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Addiction (Expert Forum)
Re: Withdrawal symptoms from just a tiny bit of alcohol?
Questions in the Addiction forum are answered by a medical expert.
Re: Withdrawal symptoms from just a tiny bit of alcohol?
by HVM-MD-SA, Jan 01, 1995 12:00AM
Posted By HVM M.D.-SA on January 06, 1999 at 17:09:15:
In Reply to: Withdrawal symptoms from just a tiny bit of alcohol? posted by JB on January 06, 1999 at 15:09:01:
I am not preoccupied with drinking, do not do it to escape etc., but do drink socially. When I have my first drink I sort of feel dizzy and feel that if I don't keep my hand on my face I may twitch. I sort of feel the same way the next day, when not drinking even it it is only one beer I have had or even just a little bit of NYQUIL the night before.
____
Since the dizziness and discomfort you describe occur while you are drinking and not when the effects of the alcohol are wearing off, this does not sound like it is related to alcohol withdrawal. It sounds more like a heightened or exaggerated response to a relatively small amount of alcohol. Some people are born with a relative inability to metabolize alcohol - they lack a sufficient quantity of the enzyme acetaldehyde dehydrogenase. These folks can get to feeling pretty sick from a small amount of drinking because of the build up of a toxic substance, acetaldehyde, which is one of the breakdown products produced when the body metabolizes alcohol. If drinking less or drinking very slowly doesn't solve the problem, then you would clearly be better off not drinking at all.
Interestingly, the anti-alcoholism drug disulfiram (Brand Name=Antabuse) works by inhibiting the same enzyme. People who drink on disulfiram get deathly ill due to the build up of acetaldehyde, and are thereby discouraged from drinking. Many individuals of Asian extraction possess a deficiency in acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, and this one of the explanations for the relatively low incidence of alcohol problems in Asia.
For more information about disulfiram, check out the drinking section of my Ask DrSteve web site, conveniently hyperlinked below.
Steve Adelman, M.D. (a.k.a. DrSteve)
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.
__
Keywords: drinking, metabolism, acetaldehyde, acetaldehyde dehydrogenase
Ask DrSteve: The Real Story About Smoking, Drinking & Getting High
In Reply to: Withdrawal symptoms from just a tiny bit of alcohol? posted by JB on January 06, 1999 at 15:09:01:
I am not preoccupied with drinking, do not do it to escape etc., but do drink socially. When I have my first drink I sort of feel dizzy and feel that if I don't keep my hand on my face I may twitch. I sort of feel the same way the next day, when not drinking even it it is only one beer I have had or even just a little bit of NYQUIL the night before.
____
Since the dizziness and discomfort you describe occur while you are drinking and not when the effects of the alcohol are wearing off, this does not sound like it is related to alcohol withdrawal. It sounds more like a heightened or exaggerated response to a relatively small amount of alcohol. Some people are born with a relative inability to metabolize alcohol - they lack a sufficient quantity of the enzyme acetaldehyde dehydrogenase. These folks can get to feeling pretty sick from a small amount of drinking because of the build up of a toxic substance, acetaldehyde, which is one of the breakdown products produced when the body metabolizes alcohol. If drinking less or drinking very slowly doesn't solve the problem, then you would clearly be better off not drinking at all.
Interestingly, the anti-alcoholism drug disulfiram (Brand Name=Antabuse) works by inhibiting the same enzyme. People who drink on disulfiram get deathly ill due to the build up of acetaldehyde, and are thereby discouraged from drinking. Many individuals of Asian extraction possess a deficiency in acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, and this one of the explanations for the relatively low incidence of alcohol problems in Asia.
For more information about disulfiram, check out the drinking section of my Ask DrSteve web site, conveniently hyperlinked below.
Steve Adelman, M.D. (a.k.a. DrSteve)
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.
__
Keywords: drinking, metabolism, acetaldehyde, acetaldehyde dehydrogenase
Ask DrSteve: The Real Story About Smoking, Drinking & Getting High
