# Can this really happen? TMI Q about alcohol **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 13, 2002, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-this-really-happen-tmi-q-about-alcohol/98103 "2002-03-13T19:13:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MagicalSilverKey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@MagicalSilverKey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MagicalSilverKey)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-this-really-happen-tmi-q-about-alcohol/98103/1 "2002-03-13T19:13:03Z")
I once had a friend who claimed that in her “wild” days, she drank a massive amount of vodka, in a short period of time, and ended up regurgitating the “lining” of her stomach! She later received ulcer(s) as a result. Can this really happen, or was she just telling a tall tale? ---
**Author:** ![Lisa\_Ann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bc79bd/32.png) [@Lisa\_Ann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa_Ann)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-this-really-happen-tmi-q-about-alcohol/98103/2 "2002-03-13T19:23:08Z")
[hijack?]My husband had campylobacter food poisioning and shed his stomach lining. He was in a lot of pain and it took two weeks to grow back. I think it is possible, but don’t have any cites or sites for you.[/hijack?] ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Bird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Little\_Bird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Bird)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-this-really-happen-tmi-q-about-alcohol/98103/3 "2002-03-13T22:00:15Z")
[Nothing of value to add] Eeeew eew eeeew eeew eeew eeeeeeeeeew [/Nothing of value to add] ---
**Author:** ![scout1222](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@scout1222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scout1222)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-this-really-happen-tmi-q-about-alcohol/98103/4 "2002-03-14T00:34:15Z")
Hmmm… This could also explain why ODB (ol’ drunk ex-boyfriend) used to sh\*t blood in his vodka swilling alcoholic days. Gross. But I imagine possible. ---
**Author:** ![honkytonkwillie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@honkytonkwillie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/honkytonkwillie)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-this-really-happen-tmi-q-about-alcohol/98103/5 "2002-03-14T07:10:58Z")
I suspect she’s refering to the mucousal layer which lines the stomach. It’s like thick and gooey phlegm. It’s been about a decade since I’ve studied anatomy and physiology, so I leave it to others to provide some better details. ---
**Author:** ![kinoons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a698b9/32.png) [@kinoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kinoons)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-this-really-happen-tmi-q-about-alcohol/98103/6 "2002-03-14T07:24:39Z")
Alcohol is a very caustic substance. If she drank a large amount in a very short peroid of time I can understand how it would speed her along to an ulcer. Chronic use also generally results in an ulcer as well. ---
**Author:** ![ejrn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a6a055/32.png) [@ejrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ejrn)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-this-really-happen-tmi-q-about-alcohol/98103/7 "2002-03-14T07:59:08Z")
What your friend had was severe alcoholic gastritis - an inflammation of the stomach lining. This sometimes results in bleeding and drinkers have been known to vomit blood, mucus and “coffee grounds” (old blood) after heavy drinking episodes. Alcohol does not cause ulcers. It will, however, aggravate an existing ulcer. Ulcers are caused by bacterial infection. I wouldn’t be too quick to disabuse your friend of her belief that alcohol was the cause of her problems. Sounds like she has the makings of a serious alcoholic and anything that discourages her from drinking can’t be all bad.😉 ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-this-really-happen-tmi-q-about-alcohol/98103/8 "2002-03-14T08:45:35Z")
According to my mum, my father apparently had a big, big night on cheap red wine many years ago, and it was a hot night, so he was sweating in bed. When my mother removed the sheets to wash them, she noticed they were pink! ---
**Author:** ![istara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e79b87/32.png) [@istara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/istara)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-this-really-happen-tmi-q-about-alcohol/98103/9 "2002-03-14T10:14:14Z")
Is this related in anyway to the chopped carrot phenomenon of sick? ---
**Author:** ![wayward](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a87d85/32.png) [@wayward](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wayward)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-this-really-happen-tmi-q-about-alcohol/98103/10 "2002-03-14T10:49:50Z")
[TMI] It was my birthday a few weeks ago and my friends decided to officially ‘break’ me by making me drink as much alcohol as physically possible. It’s all a bit of a blank after about 10 o’clock… Anyway, I was a bit poorly the next morning. The food had already come up, then water, then what I can only describe as white chunks. Some of them were quite big, maybe an inch and a half across. It was a little scary at the time but I haven’t had any health problems since except a bitch of cold for about a week afterwards. Any ideas what they were? [/TMI] ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-this-really-happen-tmi-q-about-alcohol/98103/11 "2002-03-14T14:22:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by istara \* > \*\*Is this related in anyway to the chopped carrot phenomenon of sick? \*\* I’ll bite. WTF is the “chopped carrot of sick”? ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-this-really-happen-tmi-q-about-alcohol/98103/12 "2002-03-14T19:22:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Funky McDuck \* > \*\*[TMI] > It was my birthday a few weeks ago and my friends decided to officially ‘break’ me by making me drink as much alcohol as physically possible. > [/TMI] \*\* Time to find some new friends, Funky, ones who aren’t trying to kill you. ---
**Author:** ![kinoons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a698b9/32.png) [@kinoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kinoons)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-this-really-happen-tmi-q-about-alcohol/98103/13 "2002-03-14T19:22:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ejrn \* > \*\*(snip) Alcohol does not cause ulcers. It will, however, aggravate an existing ulcer. Ulcers are caused by bacterial infection. (snip) \*\* Actually anything that can cause the protective mucous layer to be removed immediately leads to gastritis (as you did state) but then can cause an ulcer. That layer is the only thing preventing the HCL (or any other caustic substance) in your stomach from causing an ulcer. The bacteria that you are refering to is present in 70-90% of those with ulcers, but also in 40% in those who do not. (Per Human A&P, 4th edition) Therefor it is difficult to specifically pinpoint the bacteria as the cause.