Pain in the lower back after drinking alcohol. Have persistent low WBC and low vitamin D levels. Severe diarrhea. Concerned
Patient: I am experiencing some pain in my lower back ( mostly left side) after drinking a glass of red wine. I never drank much alcohol until lately ( the past few months) having a glass of red wine with dinner. I am a 33 year old female. I did suffer for a number of years with a low white blood cell count (and low vitamin d levels), but it seemed to get better as the stress of school was removed and my hemotologist thought i wouldnt need to come back. this was about two years ago. In addition I became vegan about two years ago. About a half a year in I started having severe diarrhea . I was put through a bunch of test (e.g. Full endoscopy , X-ray, ct, nucleotide scan) but nothing was ever found. The problem has subsided to where I can function but, I have never fully recovered to having normal digestion . I do know I was on the lower end as far as my b12 levels, but have been taking supplements. I am worried about this pain and am not sure if it could be serious. Doctor: Hello.  Thanks for writing to us.  The pain in the back specially after drinking a glass of wine is likely to be related to gastric acidity. It is not likely to be related to any serious pathology. Avoid having any alcoholic drink on an empty stomach. I hope this information has been both informative and helpful for you.  Regards,  Dr. Praveen Tayal  drtayal72@gmail.com