Oh my God! just had the worst thing happen! Help!

Hi all

Sorry to be so dramatic but i just had the worst thing i have experienced with my heart. I have flutters occasionally but i just had the worst one ever! I was standing in a shop waiting to get my item when my heart stopped i felt a filling sensation in my chest, i quickly felt my pulse and nothing was there (this all happened in about one and a half seconds. And then BANG my heart started beating again. This just seemed to be a more violent version of what i get. Ive had a week long monitering of my heart which was normal! I had lots of acohol last night and am very anxious. Should i go to the hospital? Can my heart stop for good?

[suzi-q]

When are you going to learn about the alcohol?  I don't mean to "yell" at you, but you aren't doing anything to help your situation.  I am sure that all the alcohol plays a major role in your anxiety and heart problems, but you seem to refuse to quit.  Do you feel that you are unable to quit alcohol?  Then you are an alcoholic....nothing to be ashamed of, it is a disease....What IS ashame is that you refuse to get help for it.  Make a visit to the hospital...but not the ER...find out about Alcoholics Annonymous or another program..There are many people who can help you on your road to recovery.  You will be very glad that you did.

[rachelrowe333]

the same thing happen to me after a night of drinking. it usually takes me two days to get back to my average level of anxiety and panic. I know its bad to do when you suffer from panic disorder but I get so bored and frustrated and mad that I cant step foot into public w/o freaking out so I send my bf to the liquor store every weekend because that, food and television are my only means of entertainment. hopefully the klonapin I just started will get me out of this rut.

[heartfluttersflyawayplz]

first your heart will never just stop beating and than start back up.  you will never get over this because you have a bad drinking problem, you come on here and ask for help but you wont help yourself, am sorry you need to GROW up and stop DRINKING. untill you do you will have these problems. i think you need to go to hospital and get help for the drinking . sorry to shound so mean but there are a lot out there with heart problems they didnt cause , here your causeing your on . sorry but dont feel sorry for you , i know i sound mean but you need to wake up and help yourself . barbara

[spade22]

What you described sounds like a benign heart palpitation and your situation, as mentioned by the other posters,  is  NOT being helped by your binge drinking.  

If I were you, I would be more concerned about my liver.  If you continue down this path, it wont be your heart that gives out - it will be your liver.  

You clearly suffer from hypochondria, so why are you abusing your body which leads to serious side effects?  Drinking not only causes the heart to beat irregularly, but it also causes dehydration - dehydration can cause heart palpitation's (and much more serious heart rhythm irregularities as various ion levels gets too low)  To hide behind the fact you are young and its a lifestyle forced upon you because of the area you live is just ridiculous as is such a dramatic post.

[suzi-q]

Klonopin and alcohol?  Not a good mix.  Keep the food, keep the television....lose the alcohol....Start going out by taking baby steps.  You are on a downward spiral and it won't go back up until you help yourself.  I know that drinking seems to help at the moment.  I used to love to drink also at my worst anxiety because that made me feel "normal".  It is not going to help...what you need to do is start being proactive in your recovery.  Get into therapy and start getting out of your house.  Baby steps at first...the only way to overcome the claustraphobia is by desensitizing yourself.  Start with a walk around the block and take it from there.  BEST TO YOU!

[Barbarella]

What other posters said is true about the drinking, but I just want to add I had the SAME symptoms you have/had, feeling like heart stopping for seconds etc, the whole nine yards and I NEVER drank, I tried it for a very short time when I was a Teenager, and no matter what I drank after one glass I got a headache out of this world, so that was it for me.

Long story short, I never started drinking, but I had the exact same symptoms concerning the heart as you have.  Alcohol I hear does not make it any better, but at the same time I know people who drink like a fish and never had one PVC or any symptoms concerning their heart.  Of course each person is different.  I can drink coffee without getting PVC's or anxiety, matter of fact coffee calms me down unless I go to the doctor of course :)

But its good if you can quit drinking, its better for your liver and your all over health.

