Back/Stomach Pain While Drinking Alcohol

[WorriedOne84]

Let me start by saying I rarely drink alcohol.  Maybe once every few months.  When I do it's usually a fruity sweet drink like a margarita of daiquiri.  Not talking about consuming a large quantity of alcohol and at time, just one drink.  Anyway over the last 8 months or so the last 5 times I've had an alcoholic beverage I've ended up in pain.  Sometimes it's located strictly in my back and other times it's in my upper abdomen at the breastbone area and radiates straight through to my back.  I start getting a bit of achiness about 10-15 minutes into the drink, which I get before ordering dinner.  About 10-15 minutes later it turns into a pretty intense cramp in my back, sometimes this starts after I've completely finished my meal.  This lasts for about 20 minutes then subsides.  The first time it happened the pain was intense to the point I thought I was going to have to go to the ER.  Now, I at least know that it will ease up after about 20 minutes.  The last 2 times this has happened mid January and then last Friday I've not been feeling well afterwards.  Still having a slight back ache, moreso after eating, and upper abdominal tenderness after the drink I had last Friday.

During this entire time that I've been having pain drinking alcohol I've also been having other stomach issues.  It started out as some abdominal tenderness, burping, and some slight nausea after eating.  In less than a month from mid October into November I had 3 episodes of severe abdominal pain, 2 of which woke me up in the middle of the night.  Ended up finding out that I had a gallstone so I had my gallbladder removed in December.  Still, I'm having stomach issues.  Abdomen is tender to the touch from my breast bone to just above my belly button.  Also have some right side tenderness, frequent burping, and more hiccups than usual.

I've had the problem with alcohol before and after the surgery.  Worried that maybe something is seriously wrong.  All my trouble drinking alcohol coincides with the same time frame that I've been having stomach issues.

Anyone have a clue what could be going on?  I have an appointment with a gastroenterologist in a little less than 2 weeks and I plan on talking to her about this.  But in the meantime I'd really like to know if anyone else has experienced this or knows of someone who has.  Please let me know what you think it could be!

[WorriedOne84]

Thanks for taking time to respond.  This is really starting to worry me.  In my mind I jump to that I have some incurable illness.  Irrational I know but I still do it.  I've been looking up symptoms on the internet which is never good because that only makes me more paranoid.  After this last time I don't think I'll ever drink alcohol again.  It's definitely not worth the pain that I experience during those episodes or the discomfort that I'm having days later.  Again, thanks for your response.  Have a good day!

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Welcome to the MedHelp forum!
There is a strong possibility that you have acidity with or without GERD. You could also be having hiatal hernia or even H pylori infection. In such a scenario alcohol will only aggravate the symptoms. Also if you have any inflammatory bowel condition such as IBS, Crohn’s disease or celiac disease, then also alcohol will cause problems. Hence discuss this with the gastroenterologist. Since you are not a regular alcohol drinker, please refrain from alcohol until you have met the gastroenterologist.
Hope this helps. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!