hangover anxiety

Hey guys..
I have been having a very bad reaction to alcohol all day. I am a weekend drinking, not always binge drinking, but yesterday I was at a day festival, and then went out, so I did drink rather alot. Today, I had a strange hangover and i'm still having it.
I woke up feeling like my throught was being squeezed, then,that went away, to be replaced with a fast heart rate, that went away, and now my chest feels tight. I know that this is prob anxiety, but I am still a bit worried as it's 4am here (I'm in the UK) and it's been over 24 hours i've been feeling like this now.

I wondered, if anyone else suffers with bad anxiety whilst having a hangover? the fast heart rate? and chest tightness? and, how do they resolve it? I have had a panic attack where I thought I was having a heart attack and called an ambulance... though my panic attacks are lessening, the anxiety comes back sometimes when I have a hangover.

any advice would be great.

I am worried about the tightness in my chest, though I seem to be breathing ok, and my hearts normal-so I'm guessing it's no heart attack, just anxiety?

[goldenarm]

R U taking any medications? WHat did u drink and how much,?Liv er problems?

[boogieman]

hi there. could you be more specific as to how much/often you drink? you could be suffering from an allergic reaction or possibly even a form of withdrawal. has this happened before? do you eat well and on a regular basis? do you exercise? sorry for all the questions, but a little more info would be helpful :)       gm

[peaches84]

I'm not taking any medicines no. I don't have any liver problems.
I usually drink occasionally during the week, one or 2 units every other day, then one weekend night-usually about 10 units plus on a heavy session, this weekend, the units must have gone up to 40.
My body feels bruised, my stomach, back, sides, everything feels bruised and achey (achy)-which i've had before, but i've been able to sleep it off. My anxiety is very bad, and preventing me from sleeping properly. I went to sleep for an hour, then woke up with a jump.

I do excersise yes and I do eat well. I know I drink to much and need to cut it down.
I still have strong feelings of anxiety, and It's now monday-I was drinking on Sat.. I would have thought the anxiety would have gone by now. I know sleep will help, but I need to get rid of the anxiety first.

[boogieman]

hi. a physical exam with bloodwork including a liver panel wouldn't hurt if you haven't had one in a while. alcohol acts as a sedative as well as an anesthetic on the nervous system, so you are probably experiencing a bit of rebound discomfort. if not for its damaging side effects and abuse potential, alcohol would be a wonder drug, but unfortunately using it as a painkiller or antianxiety med is dangerous business---this is how a lot of folks develop problems with it. insomnia and overall poor quality of sleep are also side effects that will likely get worse over time as well. all in all, you probably just overdid it, but a doctor visit could rule out any moderate to serious conditions----better safe than sorry. take care,  gm

[broknbck]

hey i am having the same symptoms here. total anxiety. hhhhhhhh..... i think i must be going through withdrawl (withdrawal). but i will not have a drink to feel better. i have dumped out the rest of the half gallon of vodka and i don't want to drink again. i can't . i cannot control it. and my decisions are really really bad. rough people, drugs, sex unprotected.

[ibizan]

i need to cut a record titled Boogieman Right On Again!!!and he is with his advice here.....we have so many ppl post here with situations as u describe.....he advises so soundly and with concern and we don't hear back from what they decide to do.Please keep us posted and again....ms.Broken Record sez follow the boogiemans advice!:)

[kenziegirl]

i cant believe i found this stream. I have never heard of anyone else who has had this happen. The weird thing about me is I used to drink quite often and would get hang overs all the time and be totally fine. but one morning when I did my usual wake up at 6am after drinking. I woke up and immediately started having a REALLLY intense panic attack. it was one of the worse ones i have ever had.  I wont drink more than 2 drinks anymore cuz i am so scared of having a panic attack the next morning.  But why all of the sudden did it happen out of nowhere?

[ibizan]

The brain is a very complex mysterious organ my dear!alcohol depresses it messes with it and numbs it.....i don't think there is an exact answer to this question unless the Boogieman knows and he knows a LOT!alcohol deadens brain tissue and changes the amino acids in it also interferes with neurotransmitters and their activity/pathways.....i would say it is the brain/body way of telling you enough is enough!

