alcohol induced shoulder pain

There has got to be something to this and I'm thinking it would be a great thesis paper for a graduating medical student!  
I'm 30 and have experienced these symptoms throughout my 'drinking life' every time I consume the slightest amount of alcohol.  I don't drink beer as I can't take the taste but prefer wine coolers or grain alcohol drinks.  I drink rarely, about every other month or two, but when I do it doesn't take long for crippling shoulder pain, yawning, and fatigue to result.  Typically, it only takes about half a glass or bottle for the reaction to begin which is probably around 15-20 minutes from starting to drink.  The symptoms last for 30-45 minutes and then subside and everything is back to normal.  
I'm fine with not consuming alcohol but it would be nice to understand what is happening.  I've questioned a few doctors over the years and no one has any explanations other than some chemical reaction is happening incorrectly or not at all within my body.  
You never know if something so rare, as these symptoms seem to be around the world, you could find the answer to alcohol intolerance, addiction, dependence or death... wish I had the ability to find out.  Maybe someone out there does?!?!?  

[rooster1969]

I have this happen as well, it started about a year ago out of the blue.  It affected my right arm, at times all the way down to the wrist, and now affects my left as well.  It happens within a minute of one swallow of any type of alcohol (although beer is less painful).  It starts, peaks, then fades.  It lasts from 5-10 minutes, and when it's gone I feel fine.  When it happens I also feel like I have a really bad body ache flu, but that feeling goes away with pain.  I had one pathologist say it was a sign of Hodgkin's Disease, and I had one say that maybe it could be from gerd, but my Gastroenterologist has never heard of this from any of his patients.  Google alcohol induced pain, most of it is regarding Hodgkin's Disease.
Good luck

[elbango]

bro i got the same thing i think. whenever i drink i get a crazy pain in my shoulder and it hurts so bad that i dont drink anymore.  i had shoulder problems when i was younger but not for awhile.  it is only on my right shoulder in the back.  people thought i was crazy so thank you for writing this and please if you find out why let the world know.

[jokelly119]

I have the same problem, that only started after I entered remission from Hodgkin's Disease, and I did not have alcohol related pain before I was diagnosed.  It radiates from a point in my left shoulder blade, also at the back, throbbing down my left arm.  It used to affect my left leg at the hip too, but now it is just my arm.  I also get flu like aches, and the pain is so bad I literally have to go to bed within an hour of consuming alcohol.

My doctor sent me for blood tests (B12 and folic acid) but they were normal.  My cancer hospital says it could be nerve damage from the chemo, but have never heard of this otherwise, and my extensive blood tests there are normal too.

It's driving me mad, I'm not a frequent drinker but having the choice taken away is very annoying!  I am also concerned that my disease is coming back and would really like to rule that out.  Any responses to this welcome!

[FurballsMom]

I have the same thing, only the symptoms last a lot longer.  I never could stand beer either.  Interestingly, I knew that alcohol would evaporate when cooking with it.  I was introduced to cooking with wine.  I really liked the taste, but shortly after trying to cook with the stuff, I still got sick.  So, then, I knew it wasn't just the alcohol I was allergic to.  I learned that I was allergic to sulfites.  Grapes always did bother my GERD, but they also contain natural sulfites.  I don't eat grapes anymore.  I also can't eat garlic or onions anymore, because they make me sick, too.  They also contain high amounts of natural sulfites.

If you suspect you're allergic to alcohol, you probably are.  It's better to just steer clear of the stuff.  You might be allergic to some of the other things commonly in alcoholic beverages, like the sulfites, but also gluten.  Remember, beer is a grain alcohol made primarily of wheat and/or barley along with the hops and other things.  Wheat and barley contain the most gluten of all the gluten containing grains.  It isn't just the alcohol that makes beer drinkers gain weight.  Grains with gluten are also fattening.  Gluten in moderation is fine, if you're not allergic to it.  I have a friend who is so allergic to gluten that the tiniest amount, like the tablespoon or so of flour used to thicken a gravy, will make her sick.

