I have been drinking quite regularly lately(beers) and have noticed that I experience constant pains on my left side of the chest and my left upper arm too, infact I feel a little numbness on my arm as well, my upper left backhurts a lot too. Please help, could this be a heart disease caused by too much alcohol? Im worried. What could be causing chest pain after drinking alcohol?
Chest pain is apparently a common problem that occurs after drinking alcohol, at least, according to the people who discussed it on SteadyHealth. The reason for this pain, however, remained a mystery for most, who asked:
What could be causing chest pain after drinking alcohol?
For most, this problem occurred after nights of heavy or binge drinking. Many described the pain as chest tightness, burning in muscles across the chest and shoulders, or squeezing pain and throat that feels like "glands are swollen." Most who experienced the chest pain reported it on the left side, and it was often accompanied by the pain in the left arm, shoulder, neck, and upper back. An occasional rapid heart beating (tachycardia) has been reported as well. The pain aggravates when people lay down to sleep at night which is followed by shortness of breath. One member reported that pain usually starts anywhere within 15 minutes of drinking and lasts around 40 minutes.
Could it be the coincidence when you drink beer and you feel the pain in your chest?
Most participants experienced the chest pain after drinking beer, which can be attributed to the amount of CO2 that can cause gastrointestinal problems. However, beer wasn't the only culprit. Others reported that they experienced pain after drinking other alcoholic drinks, such as one glass of wine, whiskey, bourbon, or one bottle of vodka.
Since the pain has been mostly reported on the left side of the chest, many who participated in this discussion were worried that it could indicate heart disease.
Please help, could this be a heart disease caused by too much alcohol?
The evidence indeed shows that drinking alcohol, especially in larger quantities, can cause cardiovascular problems, from arrhythmia to heart attack. However, some participants pointed out that chest pain could rather indicate gastrointestinal disturbance, such as heartburn or GERD, than a cardiovascular problem.
So is this a stomach thing or a heart thing?
Most of the symptoms of indigestion are similar to those of heart attack. You cannot make a diagnosis. It's up to your doctor to do that. If you experience chest pain with or without drinking alcohol, you need to make an appointment.
Besides cardiovascular problems and GERD, other potential causes mentioned in the discussion were an allergy to sulfites present in alcohol, dehydration caused by drinking alcohol that affects the muscles, acute pancreatitis, and lymphoma, particularly if there's a pain in lymph nodes after drinking alcohol which is usually a sign that it could be a lymphoma.
What do experts say?
While chest pain doesn't necessarily indicate cardiovascular problems, regular alcohol drinking and binge drinking can be harmful to your heart. Hence, it is important to visit your doctor in order to get the right diagnosis.
How is alcohol related to heart problems?
Alcohol has a toxic effect on many of your organs, including the heart. Alcohol can affect heart health in many ways, even in moderation. Heavy drinking and alcohol abuse make the thing worse. Even if you're not a regular drinker, one night of binge drinking can take a toll on your heart.
- Atrial fibrillation - Some research suggests that having up to three alcoholic drinks each day may increase your risk for atrial fibrillation (Afib), the most common type of heart arrhythmia, which can cause symptoms including lack of energy, dizziness, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, and chest pain. Those who drink wine and liquor moderately are at an increased risk for atrial fibrillation.
- Myocardial ischemia - Wine and liquor are not the only culprits. Drinking beer has been also associated with cardiovascular problems, particularly with myocardial ischemia, a heart disease that occurs when blood flow to the heart is reduced, preventing it from receiving enough oxygen, thus leading to the heart attack.
- Alcoholic cardiomyopathy - An alcoholic cardiomyopathy is a type of heart disease caused by a long-term alcohol abuse that weakens and thins the heart muscle, affecting its ability to pump blood. The lack of blood flow disrupts all body’s major functions, which can lead to heart failure and other life-threatening health problems. Alcoholic cardiomyopathy is most common in men between the ages of 35 and 50, but the condition can affect women as well. It usually doesn't have any symptoms, which occur when there's heart failure.
- Heart attack - Drinking more than three alcoholic drinks per day can lead to a level of toxic substances in the blood that directly increases the risk of heart attack. Heavy and binge drinking increase the lipids in the blood, which is a type of fat that can harden arteries, increasing cholesterol and arterial plaque which can block the blood flow to the heart and reduce the amount of needed oxygen. This can cause weakened heart muscle, and finally the death of heart muscle.
