I used to feel really sick from alcohol — now I can finally drink again (reflux / stress connection?)

Hey everyone, I wanted to share something that might help others who’ve had the same problem.

For a long time, alcohol made me feel really sick — even after just a few drinks. It wasn’t a hangover thing; I’d start feeling awful during the night itself.

My symptoms used to include: • Nausea after just a few drinks • Bloating and pressure in my stomach • Sometimes diarrhea or stomach cramps the next day • And sometimes I even threw up even though i only drank like 4 drinks

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After a bunch of tests: • Gastroscopy: mild chronic gastritis (no H. pylori) • Colonoscopy: normal • Fecal calprotectin: slightly elevated but stable over time Doctors basically said it’s functional — likely stress or nervous system related.

And honestly, that seems true. When I’m anxious, tired, or haven’t eaten, alcohol almost always feels bad. But when I’m calm, rested, and hydrated, it feels totally different — I can drink normally and even have fun again.

Last night was actually the first time in ages that alcohol worked for me. I got the feeling of needing to burb/throw up. Usually when i do burb i get reflux relief for few seconds but then it comes back. But now i just kept drinking and it basically went away and i didnt even get hangover. I drank more than i ever had before.

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So I’m starting to believe this reaction is mostly nervous system and stress-related, not purely digestive. It’s like my body used to interpret alcohol as a threat, but now that my system is calmer, it doesn’t overreact anymore.

Has anyone else noticed something like this — that your gut, gastritis, or alcohol reactions improve when your stress goes down?

Would love to hear if others managed to make alcohol “safe” for their body again.