Instead of asking for more trouble and more severe allergies, it's better to just avoid the alcohol altogether.  

I can understand the annoyance that jokelly119 feels about having to abstain from alcohol because the body is allergic to it.  I've always had some reaction to alcohol and used to drink about half a bottle of a single serving of wine cooler or less and notice that I still had trouble with the stuff.  I had to give up on it.

On the positive side, we have less chance than most people of becoming alcoholics, since the slightest amount of the stuff makes us sick.

[jokelly119]

after several months suffering from this alcohol induced pain, it has now been found that again I do have hodgkin's lymphoma, and it has spread into my hip, other bones and lung, as well as in my lymph nodes.  get yourself checked if you are worried about this!  alcohol induced pain is one of the first symptoms of this cancer, and i went with it for months!

[xobubblesox]

I also have this...mostly my right shoulder at first. then it spread to my left and now down both arms every time I consume alcohol...within 1 minute and lasting for about 5...it's very intense pain...i also have some bowel problems...i have had inflammation in my small intestine as well as gastritis...but diagnosed with ibs??lol...i dont know...does anyone have any information?i dont think i have cancer...seeing as how i have had alot of blood work done and it all came back clear.

[FurballsMom]

Has your doctor done the biopsy for Celiac?  What you're describing with the small intestine makes me wonder if you have inflammation due to Celiac disease, which is found with the villi in the small intestine.  Try asking this kind of question on the Celiac forum.  Someone there will know more than I do.

[supertam3]

i am by no means an expert, but i am currently a medical student and i also experience a brief shoulder ache when i consume a small amount of alcohol which lasts 15-30 minutes. this is only my best guess, but it makes sense to me:

referred visceral pain occurs when sensory nerves innervating internal organs enter the spinal cord, but instead of the brain interpreting the pain from the internal organ, it attributes the pain to peripheral nerves that also synapse at the same spot in the spinal cord, because cutaneous pain is much more common than visceral pain. (for example, heart attacks may cause referred pain the in the left arm because the nerves in the arm synapse at the same level as the heart in the spinal cord). so in the same manner, your phrenic nerve, which innervates your diaphragm, synapses in the spinal cord at the same level as your shoulder (C3, C4, C5). your liver is right next to your diaphragm, and also causes referred pain to your shoulder when irritating the diaphragm in other pathologies (best example i can think of is actually an inflamed gallbladder, cholecystitis, which is also right next to your diaphragm causes shoulder/scapula pain).

so in short, your liver is either gearing up to start working on the alcohol you just consumed, maybe even enlarging a bit, and irritating your diaphragm, which causes referred pain in your shoulder via the phrenic nerve.

i could be wrong, and i have no idea is this is normal...

[supertam3]

I noticed that most people who experience alcohol induced shoulder pain are either diagnosed with, or in remission of lymphoma... found literature referring to this phenomenon and was written about extensively around 1950-1960. Seems to be idiopathic, although there was at least one case of an healthy individual with alcohol induced pain diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma upon subsequent examination. Here's one of the articles if anyone's interested.

William E. Braun; Bruce I. Shnider
ALCOHOL-INDUCED PAIN IN HODGKIN'S DISEASE
J Am Med Assoc, Dec 1958; 168: 1882 - 1885.

[AMonster]

What neelin wrote is exactly what i have too.  I don't drink alot, but I have a few drinks a week.  I started drinking when I was a teenager, and remember then having an ache in my shoulder within minutes of my first sips, no matter what alcohol I am drinking (mixed drinks, coolers, beer...  I don't think I have this reaction to wine, though...  I'll have to pay special attention next time, but usually I forget that I have this "problem" so don't think about it when I have a drink until a few minutes later when that achy feeling comes).  Nowadays, in my 30s, I feel that same heaviness, but more in my legs (thigh area, sometimes calves) than in my shoulder, though sometimes it does occur in my arms too.  Within 15-30 minutes, though, the aches subside and I can continue my evening.  It does not get when I continue to drink.  