GERD as a cause of chest pain
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a chronic medical condition that’s caused by the inability of the lower part of the esophagus to function properly. As a result, the acid and contents from the stomach are splashing back into the esophagus, repeatedly irritating its delicate tissue causing chest pain, burning (often called heartburn), and irritation of the esophagus. Chest pain is a classic acid reflux symptom that lasts longer and is more intense than expected. This is the reason why many people mistake heartburn for a heart attack.
Alcohol is a known contributing factor to acid reflux, however, it affects people differently. This means that some people with GERD can enjoy alcoholic drinks in moderation. The researchers found that both beer and wine triggered reflux in both men and women.
Watch for painful lymph nodes
Pain with drinking alcohol has been associated with Hodgkin lymphoma, particularly a pain in the lymph nodes after drinking alcohol, or rarely a chest pain. However, the pain after drinking alcohol is not one of the key symptoms in the diagnosis of lymphoma. In fact, it is quite rare. Generally, the pain associated with alcohol consumption is much more commonly due to other conditions, particularly alcohol intolerance and allergy that can be a result of celiac disease (gluten sensitivity), histamine intolerance, wheat allergy, and sulfite allergy.
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Discussion highlights
What symptoms have been reported?
- Recently I've been getting chest pains and waking up the next day thinking that I'm so hungover I feel like I could die, it's like my body was trying to tell me something wasn't right.
- I drink wine normally and im fine but today I had a dbl shot of wiskey and I feel like im dieing!
- I have been drinking quite regularly lately(beers) and have noticed that I experience constant pains on my left side of the chest and my left upper arm too, infact I feel a little numbness on my arm as well, my upper left backhurts a lot too.
- hey im 21 and me and some friends drank 2 nights ago not just beer but liquor i was mixing all kinds of stuff ever since ive had this squeezing chest pain and it is like in my throat as well like my glands are swollen ecspecially when i lay down to sleep at night i get short of breath any ideas?
- Hi I have the same problem, get lower left chest pains for a few days after drinking.
- Hey, yeah i have the same problem, although i got chest pains before i even started drinking, like years ago, so i onlyjust clicked that alcohol could be a cause of the pain.
- Im 33 and i drink 8-10 cans of beer a nite i also suffer with chest pain and stomach problems its all drink related dats why im goin 2 stop drinking
- for the past couple months ive been drinking alcohol more since i stopped smoking back in january and the chest pains have become more frequent so im guessing the alcohol must be the problem.
- I've been having these same issues but it doesn't go to my back and stuff.
- It's just strictly on my left chest.
- But what I have encounter today was 2 chest pains in one day.
- You can say about 2-3 hours after the first one .
- My chest felt tight and my muscles across my chest and shoulders started burning like crazy.
- hi i drink larger every such as carling and fosters and im getting left side chest pains and upper left arm akin and a mild or somes a med pain in my left upper back and getting worryed and would like some help in to stoping drinking any info would be greatfull thank you.
- My memory seems to be really bad and on hangover days I get sleep paralysis.
- I have found it hard to give up alcohol completely, even with my docters diagnosis.I have recently been drinking, and binge drinking as well.I have suffered,pains in my chest and left shoulder and left bicep on my arm.It as been at its worse,when laid in bed after drinking heavy.My heart is tired and weak, I know that drinking is not good for me, but it is difficult to pack in , when its been part of my social life all my adult life.
- I had pain on my left side of the chest too.
- Feels like the heart is being tied up then it feels like its tired or something.
- So after eatin fairly or drinkin alcohol, lemonade or similiar i used to feel this awful pain on my chest which continued to arm and left ear, never would of thought it was a heartburn but it is and the thing causing it is called Gastroesophageal reflux disease and there is really alot of different medicines for this and if its really bad it could lead to a surgery.
- hi, this is a response slash my own experience, i drink every so often and everytime i do i drink roughly a pint of any kind of drink and i get the awful chest pains right under my heart and my face get extreamly red and i burn up big time?
- The chest pain on the left side and on my back left shoulder blade, and after a night of smoking and drinking it was so bad.
- But its only as i sit here now after drinking some whiskey (Atleast 50ml) that ive experienced chest pains.
- I am also having the same problem, however, I only have to drink a glass of wine on an empty stomach and I get chest pains and I can hardly breath.
