There's no way I'm going through withdrawals...

[secondchance86]

Hello, everyone. Let me just state that I am worried enough to actually go through the steps to get a user name and make this first post. This isn't some hypochondriac nightmare. Let me start from the beginning.

My college is full of heavy drinkers. I know I am one of them. I can keep up with most of my friends and then some. Over the four years at college, I have been one of the heavier drinkers. I started on liquor and then started drinking beers sophomore year and on. Anyway, I'm a graduate now. And last week I visited my college and friends. On friday and saturday I had quite a bit. It disgusts me and scares me to write it all out... but on the average I had about 20-26 drinks on each night. Granted... these were light beers, probably with an alcohol percent of 4.5 per can. However, I know I drank way too much. On saturday it was throughout the course of the day...so about 2-3 drinks an hour, I'd say. All was well, it seemed. I had a fun time and barely blacked out on saturday in the last hour (i never black out, so this is what initially made me paranoid). I didn't get sick. I didn't vomit. However, when I woke up on saturday there has been this heaviness in the back of my head. Kind of a dull feeling. I'm not disoriented or even dizzy...however, it is very uncomfortable. My sleeping patterns since then have been way off. I sleep for 5 hours and wake up. Sometimes too hot, other times too cold.

The main problem is the 'head buzz'. A dullness, maybe even numb feeling. The second problem is I have been somewhat lethargic these last few days. Been sleeping more often than usual. Trying to get rid of the feeling. I went (VERY foolishly) to a bar last night and had just a few pints (maybe 4, 5) with some friends. When I woke up today, the head issue was the worst it's been. I want it to get better.

I first worried that I had liver failure from saturday and that toxic alcohol was accumulating and causing my head problems. I don't show any signs of jaundice, no dark urine, no pale stool. It's just an uncomfortable feeling in my head (not quite a headache, but close) and this lethargy and sleeping issue. Of course anxiety, paranoia... these symptoms are heavy on my mind. I'm fearful of the unknown. I just was wondering...do you guys think it might be withdrawal symptoms? I heard that drinking over a LONG stage of your life and stopping is a cause for withdrawal, as is drinking HEAVY in a short period of time and stopping. I was freaked earlier because I could swear it was liver failure from all the drinks. Now I think it's withdrawal symptoms. I'm going to the doctor either at midnight tonight or first thing in the morning. Any stories, advice, anything...would be greatly appreciated. Has anyone experienced this feeling? I'll keep you all updated. I've been taking vitamins, eating fine. I can keep water and food done without issue.

[secondchance86]

If I get out of this okay... I think I will... I hope I will... I am seriously debating interning/shadowing at an addiction clinic. Even if it's for nickels. I want to be an example. People glamorizing drinking all these amounts... someone needs to speak the truth. I've also quit cigarettes. Smoked for three years. I will honestly consider no more alcohol either, depending on how serious this really is.

[avisg]

From what you have stated you drink alot.In normal week how much do you drink daliy.Do you take any other meds.do you take alot of tylonal.When you go to the doc be 100 % honest so they know everything and can give you call the help there are.

[secondchance86]

I did drink a lot during college. I will be horribly, terrifyingly honest with the doctor tomorrow. I never take any medication (like Tylenol) because I know it is metabolized in the liver. I typically ignore headaches. The only pills I take are centrum multivitamins and nexium. However, there is no warning of nexium with alcohol. To answer your question, in a normal week (as of may 09) it would have been nothing, with the exception of these visits to my college. I've visted twice this summer. So on the weekends I had probably nearly as much. On a normal week during summer I am home and do not drink at all. I'm 190 pounds, but it is more muscle than fat. I'm nearly 6 foot, too.

[avisg]

So you tend to binge drink You can good for a while without drinking but when you start just go over board?

[secondchance86]

I am DEFINITELY a binge drinker. I mean... there is not a serious mental condition where I can't have a single beer and stop. But if I am drinking you can almost bet I'm there to feel it. It's a college habit, a college problem. When I'm home, i don't do that. I have one, IF that. I do tend to go over board. This is an eye opener, to say the least. I was suffering the worst panic and anxiety attacks I've ever had today. I was so sure it was liver failure and I was going to die from toxic build up. Especially since I drank some yesterday.

[secondchance86]

Well, thank you avisg. I think the thread is running on dead here, but if anyone else can lend an opinion, it'd be greatly appreciated.