Today is the first time that I have hit the internet in search of an answer.  I found some posts suggesting some relationships with birth control drugs, but since I had this happen before I started on the pill, I don't think it has anything to do with that.  I don't think it's a grain allergy because I eat bread and all other kinds of grainy products without any issues.  I certainly hope it's not cancer!!! but like I said I have been experiencing the exact same thing for 15 years or so.... I'm not really worried, but I just wonder what the heck is going on in my body when this happens, and sometimes i wonder if i SHOULD be worried, since it is so unusual - my friends think i'm nuts when i tell them about it!  i like the liver answer from Supertam3.  thanks for the post...

[visitor_h]

hi,
i have had the same problem for years. the funniest occasions are when i drink juice that has been in the fridge for too long and has already fermented and the feeling gets into my shoulders! then i know it is the time to throw the juice away...i really feel strange at those moments, like i were a freak of some kind and never tell anyone!

but seriously, i am also incredibly happy to see some other people have the same problem. i wonder if we ever learn if there is a common reason behind the cases. i have also had this happening for so many years that i cannot think of it as cancer. i also have to say that not all alcoholic beverages cause this and especially bad are home-made wines and stuff.

[tgesell]

For all whom have the pain, beware. In my case I had this same pain for over a year. After much research and some new symptoms(pain when not drinking, night sweats, weight loss, being tired all the time) I thought that I might of had lymphoma, I told my doctor after 2 previous visits(one in march and one in augest of 2010) and 4 x rays that came up negative, that I thought I might have lymphoma. We ran some blood tests and a ct scan immediatly. My total 22,000 very high and come to find out, I have a tumor the size of an orange resting on my aorta, which is diagnosed as hodgkins lymphoma, I will be staring chemo very shortly I will try to come back and update from time to time. Be safe all, get it checked out and good luck

[litlhulk]

I have severe nerve pain across my shoulders occasionally when I drink. It seems to be related to the amount of stress I'm under. I tend to be very tense and it feels like when I drink and I start to relax that the relaxation is what causes the severe pain. And it doesn't happen every time I drink so it always surprises me.  if I don't stop immediately some times the pain gets so intense that the only thing that helps is soaking in a hot bath. The first time this happened I was in the tub all night. Every time I thought I was better and would get out the pain would immediately come back just as severe as before. I would love a diagnosis if anyone else has had this. I always wondered if it was fibromyalgia. I have had whip lash 6 + years prior. But I feel tension and stress are somehow related. Right now I have the same pain. I took 1/2 a pain pill for back pain and now my back is great but my kneed, shoulders all the way down to my hands is killing me to the point I think I need a hot bath to relieve it. Please share any words of wisdom you may have. Thank you

[Gucek]

Is it the kind of *muscle* pain that you might have after going to gym? Often (but *not* always) I have shoulder/back pain right after drinking stronger alcohols.. And it feels like I've been hit in my back with heavy stick several times..

[Jonkurt]

I also have most of the symptoms most of you have posted. I've never had any back or shoulder problems in the past or anything relative that would pertain to back or shoulder pain. I only used to drink once a month now I can barely at all. I notice most of the times when I consume malt beverages, wine coolers, some types of homemade wine will cause the most frustrating and aggravating pain in my shoulders and somewhat my left arm. After having about one serving I have to set down to ease the pain caused by this. The feeling is almost indescribable. I'd say it feels like a cross combination between someone standing on my shoulders, cutting off the circulation of my shoulders, almost like being short of breath, every time I take a breath the pain gets sharper. Almost feels like nerve being pulled gently but continuously. After about a half hour to 45 min im back to good. I thought I was wierd for having this kind of reaction.  Good to know I'm not alone lol  

[bob777828]

I have had similar symptoms, and for over 15 years. Since the Zima days(that is what I was drinking when I first noticed it).  It only happens with malt beverages, and some wines.  I am pretty sure it is an allergic reaction to the sulfates, I don't think I would have survived this long with un-diagnosed cancer.

