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

[dani830]

SOO soo happy I found this website! I thought I was the only one expeirencing this...I am a girl 20 years old and I have been drinking HEAVILY since I was 14. I thought my heart pumping out of my chest was just my body telling me I need to slow down. It just recently started to happen to me within this past month all 3 times. I was in the backseat in traffic the first time it happened (ALWAYS happens about 10-12 hrs after I am drinking) I thought i was just claustrophobic for a minute. My heart was going crazy my hands were sweating uncontrollaby and it felt like everything was closing out on me. I got home and realized it was probably just a small panic attack which still really freaked me the F out. I drink water evveryyyyday so i didnt think that was a problem...until it happened again and I told my mom who is a nurse. She told me it is not normal for my heart to do that after drinking, but she did tell me to cough hard 4x to try and get your heart back to its normal heart rate(hope that helps someone) Anyway, LAST night was bad. It happened the usual 12 hrs after drinking then went away after a looot of water. Happened again at 2 in the morning but this time i got very dizzy and i was using every single bit of energy to keep me from just dying out. I am a very healthy person so for this to happen to me scares me, wish i was the only one but seems ike the rest of u are having this ICKY expeirence. I think we all know the answer to this, and it is to stop drinking SO heavily/STOP drinking all together. The feeling is so ugly and uncomfortable but it all goes away in time.  It's sad that i am experiencing this and I am not even 21:( I Hope this new year brings AMAZING health to you ALL!!!!! Xo

[carl87]

Im so glad ive finally realised whats been happening to me.
My story is very similar to others-usual hangover in the morning after a night of excess.
Then about midday nausea,sweats,panicky, weird numb feeling down my leftt arm and face,sometimes leg-intense left sided headache.
Its basically how i imagine having a stroke and heart attack combined would feel-and thats what i thought i was having when i asked my wife to call an ambulance.
Its quite embarrassing  when a Doc tells you theres nothing wrong with you in A+E and you feel like your dying.
I have them on off-what helps me
Drink less!-
Excercise lots
Avoid coffee-my usual hangover cure would be sit around on the internet drinking mug after mug of strong black coffee-a sure fire recipe for a major PA
Cheers all and good luck

[CrazyEE]

I am so annoyed at myself. I have just started a new job and had slowed down on the drinking for the month before because I was sick. I was amazed because from going from SEVERE anxiety attacks every day (guaranteed) I stopped having them.

Now I have started having a few drinks again and I am having horrendous attacks again. It is bad timing with my new job. I have sat here since 8:30 this morning and done nothing. Just stared at the computer screen and freaked out. I feel like I am dying - my heart is racing. I just feel crazy.

What I am trying to tell myself though is that it is CLEARLY the alcohol considering it stopped when I stopped drinking. So if I can just get through today I will be okay. I just need to not drink so heavily.

I feel so panicked. I feel like my heart is going to stop beating - I am tired! It is awful. I hate anxiety. I hate GAD.

[jayp14]

Ha, it's funny I found this post, I wanted to see how long it took me to be stupid again, huh a little over two weeks, not bad.  I basically had the same exact thing happen to me again.  I'm noticing a little patern, it's sporting events and old friends.  I was supposed to go to two events and something even told me I'd be better off hanging with a gf instead, so I bailed on the other one.  But of course she wanted to drink.  This might be the worst anxiety I ever felt.  I was laying in her bed, actually praying I would die.

I'm also noticing the anti-depressant cocktail that I am on now, actually aids the drinking. I feel really good and I'm in great spirits.  I don't do anything stupid or nasty, I'm quite fun to be around.  The girl I stayed with last night even just texted me to say what a great time she had with me.  I feel bad if I have to tell her I want to steer clear of her, it's not her, I just don't like being around people, it's always when I lapse.  Working events, hanging with family, I got it all under control.  My old friends, women, if they want to have fun, its my achilles heel.

I can't live out the rest of my life being by myself though.  I think part of it as I am assimiliating back to being single, I'm doing the things, I would do as as single guy and feel real good about.  Going to a game, drinking with some friends, and then looking to hook with a girl was classic playbook for me back in the day.  I don't feel well after it though.

I need to figure a way to stop.  I have an hs friend coming into town and I know my old school buds want to hang at the dinner with them all in a few days.  I am going to decline.  Maybe I'll tell them I'll meet them out afterwards, I'll know my guard will be up and I can always use the work excuse.

Wow, I hate myself, I feel like a failure.

[tommygun1981]

I have the same problem after heavily binge drinking. Constant dizziness, sudden headaches, heavy heart feeling and heart racing. I feel like I'm going to pass out at times. I drive a forklift for a living so that's kinda scary. When I lay off the booze for 4 or 5 days these symptoms subside. I think alcohol has a lot to do with it. After waking up, I feel normal, no symptoms at all. As the day progresses, these symptoms slowly come back and intensify/worsens. At times, I feel like I'm going to have a heart attack. Realizing that other people are experiencing these symptoms is a relief. I'll lay off the alcohol for a while and see what happens

[jayp14]

You are not alone, as you see and I'm glad I found you all as well. I'm having one of those days today. I wasn't even really out late last night, but the alcohol took a toll on me today...I even met up with a gf last night, you'd think I'd be in a good mood today, but no.  I should also add, I do take anti-depressants now...which yes, you're not supposed to drink on, however, if you have like 2-3 drinks in a day, you'll be ok; e.g. I was at a hockey game Saturday and literally had that and I was fine. Actually, a lot times they often make you not want to drink.  Here is where I get in trouble, I have to be careful with my friends. They are all big drinkers and its easy for me to lose count with them.  I remember all that happened last night (the drinking night), I didn't get "wasted" I was in control, but my buddy just kept on ordering those pitchers...it makes it tough when your feeling "okay" or having fun in control, to realize what may happen to you the next day...you need to try and be congnizant of what your ingesting...  It's all a learning experience, and as you can see from even my experience, we do fail sometimes. However, I'm great during the week I will not drink or keep it very limited; ironically, Sunday, with football, seems to be my achilles heel - not even Friday and Saturday :-) I also think that draft beer is some of these bars can make you feel like crap too. I also have a friend that tends to call me who can still put it away and feel fine..he has his own stuff he's going through, however I can let him hinder my growth/healing and if any of you are in such a situation, you shouldn't let this happen either.

I'm most content and in control when I'm by myself, but of course, that is no way to live.  My psychologist told me its like managing endorphines, or budgeting endorphines, like you would a check book, you don't want to "bounce"; it's part of growing up I guess, which I think we all kind of resent, a little. I'm 36 now. When I was younger, as long as I paced myself approriately, I could drink for long periods of time (beer) and be fine; now, well, the total mass of that consumption will do what it does to all of us, i.e. the anxiety, not so much the hangover.  It's also things like eating that help, I didn't eat much yesterday, I definitely should've drank more water. That meds sometimes make me limit my food intake.

Personally, I also notice I tend to start feeling a lot better sharing my story or helping others on boards like this, so I apologize if I ranted a little too long.

We are all beautiful people and there is nothing wrong with us, we're just human and trying to live our lives; maybe perhaps the axiety is proof we all have a concious.  Best to you all today.  -J.