What Causes Pain On Right Side While Drinking?

Posted on Tue, 9 Sep 2014

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Tue, 9 Sep 2014 Answered on

Sat, 4 Oct 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : What does it mean when you drink alcohol and your right side hurts?

Answered by Dr. Grzegorz Stanko (32 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Pancreas issues.

Detailed Answer:
Hello!

Thank you for the query.

Right side abdominal pain after alcohol intake can be caused by pancreas disease (chronic pancreatitis, pancreas irritation) or gallstones. In both cases pain tends to radiate to the back. Nausea can be also present. If you have been drinking for a long time, chronic pancreatitis is possible.
To diagnose chronic pancreatitis abdominal CT is necessary.
I wont be writing that you should avoid alcohol as I`m pretty sure you already know it. Fatty foods, spicy foods, fried foods can also affect pancreas.

Hope this will help. Feel free to ask further questions.
Regards.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Grzegorz Stanko (45 minutes later)

Thank you. That's what I suspected but I wanted to make sure it wasn't a liver issue. Can sugary foods cause pancreatitis? And what is the best treatment for pancreatitis?

Answered by Dr. Grzegorz Stanko (3 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
.

Detailed Answer:
No, sugary foods are not the chronic pancreatitis factor. Such type of foods however can lead to pancreas insufficiency called diabetes. Nowadays it is known that about 80% of all chronic pancreatitis cases are caused by alcohol. So answering your next questions the best treatment for chronic pancreatitis (it can not be treated permanently, once it gets chronic, the process can not be reversed) is avoiding alcohol.

Regards.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar