lead to diarrhea due to the bodys inability to digest and breakdown food properly
Alcohols That Commonly Cause Diarrhea
The following alcohols are more likely to cause diarrhea than others:
1. Beer
Beer is loaded with carbohydrates, which is why it can be harder to digest than other lighter alcoholic beverages. Your stomach may fail to breakdown all the carbs present in beer.
These undigested carbs will then pass into the large intestine, where the colon bacteria will try to convert them into energy. This bacterial breakdown of the carbs tends to trigger gas, bloating, and diarrhea.
2. Sugary drinks like cocktails
Sugary drinks like cocktails also have high carbohydrate content, which can be heavy on the digestive system and can lead to diarrhea.
3. Wine
Wine often triggers diarrhea in people who are allergic to tannins, which are antioxidant compounds found in the skin of grapes.
Treating Alcohol-Induced Diarrhea
Here are a few home therapies and lifestyle changes to manage diarrhea brought on by alcohol:
- If you are experiencing alcohol-induced diarrhea, it is best to eat easily digestible foods such as rice, bananas, and toast.
- Use an antidiarrheal, such as Imodium, to reduce the severity and frequency of loose motions.
- You need to replenish your lost fluids by drinking lots of water, juices, broth, and herbal teas to avoid dehydration.
- Dont consume anything that could worsen your symptoms, usual culprits being dairy, caffeine, or foods that are high in fiber, fat, or spice.
Preventing Alcohol-Related Diarrhea
Heres how you can avoid diarrhea triggered by alcohol consumption:
- The best way to prevent alcohol-associated diarrhea would be to abstain from drinking altogether or to moderate alcohol ingestion.
- If you cant give up alcohol altogether, at least limit or avoid sugary or carb-laden drinks such as beer, cocktails, and wine that usually cause diarrhea.
- Eat a balanced meal before drinking to slow the absorption of alcohol in the body.
- Alternate between alcohol and water while drinking to maintain a proper fluid balance inside the body and reduce the risk of diarrhea thereafter.
Complications Associated With Alcohol Ingestion
People who experience prolonged or frequent diarrhea on account of their alcohol intake are at an increased risk of the following complications:
1. Dehydration
Continued diarrhea can lead to dehydration, which in turn can lead to multi-organ dysfunction throughout the body if severe enough.
2. Malnutrition
Both acute and chronic alcohol consumption can cause malnutrition by decreasing dietary caloric intake, impairing nutrient digestion and absorption, decreasing protein synthesis and secretion, increasing breakdown of gut proteins, and increasing breakdown and excretion of nutrients.
The degree of malnutrition depends on the amount of alcohol consumed, the quality of food intake, genetics, and the presence and severity of comorbid illnesses such as diabetes.
The risk of developing micro- and macronutrient deficiencies increases significantly when alcohol makes up more than 30% of the total caloric intake. (1) The caloric content of an alcoholic beverage comprises calories from both alcohol (7.1 kcal/gram alcohol) and its non-alcohol components. (2)
When to See a Doctor
Professional assistance and consultation by visiting a medical professional should be sought when diarrhea is persistent for 2 days or after all at-home therapies have been tried.
You should visit a medical professional if there is:
- Pain in the rectal or abdominal area
- Fever above 102F (39C)
- Dark or bloody diarrhea
- Fatigue
- Light-headedness
- Diarrhea for more than 2 days without any improvement
Final Word
If you experience diarrhea after drinking alcohol on a regular basis, then you might want to rethink your drinking habits and possibly eliminate alcohol altogether, especially if you fall into the high-risk category for experiencing diarrhea after alcohol use.
In most cases of diarrhea caused by drinking, the symptoms will go away once the person returns to a normal diet and stops drinking alcohol.
References- Berger MM, Pantet O, Schneider A, Ben-Hamouda N. Micronutrient Deficiencies in Medical and Surgical Inpatients. Journal of clinical medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6678268/. Published June 28, 2019.
- Battista K, Leatherdale ST. Estimating how extra calories from alcohol consumption are likely an overlooked contributor to youth obesity. Health promotion and chronic disease prevention in Canada: research, policy and practice. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5650014/. Published June 2017.
What causes diarrhea after drinking alcohol?
Alcohol can affect the digestive system in various ways, which may lead to diarrhea. Alcohol can cause agitation in the intestines, which can cause them to speed up digestion. Irritation and changes in water absorption can also lead to diarrhea.
Many people experience diarrhea after drinking alcohol. An individual may find certain drinks more likely than others to cause diarrhea, but how alcohol affects a person can vary.
Here, we look at some tips to help reduce the likelihood of diarrhea after drinking alcohol.
Alcohol is easy for body tissues to absorb. As soon as alcohol enters the body, it starts making its way into the bloodstream. Some of this absorption happens in the stomach.
If there is food in the stomach at the time, the absorption rate will slow. This is why people feel the effects of alcohol more quickly on an empty stomach.
Once alcohol leaves the stomach, the small intestine starts to absorb it. Much of the alcohol is absorbed here, but the remainder goes into the large intestine and exits with the stool and urine.
Alcohol can affect the normal functions of the digestive system at every stage.
