If you’ve experienced pain with drinking alcohol, what could it mean?
Pain after drinking alcohol has been associated withHodgkin lymphoma.
In general, though, there are usually other reasons for the pain.
Verywell / Elise Degarmo
Drinking too much can cause the familiar hangover and the general feeling of being unwell.
There is a long list of disorders and diseases linked to excessive alcohol use.
This article discusses these conditions, some of which may be quite serious.
What Are the Causes of Pain After Drinking Alcohol?
When someone has unusual pain in response to alcohol, there are several possible causes.
The list of conditions includesHodgkin lymphoma, but also something calledcarcinoid syndrome.Plain old genetics may be at work too.
True alcohol allergy is believed to be rare.
It usually runs in families.
Like other food allergies, it may carry the risk of a severe allergic reaction calledanaphylaxis.
It’s triggered by the lack of an enzyme that breaks down alcohol in the body, called alcoholdehydrogenase.
It’s more common in Asian populations.
It involves a jot down of slow-growing tumor called a carcinoid tumor, which releases serotonin.
This is a chemical messenger that can, in turn, produce the symptoms of this syndrome.
They include:
These symptoms may be triggered by alcohol in some cases.
Medications
Some alcohol intolerance cases are linked to the use of certain medications.
They include disulfiram and Flagyl (metronidazole).
Why Does Alcohol Cause Lymphoma Pain?
About half of people with lymphoma will have enlarged lymph nodes.
These nodes are not usually painful to the touch, although they can ache.
In some people, the affected lymph nodes can become painful after drinking alcohol.
This seems to happen more often in people withHodgkin lymphoma.
It isnotone of the key symptoms in the diagnosis of lymphoma.
In fact, it is quite rare.
There is a long history of this association between alcohol and pain in Hodgkin disease.
A 1966 review described 747 patients with alcohol-induced pain linked to cancer-related illness.
Does Drinking Alcohol Cause Pain in All Types of Lymphoma?
There are two main types of lymphoma: Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
However, alcohol-induced pain has only been linked to Hodgkin lymphoma (or Hodgkin disease).
In one case report, this throw in of pain was relieved with Advil (ibuprofen).
Advil acts on a chemical messenger calledprostaglandin.
During that period he also recalled noticing a mass near the collar bone region.
One week before presentation, he reported worsening back pain immediately after drinking 235355 mL of alcohol.
There were other symptoms besides the back pain.
He had reported frequent fevers, chills, night sweats and unintentional weight loss over the prior six months.
CT imaging revealed a mediastinal mass extending through the chest wall.
MRI revealed tumorous bone lesions in the lower spine.
Biopsy of the mediastinal mass led to the diagnosis of Hodgkin lymphoma.
Can You Treat Alcohol-Induced Lymphoma Pain?
What Are the Symptoms of Hodgkin Lymphoma?
People with Hodgkin lymphoma may develop a variety of symptoms.
The most common scenario at diagnosis is an enlarged lymph node(s) and nothing else.
Lymph nodes may be enlarged in the neck, armpits, or groin, causing a painless lump.
They also may be in the chest and found on imaging studies.
Other Hodgkin lymphoma symptoms occur less often and are calledB symptoms of lymphoma.
They may include:
Summary
Some people experience pain after drinking alcoholic beverages.
However, it is rare for this to happen.
When it does, the pain may be a sign of an ongoing health condition.
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