Can a really hoppy beer give you a throat ache?

I drank 3 ruinations the other night and woke up with a horrible throat ache....no true symptoms of a cold have emerged yet...could this be due to the enormous hop content or is it just a coincidence?

You're just not condition for such a fine brew just yet. It shall pass. lol

How dare you blame the brew. haha

Throat ache, no. Heart ache? Only when you don't have any.

If you drank them & went to sleep shortly thereafter, you may have experienced gastric reflux. Alcohol can cause the upper stomach sphincter to relax, allowing acid to enter the throat.

Panzermann said:

You're just not condition for such a fine brew just yet. It shall pass. lol

How dare you blame the brew. haha

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Well, i know smoking cigars can hurt your throat...so i figured there was a chance

I used to have this happen with beers that were heavily dry hopped, which I love. My throat has grown to deal with it and I dont get the sore throat symptoms anymore.

Really?

I drink all manner of hoppy beers and never experience that.
I do, however have a throat/stomach of steel.

I would have imagined that hops would cure a bad throat rather than cause one.

Mmmm hops. I'm guessing the gastric reflux myself but could be that the amount of hops bothered you. I have a cast iron stomach(so my wife says) so I havn't had any issues. The only thing is that since it is cast iron I need to keep it seasoned with plenty of bacon and greasy things so it doesn't rust.

I can vouch for what David said about reflux. I cannot go to sleep after eating Mexican food and really hoppy beers. I seem to get reflux, and if you're not careful to remedy b4 going to bed, it will irritate your throat.

david_42 said:

If you drank them & went to sleep shortly thereafter, you may have experienced gastric reflux. Alcohol can cause the upper stomach sphincter to relax, allowing acid to enter the throat.

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I think this is very likely your culprit. I drank a couple beers last night, and halfway through a Ruination, I started to notice some serious heartburn coming on. Odd, as it's rarely an issue for me, but it seemed very obvious to me that I was getting it from the Ruination. I drink IPAs all the time and this was the first time I've ever experienced something like this.

I'm not a big fan of hops, so I don't drink really hoppy beers often, but I did notice the last couple of times I had a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, I could feel it in my throat just a few seconds after taking each swallow.

I don't know that it would come back with a vengeance once you're asleep, though, since it didn't hurt so much as feel like it was forcing my throat muscles to relax.

My guess would likewise be the reflux, but I can understand why you might want to blame the hops

Hmmm, interesting -- it's starting to feel better 2 days later. I'll test again this weekend

I think it is a combination of smoking and hops. My friend had to stop drinking hoppy beers. He says it helped a lot. Now a really hoppy beer is for special occasion only.

I, on the other hand, have never had a problem. at one point i drank quite a bit more hops than him. Goose Island IPA used to be my poison of choice.

so i am not sure if it is the reason or not.

Stevorino said:

Well, i know smoking cigars can hurt your throat...so i figured there was a chance

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Cigars are bad for you though, alas Beer is not.

throat ache? You're not worthy!!!

I've only seen Ruination in 22 oz bottles. Three of those could definately cause some issues.

Stevorino said:

I drank 3 ruinations the other night and woke up with a horrible throat ache....no true symptoms of a cold have emerged yet...could this be due to the enormous hop content or is it just a coincidence?

Click to expand...

Panzermann said:

You're just not condition for such a fine brew just yet. It shall pass. lol

How dare you blame the brew. haha

Click to expand...

Panzermann, my sentiments exactly...



You're Not Worthy

And Ruination does come in 6-packs, although the thought did go through my head of drinking a couple bombers worth...

If you can't handle it, there's always Bud Light.

It might be wise to actually be tested for GERD. It may sound funny when folks are younger, but there is a direct linkage between strong beers over an extended time and serious issues later. Mine started in my twenties. Doctors back then were not as aware of GERD issues, so I was treated for ulcers with every possible antacid. Never had ulcer, had GERD. Then came each new and stronger acid reduction med. Then came surgery where my chest was opened from stirnum to navel, stomach cut out, bottom of esophagus whittled and stomach wrapped around esophagus. Now, some years later, constant reflux of stomach acid into lungs. I'll let YOU look up Barrett's esophagus and what comes next.
Bottom line, today I go for quality over quantity and styles that are less harsh. If you are having GERD symtoms it may be a red flag that, if taken maturely, can save you a lifetime of considerably greater consequences.

Second thought:
The carbonation is a major contributor as it pushes the mix up into the throat. I pour my beers between glasses to greatly lower the carbonation. Now, actually prefer it that way!