- HELPFULL.BUT I AM 65 AND DINKING ONCE A WEEK BUT LOTS.HAVE A TERRIBLE PAIN IN BOTH SIDES OF THE CHEST FOR 4 DAYS.
- and that chest pain is back,, just now i took a deep breathe and it hurted.
- I just realized my random chest pains might not be so random.
- Pain in the left side of the neck, chest pain and a bit of left arm pain too.
- I even had tachycardia and very strong heart beats.
- I have been experience sharp shooting pains in my lower left rib cage, guessing its my heart.
- Also experiencing sharp pains in my left shouler, elbow, and sometimes numbness in middle and ring finger.
- and ever since this incident i have started experiencing the sharp pains i have descirbed above.
- It starts anywhere within 15 min of drinking and last around 40 minutes.
- The pain is severe.
- Hi, I've been having this problem too, except all I need to do is drink one glass of wine.
- My chest hurts, and my upper back hurts.
- Why ur stomach u say cause i feeling it right now and my somach is fnot feeling go too.
- Please help me with methods to help me quit drinking alcohol Im experience a serious chest pain
- But as soon as I started, I started feeling chest pains in the left side that feel like they're coming from deep inside my breast (I'm female).
- Beginning that Monday afternoon for an entire week I had chest pains that originated from the center of my chest, and moved to the lower left side of my chest.
- Also, my back hurt badly (like I was hit by a baseball bat).
- Additionally, I noticed that I had bruises in areas of my back and butt (not sure if that was due to being in a stupor OR because during this binge I became succeptable to easy bruising.
- What I will also say is that I did notice is that usually after drinking bourbon, my urine would appear very dark later on the evening the following day.
- In the week following this week long binge, I noticed that my urine came out this type of dark in the afternoons -but for up to 5 and 6 days later.
- I believe that perhaps my kidneys, liver, and/or heart hung onto these toxins for days later.
- I Am 27 I have low Back pain pain in my neck ,gut I'm alcoholic been drink 4 bottles of Bacardi a week for 5 years tonight my left side of my chest has pain heart beat very fast
- After I drink I use to feel pains in my lift and right chest what is the cause?
- I started having chest pains, palpitations.
- I think I fell asleep around 6am, I woke up around 2pm really thirsty and I've been having ongoing left chest pain.
- I get these sudden panic attacks thinking it's something serious.
- I've got heart pains after drinking alcohol
- I would drink hear and there not all the time and when I do my chest and under my left breast it will hurt very bad makes me in tears and it's very hard to breath?
- i was having the same pain just a few minutes ago, i got up walked around for a little bit then drank a bottle of water and now i feel fine.
- I have the same problem if I quit drinking of a cocoup weeks it goes away but when I start again it comes back
- Hello i get pain on one or two drinks .and its in the middle of my chest.but it hurts so baf that .i have to try to over come the pain
- I have bad anxiety but feel okay as far as anxiety, do you think it plays any role?
- Just drank my first two beers yesterday in about three months and my chest hurts by my heart.
- Whenever I took a deep breathe it pains at the left side of my chest and Yes I had 8 pegs of whisky so the post clearly explains what is happening with me :(
- Yesterday I drank a whole bottle of 40% vodka and I am experiencing lower right back pain, I also feel twitching in that same area Im hoping it's not my kidney, aslo I feel pressure on my middle chest area when taking deep breaths.
- One last thing, I have pain on the opposite side of my elbow like on the inside of the arm I can barely move it, I did some research and it said something about alcoholic neuropathy.
- Yesterday i took alcohol and that was after a long months but i took two times in a day abd the next day in the night time i feel chest pain often coming and going whats this means
- I drink once ever month or two and at this moment I am experiencing major chest pains.
- I google chest pains while drinking and smoking and this was the first thing to pop up.
- As I write this I'm laying on my back and the pain has gone away.
- I recently just started getting chest pains on the left side (inside left pectoral to be exact).
- hi,dhenS here,my chest really hurts after biking and drinking two bottles of beer.please tell me what is my possible disease/s
- After the third night I started feeling chest pain and pain in my shoulder.
- And also anxiety.
- I only had a glass and if felt like a heart attack.
- I have strange pains.
- When I drink 8% lime a ritas, after 2 or 3, I get chest pains plus right arm pain.
