So THAT’S Why Alcohol Makes You Poop Weird

After downing cocktail after cocktail during a night out, you may wake up needing a tall glass of water, ibuprofen, and a long visit with the porcelain throne. While bar hopping with friends, you might even need to set down your third beer and rush to the grimy bathroom to deal with a sudden, unexpected BM.

It may feel embarrassing, but don’t worry — you’re not alone in your struggles. “Alcohol definitely makes you poop — it’s no surprise,” said Dr. Sunana Sohi , a board-certified gastroenterologist with Gastroenterology Health Partners in Louisville. Kentucky. “It’s the body’s normal reaction to alcohol.”

Here, GI experts break down exactly why alcohol can trigger diarrhea, fecal urgency and other unpleasant side effects and the steps you can take to prevent them.

How Alcohol Affects Your Digestive System

If your adult beverages are leaving your digestive system in distress, there’s one simple explanation: Alcohol is an irritant to the GI system, and it can inflame the lining of the digestive tract, from the esophagus to the large intestine, explained Dr. James H. Tabibian, a board-certified gastroenterologist at Adventist Health in Glendale, California. “This, in turn, disrupts the normal functions of the GI system, which regulate bowel movement production,” he added.

Specifically, alcohol increases gut motility, or how fast contents move through your gastrointestinal system, Sohi explained. Since your body is trying to remove the alcohol quickly, the colon — which is responsible for pulling water out of the digestive tract and reabsorbing it in the body to prevent dehydration — doesn’t have enough time to do its job, added Dr. Lauren Bleich, a board-certified gastroenterologist with Gastro Health in Acton,