# Legs hurt when i drink, why? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 20, 2000, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legs-hurt-when-i-drink-why/46455 "2000-12-20T02:37:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Upham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Upham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Upham)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2000, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legs-hurt-when-i-drink-why/46455/1 "2000-12-20T02:37:37Z")
Why do my legs hurt the day after i get drunk? for a while i thought i was just passing out and running into things but the lack of bruses is making me wonder… ---
**Author:** ![red\_dragon60](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ce73a5/32.png) [@red\_dragon60](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/red_dragon60)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2000, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legs-hurt-when-i-drink-why/46455/2 "2000-12-20T02:42:17Z")
Umm, GQ anyone? ---
**Author:** ![Sterra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8c91f0/32.png) [@Sterra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sterra)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2000, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legs-hurt-when-i-drink-why/46455/3 "2000-12-20T02:47:07Z")
I disagree:) ---
**Author:** ![noggins74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecae2f/32.png) [@noggins74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/noggins74)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2000, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legs-hurt-when-i-drink-why/46455/4 "2000-12-20T02:59:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Upham \* > \*\* > > Why do my legs hurt the day after i get drunk? for a while i thought i was just passing out and running into things but the lack of bruses is making me wonder… \*\* My arms hurt when I drink. I always thought it was just some weirdness on my part, 'cause I never heard of anyone else having anything like that happen to them. I don’t have to get drunk, though, and it doesn’t happen the day after…it happens the night of. Pretty weird…can’t explain it…wish I could. ---
**Author:** ![Upham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Upham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Upham)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2000, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legs-hurt-when-i-drink-why/46455/5 "2000-12-20T03:31:30Z")
For me it can be the Night Of too, i have no idea what’s causeing it. I’m very tall and i have terrible circulation, but would that cause the pain? Also, sorry for posting this here, it was suposed to be in GQ and the one i have in GQ is suposed to be in here. Sorry all ---
**Author:** ![Alantus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a6a055/32.png) [@Alantus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alantus)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2000, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legs-hurt-when-i-drink-why/46455/6 "2000-12-20T03:46:50Z")
Non professional opinion here. My aunt is a neurologist and my sister works for her. She has become quite good at making the common diagnosis for things of this type, but keep in mind, this is just something that I have heard is a common thing. It seems that people who drink regularly (don’t know if this is the case here) often get to a point later on in life where that 1 or 2 beers each evening after work start to cause problems such as numbness in the legs. If you have a habit for the past 10 years or something of consuming a few beers everyday then I would think this could be the problem. Otherwise I really don’t know. At any rate I would recommend a professional opinion, probably best to start with your regular doctor, if he/she has doubts then they will refer you to someone more specialized. By the way, I believe the prescription for the situation described above is to stop consumption (ouch) of the offending drink. Alantus ---
**Author:** ![Upham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Upham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Upham)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2000, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legs-hurt-when-i-drink-why/46455/7 "2000-12-20T03:51:28Z")
I should also point out (really should have thought of this earlier) that i’m 19 years old. I started noticeing the problem when i was 18 after a full night of hard core boozin’. Now though, not even a full year later, a couple glasses of wine and BAM ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2000, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legs-hurt-when-i-drink-why/46455/8 "2000-12-20T04:19:18Z")
Just a WAG, but there are some people whose muscles are “poisoned” by even relatively small amounts of alcohol. This is called “alcohol myopathy” (please note that I am using this term in a different sense than in the ‘usual’ alcohol myopathy which is a chronic process. Here, I refer to the acute form). Another WAG. This effect may be more likely to occur in people who drink alcohol who have not been eating well, or while taking certain other drugs, eg. cholesterol lowering agents, certain antibiotics, prednisone, **cocaine** , and others. Ask your MD for a non-dated blood test requisition for a “CK” level. The next time you get the post-alcohol discomfort, take the requisition to a lab ASAP and get your CK measured (CK is released from damaged muscle). If the CK level is up, stop drinking. Hey, even if it’s not up, stop drinking!\* [sub]\*the comments herein are not medical advice…see your doctor…blah, blah blah…[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2000, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legs-hurt-when-i-drink-why/46455/9 "2000-12-20T04:21:48Z")
