So, you’ve been drinking, and now you’ve got diarrhea. No. The topic is not exactly a glamorous one. However, if you find yourself sprinting to the bathroom after a night (or day) of drinking, it’s worth asking why. Is there a connection between alcohol and diarrhea?
Spoiler: it’s not just bad luck or something you ate. It’s the alcohol. And if you’re a regular or heavy drinker, this might be your body’s clumsy yet very persistent way of trying to get your attention.
Alcohol is a wildly addictive drug that affects your reward system and psychologically puts you in chains. But it also makes a mess of your body. It’s an equal-opportunity offender, and one of its favorite targets is your digestive system.
And when your gut is angry, one of the ways it tells you is diarrhea. So, let’s talk about what’s really going on here.
The Connection Between Alcohol and Diarrhea
Your digestive system is supposed to be an intricate, well-designed system. When you introduce heavy drinking, alcohol comes in like a dog with muddy paws. It makes a mess. Why? Alcohol gets absorbed mostly through your stomach and small intestine, but before that happens, it leaves a trail of damage along the way.
The first thing that happens is alcohol irritates your stomach lining. Think of it as sandpaper on a sunburn. Over time, this irritation becomes inflammation, which the doctors call gastritis. The result? Stomach pain, nausea, and yes, diarrhea.
And the more you drink, the worse it gets.
Your poor digestive system, once a sophisticated processor of nutrients, is now just trying to survive. It stops absorbing nutrients and water properly, which is a big reason things don’t end well.
Why Diarrhea and Drinking Go Hand-in-hand
Heavy drinking turns your body into a one-trick pony: all it wants to do is deal with the alcohol. Forget about absorbing water, vitamins, or anything that might nourish you. That’s why diarrhea becomes so common for people who drink heavily. Here’s the breakdown:
- Dehydration: Alcohol is a diuretic. That means it makes you urinate. Which, in turn, means your body loses water faster than it can hold onto it. The less water your body has, the less it can spare for your bowels. So even though you’re dehydrated, your digestive system is in a rush, and there’s not enough time for your intestines to pull out the water they normally would to solidify your stool. The result? Your body is losing water through frequent urination and unable to reabsorb it properly through your intestines.
- Gut Bacteria Chaos: Your gut is home to a vast community of good bacteria helping you digest your food. But alcohol barges killing off the good guys and letting chaos reign.
- Malabsorption: When you drink too much, your intestines basically say, “I give up.” They stop doing their job, which is to absorb the stuff that makes your body work. Instead, food rushes through your system without getting properly digested.
- Increased Gut Motility: Alcohol speeds things up in the wrong way. Your digestive system tries to move everything along as fast as possible, and when things move too fast, your body doesn’t have time to absorb nutrients or water.
Alcohol and Digestion: There’s More
Here are three other ways heavy drinking can severely affect your digestive system:
- Acid Reflux: You know that burning sensation in your chest that feels like your esophagus is being set on fire? That’s acid reflux, and alcohol is a cause. When you drink, your body produces more stomach acid, and the valve that’s supposed to keep that acid where it belongs gets all loosey-goosey. The result? Acid splashing up into your throat, which isn’t just uncomfortable—it’s actually damaging.
- Pancreatitis: Your pancreas is this small organ that helps digest food and regulate your blood sugar. But alcohol doesn’t care. Heavy drinking inflames the pancreas, leading to pancreatitis. It’s a serious, painful condition that can land you in the hospital or worse.
- Constipation: As if diarrhea wasn’t bad enough, heavy drinking can also cause constipation. Drinking can slow down your digestive system to a crawl, especially when you’re dehydrated from alcohol. Your intestines need water to move things along, and when they don’t have it, everything stops. It’s uncomfortable and frustrating. You might even find yourself swinging between diarrhea and constipation, which makes matters even more confusing.
Alcohol and Diarrhea: It’s a Warning
Okay, so maybe the connection between alcohol and diarrhea feels like a minor inconvenience, but it’s not. It’s your body sending up a signal flare. If you’re dealing with this regularly, your system is really struggling to keep up with the demands you’re putting on it.
Chronic diarrhea from drinking is dangerous. It can lead to dehydration, which makes your organs work overtime, malnutrition because your body can’t absorb the good stuff anymore, and a whole cascade of other issues like electrolyte imbalances, liver damage, and even ulcers.
It’s not funny. It’s not harmless. It’s a red flag that your body can’t take much more of this.
So, What Now?
With regards to alcohol and diarrhea, your body is telling you that the alcohol is doing more damage than you realize. This is not just going to go away. As long as you are drinking in this manner, your gastrointestinal system is going to take a beating. That said, you don’t have to keep going down this path. You can make a change.
If you’re tired of dealing with digestive issues—and the other, far more serious health problems that come with heavy drinking—help is out there. Cutting back or quitting altogether will give your body the break it needs to heal, and you’ll feel the difference in more ways than one.
Do you need help understanding the effects of alcohol on your system and finding the best next step? Call the alcohol disorder experts at EagleCrest Recovery, a luxury addiction treatment center in Benton County, Arkansas. Our team is ready to help you plan your next step. Call today: 844-439-7627.