[Jon10]

I think some of you guys are quire harsh to be honest. particually heartfluttersflyawayplz, your making me sound like an alcoholic, which im not. I only drink at weekends and occasionally on a weekday, I admit that when i do drink its alot but i dont drink more than most people i know. Living in a city like london makes it hard not to have a wild social life but thats all it is, i never drink at home or just for the sake of it, its always at a pub or club. The heart flutters are there coz of my anxiety. They all started 11 months ago when i hit my head and passed out ever since then i have been worrid about my health as i never felt the dizziness i felt then. then a week later after a torrid week of anxiety i had my first heart flutter. I admit drinking seems to make them worse but they are still there even if i stop. I come on here for help and guidance, not to be told im alcoholic. Im not impressed with some of your attitudes. Anyway, im starting my detox on monday and ill show youa ll i can do it!

[spade22]

Jon,

you comment that people have been harsh on you and imply that you are an alcoholic.  I have copied and pasted excepts from your posts dating back to mid June.  Please re-read what you have posted - this should CLEARLY demonstrate why several people (myself include) are frustrated with your posts.....


6/8:  "I am a 21 year old male with health anxiety. I have noticed that my Health anxiety is at its highest the day after a binge of Alcohol. The symptoms that a hangover produces are often in my case mistaken for serious health problems"

6/11: " I have a severe case of health anxiety which means i inturpret these symptoms as a life threatening condition. I had quite a lot of alcohol this weekend and yesterday i had a massive hangover which didn`t help. I went to Accident and emergency room twice yesterday as i thought i was dying. I started to spin out and i couldn`t fell my face, the doctor said it was anxiety and alcohol. I just can`t accept this."

6/11:  "I`m writing from an office in London when i should be doing work, but i just cant. I had a terrible experience yesterday where i went to hospital with chest pains and dizziness, i was very hungover due to a big drink on the Saturday night. Doctor told me to go home as he is getting tired of me turning up wasting peoples time."

6/12:   "I suffer big time from anxiety and panic atacks as im sure you all know by now its just that im not fimiliar with this symptom and it is really scaring me. Could it be something to do with the 30 units of alcohol i drink at weekends? "

7/14:  "I firmly believe that the symptoms i am having are real and organic such as flushing, sharp stab like pains all over my body and dizziness, and believe that these are caused by my life style i.e eating too much **** food and binging on alcohol. "

7/24:  "I`m 21 male in badish shape. over the last month i have drunk alcohol 20 days is july so far coz i was on holiday and feel so ill from alcohol. Could it be the alcohol that is ruining or am i really going to have a stroke?
Im so frightened. "

8/1:  "I told him all my symptoms and fears of what they were leading to. I told him that over the past four months i have binged drink an awful lot.
He calculated the amount i had drunk over the past two months and it amounted to over 100 units of alcohol a week, which roughly translates to 40 drinks.
He said that kind of consumption could cause temproary and permanant damage to the nervous system, and give symptoms such as pins and needles, dizziness, and muscle pains. He advised that i should give up untill xmas. Its difficult where im from as its a big part of our culture as alot of you have probably heard us brits drink alot. "

8/5:  "Hi everyone.
i suffer from heart flutter (pvc) from time to time but i just had to stop playing football because they were coming on every two minutes. Ive never had as mabny as i have just had in my life let alone half an hour. There wasnt any chest pain but it was still really worrying. I m,ust point out that i had alot of alcohol last night which always makes them worse. "

8/11:  "I have noticed that i have started to get PVC`s during exercise/phyical activity.
Although it has been after a bit of a drink.
I am cutting the drink down but i had a big night on Saturday on red bull and vodka and i played soccer (as you guys call it) on sunday but i had to stop because i was having a pvc every 10 seconds. PLease note that i was not haing them before the game.
The pvc`s dramatically calmed with rest.
i went to the pub tonight and had only three pints of beer and i decided to run home because it was raining but when i stopped running the pvc started untill i rested.
Is this anything to do with the alcohol or is it a problem with my heart. PLease be advised that i have had a holter moniter for a week that came back fine
Thank you very much Ryan in advance. "

9/21:  "had a week long monitering of my heart which was normal! I had lots of acohol last night and am very anxious. Should i go to the hospital?"

