Associate Professor of Orthopedic expert,Brigham Hostpital
Doctors consider alcohol consumption to be a serious risk factor for many disorders of the body.
Are Alcohol Consumption and Gallbladder Disorders Related?
Is there an effect on alcohol tolerance after gallbladder or cholecystectomy surgery?
If you seek a short answer to your question, the correct answer is that there is no direct correlation between gallbladder removal and alcohol intolerance.
It is common scenario that the underlying disorder which makes gallbladder removal necessary also creates some alcohol intolerance.
In this article, we will talk more about the following topic in detail:
The effects of alcohol on the gallbladder
Alcohol consumption can affect gallbladder function in two ways, one through gallbladder inflammation and one through the creation of stones and pancreatic inflammation.
- Inflammation of gallbladder:
Some studies suggest that moderate alcohol consumption may have preservative effects on the gallbladder.
Gallstones are deposits that often contain cholesterol and have accumulated in the gallbladder. Any factor that reduces gallbladder motility and contractions, can increase these deposits in the gallbladder and thicken them and form gallstones.
Some articles show that consuming small to moderate amounts of alcohol, with its effect on lowering fat and cholesterol, may prevent the formation of gallstones and cholesterol stones by lowering cholesterol in the body.
But on the other hand, one must note that alcohol can slow down the contractions of the gallbladder, and slowing down the contractions of the gallbladder will cause the bile to drain slowly from the gallbladder and even stop. It leads to the accumulation and concentration of bile fluid in the gallbladder, the formation of gallstones and even obstruction of the gallbladder outlet following inflammation.
The medical term for gallbladder inflammation is cholecystitis.
Cholecystitis can be acute or chronic. In chronic cholecystitis, a person suffers from upper and right abdominal pain after eating a large, fatty meal or drinking too much alcohol. The pain spreads to the right shoulder and scapula; Nausea may also occur.
The attack usually lasts for several hours; during this time, the patient should not consume food. These individuals who suffer from chronic attacks of gallbladder inflammation are more likely to eventually develop a severe and acute episode of cholecystitis.
In acute cholecystitis, which occurs after eating fatty foods or drinking alcohol, sudden sharp pain is felt in the right side and upper abdomen that spreads to the right shoulder and scapula. Other manifestations of acute cholecystitis are as below:
The standard treatment option is to hospitalize the person to control the infection and remove the gallbladder with surgery. The operation to remove the gallbladder is called a cholecystectomy.
Doctors believe that in the first few weeks after surgery, a person may develop a condition similar to cholecystitis again.
The cause of these attacks is the persistence of bile sludge or small gallstones in the bile ducts that are outside the gallbladder. Most of these attacks will go away over time, but some individuals suffer from these chronic attacks throughout their life.
It is said that by removing the gallbladder, if you have such attacks, drinking alcohol may trigger the onset of the attack.
So it is better to limit alcohol consumption.
Alcohol consumption is the most common cause of pancreas inflammation. Gallstones are the common cause that can occult the exit of this gland and result in inflammation.
Alcohol intolerance after gallbladder removal
As mentioned above, alcohol intolerance can happen after gallbladder because of three main reasons:
- You have had a gallstone as the cause of gallbladder removal
In these circumstances, one may have associated inflammation in the pancreas because of gallstones and experience some alcohol intolerance.
- Alcohol trigger before mentioned post gallbladder removal syndrome
- Alcohol cannot be digested as before in some individuals after gallbladder removal
What tips should we follow to tolerate alcohol?
To tolerate alcohol after gallbladder removal, follow these tips. Remember that drinking alcohol will damage your health and your liver.
- Try to drink as small as you can
- Drink as slowly as possible
- Not eat fatty or spicy food with alcohol
- Do not drink with an empty stomach