[HideandSeek]

I know for myself that after a night of heavy binge drinking I am in definitely in a fog and experiencing symtoms similar to what you have explained,  They have lasted up to two days, but not longer.  I too feel lathargic, dehydrated and have issues getting sleep or even rest.  I also experience high levels of anxiety and panic at least in the next day if not the day after.  For some reason alcohol, especially in large amounts causes extreme anxiety for me.  So, while I am not an expert I do think that the heavy drinking does cause symtoms of uneasiness and anxiety.  I have even had severe panic attacks after such binge drinking.  Sometimes I feel that when I close my eyes that they are moving all over the place.  I have another friend who also experiences anxiety after drinking.  While this may not happen to everyone, I bet it is safe to say that it happens more than people admit to. I myself cannot drink because more often than not I don't stop at one when I am out partying w/ my friends and do not have a "switch" that says, time to drink water or you have had enough.

Also, I think that you are experiencing WD in the days following.  When your body takes on as much alcohol that you are putting into it, I am sure the next day(s) it is completely out of whack and WD from alcohol.  I think you are smart to get checked out by the doc if not just for peace of mind.  I would ask that they test your liver to see how damaged it may be.  Please keep us posted as to what the doc says.

Take care.

That is just my two cents.  Good luck to you and I hope all is well and you start to feel better.  

[secondchance86]

Dear HideandSeek,

Thank you so much for sharing with me. That is exactly what I was wondering when I wrote the post. I was wondering if people experienced this themselves. And your advice is very much what I had on mind. Unfortunately, my health insurance literally ended today. I had to renew it...so I am waiting for it to kick back in before a visit. I am going to the doctor when I wake up... I don't think I could afford a ER visit. I definitely did drink too much. Especially after a period of probably losing some of my tolerance. I know I did damage and that I drank far too excessively..but what I didn't know was what I am feeling now. I have never had such a relentless sensation. It won't let me go. And it started on Saturday, so it's been with me for some time.

I will update you on the doctor's visit. Thank you for your 'two cents' and for sharing. I think we have experienced similar things, which is always comforting. Can't thank you enough, but just the same, I appreciate it.

[troubleinohio]

are you sure you didnt hit your head when you "blacked out"? you didnt fully explain what you meant by blacking out...did you fall down and pass out for a long time? or just went to bed because you couldnt stay conscious anymore?

[secondchance86]

I was wondering that, myself. A concussion does fit some of the symptoms I'm feeling. My best friend was with me for the large majority of the night and she says she does not think I hit my head. Not when she was around, at least, which was probably the last 75 percent of the evening. I have no head pain in any localized area, so I doubt it is head trauma.

[secondchance86]

All right. So I got back from the Dr. and despite telling him that I had over 50 drinks this weekend, he thinks that my symptoms are from a virus. I have to say, I am upset with him. He did not test, and apparently did not listen to me. I told the nurses what I had done, what I felt was the issue... as I did to the doctor as well... and he just seemed to write it off. If it doesn't improve by sunday, he said, then I should follow up with blood work and what not. He gave me pills that metabolize in the liver, too. I don't think I'm going to take them, as they are just a muscle relaxant. Ugh. Frustrating.

[troubleinohio]

Im sorry you didnt get adequate medical care...boy Ive been there done that! I used to have a real jerk of a doctor too, but got rid of him. ANyways, are your symptoms still the same? no improvement at all?  Do you now have health insurance? Would you be able to go to an ER now for lab tests and such?

[secondchance86]

I made the mistake of getting a temporary life insurance policy through a small company. Most clinics haven't heard of it. Officially, it is in effect as of now, but it doesn't cover most small things. I.E. visits / pharmacy. My symptoms have improved, but I still have a very uncomfortable feeling in my head and I haven't been able to sleep as much as I'd like to. I keep waking for some reason. I'm debating taking the medicine he prescribed. He also recommended sleeping pills, not sure I want to dabble in that just yet, though. I may.

[HideandSeek]

I am sorry to hear that your doctor is so lame!  That frustrates me to no end.  There is nothing worse than going to a doctor so that they can help you figure out what is wrong with you, just to have them treat you like you are no one. Grrr...that makes me mad.  OK, so maybe it is a virus but maybe it isn't and you would think that they would take the time to order the tests be done. It's not like the doctor themselves has to do the blood work.  Regardless I do think it is in your best interest to get your liver checked due to possible damage from before.  Honestlty I can't believe when you told the doctor about your binge drinking that they weren't more concerned.  How are you feeling today?  Did you end up taking the medication the doc gave you?  Hope you got some sleep!

[secondchance86]

Thanks for the concern. You know, in all honesty, my head is feeling a bit better. I slept like a baby last night, too. But I'm getting this weird feeling of slight numbness / tingling on the left side of my face and my left pinky. It could definitely be in my head, but then again...

