Muscle Pain After Alcohol – Where Does It Come From and How to Treat It?

Alcohol and Muscles

Long-term alcohol consumption can result in the formation of poorly elastic, weakened, and damaged muscle fibers that are characterized by a tendency to atrophy. Drinking alcoholic beverages also contributes to inhibition of testosterone secretion, the hormone responsible for building muscle mass. Conducted studies clearly indicate that the frequency of alcohol-induced musculoskeletal dysfunctions exceeds the occurrence of liver cirrhosis. The loss of muscle mass due to ethanol exposure is multifactorial, including changes in metabolic, inflammatory, and extracellular matrix, promoting muscle proteolysis and decreased protein synthesis. Excessive alcohol consumption also leads to development of acute muscle damage, i.e., rhabdomyolysis, as well as alcoholic myopathy. Read also: Alcohol Delirium – How Long Does It Last and What to Do?

Alcoholic Myopathy

Alcoholic myopathy is a progressive muscle atrophy that appears after a prolonged period of excessive alcohol consumption. The most pronounced atrophies occur in the proximal muscles of the upper and lower limbs. Two forms of alcoholic myopathy can be distinguished – acute and chronic.

• Acute alcoholic myopathy – occurs after a prolonged period of alcohol consumption. It is characterized by painful but short-lived spasms of the muscles of the upper and lower limbs.

• Chronic alcoholic myopathy – manifests as weakening of muscle strength, primarily in the muscles of the lower limbs. It is accompanied by pain symptoms and swelling.

The disease is associated with slow muscle atrophy. During its course, difficulties arise in standing up from sitting, squatting, and kneeling positions. People who have experienced the first symptoms of alcoholic myopathy may experience a sudden exacerbation of symptoms even with a single instance of alcohol abuse. Acute pain and muscle swelling appear, and sometimes also fasciculations, i.e., contractions of groups of muscle fibers, which can last even about 7-10 days. Although alcoholic myopathy primarily affects the muscles of the upper and lower limbs, it can also attack other muscle groups, producing correspondingly different symptoms. In situations where pathological changes involve the neck muscles, the problem of a drooping head may appear, while weakening of facial muscles leads to drooping eyelids. The myopathy posing the greatest threat to humans is the form affecting respiratory muscles, causing breathing problems and shortness of breath. During the course of this disease, problems with muscle relaxation may also appear, for example, difficulties in straightening bent toes and fingers.

Muscle Pain After Alcohol – Causes

The main cause of muscle pain after alcohol is the presence of acetaldehyde in the human body, which is a breakdown product of ethanol. This substance is part of free radicals that accumulate in cells and stimulate an inflammatory reaction, leading to feelings of fatigue and the occurrence of pain symptoms. Pain may also be related to impaired functioning of the nervous system and the delivery of incorrect information to the limbs. As a result of excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages, various diseases of the musculoskeletal system also develop, which can also cause muscle and joint pain after alcohol.

Most Common Pains Caused by Excessive Alcohol Consumption

The most common pains caused by excessive alcohol consumption are pains in the legs, calves, head, bones, and joints.

Leg Pain After Alcohol

Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to the development of rhabdomyolysis, i.e., acute damage to striated muscles. This causes both leg pain in alcoholics and the entry into the bloodstream of muscle cell components – myoglobins, enzymes, and other potentially toxic substances for internal organs – which also lead to kidney damage. Leg pain after alcohol can also be caused by polyneuropathy, i.e., a complex of symptoms related to peripheral nerve damage caused by alcohol exposure.

Calf Pain After Alcohol

Calf pain and cramps after alcohol are primarily associated with the development of polyneuropathy, during which damage to peripheral nerve fibers occurs. A symptom of this condition is precisely severe pain localized in the lower legs, and in severe cases also weakening and muscle atrophy combined with their contractures.

Headache After Alcohol

An extremely common pain occurring after alcohol is headache. It results partly from dehydration of the body following consumption of excessive amounts of alcoholic beverages, but its main cause is the dilation of blood vessels by ethanol, resulting in increased blood pressure. People who suffer from hypertension or had elevated blood pressure at the time of alcohol consumption experience general headache, and often also migraine.

Bone Pain After Alcohol

Alcohol abuse leads to:

• decreased bone tissue density, called osteopenia

• decreased bone mass, primarily in the heel bones, spine, and hip joint

• hormonal secretion disorders – calcitonin, parathormone, and sex hormones – responsible for proper bone density

• bone remodeling disorders

• phosphate and magnesium deficiency.

This causes general bone weakening and contributes to the development of osteoporosis, which ultimately results in the occurrence of pain symptoms. In people consuming excessive amounts of alcohol, there is also a decrease in calcium reserves in the body, which is largely caused by insufficient intake of this mineral. In addition to pain, there is also an increased risk of bone fractures.

Joint Pain After Alcohol

Consumption of large amounts of alcohol increases the risk of developing gout – a chronic disease caused by metabolic disorders, during which joint deformation occurs, resulting in turn in severe pain symptoms. Alcoholic beverages also have a dehydrating effect, thereby promoting the development of inflammatory conditions.

Where Does Muscle Tremor After Alcohol Come From?

Muscle tremor after alcohol is related to the destructive impact of this substance on nerve cells. Excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages causes neuronal death and leads to mineral and vitamin deficiencies, which result in progressive damage and dysfunction of the nervous system. This type of negative impact of ethanol on the human body manifests as muscle tremor, primarily in the muscles of the lower and upper limbs. Among the causes of tremor after alcohol, alcohol-induced electrolyte disturbances, calcium channel dysfunction, excessive brain hydration, and decreased gamma-aminobutyric acid levels are also indicated.

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