I forgot to define _myopathy_. The term refers to muscle damage in the broadest sense, however caused. ---
**Author:** ![Upham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Upham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Upham)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2000, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legs-hurt-when-i-drink-why/46455/10 "2000-12-20T04:23:05Z")
no more drinking AND no more cocaine??? ---
**Author:** ![JDM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/90db22/32.png) [@JDM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JDM)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2000, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legs-hurt-when-i-drink-why/46455/11 "2000-12-20T04:39:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Upham \* > \*\*no more drinking AND no more cocaine??? > > \*\* Give it a year or two and then you can run for president. ---
**Author:** ![peace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@peace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peace)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2000, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legs-hurt-when-i-drink-why/46455/12 "2000-12-20T04:52:16Z")
## Upham, I realize that you are scared. But basically, I agree: I doubt that any doctor will treat you for this, whatever it is. It it unlikely to be related to your vessels. It is possible to be what Karl suggested. It is remotely possible that you sleep for many hours in the same position. CK test may help. But what then? Another remote possibility: you perceive it as coming from your legs. It could actually occur in your brain. I have absolutely no hard data to support it. I just know that sometimes alcohol has strange effects in some people, which I have hard time to explain, based on scintific facts. I wonder if Karl has any “off record” observations? Peace ---
**Author:** ![Primaflora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/898d66/32.png) [@Primaflora](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Primaflora)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2000, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legs-hurt-when-i-drink-why/46455/13 "2000-12-20T06:03:08Z")
peace you have ‘forgotten’ your sig line. ---
**Author:** ![David\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@David\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_B)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2000, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legs-hurt-when-i-drink-why/46455/14 "2000-12-20T12:24:47Z")
[Moderator Hat: ON] As has been noted, this belongs in GQ. So that’s where it’s going. * * * David B, SDMB Great Debates Moderator [Moderator Hat: OFF] ---
**Author:** ![Reuben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/54ee81/32.png) [@Reuben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reuben)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2000, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legs-hurt-when-i-drink-why/46455/15 "2000-12-20T13:59:58Z")
Um… I hate to even vaguely hijack, but the front side of the top of my left leg frequently goes totally numb for no apparent reason. It’s impossible to say if this is related to alchohol, since I have never been on less then 6 large vodkas a day (age 17-28, gee thats 11 years!) and thus cannot determine how beneficial abstinence is to said leg. Nor do I wish to try it. It doesn’t _hurt_ though - it just goes numb. Am I about to lose my leg or something? ---
**Author:** ![Many\_Crows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@Many\_Crows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Many_Crows)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2000, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legs-hurt-when-i-drink-why/46455/16 "2000-12-20T14:51:56Z")
Probably too much uric acid in the system. Do your feet feel like stumps in the morning? That would be gout. Taking freeze dried cranberries would help clean out the kidneys and bladder and help flush the system out. At least it helped me. ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2000, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legs-hurt-when-i-drink-why/46455/17 "2000-12-20T15:25:37Z")
Another possibility: decreased potassium levels. Alcohol has diuretic properties, which causes you to lose both water and minerals (through urine). You’re most likely to notice the cramps in the large muscles of your legs first. Eat something. Bananas are the classic remedy, though I find peanuts to be good, too. That way, you can dose yourself up on potassium while you’re still at the bar. ---
**Author:** ![peace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@peace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peace)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2000, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legs-hurt-when-i-drink-why/46455/18 "2000-12-20T19:41:14Z")
## Thank you, Primaflora. You used only ‘’, not “”, for “forgotten”: you realized that I accepted totall “unstubsiantedness” of my claim. Hypokalemia may be a cause, uric acid is less likely, as it’s more of a slow acting metabolic disturbance. Rather than to fight either (or anything else), it’s easier to stop drinking. Prima, altough Karl is mum: I has known people who started to scrach themself after two drinks. I do not know whether their itch was due to histamin release (why? from where?), nerve ending stimulation or of central origin. I know that it happens. I suggested to them the same thing: do not drink. With or without “the sig” you may follow the advice or you may stick it up your ass, I do not care. Still no trademark sig Peace