[Jon10]

Spade 22.

Who do you think you are mate? What right do you have to paste my comments I have made in good faith never meaning to "frustrate" anyone. Frankly you have made me very angry! You have made a fool of me on here, and i take that very seriously. I dont mind people voicing their opinions about what affect alcohol has with anxiety and health but i do have a problem with YOU pasting my personal heart felt messages in a row for everyone to see. The way you have constructed that out makes me look like a pathetic weak person which im not. I dont drink anymore than the average 21 year old in britain. You probably being from usa wouldnt understand as over there the drinking culture is a lot different.

How dare you! Because of you i can never use these message boards again, coz now everyone thinks im not serious and just an "alcoholic". If something serious happens and i want to seek help on here, i can now never get a straight answer. If you had said, "jon read back over some of your posts, alcohol seems to be a pattern" then that would have been fair enough but to paste all my messages on here in a row with dates is disgusting, you should be ashamed of yourself. You need to sort your behaviour out pal, one day your gonna learn.

Enuf said, now F**K off!!

[bip]

You dont have to get upset with spade she is just trying to help you.  You can use the message board no one thinks yur a acholic Relax and take deep breaths.   Yur fine we are here to help you not put you in more anxiety..

Im here for you if you need to talk..

[heartfluttersflyawayplz]

i think hes a alcoholic, shade22 i think you did a great job, at showing him how much he does drink and that its always after he drinks all night that he has his problems. its sad to see a 21 yr not know he has a problem i really hope he gets help because untill he amits he needs it , hes always going to have this p[roblem, and yes jon you do drink more than my 21 year old he does not drink like you , i didnt drink like that at 21 either , so you do have a problem, not trying be mean just hoping you will see it , so spade what you did was good , let him see for hisself what hes been writing . sometimes thats what it takes .

[bip]

Ya I admit I think hes a acholic I was trying to be nice.  

Jon,
  No alcholic admits that they are drinkers. You need HELP or Ill be honest your so concern about yur heart acholic isnt good for yur heart.   WAKE UP. We are trying to help you. You get mad cuz spade posted all yur concerns on the board you will never admit you are a drinker.

Another think dont post and tell spade to F off thats not right at all. You respect people on this board there are making time to help you. Hey you dont want the help then dont even bother trying to get help....


Spade22-  Good job  keep up the good work.......

[Barbarella]

Lets see, Jon said he drinks when he is going out on the weekends, sometimes on a day during the week.  That makes him an alcoholic by U.S. standards I know.  I've been all over Europe and their standards are different.  Lots of young people over there drink when going out, and maybe when having friends over, the more they have fun, the happier they are the more drinks/rounds are ordered.  Go to France, and you will see kids as young as 6 yrs old having red wine with their parents at dinner time, like we are having iced tea over here.  Over here the parents would get arrested if CPS would find out about it I'm sure.

I've been around true alcoholics, and they need a drink EVERY day, a shot of whiskey in their coffee in the morning, washing their mouth out with Listerine and chewing mints so nobody at work will smell it on their breath.  Drinking vodka because that is not suppose to leave a smell on their breath, they could never wait till the weekend or for that one day during the week. Putting vodka in water bottles so they can drink at work.

Is Jon an alcoholic?  With only drinking when going out and having a good time?  I do not make that judgment, but rather advise him to stop drinking and point out what alcohol can do to him.  We people with anxiety disorders do not like when people call us hyperchondriacs when we know for damn sure that we either are or are walking on thin ice of becoming a hyperchondriac.  

I've seen people on message boards who got highly upset because they were classified as  hyperchondriacs.  Its the name calling what upsets people.