[a74]

I came on and googled shoulder pain allergic reaction and found you guys. I just had 2 margaritas and it happens every time the pain is intense and its hard to explain to people because they just have no frame of reference for this weird reaction. I assumed it was a fruit juice preservative that was causing it. It started originally when frutopia the fruit drink came out in 1994ish that I first experienced intense collar bone, chest area, shoulder pain. It lasts about 30 minutes. If I chug water it seems to rinse it out more quickly. Then I next experienced it when having peach sangria, and now margaritas. It is terrible feeling and I wish I knew what it was. Just to have a clue what the reaction is actually being caused by so I could stear clear. I love peach sangria and margaritas on special occasions but they are not worth 30 minutes of feeling like train hit me. :(

[clee1984]

I have the shoulder pain when drinking anything but beer. It can be wine, rum, coolers, or vodka (my favorite). Its an intense pain that feels like a burning, cramping feeling. Almost like a leg cramp but one that doesnt let up unless i lay on a flat, soft surface and take deep breaths. After about five minutes it lets up. It makes me feel like i am going to get sick the pain is so intense. So I try to steer clear from anything but beer because everytime i think well maybe it wont happen this time i end up in bed.

[Coley204]

Im only 15 and I get this pain In my shoulder iya so painful it starts about 10 minutes after I start drinkin and lasts for about 30 mins.last weekend it was so painful I could barely Stick it and everyone thinks I'm just drunk but it really is painful and I can usually handle pain but this Is just so sore.I can't tell my parents or get it checked out because I'm underage please tell me should I be worried?

[needsprozac]

Look up referred pain.  i am pretty sure this is the cause of most of the folks problems who have posted here.  Likely from the gallbladder or the liver.  Very common in people with hypothyroidism...which is SUPER common and most people don't even know they have it.  I've have always had the shoulder pain and just found out 4 years ago I have hypothyroidism.  i just wish I had a way to make it stop or keep it from happening!

[jess_march]

As others have said, this symptom has a unique link to Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Anyone with this symptom must get serious about seeking medical attention and getting a diagnosis.

I had this alcohol pain in 2006 and couldn't find an answer for 9 months. Eventually I was diagnosed with stage II cancer. I am healthy today but always trying to help others to avoid waiting so long to figure it out.

Pain in the neck, back, or chest that starts after drinking a small amount of alcohol and then subsides within a half hour--- is a very rare but very specific symptom of Hodgkin's. The good news it that its usually a very early symptom if that's what it is. The other good news is that Hodgkin's, while very serious, has a very high cure rate.

Other symptoms (although you may not have them --I didn't) could be night sweats, fever, unexplained weight loss, or a hard swollen lymph node (clavicle area, groin, neck).

Here is a medical article explaining the symptom (be sure to click through to the 2nd page as well, where it described the symptom). http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1010854/?page=1

Ask your doctor about running some tests.Typically blood work and ultra sounds are not enough. A chest x-ray would be a good place to start but a biopsy (surgical not needle) is the only way to get a definite diagnosis.

[nxcokonis]

When I consume most of my first drink (usually mixed juice and rum), I get this really bad pain in both of my shoulders near my clavicle. It is an awful pain, but feels more like a joint/bone pain. I only experience it while drinking, and I would say 8/10 times it will happen. It lasts for up to 30 minutes, usually no longer. I can continue drinking, but usually my mood is shattered and I do not want to drink until the pain resides.
Another system I encure is stomach pain. I associate this with the mixed drinks containing a lot of sugar. Logically, a stomach ache seems to make sense, but the shoulder pain doesn't. It almost feels as though the alcohol is curculating through my blood in turn causing pain and discomfort. Sounds crazy, I know, and everyone I tell seems to think I'm a little crazy.
I started researching online, and it makes me feel better that other people experience these symptoms, but I would like some answers!

[babs500]

My gallbladder is out. My liver is normal. No thyroid problems. Have had this problem for years. Night sweats and recently lost 12 lbs without diet or exercise. The doctors cant ever find anything wrong with me.