[boogieman]

hi. there are a lot of parameters that would need to be examined to give you a definitive answer, but often common sense will prevail----have you been eating and sleeping well? exercising any? any other meds (prescribed or otherwise) being taken? any pre-existing conditions? are you under a lot of stress? often times it's the simple things, or lack thereof, that can have drastic effects. like ibizan said, your body is trying to tell you  something, and even a full medical exam might not tell all, but a doctor's evaluation could not hurt. best wishes--------gm

[mf85251]

It is a combination of anxiety and withdrawl (withdrawal). You drink all day, it could take 1-3 days to recover. You will start to feel better after several days. If I go out drinking all day and all night, I usually feels the effects for several days. That is why I want to quit drinking...it is hard to live and it doesn't feel great.

Drink lots of water. :)

[Natho]

I get the same symptoms here to. I eat healthy, go to the gym, don't suffer from anxiety in real life. If I have a heavy session though I wake up feeling half drunk, but fairly ok. Around 3pm everything comes crashing down. I have panic attacks, worry about nothing, breath fast, chest tight, go hot and cold, think crazy thoughts. Lasts for 2 days. I've had blood tests done, everything is normal, tried every hang over cure going including L glutamine and milk thistle. Nothing works apart from sticking to a 12 unit limit. If i go over that i freak out the next day. Started when i was around 24 and has just got worse (27 now). Bad days. The only thing I have found that helps is forcing myself to go jogging or at very least walking. Going to the gym helps but i usually feel too self conscious in my messed up anxious phase. Try not to stay indoor it only makes it worse. Otherwise totally uncontrollable no matter how many breathing exercises or calming words I have with myself.

[Jacker]

This is a pretty old thread you pulled up, but it's still relevant.  I started to feel this way after quite a few years of drinking, and I think it was a sign that my body was reacting as an alcoholic for the first time (instead of reacting as a heavy drinker).  Alcohol effects the central nervous system and I believe this feeling is sort of like a "mini-withdrawal" after the alcohol leaves your body.....that's my personal feeling anyway.  Be very careful- if you do a lot of drinking in this condition you can be at risk for heart attack, stroke, or something along those lines. Your body is trying to tell you something- listen!

[Drew2502]

Thanks guys for reactivating, I go through the same things, anxiety attacks, depression, my brain just goes berserk and cant think.. it just goes through all the negative things in my life and uncontrollable thoughts and terrible feelings. I have been living with this condition for 3 years now and it is really taking a toll on my mental state. 3 years ago I got caught up with my brother in laws brother (john, he has a history of drug and alcohol abuse and even tried to take his own life once) and between him my friends and family I found myself binging three to four times a week sometimes more for quite a few months (sufering hangovers at work) then one mid afternoon during a weekend hangover i started to get these real intense feelings that I wanted to harm myself or someone, my brain just seized, sweats, deep feelings of despair, my nervous system was shot, I was catatonic for around a week, I had to take Valium to relax, crying, scared ********, wondering how long it would last, kind of had a case of psychosis, thinking i was going insane, the gp put me on anti depressants which made things worse for me, got off them and started seeing the psychologist (he has been good), I have been having waves of attacks ever since, longest period free has been about 2 weeks, i is so friggen hard to deal with and i don't know how long i can put up with it, my brother took his own life and i don't want to put anyone through that, I have never attempted this (thought about it alot, and have probably come close) , I have been trying to give up drinking during the week and only drink on the weekend, I keep getting it somewhat under control, and then relax my control and then I may have a few too many drinks and drinking nights and then wham! (i don't drink by myself, only socially) I have been seeing the psychologist for the last 2 years and working through my issues, he told me last week that I don't have schizophrenia, i was kind of shocked when he said this after seeing him  for 2 years that he was contemplating that i might and it hadn't crossed my mind...maybe i have a lot of issues. i drink cause i enjoy it. I have had problems in the past being social and it seems the only way for me to be social is to drink, otherwise everything just seems awkward. I live in and around a real drinking culture and have friends and family who don't have the same problems as me, (though i seem to drink with everyone) and the only way to socialize with them is to drink? They enjoy my company when I drink. I am 38, it has helped me reading depression and anxiety forums when i am going through it, helps me relax, like right now... had a bit too big of a Fri & Sat nights, but reading this one, it seems that alot of my problems can be resolved by giving up drinking, it will be hard and alot of people around me will think and say that I am being a big wuse, but at the end of the day it is my life and I need to get this monkey off my back.

