Please verify your email address to receive email notifications.

Enter your email address

We have sent you a verification email. Please check your inbox and spam folder.

Unable to send verification, please refresh and try again later.

  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    Why is alcohol causing me severe joint pain?

    Related Topics
    Addiction Alcohol Dependence
    I experiencce joint pain directly realted to alcohol consumption. The onset of this pain began at legal drinking age in 2002 and since then has become progressively worse. Initially the pain was triggered by 10 standard drinks, recently it takes as little as 4 standard drinks.

    The joint pain began exclusively in my wrists and gradually over time progressed to me elbow joints; the latest pain exacerbation included all joints and muscles from my fingertips to my shoulders.

    In 2002 my pain score was roughly 4/10, the last exacerbation I suffered was a 9/10.

    The pain is a deep throbbing pain, neither better for rest nor movement; it is not relieved by heat, cold or paracetamol but does respond well to codeine. Codeine can take a 9/10 pain score down to a 2/10 score, but still does not completely relieve the pain.
    • 1 answer
    • Caroline Cooper
    answer this question

  • Find a professional to answer your question

  • 2

    Thanks

    Caroline Cooper

    Physiotherapist

    Role:Practice Principal/OwnerAbout:Studied in Sydney and Graduated with a Bachelor Applied Science in Physiotherapy, in 1988. I have since completed a Graduate Certificate in Physiotherapy, gained … View Profile

    Alcohol can cause severe joint pain if there are other medical conditions involved. Gout gives people severe joint pain. If a person has gout then the alcohol can cause the gout to flare up. That is one reason why it can be causing the problem.

    Reply to this post
     · 
    Report
answer this question

You must be a Health Professional to answer this question. Log in or Sign up .

You may also like these related questions

Related Fact Sheets
Related Questions

Empowering Australians to make better health choices