Shoulder cramps after drinks some types of alcohol

EXACTLY describes my symptoms and husband's reactions!!! No rhyme or reason....someone PLEASE figure this out!

For me it's been happening for years so I know it's not lymphoma. Glad you're doing well....my son was dx'd with Hodgkin's in '04 and he's doing well now.

Not sure if i am suffering the same thing, but some of it is the same.

After a night of drinking I went to the emergency ward in the hospital because what seemed like an allergic reaction. My shoulder and lower back and front of my pelvis and also my knees where aching badly. The wierdest part was my scrotum was also severly swollen (the reason why i went to the hospital). The general aching went away over night but the general swelling lasted a couple of days and left bruising.

After my blood, urine and ultrasound tests came back inconclusive, the doctor just said I was allergic to something in the alcohol.

A couple of nights ago the same thing happend again, except It happend after drinking the remainder of a six pack of Canadian Club that I drank the previous week. Not sure why an alergin would affect me one week and not the next.

I am going to a different doctor for a second oppinion. 

I have this problem too! Mine only occurs every now and then, but unlike you all, mine does not happen after my first sip. It usually happens after several drinks. The pain is always around my shoulders (traps and shoulder blades) and makes me very nauseas. It lasts around 20-40 minutes and I'm fine after, but it's so excruciating I have to stop what I'm doing and lay down. It could definitely be a hydration issue. I also have mitral valve prolapse and an arrhythmia. My pain only happens when I drink hard liquor, never with beer or wine. I hope someone finds out answers soon! I think you may be on to something about not being hydrated properly before ingesting alcohol.

This happened to me as well. Most recently a Bud Light Limerita 24 oz can. I should have known it was a bad call....a pre-made margarita/beer with a pound of sugar in it. It has not happened in a while, but I think it is either a sugar reaction or a cheap booze reaction.

I would agree it is some type of radiating visceral pain probably from liver. People with liver cancer, hepatitis, and other liver disorders have radiating pain in back and shoulders. Like you guys,  its good to know someone else has this. I have had this over 25 years and am not a heavy drinker. I drink at the most 3 times a year, holidays, birthdays etc. I notice it more with wine, champagne or wine coolers. Its like a radiating burning pain in the sides of my neck, shoulders and sometimes down my arms. I sometimes get flushed also. I do know that anything absorbed into the blood stream, nutrients, drugs, alcohol from the GI tract has to go through the liver first. I think its our livers hating this alcohol we are drinking and reacting to it. With me it happens soon after the first drink and can last 30 - 45 minutes. But there have been times I have not noticed it all but I think it wasn't wine in those cases

This is all very interesting but confusing. Anytime, I drink tequila or sweet alcohol drinks, I get the shoulder pain,and feel so sick. Tonight, I drank 1/4 of a skinny margarita, I felt so bad, I couldn't stand being in the restaurant, I had to leave. I for so hot, and sick feeling. After, 20-30 min. I felt normal. What is this? I'll ask my Dr. about Hodgkin's but, this has happened for years.   So frustrating.

Incredible. I have been dealing with debilitating cramps for years. Days way after drinking even. These cramps or muscle spasms have put me on my knees. They run throughout my body, lower abdomen, under breast area, in both sides, even in my spine area and my sternum area. It's been to the point I couldn't leave home because I was so embarrassed having these unexplainable cramps anytime they want to surface. I've been so angry with them I wanted to stab them with a knife to make them go away. They bring me to tears. Doctor after doctor has ignored my symptoms. Finally had a new young doctor whom enlightened me. She informed me that most doctors write off unexplainable cramps as an idiosyncrasy. This means it's unexplainable, iteall in your mind, or merely they don't have an answer. I've been aggravated beyond belief, I mean I'd rather die as to keep enduring these spasms. Finally I quit drinking since I noticed when I'd have Bacardi rum it increased incredibly. I'm still not absolutely sure if it was the mixer(usually sugary drinks) or the alcohol. Common sense tells me it's a combination since alcohol is usually broken down as sugars in your body. It's obviously just too much for my body. I also began getting pains in my shoulder. It felt as if a blood clot was stuck. Also I had angina symptoms. There is one vodka(Pinnacle) that doesn't seem to bother me as much. Nevertheless it's time to let bygones be bygones and stop the alcohol since it's no benefit to my health. Life is short and I'm hoping to be around long enough to see some grandkids. Goodluck to all in your journey. Hope you find your answers. If not online maybe within yourself cause heaven know doctors aren't much help!

I have the same problem. I tried the lime rita. whenever I had this, ill get a shoulder pain.

Hey I used to have this problem when I drank alcohol pain in my shoulder extreme discomfort I'm a Dr but please try drinking some Gatorade or powerade you need a good bottle or 2 before u drink your next alcohol drink hopefully this works it worked for me your friend dr mike

Gatorade or powerade is hopefully the answer

I have always had this problem and a doctor told me it was a most likely a sensitivity to sulfites. Harmless, but painful as hell. Tequila is the one that will nearly kill me everytime. Beers, wine and hard liquor it's an inconsistent toss up. I'll try the Gatorade thing, but I've just gotten myself accostumed to it. I'd probably been way drunker in college, if every other drink didn't feel like someone was standing on my chest, trying to pull my arms off.

This is not true. I am very well hydrated and it happens half way through a single margarita, drinking water along side it or not.

I think it has to do with a sudden spike in blood sugar. I've had it for years and at first it was just when I drank alcohol. Now I've quit drinking but it still happens when I drink things with sugar alcohols (I don't drink sugary drinks anymore either) I can guarantee you that at least for me it is not a gallbladder issue as mine was removed over 20 years ago and it didn't start until after that. I've also found that drinking water when it starts helps.

I have tried explaining what i feel whenever i drink alcohol to people and everyone just seemed to think i was being a drama queen. Whenever i have a Smirnoff or margarita (i dont like beer) or wine i get a pain in my chest and across my shoulders then down my arms. Its so painful i often have to curl into myself to help relieve the pain. It often lasts 10-20 minutes and starts maybe 1/2 a bottle in. Its painful enough to make me want to call for help but don't knowing the pain will recede in a few minutes. I have no clue as to why this happens. I am not a huge drinker, i usually only have 1 with my best friends and since they don't live nearby i don't actually drink for months at a time.