Why Do My Kidneys Hurt When I Drink Alcohol
If you feel a sharp stabbing pain or a dull ache in your back under the ribcage when you drink alcohol, its possible that its your kidneys or a kidney stone. It also might be due to an anatomical issue, like a ureteropelvic junction obstruction. Both conditions would need to be evaluated and treated by your doctor.
Alcohol may also indirectly increase your risk of developing a UTI, which can cause kidney or abdominal pain.
What Can Be Done To Help
Can you reverse kidney disease in Stage 1 or 2? It may not be reversible, but your primary care doctor can treat your kidney disease. Mild kidney disease is treated by:
- Treating any conditions that cause kidney disease i.e. diabetes, hypertension
- Reducing the use of medications that can harm the kidneys i.e. anti-inflammatories
- Encouraging smoking cessation
- Reducing alcohol intake
- ACE inhibitor blood pressure medications to control protein in urine
The following natural treatments have some promising results in preventing loss of kidney function. Remember to check with your doctor before using them. They may also help slow the progression of irreversible kidney disease:
1. Mineral Clay
Kidney disease can cause your phosphate levels to rise. This can cause your electrolytes to drop and decreases your kidney’s ability to keep up with the excessive amounts of phosphates. Using mineral clay may help to reduce the phosphate build-up and take strain off the kidneys. Mineral clay has shown in studies to be as effective as prescription phosphate binders and has fewer incidences of side effects.
2. Sodium Bicarbonate
Sodium bicarbonate has been shown in studies to reduce and slow the progression of kidney disease. This product that is in everyone’s kitchen and readily available may actually reduce the risk of people with kidney disease going on dialysis.
3. Kidney Diet
Going on a diet that is “kidney friendly” may help slow the progression of kidney disease. This includes:
How Alcohol Affects Kidneys
Is alcohol bad for your kidneys? The answer is yes, although the damage is not always noticed at once.
Kidneys serve as a body filter, removing the harmful substances from the system. Alcohol is one of such toxic elements and is mainly excreted through kidneys and liver thus, these organs suffer the most. Alcohol negatively affects the body part in the following ways.
You May Like: Is Sprite Zero Bad For Your Kidneys
How Long Do You Have To Drink To Damage Your Kidneys
Drinking too much alcohol in a short amount of time can result in acute kidney failure, which occurs when you consume five or more drinks in a short period of time. The acute kidney failure typically subsides over time, but it can occasionally cause damage to the kidneys that lasts longer than expected.
Heavy Drinking And Acute Pancreatitis
Heavy drinking can lead to repeated episodes of acute pancreatitis. Over time, this can cause permanent damage to your pancreas, causing chronic pancreatitis.8,9
If youre diagnosed with acute pancreatitis, you should stop drinking alcohol and eat a low-fat diet to reduce your risk of another attack and of developing chronic pancreatitis. Consuming alcohol once youve recovered from acute pancreatitis can make a future episode more serious.
Don’t Miss: What Is The Filtering Unit Of The Kidney
More Powerful Than Medicine
Correcting these lifestyle factors properly can be literally transforming more powerful than medications and even more life-improving than surgery.
But diet what we eat and what we drink is the kingpin of disease.
Its the supreme dictator of how were going to suffer as we grow older or even if were going to suffer at all.
You can eat your way back to healthy gut bacteria and, therefore, full vibrant health.
There are many, many foods that we can eat unlimited amounts of.
Including happily a number of foods that fad diets tell us not to touch.
Everything we need to eat can be bought at a local supermarket. Half of it is possibly already in your kitchen.
Essentially though we must eat enough of the right things in the right quantities. Do that and everything else falls beautifully into place.