Instead of labeling and name calling we should rather "advise".  My husband is smoke free for the last 4 yrs, but if I meet somebody/know somebody who just cannot quit I do not call him/her names as in "addict", but rather tell the person that I hope some day he/she can break that addiction.  I might point out what it can do to you, but people already know, including people who drink, they are adults, we do not need to scold them like we are their parents and they are 3 yrs old.  When they hit rock bottom they will get help, and maybe not, but its THEM who have to make that decision, not us.

Most of us have some kind of addiction.  Hell, I cannot watch TV in the evening without snacking.  I can go all day without it even without eating if I had to, but not at night.  And before anybody says that snacking is not as bad as alcohol I got news for you my cholesterol is very high, and I have a hard time keeping it down even with the Zocor, but I cannot stay away from the ice cream knowing what high cholesterol can do to me and my heart, that is my addiction.  I can get by with maybe 3 days, but then I get weak again. Watching TV after supper without snacking is no fun for me, and the healty snacks are boring.

I know of people who do not smoke during the week, but once they go out to a bar or a dance they say they have to smoke, they can't explain it, I don't understand it, but I don't criticize them.

[Raine9]

I believe that spade was only trying to help.  However, if it bothers you that much, just contact Medhelp and have them pull the entire thread.

[spade22]

"What right do you have to paste my comments I have made in good faith never meaning to "frustrate" anyone."

I have every right.  This is a public forum.  Furthermore, I am simply reposting what YOU wrote.

" Frankly you have made me very angry! "

Are you angry at me, or angry at yourself???  Remember, you are getting angry at a compilation of your own posts!

" I dont mind people voicing their opinions about what affect alcohol has with anxiety and health but i do have a problem with YOU pasting my personal heart felt messages in a row for everyone to see. "

This is a public forum.  Once you have posted something, it is on the internet for the world to see.  By typing your name into the search engine, anyone can read every thing you have posted.  To compile these into one post on a thread is an acceptable use of a post.

"The way you have constructed that out makes me look like a pathetic weak person which im not."

No one on these forums has ever called you a "pathetic weak person" - you are the one that used this descriptor therefore this is clearly how YOU see yourself after reading a compilation of your posts.

" I dont drink anymore than the average 21 year old in britain. You probably being from usa wouldnt understand as over there the drinking culture is a lot different."

Your DOCTOR calculated you were drinking, on average, 40 drinks a week over a 2 month period.
i) I HIGHLY doubt the average Brit drinks this volume of alcohol
ii) I am not from the USA - I have lived most of my life in NZ and our culture has more in common than Britain than it does America (afterall, we were colonized by the English).  New Zelanders have a notorious reputation for drinking a LOT but 40 drinks a week is HIGHLY excessive, even by our standards.
iii) Monkey see, Monkey do?

"How dare you! Because of you i can never use these message boards again, coz now everyone thinks im not serious and just an "alcoholic". "

If you choose not to use these message boards again, that is YOUR descision - dont use me as your scap-goat.  Moreover, there is no reason why people wouldnt take you seriously.  You have very real symptoms and I doubt that anyone would ever contend that.  People have expressed genuine concern for you because your drinking it quite clearly contributing to your very unplesant symptoms.

"If something serious happens and i want to seek help on here,"

If something "serious" happens, you should seek from a qualified medical professional ASAP and not from strangers whose background you know nothing about and do NOT have the ability to diagnose you online for a variety of obvious reasons.

"If you had said, "jon read back over some of your posts, alcohol seems to be a pattern" then that would have been fair enough but to paste all my messages on here in a row with dates is disgusting,"

You are already well aware of your own history and that alcohol has been a problem so asking you to read back over your posts would have been unfruitful.

You took offense at some of the posts of people replying to your thread, and seemed confused as to why they would think you are an alcoholic.  Despite the fact you have mentioned numerous times thar you suffer alarming symptoms AFTER binge drinking (you have noticed the correlation) AND your doctor has told you alcohol is contributing to your medical problems and advised you to stop drinking until Christmas, you continue to drink.  Posting all your comments regarding alcohol and your symptoms is a real wake-up-call, isnt it?  Why not print out that list and take it with you to your doctor?  Think about what I just said in the last sentence for awhile......

