Anxiety/panic attacks the day after drinking

[bvjens31]

This isn't really a question, it's more or less a walkthrough of what I am going through with anxiety problems and alcoholism in hopes that it might help someone out there. Had I read online about how common anxiety attacks after a night of drinking are, maybe I could have started my road to recovery sooner, and maybe some of you can.

Anyways, I am a 25-year old college student (receiving my 2nd BA tomorrow actually :D) who had never experienced anything related to anxiety or panic attacks ever in my life. I've always been a laid back, easy-going individual. Last May, after a weekend of beer pong and partying, I woke up on the following Monday and instantly felt dizzy and out of breath, like I was going to pass out or fall over. I didn't know what it was. I thought maybe I had hit my head during the previous weekend's festivities. A couple days later I still had a dizzy feeling so I had my ladyfriend drive me to the ER for fear of having post-concussion syndrome or something. They gave me something for my nerves (Loreazapam maybe?) and did a catscan and everything was A-OK. I had no idea why I was feeling like this, but I finally told my mom about it and she googled it and thought maybe I was having some panic attacks. Over the next couple of months during the Summer, my roommates and I's drinking continued, and so did my anxiety issues (always the day after going out). At first I tried blaming them on stress or my girl or anything else besides drinking. I didn't want to think for ONE SECOND that my favorite past-time (drinking and being social with the wonderful people in my life) was actually the crux of my least favorite past-time (anxiety attacks.)  

Before I had my first one last May, I had heard of people having anxiety problems (my ex-girlfriends mom took meds for them) but just scoffed at people actually having to take medications to control their thoughts. What pish-posh I thought to myself. Well, after 1 year of having these #$%^$@ panic attacks, it's not pish-posh anymore. I have finally come to terms with the fact that it IS my drinking that is causing these (and smoking a pack of marlboro lights on the weekends in the bars does not help!!!!)  I don't even really get typical hangovers anymore like I used to, well maybe I do, but they are being over-shadowed by the PURE AGONY of the anxiety attacks. Sometimes they go on for the whole day. There are several different reasons about why people have panic attacks, hypoglycemia is one, but I have finally realized that it is my drinking style. Thank God I'm getting out of college so I won't feel the need to go out and get belligerent drunk with my buddies anymore. I know that being in college is no excuse, but hey, it's fun!!!

All this being said, I am working on curing myself. I have always been a type of person who needs to be in control of my own life/mind/health and this anxiety **** has got to stop!!!! I am going to start taking daily doses of St. John's Wort and B complex, to see if that helps. I am also going to get back into my workout routine once my job starts in a couple of weeks. I know that an active lifestyle will help me on the road to recovery, as well as those supplements. But I am starting to realize the #1 thing that will cure these attacks is to stop drinking. Every time I have one of these day-long attacks, I swear to myself that I'm done drinking. But the truth of the matter, is that after a few days, I feel my equilibrium has returned to a pretty awesome level, and I forget about how the major anxiety attack I just had a few days ago made my life complete hell. That's how **** works. Out of sight, out of mind. If I don't have one for a few days, I start thinking I'm invincible again, and we go party. I need to grow up and realize that there is a cure to feeling this PURE AGONY! And it's in the form of alcohol abstinence. It's going to suck and I'm sure I'm gonna miss the bars. But I will not miss these anxiety attacks.

I will keep my progress updated on this forum, because I now know that there are TONS of people out there who are suffering through the same problems that I am currently faced with. We all know the cure, deep down, we just don't want to accept it. To those reading this, hopefully I have calmed you down a little. I know it's hard. It sucks. It's hell on earth, in your brain, and it feels like there is no way out. There is. I think. So I'm going to try the B complex and the SJW and try to keep the drinking and smoking under extreme control.