Health Issues Associated With Drinking Outside Of Renal System
Even a small amount of alcohol can impact your health in a negative way and is associated with an increased risk for death and other health problems. Short-term risks of excessive alcohol use include injuries, such as motor vehicle crash injuries, alcohol poisoning, risky sexual behaviors, miscarriage, and stillbirth.2
In the long-term, drinking can cause high blood pressure, heart disease, liver disease, digestive issues, cancer , weakening immune system, learning and memory issues, mental health problems, social problems, and alcohol use disorders .2
Also Check: Seltzer Water And Kidney Stones
Don’t Miss: How To Know If You Have A Kidney Infection
Can Alcohol Cause Kidney Stones
Kidney stones are crystals that form from some of the materials in urine. While liquor does not directly cause them, it can contribute to the increased risk for the formation of the stones. This is because the intoxicant has a high purine count. Purines are the chemical compounds that result in uric acid kidney stones. The presence of excessive amounts of purines can lead to the accumulation of uric acid, hence resulting in a kidney stone.Dehydration generally can lead to the formation of the stones. With ethanol being a dehydrating agent, calcium oxalate stones can form as a result.
You May Like: Does Red Wine Cause Kidney Stones
What Is Alcoholic Liver Disease
Alcoholic liver disease is common, but can be prevented. There are 3 types. Many heavy drinkers progress through these 3 types over time:
- Fatty liver. Fatty liver is the build-up of fat inside the liver cells. It leads to an enlarged liver. Its the most common alcohol-induced liver problem.
- Alcoholic hepatitis. Alcoholic hepatitis is an acute inflammation of the liver. There is death of liver cells, often followed by permanent scarring.
- Alcoholic cirrhosis. Alcoholic cirrhosis is the destruction of normal liver tissue. It leaves scar tissue in place of the working liver tissue.
The liver is a large organ that sits up under the ribs on the right side of the belly . The liver:
- Helps filter waste from the body
- Makes bile to help digest food
- Stores sugar that the body uses for energy
- Makes proteins that work in many places in the body, for example, proteins that cause blood to clot
You May Like: When Kidneys Shut Down How Long Can You Live
Causes & Symptoms Of Alcoholic Cirrhosis
Cirrhosis can lead to several symptoms that can range from irritating to potentially deadly. The most serious of these symptoms are yellowing of the skin and eyes, increased bleeding and swelling.
- Yellowing of the skin and eyes: Increased yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes is a serious symptom of alcoholic cirrhosis. Jaundice indicates a malfunctioning liver, leading to a buildup of toxins that could eventually become deadly. Someone who experiences jaundice should seek emergency medical help.
- Increased bruising or bleeding: Increased bleeding occurs because the liver stops making enough of the components needed for blood clotting. It can also cause a person to bruise easier than they used to. This side effect is dangerous: even a minor source of bleeding can cause significant blood loss because the bleeding cannot be stopped easily. If you notice that you have increased bleeding, you should seek medical help as soon as possible.
- Swelling in the abdomen, feet, legs or ankles: The last important symptom of alcoholic cirrhosis is swelling, especially within the abdomen. This swelling, also called ascites, occurs when the liver no longer makes proteins that keep water within the veins. This indicates that the liver is not functioning as it should. The buildup of fluid in the abdomen can lead to serious health problems.
Benefits Of Reversing Kidney Disease :
- Step by Step your GFR, Creatinine, Urea levels could be reversed back to the normal level.
- Get back your normal blood pressure
- Get rid of fear about the longevity of life.
- Increased energy you can live your normal life.
- Edema & water retention in the body will disappear.
- You will look like a healthy person
- No more Itching, Sleeplessness due to muscle cramps or tired legs
- No more breathlessness
Our Kidneys.
Let us think about our kidneys & what does it do for us, how it get malfunctioning or how to correct kidney disease naturally from the comforts of your home.
Our kidneys are two bean-shaped organs situated in the center of our back, just below the rib cage and above the waist.
Read Also: How Do You Test To Be A Kidney Donor
How To Drink Safely
Safe drinking may sound like an oxymoron, but it can be done. First off, know your limits. If two drinks makes you feel woozy or you experience some mild kidney symptoms, it may be time to stop for the evening. It also helps to eat while drinking, keep tabs on how many drinks you’ve had, and avoid drinking if you have any medical or mental health issues.
