When you pour a glass of wine or you crack open a beer, you know the alcohol will affect your brain and maybe your mood.
But it also affects your digestive tract. How much alcohol you drink and even the type you choose can cause problems with your bowel movements. Learn more about the physical signs of alcoholism.
Constipation
Even after moderate drinking, you may have trouble pooping the next day. One of the main reasons is dehydration.
Alcohol keeps your body from releasing vasopressin, a hormone that helps your body hang onto fluid by preventing water from going out in your urine. Less vasopressin means you’ll need to pee more. But when your body gets rid of more fluid than normal, you may become constipated.
The type of alcohol you drink may matter, too. Drinks with a high alcohol content — more than 15% — may slow down the movements of the muscles in your gut that push food through your digestive system. The amount of alcohol in typical drinks varies:
- 12 ounces of regular beer: About 5%
- 5 ounces of wine: About 12%
- 1.5 ounces of liquor (such as gin, tequila, or vodka): About 40%
To keep things running smoothly, make sure you drink plenty of water or other fluids that will keep you hydrated.
Diarrhea
Diarrhea is common for chronic heavy drinkers, but it can also happen when you occasionally drink too much. There may be at least two reasons for alcohol-related diarrhea:
Fluid overload. The extra fluid in your gut isn’t related to how many ounces you drank. Instead, large amounts of alcohol prompt your intestines to release water. That flushes out whatever’s inside.
Faster contractions inside your colon. The muscles around your large intestine squeeze and push waste through. An alcohol binge puts this normal body process into overdrive.
Diarrhea means your body is losing a lot of liquid, so it’s important to replace it by drinking fluids such as water or broth. Avoid caffeine or more alcohol until the problem goes away.
Drinking When You Have Bowel Problems
Research shows that people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis, drink about as much alcohol as anyone else in the U.S. But alcohol can trigger a flare for some people with these conditions. That could mean a period of:
- Diarrhea
- Belly pain and cramping
- Blood in your stool
Alcohol makes the immune system weaker, boosts inflammation in the body, and can harm the protective barrier in your gut. These all lead to the symptoms of IBD.
The effect of alcohol on people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) isn’t clear. But some people feel their symptoms get worse when they drink.
If you have a bowel disease such as IBD or IBS, your doctor may suggest that you cut beer, wine, and liquor out of your diet to see if your symptoms improve.
Different Colors
You expect your poop to be some shade of brown. That’s normal, as are some shades of green. When it looks unusually green, red, or even blue, the alcohol you drank could be the cause.
Your poop’s color comes from a combination of the food you eat plus a substance called bile, a yellow-green fluid that your body makes to digest fats. But certain things in your diet, including alcohol, can make your stool look different.
Say you have cocktails with green food coloring on St. Patrick’s Day. Your next bowel movement could be surprisingly green. If you have blue Jell-O shots or red punch, your stool could take on those colors. (It’s not just alcohol; eating beets, a lot of cranberries, or leafy greens can also cause a color change.)
One thing to keep in mind if you see an odd color in the toilet is, it can, in rare cases, signal a health condition. For instance, bright red poop could mean there’s blood in the lower part of your digestive tract, which could mean hemorrhoids or a problem somewhere else in your intestines. If you’re concerned about the color of your stool — especially if you can’t link it to something you recently ate or drank — give your doctor a call.
Stool Colors and What They May Be Caused By | ||
Color | Potential Dietary Causes | Potential Medical Causes |
Black | - Iron supplements - Kaopectate or Pepto-Bismol (bismuth subsalicylate) - Black licorice | - Bleeding in your stomach |
Yellow and greasy | - Fried, fatty foods - High gluten foods, such as bread and cereal | - Malabsorption conditions such as celiac disease, which causes excess fat in your poop |
Bright red | - Beets - Red food dye - Fruit juices and tomato juice - Red gelatin | - Bleeding in the large intestine or rectum, commonly from hemorrhoids |
White or clay-colored | - Antacids with aluminum hydroxide - Large doses of Kaopectate or Pepto-Bismol (bismuth subsalicylate) - Barium, from X-rays
| - A potential bile duct blockage |
Green | - Leafy greens - Green food dye - Iron supplements | - Diarrhea that causes you to digest food too quickly |
Takeaways
Alcohol can cause issues in your gastrointestinal system. The morning after you have a few drinks, you may feel constipated from dehydration or have diarrhea. The color of your poop may reflect the colors of the drinks you had, but be sure to contact your doctor right away if you notice blood in your stool. Remember that alcohol can trigger flare-ups if you have an inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis.
FAQs: How Alcohol Affects Your Poop
Why does beer or wine cause diarrhea more quickly than hard liquor?
Beer and wine contain more carbohydrates than hard liquor. When the bacteria in your large intestine breaks down these carbs for energy, you may feel more likely to have gas or diarrhea.
Can alcohol cause temporary fecal incontinence or extreme urgency?
If you’re already prone to incontinence, alcohol can make the symptoms worse. Long-term heavy drinking can reduce your level of bowel control.
How long does it take for bowel movements to return to normal after quitting alcohol?
You may notice improved digestive symptoms within days or weeks after you stop drinking, including feeling less bloated and having less stomach inflammation. But it may take a few months for your gut to regenerate its lining to help you have more normal bowel movements.
Do hangover cure supplements actually prevent post-drinking bowel upset?
There isn’t strong evidence that hangover cure supplements will help ease bowel issues after drinking.
