Alcohol and persistent dizziness

  : I am a 28 year old male. I never drank regularly until 3 1/2 years ago. Since then, I would get buzzed or drunk 2 to 4 times a month. For the last year I have had periods of dizziness, usually lasting at least a week, beginning the day after drinking. Not every drinking session brings on the symptoms, but they stay away if I don't drink. The symptoms are a sense of imbalance when I turn my head, plus headache (like my head is in a clamp) and nausea. Once recent dizzy period preceded a week and a half of fairly intense nausea. Up until 3 months ago I was on prozac (20mg/day) and doxepin (50 mg/day) for over 6 years; beginning in the summer I gradually got off the doxepin and reduced the prozac to 10mg/day, but no change of symptoms has been noted. I do have high cholesterol, irritable bowel and occasional gastritis. Doctors have checked my blood pressure and done a blood test for liver problems- all normal. Zantac has helped slightly. Other than this the doctors have recommended abstaining from alcohol. This is really bothering me not only because I very much enjoy having drinks, but also because the doctors don't seem to understand what is causing the problem. Is it possibile to have an allergy to alcohol? If so, can anything be done outside of abstinence? Could it be an interaction with the antidepressants? Or something more serious? I haven't been able to find any answers on the net or in the library. Thanks.
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The first thing I would want to know is how much you drank on those occasions when you experienced dizziness the following day.  It is possible that you were experiencing mild alcohol withdrawal , which is consistent with headache, dizziness, impaired thinking, coordination,among other things.  There is such a thing as an allergic response to alcohol, it is called the "flushing response".  It is characterized by facial flushing, heart palpitations, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, headache, and sleepiness.   It is most prevalent in the American Indian population  and in about 50 % of the Asian population.    
I am also wondering if your gastritis acts up after a night of drinking, as alcohol use can certainly aggravate or even cause this condition.  In any case, you may want to
moderate your alcohol use to see what happens.  If you find you are having difficulty with "cutting down", then its worthy of more attention.  You can get lots of information about what is considered "moderate drinking" by tapping into Dr. Adelman's web site at wwwDrSteve.org.
This information is provided for general medical education purposes only.  Please consult  your physician for diagnostic and treatment options pertaining to your specific medical condition.

Keyword: alcohol and dizziness