You should also note that there are an increasing number of non-alcoholic alternatives. More and more bars and restaurants carry high-quality, non-alcoholic beers, have a few mocktails on the menu, and may even serve non-alcoholic wine or spirits. Keep in mind that if you put a lime in your club soda, nobody will be any the wiser.
The Healing Power Of Exercise
Get more exercise a typical response for doctors who may see early signs of liver problems.
As with so many other health problems, regular exercise seems to be a powerful force for combating alcohol-related liver disease like fatty liver.
And the science backs it up too. Researchers studied the effects of alcohol on active and inactive lab rats and found the effects on the liver were not as severe in the active ones.
Specifically, they found that the high metabolism of the active rats actually prevented the expected levels of liver inflammation.
According to the researchers, chronic alcohol ingestion did not cause significant inflammation in the liver. Higher physical activity levels seemed to protect against the metabolic dysfunction that eventually leads to irreversible liver damage.
Its worth mentioning, of course, that more research needs to be done on the topic. But as it stands, it seems like regular exercise can go a long way towards preventing further inflammation and promoting liver health.
And on top of that, exercise has a number of other passive benefits that can help keep your liver in tip-top shape. Below are some of the most notable.
Also Check: What Causes Kidney Problems In Men
Its Not The Miracle People Might Believe It Is
These arent miracle outcomes. Shelly isnt claiming to be some sort of health genius who discovered something that nobody else noticed.
These life-enhancing changes come from researched, verified, documented science from the US, Europe and across the world.
Outstanding health is simply the inevitable result of making the exact choices that the body needs you to make.
Were so used to getting ill we forget that our body isnt meant to be diseased. Its meant to be healthy.
Illness is caused. And its our lifestyle behaviors that cause it.
By undoing lifestyle damage were simply restoring ourselves to the good health that our body always tries to reach anyway. Were returning ourselves to normal.
Shellys lifestyle plan shows us exactly how to do that.
There Is An Alternative And Its Proven
Ive known my doctor since college. Hes a trusted friend. He told me to come back at the end of the day and we could go for a coffee and a chat.
He had something important to tell me.
Well, what my doctor told me that afternoon was jaw-dropping.
He described how hed witnessed five of his own patients treat their ongoing, gradually worsening kidney issues to the point that they now experienced none of its symptoms.
Heres the thing: they had first treated the underlying cause the condition that gave rise to their allegedly untreatable kidney condition in the first place. That had led to the melting away of both that conditions symptoms and their kidney illness symptoms.
Which was staggering. Were talking about diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, obesity here
He wouldnt claim they no longer had the disease professionally hes not allowed to say that yet. Tests are still taking place, official verification is required that takes years to complete.
But when one of his own patients attempted an alternative health approach to his serious kidney problems and by all measures, succeeded my doctor couldnt ignore that.
The effects werent temporary they lasted.
My doctor explained that conventional medicine was still testing these new remedies. But ordinary people had jumped straight in and had been applying them for some years.
No drugs, no hospitals and the results were fantastic.
Don’t Miss: Does Tea Damage Your Kidneys
Treatments For Liver Damage
Abstinence is tried first. Several drugs, including some antioxidants and drugs to reduce inflammation, may be useful, but further study is needed. Many nutritional supplements that are antioxidants, such as milk thistle and vitamins A and E, have been tried but are ineffective.
Corticosteroids can help relieve severe liver inflammation and are safe to use if people do not have an infection, bleeding in the digestive tract, kidney failure, or pancreatitis.