" you should be ashamed of yourself."

For what reason?  Copying and pasting is nothing to be ashamed off.  I would be ashamed of myself if I set out to embarass you by posting all your excuses regarding WHY you were drinking and your reasons you were doing so, but I elected not to take that approach.  Prehaps you could read over all your old posts and compile your own list.

"you need to sort your behaviour out pal, one day your gonna learn."

I think it the other way around.

[nevermindu]

Although I don't know you I was married to someone just like you a long time ago.You are in denial.And until you can admit you are an alcoholic you will continue to feel like you do.After a night of extensive drinking my ex came home and passed out on the bed.He woke up later and told me to "get off his chest".Since I wasn't on his chest I called 911 because he kept complaining of not being able to breathe.He was taken to the hospital and examined.There wasn't anything wrong with him except the fact that he was drunk.The thing is he only drank on weekends also so he didn't think he had a problem.But he did and it eventually was the reason I left him after 8 years of marriage. I couldn't watch him do that to himself or subject his 3 year old son to it either.On two other occasions he was so drunk he actually sh*t the bed.The first time I cleaned it up and washed everything so when I told him what he had done he didn't believe me.The second time he did it I let him wake up covered in his own feces and vomit.Yes,that is gross but it was also the saddest thing I had ever experienced in my life as I loved him so much.But even waking up like that wasn't enough for him to stop.One night he walked home drunk and said that he thought he had driven the pickup over a deep drop off.Since he didn't look hurt I didn't know what to believe.I called his brother and since we lived in such a small town it wasn't long before we found it parked in an empty lot.He remembered NOTHING the next morning.It wasn't until he got a DUI that he had to face he had a problem.He was sentenced to some classes and counseling but it didn't do any good because he still didn't believe he was an alcoholic.I don't know Spade22 but the best thing he could have done for you is post your own words.It's hard to look at yourself in the mirror isn't it.It's hard to see all the posts all in the same page because then it really looks bad.But they are YOUR words,your experiences that you were seeking advice for.What you want to hear is that "you don't have a problem Jon10."You came to the wrong place to hear that.These people are trying to help you and the thing is they don't have to.They are reaching out to you and you just slapped their hands away.Maybe you should stop and think about that.

[Jon10]

you lot are hillarious! Unbelievable! An alcoholic? In britian, someone who is an alcoholic is someone who is dependant on alcohol. Someone who has to drink large amounts of a specific alcoholic beverage EVERY SINGE DAY! I drink on Fridays and Sturdays and thats it, occasionally on weekdays if the football is on. When i drank 40units of alcohol over a period it was because i was on holiday and had several weddings back to back. Forty units a week is only 15 beers in a week in our measurements and thats 3 units a beer, so are you telling me that 15 beers in a week is an alcoholic? Spade22, listen to yourself, you are a first class muppet! You dont know anything about me so stop trying to analyse my drinking you ignorant fool. The fact is im actually a light weight, I`ll drink four beers and feel rough the next day. Thats what i mean when i say my hangovers make me feel more anxious, because i get them easily. Cut this alcoholic sh*t out coz its serious and people who are alcoholics would`nt appreciate you labbling someone who has 15 beers a week one! Some of you guys are so ignorant its unbelieveable. Now, hopefully i have cleared it up that im not an alcoholic, and one or two of you can make an apology.

I was crying of laughter when i read spades last post!!! Failed medical student im sure! Just coz you yanks are not allowed to drink till your 21 and can shoot someone when your 16 you have no idea about the culture of drinking in Britain. Something us Brits are proud of. Its not my fault your country is messed up and you dont get the chance to experience things in the correct order.

Barberella knows what im talking about.

If someone calls me an alcoholic one more time i`ll say more than F**k off!

15 BEERS A WEEK IS NOT AN ALCOHOLIC YOU TWATS!!!!!

[bip]

WATCH YUR MOUTH.  

