Gallbladder pain may occur unexpectedly after you eat or drink. Many people have gallstones or inflammation in their gallbladders without knowing it because symptoms might not develop. Gallbladder pain after consuming beer may be confused with other digestive conditions, such as celiac disease, food allergies or intolerance. Talk with your health care provider for a clinical diagnosis of your symptoms and treatment options. Avoid drinking beer until you can see your physician.
Gallbladder Pain Cause
About 90 percent of people with gallstones experience no symptoms, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Gallbladder pain might result when a gallstone becomes stuck in the gallbladder duct, or it might stem from an infection in the gland. The gallbladder is a sac that stores bile for the digestive system. When you eat, your brain might trigger the gallbladder to contract, releasing extra bile into your stomach to help digest certain fats. Gallbladder pain can be a sign of a serious medical complication that could lead to death if not treated.
Symptoms
After drinking beer, you might develop gallbladder pain that ranges from minor to severe in the upper-right portion of your abdomen. MayoClinic.com states that pain might also develop in your right shoulder or between your shoulder blades. Some people experience fever and chills, nausea and vomiting. Gallbladder pain comes on suddenly, within a few minutes of drinking the beer. Call your doctor if you develop severe abdominal pain, yellowing of your skin or a high fever. Consider whether you've eaten any food with the beer that could have triggered your gallbladder pain.
Other Conditions
It's possible to confuse gallbladder pain with other conditions, such as heartburn, celiac disease or food allergies and intolerance. Heartburn will cause a painful, burning sensation in the center of your chest that might radiate to your back. Celiac disease is an autoimmune digestive disorder that causes the immune system to harm the lining of your digestive system after consuming gluten, a protein in wheat, barely and rye. Most beers contain gluten. If you're allergic or have intolerance to wheat or other grain proteins, you will develop stomach pain from drinking beer.
Treatment
If your doctor diagnoses you with gallbladder disease, she may recommend removing the gallbladder, prescription medications that slowly dissolve gallstones, or a modified diet. If your gallbladder is infected, you must have it removed to prevent further infection throughout your body.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Gallstones
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Gallbladder Disease
- American College of Gastroenterology: Billary Tract Disorders, Gallbladder Disorders and Gallstones
- National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse: Celiac Disease
- FamilyDoctor.org: Heartburn
- MayoClinic.com: Food Allergy vs. Food Intolerance