[gazza28]

i understand were your coming from i whent out friday for a friends birthday and now is sunday and im still in bed i havnt moved as feel scared , feel bruised all over , hot @ cold sweats and as for my head i feel like im loosing it i lie here heart racing , tight chest and when i do start to go into a deep sleep i find it that it feels like i stop breathing like a weight on my throat and i jump up and then my head starts playing mind games how long b4 it wears off ?????

[boogieman]

Hi. Once again, chronic alcohol use can have devastating effects on many parts of the body. Most common are problems with the digestive system, especially the liverwhich filters toxins from the blood. In time, what occurs is the liver becomes more and more inefficient in doing its job, and overconsumption of alcohol can introduce more than the liver can handle, as a result the excess alcohol circulates through the blood to all organs. This results in damage. The result of this is often sadly ultimate organ failure, which is a painful and slow death. I would highly reccomend seeing/ continuing to see a physician as well as looking into aa or other support group. Take care, GM /-

[Littlejudoka]

I am very happy I found this!

I was reading about why I'd have breathing problems, sweating and a very weak feeling body after drinking only a drink past my normal amount. I am a very small girl, very active and super healthy (as much as I can be on a tight budget.)

I really think doctors should look into this, because it seems to be with many particular people a serious thing. Sometimes I feel like I am going to die and it takes, luckily, only a few hours to go away. I've had it last a few days, but the only thing on day 2 and on that is different is my digestion.

I guess the only thing you can do is drink little to none!

[ibizan]

welcome small girl:)how tall r u?how much do u weigh?so how much is a drink past your normal amount?numbers of drinks please?and in what time frame do u consume them?beer?liquor?

[VAPVAPVAP]

I've been drinking most weekends for about 9 years now and I drink enough to make me black out most times. It's just the lifestyle I have.

Hangovers used to be fine when I was 17, but now at 26 they are very much like what people are describing - on the Sunday night after a Saturday drinking, I get a tight chest, feel the urge to breath really deep but it never feels right, and then just when I'm in bed just about to fall asleep my heart explodes and I start breathin really shallow and fast.

A horrible horrible feeling but I've been working on drinking less (not at all in fact) although there's always the odd weekend I "fall off the wagon" or whatever the term is.

I think what helps is living a healthy lifestyle in general (exercise, eat well, etc) which helps with the breathing but the real fix is to stop drinking entirely which I am working on.

[europagrl]

I had some of the most horrible hangovers ever.the tightnes on the chest and heart papilation is hard to take.also body jerks and sick ,not able to keep anything down.Couple of times...I was seriously thinking ,this is it.Trying to stay sober now.

[ibizan]

hope u give AA a try and do your best to stay around sober ppl....the light has gone on upstairs in ur head!

[summer20123]

i suffer with anxiety after a heavy night drinking it also i feel really low. but at the time you dont think of it and wish you never the day after

[rpooo]

Sorry I didn't take the time to read all the replies and sorry if someone already mentioned this. When I first read your post the first thing that came to my mind was Dehydration. It is very common after a hard nights drinking. Here's why:

While consuming such large amounts of alcohol it tends to make you urinate more often. Because of that you are striping your body of its electrolites. Hense causeing you the hang over. The next day your body is dehydrated (which has all kinds of side effects) and the electrolites need to be replaced. So you need to consume alot of fluid to help your body. Gatorade is full of electrolites and works best, thats why its so commonly used for people in sports that perspire alot. I hope this helps.
Randy

[lenny7364]

i know exactly why this happens... first of all it only happens to people whom have an anxiety/ panic disorder. It has to do with the Serotonin and adrenaline levels in your body... When you are drinking your serotonine levels sky rocket and your adrenaline level dips a lot, so you feel a lot less anxiety when you are drunk depending on how much you drink, alcohol is a depressant/ a downer, that explains that... So when you are hungover the alcohol is leaving your body at a fast rate so your serotonine and adrenaline is restoring itself, so a normal person without anxiety will feel a little anxious with their hangover but, someone with anxiety feels the adrenaline 10 time worse. Your body is hot, tingling, heart rate fast... pretty much in panic mode thats why you feel more anxiety than usual because of the chemicals in your body already out of wack because of the anxiety disorder... when I go out drinking I make sure to have a long recovery time the next day... Before you pass out drink lots of water that helps a lot then in the morning I take 3 mg of xanax when the anxiety is getting pretty bad and 2 min. later the anxiety is gone COMPLETELY and I am fine the rest of the day after a 2-3 hour nap... But DON'T abuse the xanax as it is very addictive but works very very well with hangover anxiety... I hope this helps

[ibizan]

It is sheer folly to advise ppl here to use Xanax in moderation to cure a hangover.....most if not all pppl who post here about their alcohol use have a big issue w/alcohol and Xanax is the worst drug for them aside from the opiates.