These changes include:
- Inflammation: Contact with alcohol
can cause the gastrointestinal tract to become inflamed. Alcohol can also lead to more acid production in the stomach, which can increase irritation and inflammation. This irritation can lead to diarrhea. - Water absorption: Water is usually absorbed from the foods and liquids reaching the intestines. The large intestine pulls liquids out of the stool before passing it out of the body. When alcohol is present, the large intestine does not function as well. This can result in liquid stools and dehydration.
- Faster digestion: Alcohol agitates the intestines and causes them to react by speeding up digestion. The muscles in the colon contract more frequently, pushing stool out faster than usual. This quickening can lead to diarrhea, as the intestines do not have time to digest the passing food properly.
- Bacterial imbalance: A variety of bacteria in the intestines work to keep the body in balance by attacking harmful pathogens. Alcohol may temporarily kill off some bacteria species or allow others to grow rapidly, which can cause the intestines to malfunction.
Certain factors can affect the risk and severity of diarrhea after drinking alcohol.
Lifestyle choices
Some lifestyle factors that may increase the risk include:
- having alcohol use disorder, which
can affect the whole intestinal tract and may result in diarrhea having several alcoholic drinks in quick succession, sometimes called binge drinking- eating heavy foods while drinking
The body has trouble digesting food when alcohol is working its way through the intestinal tissues, and alcohol may reduce the digestive enzymes necessary to break down heavy food.
Some
Other gastrointestinal conditions
A person is more likely to have diarrhea, and to have it more severely, if they have certain health conditions, such as:
People with a gluten intolerance may have a reaction to the grains in beer and certain liquors. Anyone with a more sensitive digestive tract, in general, may also be more sensitive to the effects of alcohol.
Certain alcoholic beverages may cause more symptoms than others, although alcoholic drinks can affect individuals differently.
- Beer has more carbohydrates compared to other forms of alcohol. The body can have trouble breaking down these extra carbs while drinking alcohol. This can lead to diarrhea.
- Wine is more likely to cause diarrhea in some people. This may be due to a sensitivity or allergy to tannins. Tannins are compounds found in the skin of grapes, and a reaction may lead to headaches, nausea, and diarrhea.
- Mixed drinks can be high in sugar. This
can worsen diarrhea in some people. Excess sugar causes the body to push out the contents of the intestines quicker.
Here are some tips for preventing diarrhea due to alcohol consumption:
- Be mindful of drinking habits, including how much you drink and how often.
- Drink slowly to ease stress on the digestive tract.
- Consume a non-alcoholic drink, such as water, between each alcoholic beverage.
- Replace drinks that cause gastrointestinal symptoms with a different type of alcohol.
- Eat before drinking to slow the absorption of alcohol into the body and reduce the risk of diarrhea.
- Avoid alcoholic beverages mixed with caffeine, as caffeine can increase movement in the intestine and the speed of digestion.
The
Diarrhea after one night of drinking may last a few days if the drinking has ceased, but a lot depends on how sensitive ones gut is to alcohol and whether the drinking continues.
A person who regularly consumes large amounts of alcohol may have intestinal changes that cause persistent diarrhea.
During recovery:
- Eat bland, easily-digested foods such as rice, toast, or plain crackers, as these can help fill the stomach without causing additional symptoms.
- Avoid dairy products and foods high in fat or fiber immediately after diarrhea to help reduce stress on the digestive system while it is trying to recover.
- Drink water or herbal teas to help replace fluids lost through urine and diarrhea and prevent dehydration.
If diarrhea persists, over-the-counter medications can help the body soak up water and fill out the stool.
Probiotics may also balance gut bacteria.
Persistent diarrhea may be a sign of a separate condition that may require a doctors visit. A person may also need medical attention if they become severely dehydrated.
A doctor should be notified if the following symptoms occur:
- persistent diarrhea lasting more than 2 days
- dry mouth and continuous thirst
- low or no urine, even with extra fluid intake
- infrequent urine that is often very dark in color
- weakness and fatigue
- dizziness or lightheadedness
- fever
- intense cramps and pain
- bloody stool
- black stool that is not caused by an antidiarrheal medication
Dehydration can be life-threatening, so anyone experiencing the above symptoms should contact a doctor.
You may also wish to consider seeing a doctor if you have concerns about how alcohol is affecting you. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)s
How does alcohol cause diarrhea?
One way alcohol can increase the risk of diarrhea is by agitating or irritating the intestinal tract and speeding up digestion. As the muscles in the colon contract more frequently, they push stool out faster, which may lead to diarrhea.
Certain health conditions and a high, regular alcohol intake can cause sensitivity in the gut, which may also increase the risk.
How long does diarrhea last after alcohol?
Diarrhea after alcohol usually lasts a few days, but it can come back if a person consumes more alcohol. People who regularly consume a lot of alcohol may have persistent diarrhea due to damage in the gastrointestinal tract.
Some people experience diarrhea after consuming alcohol, especially if they consume a large amount, if they have several drinks in quick succession, or if they have a sensitivity to alcohol or other ingredients in a drink.
In most cases of diarrhea caused by drinking, the symptoms will go away once the person returns to a normal diet and stops drinking alcohol.
