# Almost complete pain relief after drinking alcohol



## Manick (Feb 21, 2010)

I've heard that many and most people have problems with alcohol consumption with IBS, that it always makes their symptoms worse. However, from my experience, I have only been feeling better overall these past three weeks after I started drinking about half a 25oz bottle of plum wine (12% alcohol), and sometimes several gulps of vodka, on a daily basis. I've been drinking only enough to get to a buzzed, relaxed state, and not enough to make me tired (unless it's bedtime). It almost immediately relieves me of my pain, and acts as a sort of tranquilizer, in a similar way to my Clonazepam only it works more quickly. The worst this has done to me is make it difficult to wake up in the morning and give me a minor hangover, but as always, I wake up in the morning usually feeling perfectly pain free (this isn't unusual or new). I make sure to drink more water though, to counter the dehydration effects. Has anyone else had similar positive experiences with alcohol?


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## Queensgirl52 (Mar 15, 2012)

I've noticed the same thing over the last few days. We were close to the path of the hurricane, and my stress level has been through the roof. I started on Saturday to have a small amount of gin with fruit juice late in the afternoon before dinner, and I can't believe the difference. I don't have much of what I'd call real pain, but I often have a sort of crampy, irritated feeling which is worse when I'm stressed. The gin knocked it right out.


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## WeirdBodySyndrome (Oct 22, 2012)

Manick said:


> I've heard that many and most people have problems with alcohol consumption with IBS, that it always makes their symptoms worse. However, from my experience, I have only been feeling better overall these past three weeks after I started drinking about half a 25oz bottle of plum wine (12% alcohol), and sometimes several gulps of vodka, on a daily basis. I've been drinking only enough to get to a buzzed, relaxed state, and not enough to make me tired (unless it's bedtime). It almost immediately relieves me of my pain, and acts as a sort of tranquilizer, in a similar way to my Clonazepam only it works more quickly. The worst this has done to me is make it difficult to wake up in the morning and give me a minor hangover, but as always, I wake up in the morning usually feeling perfectly pain free (this isn't unusual or new). I make sure to drink more water though, to counter the dehydration effects. Has anyone else had similar positive experiences with alcohol?


Dude...be careful. I read a bit on the net and saw that Alchol can affect the GI system. When I have a lot, it eases pain and also gives me diarrea/soft stools once a day for 3-10 days. Thats nice if you have IBS-C, but it may be risky to use alcohol for your IBS. The side effect i see is low energy and dullness - Just my two cents.


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## WeirdBodySyndrome (Oct 22, 2012)

Bobbatron808 said:


> You should find a way to change the environment around you which is causing the IBS (e.g. work stress, bad neighborhood, etc.) Took me 11 years to realize that so.. yah.. Though I warn against alcohol, I don't blame ya.


So, are you cured completely or just managing the symptoms ? Stress certainly flares up my symptoms too.


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## Manick (Feb 21, 2010)

There is actually no stress in my current lifestyle. Or at least, there is very little. The only stress I get is sometimes caused by the lack of activity and boredom. I don't know if depression can cause stress but I have that too. I have no job because of my IBS/CPPS and I am always seeing doctors constantly to try and have them help me solve this. My neighborhood is actually quite nice, I live in a convenient part of town with my parents in a nice home currently, and I live like a 10 minute walking distance from most of my doctors offices where there is a huge medical center. I do feel the need to get out of my room sometimes though, and change my environment as you say, and I do that by just getting up and going downstairs for a few minutes to do whatever, or go for a 10-15 minute walk outside. I even recently changed my work station to be facing a window, so I can see outside right behind my monitor, which is really nice.


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## lulugirl765 (Oct 31, 2012)

Wine might be an idea, but I had bad experiences with harder liquor, like whiskey/vodka. When I was having a drink every day, my IBS turned into black/tarry stools, indicative I was starting to get an intestinal ulcer. After quitting alcohol completely, the black/tarry stuff went away.


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## Manick (Feb 21, 2010)

The plum wine has not noticeably backfired on me yet or made things worse as far as I can tell. I never woke up the next day feeling more gut pain after even drinking more than usual. I've been doing it for about a month now, if I haven't mentioned it already. However, one night that I went out to eat (I didn't eat much more than chicken), I drank some of my fathers beer (about half a glass). It wasn't that much, but the next day I felt horrible. It could only have been the beer, as the food I ate there was relatively safe and did not bother me the next two times I went back.


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## SengaB (Jan 15, 2013)

I too have found that alcohol relieves IBS symptoms but danger is in overdoing it, however it has made a positive difference with no ill effects. Important to keep drinking lots of water. I only drink at night after work. I can see how consumption can creep up, this needs to be regulated, only so much and no more. The balance needs to be right. I feel at my age -57- I'm not so bothered about health risks as I never drank until about a year ago. Whatever works! But trying to maintain exercise etc and other healthy activities to help to counterbalance the effects. I feel like I have got my life back if only to some degree.

I work full time and it has not affected this but it has given me some relief from symptoms which has helped with attitude, outlook etc in general.


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## Pepper H (Jan 3, 2013)

I once spent a year studying abroad and drinking (a lot) up to three days a week. Alcohol generally makes you feel less pain BUT makes IBS-D a lot worse - only, you're not in pain, so as long as you live next to the toilet it's fine.

Not something I would recommend on a daily basis, though.


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## peregrine (Jan 13, 2013)

Alcohol depletes B vitamins. You may try taking Bs to help the hang-over.


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## SWER (Dec 24, 2012)

Hi, alcohol is a depressant and can add to feeling depressed. All the best to you. Kind regards


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