Tightness in Left Arm

[Mike551]

Recently I graduated from college, and while attending I developed a drinking problem even by my socio-cultural definition. Its not uncommon for me to drink a 750ml bottle of brandy on the weekends. I'm a habitual drinker, so I might typically drink a 200ml flask of scotch in the evenings; however in the last two months it has turned into a towering inferno. During college when stress levels rose - and there was a sense of emotional instability - it was always easy to turn to beer, wine or liquor. I turned to liquor when I noticed beer and wine were causing me to gain weight.

Over 3 years ago I was diagnosed with hyperthyroid, and fibrillated. There was no evidence of mild stroke, and no need for a cat scan according to ER professional and experts. I was treated, and recovered in three months. Recently I've been taken off the medication. I started an exercise regime when released to go back to work. For the last 3 years I have worked on my heart profusely. Lately, however, my blood pressure has been elevated as a result of the many changes I am enduring; which has been overwhelming. It has been a little screwy, eg:  125/93 67,112/88 68. I've also have monitored it at 141/98 72, and breathing exercises I manage to bring it down.

About a year later after being diagnosed with hyperthyroid. I started feeling this chronic ache in my left elbow, and shoulder. Now my ring finger gets numb. This was the side I carried my backpack on (I never used it properly). I type a lot. Poetry got me through my boredom as did drinking, and friends. I also have a pinched nerve in the left side of my neck.

Currently I am weening myself off the brandy it had gotten to 18 shots everyday for approximately a month. I am now at about 11 drinks a day (I did this overnight), but for some reason my left arm - as I'm trying to fall asleep - will develop this sensation of alarm, then tightness. I also feel like I'm losing my breath - perhaps its a symptom of sleep apnea, or heart failure; however I'm not intolerant to exercise. I also feel tightness in my neck, and severe tension in my shoulder blades. I don't have heart decease, but my mother does have fibromyalgia. My cholesterol is about 170, my triglycerides are slightly high. My sugar is normal. Of course my last check up was a year ago. Did I have a stroke, or a seizure? Am I suffering from heart failure. I do feel panicky at times. Could this be related to a pinch nerve. Does alcohol abuse cause sleep apnea?

As far as I'm concerned I've burned my share of brain cells, and a cat scan is far to expensive to check if I did have a stroke. Right now my shoulder is hurting just typing this.    

[ibizan]

"Wives like mothers can be the catalyst for drinking when the person wasn't alcoholic to begin with"!How comical!I think this is called projection and rationalization?Nobody twisted my arm to drink/drug or poured anything down my throat.......I CHOSE to self medicate.If you ever become a psychologist i hope u don't allow your clients to blame others for the bad and/or harmful choices they make.There is a lot of analysis/paralysis in your thinking and comments!made my brain tired!:)

[Mike551]

Good news. That case of 'our' willies (bad dream); which can be brought about by several things. For me while attending school was the feeling I hadn't done enough. I would exercise for hours while reading my text to elevate my anxieties, in the evening I'd have a drink. I had this exercise machine in my livingroom. Between the bills, rent, class, work -- I gave my mind a jump start. The numbing to a deep ache in your left arm, could be a result of a severe upper digestive disorder such as acid reflux. Associated symptoms could be stiffness in the neck (like fire sometimes), bazaar ***** like pains in the scalp, and the hanging left arm. If you had shortness of breath, numbness left side of your face, associated symptoms with stroke than it could be stroke. However, if one is aware of the symptoms of stroke, one may desire to self diagnose themselves causing a bazaar sensation in same side -- leg and arm. I believe, Ron L. Hubbard touches on the subject.

And I refuse to cite anything. I'm tired of it. I read a lot of noble prize winning medical journals, and reports. Logically speaking we can develop unusual deceases as a result of our obsessions, and conditioned behaviors. One condition is hyperthyroid. It is said, that these conditions are a result of genetics, and the environment.

I'm not so sure it has anything to do with genetics. I do know that the extroverted gene can be found in social people -- meaning alcoholism, a learned behavior - can be passed on from the parents.

My cousin is a doctor MD, and I'm seeking my PhD in psychology/sociology. Only if I can get past my burnout. LOL

We have been asked, if we are in know, be a good Samaritan, in fact it just may become the law.

Blessings.  

[Mike551]

I've been living in my mother's home for the last 2 months, while I look for an apartment of my own. Her type A/C personality can be very stressful.

I know that alcohol can aggravate any nerve damage one may already have. For example, while in the military, I developed nerve damage in my right leg/chin. That too will act up. Because alcohol is a depressant, it will cause fatigue; therefore any old sport injuries a heavy drinker might feel when before they didn't. -- yes, my mother is emotionally abusive, even as a child she was. As not to abuse the other in the same manner, one might abuse drugs or alcohol causing a boomerang effect: where both members in a relationship constantly argue. This arguing causes each party to stigmatize the other - there are all sorts of addiction. From coffee to red meat. An abusive wife might start feeling guilty for her sweet tooth. Everybody has their own cultural morality/ideal, and will impress it upon the other with compromise.

My doctor explained I ought to ween off half to one drink at a time while taking betablockers. I'm off the betablockers, so I'm going to get a refill. A psychologist explained that I ought to fight the craving for as long as I can, and establish a specific time for the weening process (e.g. 6:00, hence alcohol helps me get to sleep). Sometimes my concerns will cause me to want a drink in the morning -- lately my concerns has been this habit, for I haven't been working.

I messed up, I cut it down fast (as a result of my mother who does not understand this addiction) by 7 drinks. The last 72 hours have been awful. I'm just glad its been 72 hours. I should start normalizing. Cutting it down to quickly will cause a person to rebound - meaning the withdrawal was so dramatic that the person will drink twice as much. If the person/drinker was used to 6, and was forced to quit by his wife, during the process the psychological dependency kicks in after about 24 to 48 hours. The person may suffer from withdrawal a day or two -- maybe three -- and then starts drinking a 12 pack because the withdrawals were dramatic. Wives, like mothers can be the catalyst for alcoholism when the person wasn't an alcoholic to begin with. That person just had a routine. My goal is to sustain a healthy sociological standard.

There is a sociological phenomena called, 'cessations'. This is when society makes the public aware, or cognizant. There has been case studies where a 15 year twelve plus pack a day drinker quits and never feels a thing, and case studies where social drinkers (2 to 4 in males) feels the cessations of withdrawal. This could be the result of stigmatization, or abuse. Yoga seems to help me a lot. According to research I found online, about 15% of those who believe are alcoholics suffer from seizure. Nevertheless, allowing alcohol to get away from you can still be toxic.  

I think I'll go to ten for the next 72 hours, then 9, and so forth. I don't like my blood pressure being all jumpy.

[rod44]

Good Morning,
I am afraid the only one who can answer your medical queries is a Doctor.

My experience with alcoholism as a recovering alcoholic is that you not only need to stop drinking but you also need to deal with the emotional and physical baggage that goes hand in hand with this illness. The tightness and panic feeling you describe I can identify with as this was some thing I suffered during the end of my drinking and at the beginning of recovery.
Recovery should be under the supervision of a doctor as there could be complications with withdrawals.
The emotional stuff I dealt with by counselling and joining AA and working the twelve step program.

So you need to get to a doctor and get those symptoms checked, explain your concerns about your drinking habits and get some help with the emotional stuff by going to a twelve step group.
I wish you well in recovery and I pray your overall health will improve. You are a young man with your life ahead of you so don’t make the mistake of throwing it all away in a drunken blur.
Ray