Questions posted in the The Addiction Forum have been answered by Steven Adelman, M.D. and by Richard C. Bozian M.D. F.A.C.P. of Harvard Vanguard Medical Group.

Question Title: question about drinking

Forum: The Addiction Forum
Topic: Alcoholism

I have a few questions regarding drinking. A few years ago (during the college years)my friends and I would drink quite heavily. It's then that I would find myself literally sick the next day. Not so much sick to my stomache, but more emotionally. I wouldn't be able to go anywhere because that would put me in a panic attack. I found myself to be very vulnerable to anxiety/panic after a night of drinking. I know to watch what I drink greatly, and this doesn't happen that much anymore. I now am 28 years old, two small children, and have a good professional job. My problem for the last few years is when I drink beer I find myself waking up at night, then I start getting random thoughts in my head that something is wrong with me, then I have a panic attack. Only when I drink beer though. That's what I find odd. I wake up at night when I'm not drinking and don't have any problems like I do when I'm drinking. I find this to be an odd situation and am wondering if you have any thoughts/ideas on this. This doesn't happen that much because I really try and stay away from drinking beer these days, but everytime I drink more than a couple beers this happens at night. I'm otherwise in good health who sees a doctor quite a bit due to severe hypertension in my last pregnancy which I'm no longer on no medication. Thanks for any comments you may have regarding this.


Dear mc,

You sound like someone with a vulnerability to panic anxiety. Vulnerable individuals can have their anxiety triggered in a variety of ways, and for you, drinking is clearly the most prominent one. Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant. As its effects wear off, your body increases its production of the stimulatory neurotransmitter known as norepinephrine. When full-blown alcoholics stop drinking, the over-production of norepinephrine accounts for the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal (shakiness; anxiety; increased heart rate, temperature, and pulse). When you drink those beers before going to sleep, the result is that extra norepinephrine gets produced in the middle of the night. This can contribute to insomnia and anxiety and is the most likely explanation for your symptoms.

Your body is telling you that it doesn't do well with alcohol. Some people are like that and would be better off giving up drinking altogether. If drinking alcohol is so important to you that you cannot bear to give it up (in spite of these nocturnal anxiety episodes), then you need to begin look considering the possibility that you are a problem drinker.

For more information about problem drinking, check out my Ask DrSteve web site, conveniently hyperlinked below. Good luck!

Steve Adelman, M.D. (a.k.a. DrSteve)

This information is for general medical education purposes only. Please consult your physician for diagnostic and treatment options pertaining to your specific medical condition.

Keywords: alcohol withdrawal, problem drinking, anxiety


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