[CoolChick66]

Wow, I have had this problem too for many years, and I'm in great health otherwise.  I happened to mention this today to my family, who has no idea what I'm talking about, nor do they experience it.  It is very uncomfortable when it happens, but it doesn't happen every time I drink alcohol.  I need to pay closer attention to WHAT kind of alcohol I'm drinking when it happens again.  So glad I decided to look this up today and find that I am not alone.

[dean71]

Yes I to have had this problem for at least 25 years. Pain starts at the stomach and works it way up to both shoulders and can be very intense. I have been to two different doctors, had blood tests etc etc and they seem to look at me like I am imagining it. I found that its not the alcohol, but suger loaded drinks that do it. It just happens that many people associate it with alcohol as they usually only consume large amounts of suger loaded drinks with alcohol. After experimenting over a number of years I discovered that if I drink a similar amount of suger loaded drinks without the alcohol I get the same thing happening. The worst things I find are pineapple juice and soft drinks. I also have had the problem if I drink one of these drinks first thing in the morning without food. So I have learnt to manage it by not drinking suger loaded drinks, I find diet drinks fine but they have the side effects of all the chemicals we don't know enough about. So I find whiskey and soda water my best option or alternate between an alcohol drink and an equal amount of water. Maybe my experience will help others. I have a feeling that alcohol does help bring it on faster but is not actually the cause in my case. So we are not all mad!

[Bezza67]

I am 67 never much of a drinker, once in a while just to check if i'm still affected after more than 30 years.  Yes that long so it can be for some of the reasons mentioned above.  I have asked my Dr about it but just get a blank luck as if i'm talking to a brick wall. I feel guilty as if I'm taking up his time over something trivial. The reason I ask is not so much that I suddenly want to go out partying but I just want to know what's the underlying reason.  It seems to me that there are a lot of us out there so it may be a good idea for some research.  Who knows what might be found.  I've heard that there is a well known actor allergic to wine but that may be a different thing. I've been thinking of trying non alc wine to see if that's ok.

[Gryphon1994]

I get the same pain, but it doesn't necesssarily have to involve alcohol.  I first experienced it when I was 18 at a girlfriend's house.  Her parents had ordered pizza and coca cola for dinner.  I think or rather have thought it was some combination of the soda's carbonation and the acid in the tomato sauce.  I have had the same reaction with soda and spaghetti with some tomato based sauce.

I am 40 now, and just had another bout with it.  This time it was the orange mango and peach mango drinks I had with my Mickey Dee's bacon, egg, and cheese bagels breakfast.

Every time the pain starts centrally like near my abdomen and then radiates upward branching out to each shoulder/collar bone.  My forehead always feels like it breaks out into little beads of
sweat.  I haven't looked in the mirror, but i am guessing by other people's reactions that the blood must drain from my head.  My friends and family can always tell there is something wrong.

Usually, sitting on the toilet and trying to have a bowel movement helps.  If not, just laying down on the bed for about a half hour helps.

I am off to wikipedia to read up on Hodgkins lymphoma.

[smithy201290]

i get pain in my right shoulder after drinking then imediantky my anxiety kicks in i keep thinking am dien,ive had pain in ma shoulder and my elbow and wrist/hand since childbrith but da pain in shoulder comes when i drink,ive not gone doctors yet but will asap i dnt have any health problems except i am like over weight but not alot i am 15 stone now after being 17 and a half stone dis year january.but if any1 has any info on why i get dis pain please let me know and right now has i type its gone to ma left shoulder and i have had a drink now,whats goin on am scared like am having some sort of silent heart attack

[AliciaB12]

FYI I have Oral Allergy Syndrome and alcohol was on this list. May not be severe. Get yourself tested!

[demilee]

I've had the same thing happen to me for the past 17 years. I think what is happening is referred pain, as another poster stated. I think what we are experiencing is a gall bladder attack. I myself only have this happen when I've eaten corn or a corn by-product with alcohol. Since I have stayed away from corn and all corn by-products I've not had it happen for over a year. This is why it is happening to you with sugary drinks, of course they use corn syrup for sweetener. If you make a home-made drink with real cane sugar, which I do when I make my own mojitos, you will find you can enjoy an alcoholic drink with sugar.

