Alcohol and pancreatitis

Your pancreas is a small, important organ located behind the stomach. It produces enzymes to break down food in your gut, and hormones that are involved in metabolism – including insulin which regulates your blood sugar levels.¹

Pancreatitis causes you to become seriously ill because the pancreas becomes inflamed, potentially causing damage to the cells of this vital organ. Alcohol is an important cause.²

If you choose to drink alcohol, sticking to the UK Chief Medical Officers’ (CMOs’) low risk drinking guidelines (no more than 14 units a week, spread over three or more days with several drink-free days, and no bingeing) can lower your risk of alcohol-related harm.³

There are two main types of pancreatitis: acute and chronic. Alcohol misuse is the most common cause of chronic pancreatitis and is the second-most common cause of acute pancreatitis.^4,5,6

If you suddenly develop severe abdominal pain that is not relieved by usual measures, the NHS advises you to see your GP immediately, or if that isn’t possible, call 111 for advice.  

Acute pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis is a condition where the pancreas becomes inflamed (swollen) over a short period of time.⁷

Symptoms of acute pancreatitis include a severe, dull pain around the top of your stomach which typically comes on quickly, feeling or being sick, diarrhoea, and you may have a high temperature.⁸

In the UK around one in four cases of acute pancreatitis are caused by alcohol.⁹ If acute pancreatitis is caused by alcohol, symptoms might follow either regular heavy drinking or binge drinking¹⁰ (more than six units of alcohol in a single session for women and more than eight units for men).¹¹

If you’re diagnosed with acute pancreatitis, you should stop drinking alcohol completely and eat a low-fat diet to reduce your risk of another attack and of developing chronic pancreatitis.¹²

Both men and women can get acute pancreatitis due to alcohol, but drinking is more commonly the cause for men (women are more likely to get it due to gallstones).¹³

Acute pancreatitis causes the pancreas to become swollen and painful. Most cases require admission to hospital, typically for a few days, with the majority of cases getting better within a week.¹⁴

However, serious complications can develop in severe cases, such as infections which can spread from the pancreas into the blood – potentially causing fatal kidney failure. And if you suffer from acute pancreatitis repeatedly, this can cause permanent damage to this vital organ, leading to the long-term condition of chronic pancreatitis.¹⁵

With acute pancreatitis, even if it was not caused by alcohol, you should avoid drinking alcohol completely for at least six months to give the pancreas time to recover.¹⁶ After that, it’s best not to drink alcohol, but if you choose to start drinking again, it is important to stick to the UK low risk drinking guidelines to remain at a low risk of alcohol-related harm. Continued heavy drinking will increase the risk of further episodes of acute pancreatitis and of developing chronic pancreatitis.^17,18

How does alcohol cause acute pancreatitis?

It is not yet understood exactly how alcohol causes acute pancreatitis.¹⁹ One theory is that alcohol molecules interfere with the cells of the pancreas, stopping them working properly.²⁰

The more alcohol you drink, either regularly or during a binge session, the greater your risk of developing acute pancreatitis, often recurrently.²¹

Heavy drinking and acute pancreatitis

Heavy drinking can lead to repeated episodes of acute pancreatitis.²² Over time, this can permanently damage your pancreas, leading to chronic pancreatitis.^23,24,25

Continuing to drink alcohol once you’ve recovered from acute pancreatitis can make a future episode not only more likely, but also more serious.²⁶

Chronic pancreatitis

Chronic pancreatitis is when the pancreas becomes inflamed and painful and stays that way for years, interfering with its ability to work properly.²⁷

Heavy drinking is the single most important risk factor for chronic pancreatitis, responsible for between 70–80% of cases in western Europe.²⁸

The most common symptom is repeated episodes of severe abdominal pain, typically located below the ribs and through to the back. Other symptoms of chronic pancreatitis can include:²⁹

• Greasy, floating and foul-smelling bowel motions
• Weight loss
• Yellowing of eyes and skin (jaundice)

Chronic pancreatitis due to alcohol most commonly develops in men aged 35-55 years old who are long-term heavy drinkers. Women are less commonly affected.³⁰

Many people who develop alcohol related chronic pancreatitis have a history of recurrent episodes of acute pancreatitis.^31,32 Smoking also increases your risk of developing the condition.³³ In people with genetic or autoimmune causes of chronic pancreatitis, it may develop at a younger age and without any alcohol consumption.³⁴

Do not drink alcohol if you have chronic pancreatitis

If you have chronic pancreatitis, you must stop drinking alcohol completely. That includes avoiding any alcohol-free drinks – as these can contain up to 0.5% ABV (Alcohol by Volume).³⁵

Your pancreas will be unable to work properly, and any alcohol can make the condition worse, causing more damage to your pancreas. Damage from chronic pancreatitis can be irreversible.

It is a serious long-term condition that needs permanent medication and a carefully designed diet to help digest food and to maintain normal blood sugar levels. The pain can be debilitating, and chronic pancreatitis can affect both quality of life and life expectancy.³⁶

Chronic pancreatitis also increases the risk of other serious illnesses, including diabetes³⁷ and increases the risk of pancreatic cancer.³⁸ Pancreatic cancer is the seventh leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, with the disease's five-year survival rate below 10%.³⁹

Why you must stop drinking alcohol completely if you have pancreatitis

If you are diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis, you must stop drinking alcohol completely.⁴⁰

Completely stopping drinking alcohol will prevent further alcohol-related damage to your pancreas.⁴¹ If you carry on drinking, you are likely to experience very severe pain as well as further damage to your pancreas.⁴² If you have non-alcohol related chronic pancreatitis, it's just as important for you not to drink any alcohol.⁴³

If you’re finding it hard to stop drinking, or worried you might be dependent on alcohol, speak to your GP for advice on how to stop drinking.

Talk to someone

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If you can’t contact Drinkchat in those hours, or would prefer to talk to someone on the phone, you can call Drinkline on 0300 123 1110 (weekdays 9am-8pm, weekends 11am-4pm) and speak to a trained advisor.

If you are concerned that you or someone you care about has a problem with alcohol there is a lot of help available. Here you can find useful links and phone numbers to get the support you need.

Alcohol support services