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The member mickyP14294 reported a knee pain after a night out with drinking. He wondered if the alcohol could somehow be a cause of the pain? The member who replied first didn't provide the answer, yet reported having the same problem that occurred, not the next day, but 2-4 hours after drinking alcohol.
Others joined the discussion providing their own insights regarding this problem, even the opposing ones.
If I can say, I don't think that it is possible for your pain to be related in any way with three or four glasses of wine at all.
The member who said this added that the discussion starter's joints could be inflamed for plenty of reasons. He said that he had gone through lots of pain affecting his hip, which turned out to be hip bursitis that was successfully treated. This member advised the discussion starter to see his doctor in order to establish a diagnosis.
Others who joined the discussion, however, were certain that the alcohol is cause for the pain they felt in their joints. Many reported similar symptoms as the discussion starter, i.e. a knee pain, while some of them also experienced other symptoms as well such as swelling in the joints and stiffness.
This happens to me too! I'm only 19, and in agony the next day, it's just my knees, nowhere else.
While for the most participants in the discussion the pain affected knees only, many felt the pain in other joints and parts of the body, including wrists, knuckles, hands, ankles, hips, Achilles tendon, upper back, neck, shoulders, jaw, etc.
One participant described the pain like that of the flu or a bad cold, but without a runny nose or congestion, just his/her body being overrun by the generally "sick" feeling.
As for the cause of pain, many participants tried to provide their insight. Several of them pointed out an underlying disease, especially the one that runs in the family, such as rheumatoid arthritis or gout, although some of the participants were tested for gout and the result came out negative. Others mentioned that pain started to occur after knee surgery.
The alcohol robs you of deep sleep & water, which could contribute to the aches & pains.
Dehydration has been named by many as one of the most likely causes of pain in joints after drinking alcohol. Coupled with sleep deprivation that usually follows nights out, improper hydration can lead to nasty headaches for many, and joint pains for some. The rule of thumb here is simple: drink a glass of water between each drink and before bed. Also, try to get extra sleep after a night of drinking.
Some blamed the activities, such as dancing on hard floors, especially wearing high heels, which is a plausible explanation. Also, some drinks tend to cause more pain than others.
I tried to stick with wine, but I found that sometimes red wine made all symptoms worse.
According to many who participated in the discussion, wines and beers cause the most pain, often accompanied by joint swelling. This could be attributed to the relation between alcohol and histamine - a chemical naturally produced by our bodies that can provoke the response we think of as an allergic reaction. As one participant said:
Alcohol aids in the release of histamines into the body but inhibits them from breaking down. So if you're having a bad reaction to drinking alcohol the un-broken-down histamines move in around the joints and combined with the dehydration "can" cause inflammation and swelling and some pretty intense pain.
However, histamine reaction from alcohol usually does not include joint pain as one of its symptoms.
Several participants mentioned hypermobility - also known as double-jointedness, in which joints stretch farther than normal - as the possible cause for alcohol-related joint pain.
Several members also mentioned that joint pain after drinking alcohol may suggest Hodgkin's lymphoma. However, pain in the lymph nodes after drinking alcohol does occur in some people with this disease, not the joint pain.
What do experts say?
The alcohol use, whether it is abused or used in moderation, can aggravate or even cause joint pain. There are two main mechanisms behind this: dehydration and immune system suppression. This means that alcohol depletes your body of water and nutrients, and suppresses your immune system. Both things can lead to or increase the inflammation of joints, resulting in pain.
Alcohol often lowers a person's inhibitions to a point that some can get in serious trouble, while others simply feel more confident, at least to get up and dance. Dancing all night, especially in uncomfortable shoes or on hard surfaces, can take its toll on our joints, especially knees, ankles, and hips. Alcohol can only aggravate the pain.
Drinking alcohol can also aggravate pre-existing medical conditions, especially those affecting joints and causing chronic pain. These may include:
Celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivityPeople with autoimmune celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity must follow a strict gluten-free diet as a part of their treatment. Alcohol is allowed in this type of diet, as long as the right types of alcohol are chosen. Beer, lagers, stouts, and ales contain varying amounts of gluten and are not suitable for people with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity. Wine, spirits, sherry, cider, port, and liqueurs are gluten-free.
FibromyalgiaResearch has found that consuming low to moderate amounts of alcohol may ease pain and other symptoms of fibromyalgia. However, an excess of alcohol could reverse any benefit.
