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What Causes Burning Sensation In Stomach After Giving Up Alcohol?

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Posted on Tue, 31 Dec 2013
Question: Hello, I recently gave up what I can best describe as a nightly but moderate drinking habit after about 10 years. There was some moderate withdrawal symptoms. Most have subsided after the first week. However, my stomach which immediately began feeling upset after quitting cold XXXXXXX has persisted. I have a gnawing, burning like sensation in my stomach usually getting worse near the evening, the time of day I used to drink. There is some slight to moderate nausea and pronounced sense of bloating at its peak. Sleep seem to help. When I wake up in the morning, I usually feel fine, but as the day progresses to around 4 p.m. is when it starts and it hits it zenith around 8. Any ideas? Thanks!
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Answered by Dr. Grzegorz Stanko (1 hour later)
Brief Answer: Detailed below. Detailed Answer: Hello! Thank you for the query. Your organism during this 10 years has gotten used to an alcohol. You need to know that in the brain we have special receptors which alcohol can stimulate. This receptors are called GABA. When alcohol meets such receptor, your brain gets kind of sedated. Now during long term drinking this receptors become less sensitive for anything including alcohol. So sudden stop drinking makes hole brain hardly sedated (as in consequences GABA does not work property). Because of that you may have many different symptoms including stomach issues. You need some time for your brain to get back to normal and it wont happen in a days or week. The other thing is that alcohol can cause peptic ulcer and pancreas inflammation. Your symptoms may be caused by this issues as well. That is why I suggest you to have it checked. Blood work, liver tests, amylase, lipase, urine amylase, abdominal CT and gastroscopy should be done. For temporal relief you may try Diazepam (prescribed by your doctor). Hope this will help. Feel free to ask further questions. Regards.
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Grzegorz Stanko

General Surgeon

Practicing since :2008

Answered : 5797 Questions

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What Causes Burning Sensation In Stomach After Giving Up Alcohol?

Brief Answer: Detailed below. Detailed Answer: Hello! Thank you for the query. Your organism during this 10 years has gotten used to an alcohol. You need to know that in the brain we have special receptors which alcohol can stimulate. This receptors are called GABA. When alcohol meets such receptor, your brain gets kind of sedated. Now during long term drinking this receptors become less sensitive for anything including alcohol. So sudden stop drinking makes hole brain hardly sedated (as in consequences GABA does not work property). Because of that you may have many different symptoms including stomach issues. You need some time for your brain to get back to normal and it wont happen in a days or week. The other thing is that alcohol can cause peptic ulcer and pancreas inflammation. Your symptoms may be caused by this issues as well. That is why I suggest you to have it checked. Blood work, liver tests, amylase, lipase, urine amylase, abdominal CT and gastroscopy should be done. For temporal relief you may try Diazepam (prescribed by your doctor). Hope this will help. Feel free to ask further questions. Regards.