[rpooo]

So when you take away the bad advice of using xanax you're left with nothing more than drinking a lot of water. I'm glad you figured it out!

[lenny7364]

I think anyone and everyone who has experienced a panic attack would probably disagree with you on that... Xanax is addictive and very harmful if you abuse it but, in the event of severe anxiety and panic attacks it is still a medication prescribed to HELP relieve your anxiety, whatever the cause, be it alcohol hangover or personal stress, that's what I am most conserned with NOT the amount of peoples drinking. I leave it up to the individual and personal responsibility to manage their drinking... The obviouse answer is DON'T DRINK if it gives you anxiety, but I am answering the person's question and sharing my personal method of helping with hangover anxiety. I can understand where you're coming from but, when I have a panic attack, I can asure you that xanax doesn't seem all that bad when you're hyperventalating and think you're about to die...

[Mr_Rager]

oh god hangover anxiety is bad, that is why i try and quit binging, but its hard, so im gonna go and drink some more to get rid of this feeling, even tho tomorrow it will double and the need to drink will get worst

[rpooo]

lenny7364,
I somehow missed your post. I wouldn't think a doctor would prescribe xanax having any intentions for it to be used it as to cure for a hangover, that my friend IS abusing it. Alcoholism is a very deadly disease and offering suggestions that can lead to drug abuse is not helpful despite your honest intentions. We are people with addictive personalities so please keep that in mind when posting in this forum.

Randy

[ibizan]

i can always count on my administrative assistant here to offer good advice!i can't offer anything else...nuff said!

[let2it2out]

Dear Drew

Reading your thread made me feel how I did just last week. I arrested for being drunk in a public place twice in one week. I woke up one morning and my whole apartment was smashed, glass everywhere. I went to a party and woke up with a cigarette burn on my wrist and a black eye, I guess someone punched me out because when I drink I am argumentative and extremely blunt, I tell people how I feel and don't care if it hurts them. It's the truth.

I figured the best thing for me to do was to run and go to my grandmothers so I would be forced to not drink. I swore to myself I would never drink again. I was on the bus to Toronto and had not drank for 2 days and all of the sudden I felt like I was out of my body and got feelings and uncontrollable thoughts that I was going to strangle someone on the bus or go into the bathroom and hurt myself. It scared the living **** out of me and I never want to feel like that again. I thought I was going insane. I ran to the hospital downtown Toronto as soon as I got off the bus.

My relationship ended and I wound up in a place I hated, I guess that's why I went so nuts with my drinking. This was just literally a few weeks ago. I woke up one morning and I was sweating, shaking, freezing cold and thought I was literally going to snap and turn szhizophrenic. I went to the hospital and they gave me 50 mg diazepam and I calmed down. However it took me 7 days to get my mind back on track and not feel like I was going crazy.

I keep swearing to myself I wont drink and only end up drinking time after time again. I know that if I continue I will end up in mental institution or in jail.

My life has been not one of an easy childhood and many hard experiences and looses I chose not to face....so I drink and I drink to the point I black out and am a danger to myself and others.

The only thing I can do to be a good person is not to drink...but I am petrified every day of my life to get wasted and feel the way I do after wards with anxiety, and feelings of losing control and going insane. I think it is what you said a psychosis and it is not fun.
Just writing this blog gives me the chills and brings me back to that feeling. You would think that one would do anything to avoid that feeling and be able to never drink. Not drinking is better than going through all of those terrible shakes and mental problems, but after a few days when my head is on straight again, the desire to drink comes back due to habbit.

Tried AA
Went to rehab
Seen addictions councellors
Psychitrist who just gave me a prescription so I ripped it up because I overdosed on lorazepam when I was drunk, so I figured it is best not to have pills in the house and now...pretty lost on what to do

[rpooo]

uncontrollable thoughts that I was going to strangle someone on the bus or go into the bathroom and hurt myself


Why would you ever  want to hurt someone?