GoutFrequent and prolonged drinking is a risk factor for developing gout. It can also cause debilitating episodes of pain in persons who have the condition. Beer is particularly high in purines that could induce the gout attack and make it worse.
LupusAlcohol can leave people with lupus dehydrated and fatigued, and it can make some of the medications not work as effectively. Also, in lupus, the most important considerations are alcohol-medication interactions, i.e. its effects on the liver and increased risk of GI (gastrointestinal tract) bleeding.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)Moderate alcohol consumption on a regular basis might reduce your risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to a few studies. However, once you already have arthritis, drinking may have more downsides than benefits. Many of the medications prescribed to relieve painful joints don’t mix well with alcohol, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve), which carry a greater risk for stomach bleeding and ulcers when mixed with alcohol, or acetaminophen, leflunomide (Arava) or methotrexate, which mixed with alcohol can make you more susceptible to liver damage.
This word of advice applies to osteoarthritis (OA) and other types of arthritis as well.
Heavy alcohol use can also lead to the development of peripheral neuropathy, nerve damage that can affect nerves in joints, causing pain or aggravating existing pain.
Although the pain in joints after drinking alcohol is in most cases a result of dehydration, it is recommended to seek the advice from your doctor, especially if the problem occurs regularly, because it could be a sign of an underlying condition. Since the alcohol suppresses the immune system it could lead to the development of certain medical conditions or aggravation of pre-existing symptoms.
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4355424/
- arthritis-research.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/ar4200
- arthritis-research.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13075-015-0534-4
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3991555/
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4823794/
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4116451/
Discussion highlights
What symptoms have been reported?
- the pain is on the tendon on the out side of my knee and it will be like a muscle cramp in the night and it will come and go, it is usually worse in 1 leg.
- i get joint pain in my wrists after an hour of drinking.
- Mostly Knees and Hip, and lower back pain but also on wrists and elbow joints as well.
- Mine is all over my body, both joints and muscles.
- The joints in my hands swell and ache.
What diagnosis have been made?
- I have gone through lots of pain with my hip and when I finally decided to go and see someone about my issue, it turned out to be hip bursitis and I got to respond to the treatment very well, thankfully.
- MRI showed a couple minor issues (ECU Tendinitis which is in a totally different area of my hands from where the pain is centered).
- Also, i 'suffer' from Hypermobilithy (double jointed-ness) primarily in my hands arms shoulder and legs, which i know can cause permanent damage to your tendons and joints in some cases .
- has anyone asked about hodgkins disease.
- They finally said that it could be related too food allergy and had asked me to become a veggie.
What helped relieve the symptoms?
- It goes away with 2 Advil and then I can get back to sleep.
- i take ibuprofen by the hand fulls and now my solution is to not drink which does not work too well.
- I usually take bromelain with turmeric tablets which seem to help counter some of alcohol effects.
- Plus glucosamine, msm and chondroitin tablets to help keep joints naturally lubricated.
- As for the achy knees, once they come I drink some water, take an anti-inflammatory and walk around.
- When I couple drinking a glass of water for every 2 alcoholic drinks and taking a b-complex vitamin (I've read alcohol depletes thiamine(b1) & pyridoxine(b6) levels) before bed or the day after, my symptoms are drastically reduced or nullified.
- The other thing about alcohol is that it depletes all the water-soluble vitamins,especially the b and C vitamins.Smoking denatures vitamin c too so I took extra.These vits are incredibly busy and have a lot of jobs to do including keeping the musculo-skeletal system functioning properly.I also took co-enzyme CQ 10.This depletes as we age and is involved in a whole host of cell processes.The Japanese cottoned on to this years ago!Before I started all this I was taking rosehip capsules.I noticed that if I stopped taking them the pain got worse so I carried on!
- using a TENS unit constantly, popping potassium pills w/ food, and drinking a halk gallon of water, I got myself to normal.
- Since dehydration is also mentioned as a factor, I've just taken some Dioralyte (rehydration salts) and I'm hoping that it might speed the recovery process.
- I drink apple cider vinegar as a precaution to keep gout away and check my acid level every year or so.
In conclusion
Joint pain after drinking alcohol is uncommon. In most cases, it is a result of dehydration, because alcohol is known to deplete our bodies of water and nutrients. Sometimes, prolonged standing or activities, such as dancing could lead to joint pain. Sometimes, however, an underlying condition could result in joint pain after drinking alcohol. You should visit your doctor if this type of pain occurs regularly.