I get diarrhoea after taking alcohol

I have always enjoyed my drink but nowadays when I take alcohol, I get diarrhoea. What can I do because I cannot stay without taking alcohol. Amos

Dear Amos,
Much as it has always been said that drinking alcohol moderately is healthy, recent research has indicated that even little amounts of alcohol are unhealthy. This, therefore, means if you develop any condition after drinking alcohol, this may give a healthy excuse to stop drinking.

The body has its ways of trying to eliminate any substance it deems toxic by vomiting or through diarrhoea. Alcohol, especially if taken in large amounts on an empty stomach may irritate the digestive system leading to failure to absorb food and water resulting in diarrhoea. Limiting the amounts of alcohol, taking food before drinking, or taking lots of water in between drinks may help.

Alcohol may destabilise the normally found intestinal small organisms leading to diarrhoea. Here stopping drinking will help though if you must drink, taking probiotics may help some but not all people.

Also, the contents of alcohol including gluten, tannins and preservatives may cause reactions in the digestive system leading to diarrhoea so that one type of drink may lead to diarrhoea while another one may not.

Alcoholic drinks, especially beer or the local brew tonto have lots of carbohydrates so that when one drinks them, the body can have trouble breaking down the extra carbohydrates leading to diarrhoea.
Therefore, switching drinks to those with less carbohydrates may be of help.

People with certain medical conditions including irritable bowel syndrome may get diarrhoea when they drink alcohol. Here, any type of alcohol may lead to diarrhoea, requiring that you stop drinking completely.