Recommended Reading: Does Kidney Infection Cause Diarrhea
Alcohol Dehydrates The Body Which Affects The Ability Of Kidneys To Function Properly
Excessive liquor consumption can have a short-term effect on the kidneys, which is dehydration. This affects the ability of the organ to regulate the acid-base, bodys fluids, and also the electrolyte balance. This is because liquor selectively increases renal perfusion and basal metabolic rates of renal tubes hence causing an increase in diuresis, leading to massive dehydration. Dehydrated kidneys are unable to function properly, and the subsequent consumption of the next portion of ethanol makes this situation even worse, which eventually leads to the malfunction of the organ.
Also Check: Does Kidney Function Decrease With Age
Social And Occupational Damage
In the same way, some of the emotional damage that occurs as a result of the dissolution of a marriage, lost contact with family, loss of a job etc., may never be fully resolved however, individuals in solid recovery programs learn to move forward and accept the past. The length of time that it takes to address or correct this type of damage varies from person to person and from situation to situation.
Also Check: Bleeding Kidney Treatment
How Does Alcohol Affect The Liver
Alcohol is known to cause long-term impairment and damage to the liver, especially in those who use alcohol over a long period of time or drink large amounts. Alcohol damages the liver initially by accumulating fat in the liver. This stage is called alcoholic fatty liver disease. This condition leads to alcoholic hepatitis or inflammation and irritation in the liver. That inflammation causes irreversible scarring of the liver or cirrhosis. While fat accumulation and inflammation are reversible, the scarring they eventually cause is not. A scarred liver has irreparable liver damage with long-term health effects that may be fatal. If you are a chronic alcohol user, you should take steps to learn how to cleanse your liver from alcohol before damage has occurred.
You May Like: What Foods Prevent Kidney Disease
Alcoholism And Kidney Disease
The human body has dozens of vital organs, and the kidneys are among the most important. They regulate water intake and outtake, they balance the amount of minerals in the body, and they produce vital hormones, according to the Kidney Foundation of Canada. Threats to the normal functioning of the kidneys are serious medical problems, and alcoholism is a contributing factor to kidney disease.
If you or a loved one has pre-existing kidney issues or are concerned about alcohol consumption and kidney health, it may be time to seek professional help. Our admissions navigators are available 24/7 at to discuss treatment options and give you the information you need to begin your road to recovery.
Reverse Kidney Damage Naturally
Despite the various medical advances made to help heal kidney damage, the most powerful way that you can improve your kidney health is with lifestyle changes, especially changes to your diet.
Ensuring that you eat enough potassium, phosphorous, calcium, and vitamin D is a good start, as these nutrients are fundamental to kidney health, but without controlling your high blood glucose and blood pressure, these changes are temporary.
Thats why we recommend a heavily plant-based diet that is high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains if youre suffering from high blood glucose and blood pressure. This diet is the first step to reverse insulin resistance, and can help vastly improve your cardiovascular health overall.
Eating potassium-rich foods can dramatically reduce your blood pressure, so include foods like tomatoes, potatoes, avocados, melons, oranges, bananas, nuts, seeds, dates, cruciferous vegetables into your diet on a daily basis.
One of the most effective ways to improve your kidney function is to reduce your intake of protein to approximately 0.8-1.0 g/kg body weight per day. Even though you may be tempted to eat a high-protein diet, understand that reducing your protein intake is a safe and highly effective way to reduce your risk of developing end stage renal disease .
To accomplish this, we recommend eating a low-fat, plant-based, whole-food diet because it is an effective way to eat whole foods and target 0.8-1.0 g/kg protein intake per day.
- Whole grains
Don’t Miss: What Is Another Name For Kidney Stones
Symptoms You May Experience
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. This pain may be felt as a sudden, sharp, stabbing pain or more of a dull ache. It may be mild or severe and can be felt on one or both sides of the body.
Kidney pain may be felt in the upper or lower back or between the buttocks and lower ribs. The pain may be felt immediately after consuming alcohol or after youve stopped drinking. Sometimes it gets worse at night.
Other symptoms include:
There are many causes of kidney pain. Its important to understand the reason for your discomfort in case its a sign of something serious. Read on to learn more about these conditions and how to treat them.