[suzi-q]

Call it what you want and you can call us whatever you want.  We do not know you so we are seeing you objectively.  Whether or not you see yourself as having a "drinking problem" is not our concern.  You have told us that when you drink, you get terrible anxiety the next day.  The logical thing to do is to stop drinking...however, you choose not to.....whether or not you see that as a problem is up to you.  Obviously, alcohol is ruining your health...you decide if you want to continue putting nails in your coffin.

FYI- an ALCOHOLIC is person in which alcohol has control over the person...the person does not have control over the alcohol.  It is NOT a person who drinks everyday....that is the later stages of alcoholism...when the alcohol totally ruins the person's life.   Whether you drink once a week or even once a month...if you drink to excess and always need "one more" it is a sign of an alcoholic.  A saying from alcoholics is "one is too many and two is not enough"..do you see yourself in this statement?  The fact that you choose to ruin your health for the sake of alcohol is the writing on the wall.  You take if trom there.  

[spade22]

Alcoholism:

"The DSM-IV diagnosis of alcohol dependence represents one approach to the definition of alcoholism. In part this is to assist in the development of research protocols in which findings can be compared with one another. According to the DSM-IV, an alcohol dependence diagnosis is:

...maladaptive alcohol use with clinically significant impairment as manifested by at least three of the following within any one-year period: tolerance; withdrawal; taken in greater amounts or over longer time course than intended; desire or unsuccessful attempts to cut down or control use; great deal of time spent obtaining, using, or recovering from use; social, occupational, or recreational activities given up or reduced; continued use despite knowledge of physical or psychological sequelae."


"Spade22, listen to yourself, you are a first class muppet! You dont know anything about me so stop trying to analyse my drinking you ignorant fool. "

LMAO - All I know about you is what YOU post.  I reposted YOUR posts and you took MAJOR offense - where was the "analyzing" in that?????  If drinking is not a problem for you, why do you keep bringing it up in YOUR posts???

"The fact is im actually a light weight, I`ll drink four beers and feel rough the next day. Thats what i mean when i say my hangovers make me feel more anxious, because i get them easily."

If you feel "rough" after drinking only four beers but you elect to drink 15 beers over the course of a weekend it is no wonder you feel so anxious.  It is ironic that you then COMPLAIN about how you are feeling.

"....you have no idea about the culture of drinking in Britain. Something us Brits are proud of..."

Negative health effects come with the territory of drinking.  Since you are PROUD of your drinking culture and want to be a part of that, in spite of the health consequences it has resulted in and advice of your doctor, then you need to embrace it and NOT complain about how it is making you feel.  

[Mark TX]

I'm not going to get into semantics about what is or is not 'alcoholism'.  But here's something I KNOW FOR A FACT.  If you come on a public board explaining about alcohol binges leading to emergency room visits, then it only makes sense to STOP drinking alcohol.  It doesn't matter whether you're living in Britain, or France or Manhattan.  The UK doesn't have a monopoly on heavy partying, believe me.  I learned as much about heavy partying in Texas and Washington DC as I could have in any London pub. You got to give up that party and drinking binge lifestyle, mate!  I know, cause I've been there.  And I don't consider myself an alcoholic.  Some people might.  But that's neither here nor there.  I do know that the alcohol wasn't good for me.  And I didn't need to end up in the emergency room to figure that out.  Though I did go through some rough 'hangovers.'  That's putting it mildly.  =)

I watched my uncle drink himself to death.  And I'm watching my sister eat herself into oblivian.  And neither of them could or would admit or talk about their problems.  If you're having this serious of a problem at the ripe young age of 23 or whatever... you really need to address it now.  Because if your in the hospital due to your drinking at 23, you'll be in the grave due to your drinking by 30.  Or somewhere very miserable.  There's no doubt about that.

I've got friends who are 50 or 60 and still drink up a storm almost every night of the week.  They never get sick, never go to the hospital, never complain.  Their livers are probably shot... but that's another story.  Good for them.  I can't do that.  You can't do that.  I suspect just about everybody on this forum can't do that... because if you're dealing with anxiety or panic or other medical issues... the alcohol just isn't tolerable the way other people can tolerate it.  So explaining about what all your friends do doesn't mean anything.  Because unlike you, your friends aren't running to the emergency room and pleading for help on a message board, are they?

