Are you wondering about whether alcohol can cause diarrhea? Whatever the reason is that you’re asking “can alcohol cause diarrhea?,” here’s what you need to know:
Yes, alcohol can cause diarrhea.
There are many aspects of drinking and alcoholism that are difficult to talk about. They might be embarrassing, or make someone feel ashamed, but these things are important to talk about.
Diarrhea can be a side effect of drinking alcohol. Besides the fact that it’s unpleasant, diarrhea can also lead to dehydration. It can also cause you harm in your digestive system.
The high levels of sugar found in many types of different alcoholic drinks can also cause digestive issues that can lead to diarrhea or loose stool.
There are a number of ways, as demonstrated above, that alcohol can cause diarrhea. It can help to stay hydrated, to drink less, or to avoid drinks with a lot of sugar. If diarrhea from alcohol is causing you consistent problems in your life, it would be wise to visit a healthcare professional.
It’s possible that the diarrhea isn’t related to drinking, but if it seems to come on whenever you’re drinking, that can be a strong indication.
Also, if you’re having negative side effects and consequences from drinking like digestive issues or other health problems, it may be a good idea to ask yourself why you haven’t stopped drinking yet. If it was anything else that was causing you problems like this, you would probably stop, right? What is it about alcohol that keeps you coming back?
These are things you can start to think about in order to better understand your relationship with alcohol, and whether you’re ready to change that relationship in order to reduce the harm or damage you’re doing to your body and to cut back on the negative consequences of drinking. Which type of drunk are you?
Other Causes of Diarrhea Among Alcoholics
If you’re drinking on an empty stomach, this can cause the alcohol to pass through your system more quickly without being properly digested, resulting in diarrhea or other discomforts.
Normally, more of the liquid in your stool will be absorbed into the colon, resulting in a firmer defecation. When alcohol mixes things up, and there isn’t time for this water to be absorbed, you’ll have runny poops from alcohol.
Here is some research on alcohol-related diarrhea: “The well-known deleterious effects of alcohol on the central nervous system raise the possibility of similar acute and chronic effects of the enteric nervous system. Such effects could alter motility and transit.
Indeed, esophageal dysmotility and delayed gastric emptying have been observed with high concentrations of alcohol in experimental studies and in chronic alcoholics.”
It’s also believed that smaller quantities of alcohol can cause diarrhea, as well.