- A day rt chest pain right lung pain hard to breathe
- There's been points where I've been absolutely slammed for weeks on end from liquor, but once I drank the foam too fast it made me burp for roughly 30 minutes straight and the pains continued through the next day.
- because i too smoke heavily and i was constantly, drinking then i started feeling my chest pain as well .
- I rarely drink only had 1/2 beer started to have chest pain and arm pain 4 oz of beer affected my heart
- after a night out of consuming alcohol , i wake up feeling constant pains on the chest.
- but when i wake up feeling those pains and i take 2 beers in the morning, the pain goes away.
- Its been 3 days that i stopped drinking i use to be a daily drinker, ive been habeing chest pains you think itll go away now that i have stopped drinking completely
- I know this because I hsve it and I also get minor to severe severe sever pains in the left side.
- With my left shoulder Arm and chest hurting to the point wher w I just lay down and consentrate on my breathing.
- Sometimes I'll have one beer and my lung opens up again.
- For me, it happens only if I have beer- even 2 glasses/jars of beer is enough for the pain to start.
- The alcohol chest pain only happens if I drink acidic drinks.
Have the doctors made any diagnosis?
- I am 51 years of age and have been diagnosed with heart failure, probably due to my past binge drinking of alcohol.I have been told by the cardiologist to stop drinking alcohol as my heart is being poisened when drinking any alcohol.
- That happened quite often, well, I just got back from the beach for the holiday and yesterday I seriously thought I was dying, went to the emergency room got blood work x-rays and EKG, the Doctor said it was Pleurisy and that can cause some of the worst chest pain.
- I had an EKG recently and the heart Dr says I am ok, but I still am concerned.
- I had an exam and found out my heart and blood pressure were completely normal.
- my mom is a worry freak and had the doctors do plenty of test and everything came back normal.
- I've had issues with it for almost 2 years and went to the doctor to find out I was anemic.
- I had an ecg which says elevated st levels, the doctors say there is nothing wrong with me but every website I've been on says elevated st levels means your heart has been damaged from a prior heart attack.
- I take medicine daily for my heartburn, as I have acid reflux.
- The proton in help but my gastrointestinal Dr swears my tests showed no reflux.
- Have been diagnosed with gurd.
- Also when i have had these pains i went to the doc, and he could find nothing wrong with my blood presure, colestoral or my heart?
- So after eatin fairly or drinkin alcohol, lemonade or similiar i used to feel this awful pain on my chest which continued to arm and left ear, never would of thought it was a heartburn but it is and the thing causing it is called Gastroesophageal reflux disease and there is really alot of different medicines for this and if its really bad it could lead to a surgery.
- Thought it was indigestion but turned out to be blocked arteries which required a triple bypass.
- They found nothing in my last set of blood work, but this only recently started for me and I drink maybe once every six months.
- Post mortem revealed he died of a heart attack.
- I'm almost 22 and I NEVER drink due to having the PROP gene (it makes anything with alcohol taste VERY bitter to me).
- I am allergic to that stuffor.
- I have pretty bad anxiety.
- I just got back from the E.R yesterday and that's exactly what it is.
- alcohol and or drugs and as you get older it affects you more.
What helped relieve the pain?
- The remedy is to stop drinking.
- Try taking tums or some other heartburn medicine and see if it relieves the symptoms.
- I have to get a hot cup of tea or coffee and it releases.
- I would recommend all of you to just take a couple of days alcohol free, drinking a TON of water during this time.
- Control your blood levels or make sure you take an aspirin before drinking alcohol and drink plenty of water.
- I've since quit the fags and changed my diet to include fruit and veg, 5 times a day, every day.
- i was having the same pain just a few minutes ago, i got up walked around for a little bit then drank a bottle of water and now i feel fine.
- I have to get a hot cup of tea or coffee and it releases.
- if you can eat green bell pepper.
- Use a tablespoon of Apple cider vinegar instead.
- The apple cider vinigar is a little strong, but is the fastest, healthiest, smartest way to rectify an acid/base imbalance in your gut.
In conclusion
Chest pain associated with alcohol consumption is an uncommon problem, often without an obvious cause. Many disorders and diseases can cause chest pain after drinking alcohol, from alcohol intolerance to Hodgkin lymphoma. One of the most common causes is also gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) which may have symptoms similar to those of heart attack and other cardiovascular diseases. Due to the vague nature of these symptoms, it is recommended to seek immediate medical opinion and assistance.