Can Drinking Alcohol Cause Back Pain?
A person who experiences this type of pain, especially if it intensifies over hours or days, may have a serious illness and should speak to a doctor. The kidneys what is alcoholism help filter the blood, including by filtering out harmful substances such as alcohol. Alcohol increases the risks of many different types of cancer but has not yet been discovered to cause kidney cancer specifically. Alcohol has not been found to cause cancer to begin in the kidneys either, but cancers caused by alcohol in other locations may spread to the kidneys.
Kidney Stones
Urinary tract infections are when you have an infection in your urinary system. You may feel embarrassed if you can drinking cause kidney pain have symptoms that affect your genitals or cause incontinence, but it’s OK — you haven’t done anything wrong. A healthcare provider can prescribe antibiotics to treat the infection, and your symptoms should go away in a few days. Follow your provider’s instructions and take your full course of antibiotics to ensure the UTI goes away. Saunas, hot yoga and heavy exercise may sound good for your health, but they also may lead to kidney stones.
Myth 9: Drinking «Any» Fluid Is Good for Stones

If you notice persistent flank pain accompanied by urinary changes—don’t delay seeing a healthcare provider immediately. Drinking too much alcohol can dehydrate your body and force your kidneys to work harder. Over time, excessive alcohol consumption may contribute to high blood pressure, liver disease, and kidney damage. Imaging helps clarify the diagnosis when symptoms overlap, especially when kidney disease, infection, or other complications are possible. UPJ obstruction is a condition that impedes the proper functioning of your kidneys and bladder. If you have UPJ, you may experience kidney pain after drinking alcohol.
Can Drinking Alcohol Cause Kidney Stones?

The waves occur because muscles around the ureter spasm trying to push the stone along. If you have a condition that’s https://ecosoberhouse.com/ affecting your kidneys, you want experts by your side. At Cleveland Clinic, we’ll work with you to craft a personalized treatment plan. Kidney pain is located in the flank area and can be accompanied by symptoms like fever, nausea, or changes in urination. These symptoms help confirm that pain originates from the kidneys rather than muscles or bones.
Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD)
When this happens, drink lots of water and visit your doctor right away. Your kidneys play a very important role in keeping your body healthy and free from harmful substances. Aside from filtering and getting rid of the waste, your kidneys also make sure that your body maintains a proper balance of fluid and electrolytes. So when you’re drinking, your kidneys work double-time to flush out the excess alcohol from your body, which can result in the pain that you’re feeling right now. Consuming alcohol affects various parts of your body, including your kidneys.
- Intense pain triggers the body’s stress response rather than the digestive system.
- Your kidneys play a very important role in keeping your body healthy and free from harmful substances.
- Periods of binge drinking or severe dehydration can trigger acute kidney injury, a sudden decline in kidney function.
A person who drinks alcohol can become dehydrated, increasing the risk of a UTI. Excessive or frequent alcohol consumption can upset the balance of electrolytes such as sodium, potassium and phosphate. These imbalances may impact nerve and muscle function and, if persistent, can contribute to kidney stress and reduced function.
- It’s also important to avoid binge drinking, a pattern of drinking that causes your blood alcohol content to reach 0.08% or higher.
- Chronic dehydration puts you at greater risk for these adverse effects.
- Peeing frequently can reduce your risk of developing an infection, especially if you get UTIs a lot.
- Your kidneys normally filter about 50 gallons of blood every single day – an impressive feat for organs roughly the size of your fist.

When you have liver disease, your body doesn’t balance the flow and filtering of blood as well as it should. This has a harmful effect on your overall health and can increase the chance of complications. Severe or recurring kidney infections may require hospitalization or surgery. The areas around your kidneys may feel sore after you drink alcohol. This is the area at the back of your abdomen, under your ribcage on both sides of your spine.