Peace and love and freedom of YOUR MIND.
Take care,
C

[jimryan167]

the exact same thing happend to me i thought i was having a heart attack the day after drinking, i went off in an ambulance

[kawasaki136]

im 41 always felt a bit sick depressed, you get over it, but lately, when i go into pub sick, i go to quietiest bar not too talk to anyone untill i get two or three into me, i be shaking, when bar man stocks shelf i slug down pint, when someone looking at me i cant lift pint with shakes, its all in my head. its getting worse all the time

[ucf561]

all right ppl lets get our thoughts together and settled. First of all im 22 and go to the university of florida. I have dealt with these fear/panic moments after drinking for numerous times. It wasnt until about a year ago that ifinally linked it to the massive amount of drinking i was doing. I mean the first time i really started drinking everyday wasnt until about 6 months ago. Idk how everyone else drinks but sometimes i just find myself bored on a tuesday and pop open a beer. And yes i go out on weekends and drink and yes binge. But what has to be done is no more binging. I literally just came off of my worst withdrawal i have ever faced. I was pacing, couldnt sleep, worst thoughts, had a mental break down and cried in front of my girlfriend for the 2nd time now, feel like calling an ambulance, i had to call off work for 2 days straight because i was so exhausted from no sleep/ fear of having a panic attack at work. But today i had to go into work or else i would get fired and what my job is that im a valet parker which means constant running and exercise, i know many of these post say exercise helps but idk if its just my mind getting off the worried thoughts or its the actual exercise that is helping who knows im no doctor. But heres what im getting at,about half of the day i was at work i was having the worst anxiety because i thought to myself OMG im not going to be able to drink anymore because this happens everytime and YES it does happen everytime but only when i binge for more then 2 days in a row and when i say binge i mean getting drunk to where u can pass out. For me i dont really like get blacked out to where im stumbling out of the club i just drink all day and have a constant buzz. So here is my remedy that i hope will help all of you, basically you have to control yourself, if your going to get **** *** drunk then ya do it but no more then 2 days in a row and also drink lots of water, like tonight i went to a bar and ya had a few maybe 6 but as im writing this im drinking water. I really have lots more to write but in the end dont let this alcohol get to you and i didnt say before but  the withdrawal i came off of was a 6 day binge of literally drinking atleast a 12 pack a day. Ive also noticed that staying away from energy drinks helps out a lot. I mean i like energy drinks but for some reason when im drinking a redbull vodka the next day i have instant anxiety. So know you dont have to entirely quit just know your limits. If youve got to binge just know to drink lots of water before you sleep and no more 6 day binges for me and if you literally have to drink that many days just know in the end your going to visit a living hell for atleast 3 days. Id like some comments if anyone has them i hope this helps you guys out ive read almost everypost on here and it took me about 2 or 3 fear/panic moments to actually write on here. Goodluck to you all be safe

[bigd608]

i sociably drank all my life up until ten yrs ago.the last 2 yrs my life is un managable i go on binges where i drink half a gallon of vodka a day.im a living nightmare. i have so much responsibility for other family ie grand parents poa my parents hate me my brother is very successful and he drinks same with my daughter. i drink and end up in the emergency room. i call to talk before i get too bad and nothing,wont answer phone nothing.well to sum this up i just got home from detox which were i live consists of sitting in a recliner for 3 days no medication its so brutal i feel like im not going to make it all of my fingers are numb the store is only a block away but i honestly dont want to drink anymore any help.

[Pralines]

It brings me a lot of comfort to just know I'm not in this alone........ And I think the best way to handle this is to stay away from alcohol altogether, which is easier said than done

Best wishes,
K

[goshujin]

This issue started for me a few years back

Symptoms are the same as everyone else

Left side numbness in hands/feet, weird headaches (not so much pain rather like it will explode or something is happening in there), Feeling like I would have a stroke.

I still get these issues even though I have stopped alcohol for two years and pretty much cut out most sugars/caffeine.

It may be a form of Peripheral Neuropathy (I am not diabetic)

For me getting stressed out, having too much sugars, having caffeine, getting too excited or nervous triggers these effects in various degrees. I have been to ER a couple times like everyone else.
Drinking has a big effect on the Central Nervous System too.