My head isn't 100 percent still, but it's leaps and bounds better than it was last thursday. I have an appointment set up for thursday with an older family doctor and will probably go to it unless I feel '100 percent healed up' by then. Hopefully I can complain until I get some blood work done. I need to know if there's some damage, you know? It's all ready been so long since saturday. I haven't taken any of the medcine yet, because it says if you have 'liver disease' then it's best to take it. I don't want to risk anything just yet. It's just a muscle relaxant, after all.

[HideandSeek]

Well i am glad you are doing a bit better, the tingling is a little freaky tho.  Let me know if you are going to the doc tomorrow.  If so, keep me posted on what they finally say or decide to do!  

Take care~ HnS

[secondchance86]

Hello, everyone. I'm writing just to give you all an update. So I went to a second doctor and he was A LOT better. He was thorough and he asked me a lot of relevant questions. I felt good about that and, most importantly, trust his opinion on the matters. He wasn't able to come up with anything in particular. He pretty much told me my sympoms could be do to either getting over a sickness, or perhaps even from the weekend of binging that I underwent nearly three weeks ago. He gave me a neurologists card and I had him do blood work on me. My biliburbin levels were a bit high, he said, which means that my liver was undergoing repair? Apparently... and I could be wrong with restating this...bilirubin levels are the first to raise and last to lower when there is liver trauma. So he thinks that I did undergo some kind of liver stress, but it was definitely passing (or passed). I'm not sure. I'm glad to hear my liver isn't dead, but am upset that there is visible signs of damage, you know? I haven't drank since that weekend and my head is off and on better and worse. I just feel like there is cloudiness in my head and now my eyes are a bit strained, I'm finding. Like there is just too much sensory information, or I can't focus on it all. Haha. I wonder is there anyone out there that's feeling this? I checked the anxiety forums earlier and a lot of people seemed to have anxiety attacks triggered after drinking that resembled my symptoms. Anywho, I may take up that neurologist offer, after all. I want this to be past me. *Sigh* Hope everyone else has been well.

[sograteful828]

i just read your story and am so happy you got medical attention that you wanted, and it counds like a good Dr.  i just wanted to mention, when i saw what you worte about the anxiety, i was inpatient for alcohol and drug addiction back in August, while i was in there an intern wanted to know what made me tick, my whole life story, i must have been a real piece of work....LOL....anyway, years ago i ahd been rx's xanax for extreme panic attacks.  i should mention i have been using drugsand alc for 25 years, something everyday, took a short break while pregnant but still  snuck in some wine to EASE MY STRESS. Anyway, the intern asked me "have you ever had an alcolhol induced anxiety or panic attack"?  we figured out i had never been sober long enough to answer that, so when i came home, it was like an experiment, now that i am clean and sober, will i still have these attacks...welll 42 days later and not one panic and or anxiety attack!! i cant believe it, i created them on my own!! wow did that pi$$ me off....LOL...anyway i hope that helps in some way....BTW..i too suffered from many signs of illness and extreme head pains while i was using....so i was gonna comment on that, but i see you are in your Dr;s hands now so i am grateful you got some answers you needed.

Have a great day

[sograteful828]

i am sorry, its early for me, i too experienced alot of the fuzziness and all you mentioned and it slowly passed. i think it was when i had maybe 30 days when the fog started to really lift, or that what  it felt like, i was in a fog all the time. so it does get better if it is alcohol related, thank God you stopped before major damage occured, good for you....keep staying on the right path

[secondchance86]

Hey, thank you for your comments. I do appreciate it. I appreciate ALL you guys stopping to take the time and share some honest thoughts and experience with me. Sograteful, I really hope it does start to lift. The scariest thing about this is that I'm afraid that I have done some nervous system damage, further more, that it could be permanent. Permanent brain/nervous system damage is the scariest thing to me, ever. What I really, really hope is that this goes away, and that I can see the symptoms dwindle with time and healing. I really think my quality of life would lower even more if I found out this wouldn't get better with time or ever. So I am waiting and hoping. I have had 1 drink since this happened, and that was a 'forced' beer from a friend, congratulating me on a job I just got (yay). No bad side effects, really. And otherwise I have not had even a sip of alcohol. I don't plan on touching the stuff at all until I figure out what's wrong with me. It is less haziness nowadays, less heavyness and fog. More so I'm finding my eyes are kinda strained and some sensitivity to light. I have a light ache in the back of my head now, too, much like a headache feels. I will keep you all updated. Might call that neurologist, after all. I get life insurance from work on the 19th!

[secondchance86]

I meant HEALTH insurance... yikes.