Sore neck after drinking alcohol

[kuroba]

Whenever my boyfriend drinks alcohol, his neck muscles get sore and painful. It generally lasts around 10 minutes. It doesn't take a lot for the symptoms to start and when he drinks, he doesn't get tipsy or drunk.

Google only seems to give answers about cancer but these are his neck muscles, not his lymph nodes. Anyone experience something similar or have any input?

Thanks!

[iiii1233456]

You have to drink tiling to make you neck stop hurting

[Iaaaan]

I feel that symptoms too and I'm afraid to tell it to my parents that I had lymphoma, I'm a heavy drinker and I've never felt that before. My neck and back was painful after I drink a lot of alcohol and I researched about cannabis oil to treat it wthout a concent of a doctor.

[ktmnomad]

Hi, i have had the sore/cramped neck issue since 18 and for me.it does not occur until the day after.  What my local doctor has explained to me is that the alcohol for whatever reason is depleting or reducing the level of magnesium in my muscle and my neck/trapezius muscle is the first to dehydrate and cramp.  

So armed with this knowledge I carry magnesium supplements like tablets or a sports powder so that before and after my night out i can replace the lost electrolyte.  Also keeping hydrated before and not having too many coffees the night after helps too.  The best stuff I've found is a sports powder called Endura - doesn't taste too nice but it stops my cramping 100%.

Hope that helps

[sindee18]

does that take the pain away staying hydrated?

[Anwen1]

For 15 years, I've had terrible pain in the meninge for days or weeks after alcohol - even only some red wine in a sauce. An allergy test showed I had a sulphite allergy, and as long as I stay away from sulphites I'm fine. Taking a large dose of vitamin B12 gets rid of the pain.

Unfortunately, I now have very itchy lymph nodes and am being tested for Hodgkin's Disease. x

[Feisty_mk]

I'm a female in my late twenties, and for the past few years I've realized as soon as I take a drink of tequila; whether it is in a margarita or just a straight shot, I get severe neck, back and joint pain. It starts in my head and then travels down my neck and throughout my body until it has run its course. Generally takes I'd say about an hour or so. I'm currently experiencing it which is why I was on the internet trying to find people that may have the same reaction with possible answers. I know it's not the fact that I'm just a lightweight. Red wine is still enjoyable.
I do have multiple allergies including outdoor triggered allergies like pollen and trees as well as dust mites. I also have a severe allergy to the preservatives in beef. So most of the time I just think I may have got cross-contamination from the food at the restaurant.
My brother discovered that he has an allergy to some vodkas and other Liquors along with tequila. So I'm wondering if I just have bad genes and can't drink like him.

[Callak]

Comments like this do not help.   I have an issue with pain on the back of my neck that feels like nerve issues.  Some of us like to drink, and have very sevear reprocussions from just a little drink.  We are aware that it should not be so sevear and would like to know why.  Your diagnosis of "stop drinking" is not an explanation, so stop making them.

[Rocloui8]

After mixing way too many different types of liquor last night even I woke up perfectly fine. I don't get hangovers so I guess I really don't know what a hangover feels like, but later today I started getting pains in my ribs, back and neck. Like I got into a fight and lost. It's so confusing...

[philnoir]

I would imagine that your body does not make the enzymes that metabolize alcohol, and that a can of beer for you is like a sixpack to others (as a simple analogy).

Many people, especially those descended from northern Asian races, which includes the American Indian, do not possess the genetics to manufacture these enzymes.

People without this ability develop so-called "asian flush" -- a reddening of the skin after consuming alcohol, and they develop hangovers sooner and from less alcohol than others.

Also, people prone to migraine also are more likely to develop the hangover headache after alcohol.

I suspect that headache is similar to a hangover, and I would recommend that you stay away from alcohol in any form.

[Silvertrain77]

I've got the same issues as you. My neck aches most of the following day after having a beer the night before. Have you found out why drinking makes the neck ache?

[elzapatista]

I have it too... but it's not usually when I'm drinking. Moreso at the end of the night and tends to be for pretty much the entire next day! Not pleasant. I manage a wine retail store and wine bar so drinking a bit is usually difficult to avoid. Guess I'm going to have to find a new gig!!

Good luck to everyone else with your respective pains :/

[Kaylieg15]

Yep same thing happens to me! It's happened since I began sinking but mine lasts for the entire time I drink. My mothers a nurse and she says I'm a hypochondriac but looking on the web, it seems like a Ligit thing. Some people say it cancer, brain tumor, allergies, hodgkins, etc and I'm starting to get real worried. If anyone has ears back from their docter please let me know!!

[pcikels]

i have the same thing! if drink a beer quickly or  have a shot as my first drink, about 1 min later my neck gets tense and sore for a bout 5 mins.
i've always wondered why.

[cinsnotyg]

I experience the same symptons as your boyfriend.  I've learned that I cannot drink ANY rum, malted beverages (such as Smirnoff Ice; Mike's Hard Lemonade, etc.) and any "cheap", no-name vodkas.  I have no reaction when I drink beer, well-vodkas, tequilas, wines, or whiskeys.  

I was reading about gluten-free diets and they listed what alcohols are gluten-free and to stay away from flavored alcohol and malted beverages.  So I thought maybe it had something to do with the gluten in these drinks but on second thought, I get no reaction when I drink beer and beer has gluten in it.  

I'm trying to find out why also and that's when I came across your post.  

Best of luck!

[kuroba]

He doesn't drink anymore because of these symptoms. I was curious if anyone knew WHY they might be happening..

[seano]

Stop drinking = no more headaches for ten minutes!

[Callak]

I am *not* Kuroba's boyfriend, but suffer the same problem.  That's easy to say, but for those that have experienced strange extreme changes in the results of drinking when they used to do it with mild after effects that just does not cut the cake.  I have the same issue, it feels like an inflamed nerve, and makes my entire neck stiff and sore.  Occasionally I have problems with it without drinking, but almost always now after I drink.  I can have a couple of large beers and go to bed feeling entirely sober, and about two or three hours later, I'll get terrible shooting pain in the base of my skull and an extremely stiff neck.   This is strange, because I have had mild hangovers from drinking too much before, and drinking much more than what I do now, and it resulted in a quarter of the pain or less.