alcohol poisoning

[fort dave]

My girlfriend is 20, and since highschool she has had a severe reaction to drinking alcohol. I don't know exactly how much she  typically drank in highschool to cause the severe vomitting. I do know that at least for the last year and a half, often after only 3 drinks, she will wake up the next morning (or in the middle of the night) and vomit over and over again until finally yellow colored bile is coming out. She rarely drinks now, but occasionally she does, and the result is always this continuous vomitting. I know the obvious thing here is for her to stop drinking alcohol completely. My question is what kind of an effect might this have on her general health in the long-run? What does years of vomitting do to ones digestive track and all other affected areas?
                           Thank You

[hpolley]

I'm not a doctor, but I know that several conditions can result from chronic vomiting.  It can cause esophagitis, or irritation of the throat, and in chronic situations this can lead to other problems.  Chronic vomiting has also been associated with hiatal hernias (where a portion of the stomach is displaced into the chest), and this is sometimes associated with chronic GERD, or heartburn, which is treatable but can have consequences.  Daily vomiting, as sometimes experiencd by bulimics, can also cause lasting damage to teeth.  There may be other risks because of the violent muscle spasms associated with vomiting.  Probably worth asking a doctor in person.

[lil_lue]

A related discussion, alcohol was started.