Why does my spine hurt when I'm hungover?

October 10, 2008 11:56 AM

My spine hurts when I'm hungover.

....ok, that sounds weird. But that's what it is. Lately (within the past year or so) I've noticed that whenever I have a hangover, there is a point along my spine (and it's always more or less the same point) that's really tender to the touch, like I slammed into something and it's bruised. This only ever happens when I'm hungover and is always gone in a day or two. It doesn't affect how I move or anything- it's just very tender to the touch. Does that happen to any of you guys? And what on earth could cause that?

I know you're not my doctor, and I did ask my doctor and he said "that's bizarre, but I wouldn't worry about it." I'm not really worried but I am curious as hell.

posted by anonymous to health & fitness (13 comments total)

It's probably dehydration. When I have lower back pain, I can regularly make it go away by drinking water.
posted by stavrogin at 12:06 PM on October 10, 2008 [1 favorite]

Alien abduction....

or, dehydration and the aftermath of the foolish dance moves the night before ;-)
posted by jdfan at 12:19 PM on October 10, 2008 [1 favorite]

I'm feeling exactly the same way today. I have always assumed that it's some combination of dehydration and sleeping in some unusual position.
posted by onshi at 12:28 PM on October 10, 2008

Kidney pain can manifest in the back area. I am not a doctor and I really have no idea how to tell the difference between back pain and kidney pain but it's something you might look into.
posted by Brittanie at 12:29 PM on October 10, 2008

I second the kidney pain. Ouch.
posted by Echidna882003 at 12:34 PM on October 10, 2008

Ok, I was the OP and honestly I have no clue why I posted this anonymously. Have to follow up to say it's my actual spine itself, the bone, not the area around it, and nowhere else on my back. That's why it's weird. Could kidney pain manifest that way?
posted by Dormant Gorilla at 12:46 PM on October 10, 2008

It might be a shortage of Cerebrospinal fluid brought on by dehydration. Since it cushions the brain and spinal cord, the tender area might have some other inflammation that only hurts when you have less fluid overall in your body. Just guess though, I'm not doctor, nor do I play on on TV.
posted by SaintCynr at 12:54 PM on October 10, 2008

Dehydration can cause a lot of various pains, not limited to cramps, which definitely leave the area sore. Drink more water, especially if you're going to consume alcohol. If nothing else, it'll help with the hangover, taking care of both problems.
posted by Saydur at 2:07 PM on October 10, 2008

A friend of mine, not normally given to hyperbole, swears she can feel her liver hurting when she's hungover. Could that be it?
posted by tiny crocodile at 2:43 PM on October 10, 2008

Referred pain can show up just about anywhere. I've been working my way through a gall stone, and the pain from that regularly manifests between my shoulderblades, up into my neck. It could very well be coming from your kidneys, or elsewhere.

On the other hand, as someone with disc issues as well, I need to sleep in a certain position to keep my back in working order. When I go to bed drunk, I don't have the capacity to remember to sleep in said position, causing pain when I wake. Just on the off chance this could be an early warning sign of a back/disc problem, I'd get it checked out, because usually by later warning sign stages, you'll already be pretty much screwed. Getting treatment (therapy) early can take care of most problems you'll ever have.
posted by Ghidorah at 5:25 PM on October 10, 2008

I'm fairly confident it is dehydration; I get the same thing. Why your doctor wouldn't know/tell you this, I don't know. Does s/he disapprove of your consumption?
posted by Riverine at 9:20 AM on October 11, 2008

Bit late for me to respond- no internet over the weekend. Just wanted to say thanks to all who replied. Maybe I will go to a different doc just on the off-chance this is a disc issue.
posted by Dormant Gorilla at 9:31 AM on October 13, 2008

Also, I would love to know why "strange noise emanating from woman" is listed as a related question. Just saying.
posted by Dormant Gorilla at 9:33 AM on October 13, 2008