The key is to stay away from anything pre-mixed. Start from scratch as if you are making home-made food and you can enjoy your alcohol without the pain. No wine coolers, no cheap wine (some add sweetener), no Mexican food with your drinks (a lot of corn in Mexican food). If you are very sensitive you will need to stay away from MSG while drinking, MSG is also a corn by-product.

You can read this article for further info. http://www.livestrong.com/article/499942-why-does-corn-trigger-gallbladder-attacks/

I hope this helps someone because this pain we've all had can ruin a good time real fast!

Take care!

[demilee]

I've had the same thing happen to me for the past 17 years. I think what is happening is referred pain, as another poster stated. I think what we are experiencing is a gall bladder attack. I myself only have this happen when I've eaten corn or a corn by-product with alcohol. Since I have stayed away from corn and all corn by-products I've not had it happen for over a year. This is why it is happening to you with sugary drinks, of course they use corn syrup for sweetener. If you make a home-made drink with real cane sugar, which I do when I make my own mojitos, you will find you can enjoy an alcoholic drink with sugar.

The key is to stay away from anything pre-mixed. Start from scratch as if you are making home-made food and you can enjoy your alcohol without the pain. No wine coolers, no cheap wine (some add sweetener), no Mexican food with your drinks (a lot of corn in Mexican food). If you are very sensitive you will need to stay away from MSG while drinking, MSG is also a corn by-product.

You can read this article for further info. http://www.livestrong.com/article/499942-why-does-corn-trigger-gallbladder-attacks/

I hope this helps someone because this pain we've all had can ruin a good time real fast!

Take care!

[arwen381]

To anyone who experiences this, don't be frightened by the people who say that it's cancer.  I'm sure in some cases, if it has come on suddenly, it may be related, but I am 100% sure I don't have cancer and I have the same thing.  It does not happen all the time when I drink alcohol, and I haven't been able to figure out exactly what kinds of alcohol trigger it and which doesn't, although it often happens when I drink wine, and if I drink it quickly.  If I sip very, very slowly, it usually doesn't happen.  It is a very achy, heavy feeling, kind of like having the flu as one person described it above, and it seems to spread like a wave from my shoulders and neck, down to my arms.  Usually it only lasts a couple minutes.  I've never had it last more than 10.  I also experienced for the first time last night after drinking champagne, the same feeling in my stomach.  It was actually fairly intense pain and lasted about 10 mins.  My mother gets this exact same thing, and she has experienced the stomach cramps as well, but last night is the first time I got them.  My sister also experiences these symptoms, but to a much lesser extent than my mother or I.  I don't know what it is, but it is certainly some sort of reaction to alcohol, and it's some trait that is obviously heritable.  I've never gone looking for an answer or asked a doctor about it, but after my mom and I experiencing this for our entire lives, I thought I'd google around and see if other people have it too.

[justme680]

So thrilled to read your post....thank you for doing so....I have the same exact reaction to Margaritas...every time...for many years now, so, hopefully, upon reading these posts it is not  Hodgkins disease or i would prob be 6ft under by now. If anyone else has these symptons or knows what causes this ....PLEASE let us know! Much thanks.

[orangeodissey]

Ok! Now I'm scared! I had this reaction with alcohol all my life! It happens right after I drink the first glass and lasts something like 10 to 15 minutes. Then it's gone. I do check ups all the time and everything seems to be fine. Are there any special tests to detect HODGKIN'S DISEASE, or a complete checkup including blood tests should detect it?

[iluvcactus]

I agree at first these comments scared but I think the point made by other is that.....I too have had this reaction to wine coolers and rum for at least 25 years.  I'm sure cancer would have killed me by now if that was the cause.  I wouldn't panic. My sister who is 7 years younger also has the same reaction to wine coolers and rum...I remember years ago when we discovered we both had the same reaction how strange it was.  Nice to know that at least there are others out there with the same thing.