I gave up beer and was able to continue socializing quite ably for many years on club sodas with a twist of lime.  Most people in the bars assumed I was drinking vodka.  You'll be surprised at how little drunks pay attention.  No social stigma whatsoever.  And it felt great to wake up without hangovers.

You need to think about where you want to be two, five or ten years from now.  And you also need to think about what you want from this message board.  Because the best thing you'll find here is experience.  People who've been exactly where you are.  And perhaps you don't want to hear what they have to say.  Well, that's fine.  But expect to hear it anyway.

Good luck.

mark

[nevermindu]

That you are actually TRYING to defend your drinking says so much about you.As I said before,my ex-husband was and is an alcoholic and he DID NOT drink every day.When he drank on weekends he drank himself into oblivion.On one particular New Years Eve he drank an entire 5th of rum and had to be carried to my car and and then driven home and then unloaded into my house and put to bed.The rest of my friends and myself stayed out and did not feel the need to get drunk even tho it was NYE.You have an excuse for every time you drink.We are strangers.Why do you feel the need to explain anything to us?If you're not an alcoholic go on your merry way and be done with us.For some reason you feel compelled to keep coming back.And just so you know my "friend" an alcoholic is an alcoholic no matter what country,county,city,town,or blip on the map you may live on.And you can tell me to "F" off all day long.I lived with the drunk who told me that on a regular basis.Big "effen" deal dude.I agree with Spade22,quit complaining and embrace what isn't the problem.

[bip]

You all dont have to explain to him he is just going to learn the hard way. He has no respect exspecily  calling ladies names and F Off its rude...  Im very upset with him....

[heartfluttersflyawayplz]

wow , your a very anger young person, you need help , when you first started coming on here we was all here for you , we tired to help you out and felt sorry for you as we all have anxiety problems, but after 4-5 post about anxiety and your drinking hangovers , i saw you was not helping yourself and only making it worse, i got titred of reading your post about your problems anf it always had drinking in it , so i knw there was no way we could help you on here you needed to go see a real person face to face , maybe they could tell you to stop drinking thats your problem, you dont have to be nasty with people that were only trying to help you out , wanting you to see what your problem is , read up look at all your post , join aaa and get the help you need .dont come on here if you cant be nice , we are only trying to help you .

[April2]

About 10 years ago my husband realized that he had a drinking problem. At first he was in total denial. Really for the first 10 years of our marraige he was in denial. He too only drank on the weekends but he did drink too much and acted stupid or would pass out. I finally had enough and told him I was taking the kids and leaving him if he didn't stop drinking. He knew I was serious. Then his dad died unexpectadly. After the funeral, he came back changed. He stopped drinking and started going to AA and a program through his work. He did have a couple of slip ups but when I again threatened to leave, he'd call a friend to come over and pray with us. He hasn't had a drop since. He used to say that I was the one with the problem. He used all the excuses that an alcoholic in denial will use.
I hope that it doesn't take you losing everything to wake up. My husband was smart enough to see that. I hope that you will see that we are all here to help you. We care. We don't want to see you destroy yourself. My sister is an alcoholic in total denial. It breaks my heart because she's destroying her life and there's nothing I can do about it. I had to watch my uncle die a horrible death realted to alcohol abuse. He destroyed his liver and he was only in his 50's, too young to die. Like I said, please just see that we care and want to help. A lot of us are speaking from personal experience. Don't be so prideful that you won't be willing to take an honest look at yourself and see if there's anything to what we've all said and have seen. Sometimes it takes an outsider looking in to see what we don't see. I wish you the best. Take care of yourself. We're only given one life, and it's precious.

[Jon10]

All you lot are ganging up on me because i`m not an "american". Fot the last time im not an alcoholic i am someone who enjoys their social life and has a drink when they go out. Much like the majority of people in britain. I hate the thought of having a drink at home, sometimes I can go several weekends without drinking, infact, i would say that out of my group of friends I probably drink the least. The only problem I have is my irrational thoughts on symptoms like palpitations much like all of you. Like for example if i have a drink i will get a slight headache the next day, as would everyone, but i would interpret this headache as something like a stroke or haemorrhage, again thats the irrational hypochondria. If alcohol is causing my symptoms then exercise is equally to balem for me because i get worried after exercise when my heart is beating fast. Its the same thing. If i am an alcoholic then 75% of young adults in the UK are alcoholics. Alcohol is not to blame for my anxiety its a genitic thing as my dad was a raving hypochondriac for years without even touching a drop of alcohol. Anyone who thinks im a alcoholic please dont respond to anything i ever say on here again because frankly you are ignorant and not worth listening to. I have always been nice to people on here, but now im angry because most of you are missing the point here. Those who are can think what they like but dont, whatever you do, talk to me again. I mean it.

[suzi-q]

With all due respect, we are just trying to help.  We see that you are always so sick after drinking and we cannot understand why you are drinking!  You are right, there is nothing wrong with a social drink....but you say that you binge drink and then suffer horrible hangovers.  We are not ganging up on you because you are not "american"...you are a person suffering from anxiety just as we all are.  And we do want to support you as well as anyone on this site.  Believe me, alcohol is everywhere.  I grew up on the outskirts of NYC and believe me, the bars are hopping here all the time also by college age kids.  I was one of them, too.  It just seems that alcohol is causing some of your problems and even your doctor told you to stop.  Of course it is your choice...I am not ignorant, I just see you as a high speed train heading for a wall....just trying to slow you down before you crash.

[Raine9]

Okay, you are NOT an alcoholic.  Nonetheless, alcohol in any amount can cause a person who is suffering from an anxiety disorder to become anxious.  I drink on occasion and I do notice a heightened level of anxiety after the "buzzed" feeling wears off.

If you are suffering from anxiety, you need to take care of yourself in many ways, physical, mental etc.  You exercise, which is very good.  Now you just need to focus on your diet.  Diet plays a huge role in anxiety.  As for your heart, go see a cardiologist and get a full work up to rule out anything physical.  Many A/P sufferers worry about their heart, though.  

Anyway, since you're from the UK,  CHEERS!

[Happy2girls]

Sorry you feel ganged up on.  I really do think everyone here is just trying to help you.  At the very least I hope you can see that alcohol is most likely the trigger for your severe anxiety.  Why not try to abstain for a bit and see if things calm down?      

[bip]

Hey, We are just trying to help you we all suffer from anxiety its a horrible feeling.  Dont get all down and out cause we were giving you a adivse. Try to relax and enjoy life.  I think you have a drink cause you have severe anxiety everybody copes with anxiety different ways. Me I dont eat I lose my appetite and get very moody. Nobody is against you here just remember when you post we all try to support you much as we can.  

Habg in there Jon....

[nevermindu]

I didn't know you weren't "american".I read your posts and all I got from those was that you lived in Britain.You could be a freakin monkey for all I know but I reached out to you because I have a 23 year old son and if he were having these problems I'd want him to get help too.Since his Dad is an alcoholic and his Dads dad is an alcoholic I pounded it in his head from the time he was a kid that his chances of being an alcoholic were great.Thank goodness he's not a drinker.He saw what the alcohol did to our family he saw what it did to his Dads family.It destroyed his Dads family horribly.I could fill pages with how but I won't.If you are really concerned about what you are experiencing,go get a complete physical and be 100% honest with the doctor.Print out your posts and take them with you if you aren't afraid to be honest.You know, I really hope you get help no matter what.You are so young and I imagine that you could be my son and I feel deeply for you even if I don't know you.And I repeat,you being British has no bearing on the whole matter.My ex-husband is Filipino.I have no predjudices against anyones race,country,or religion.We are just all humans trying to get by in life and the more friends we can have the better even if they are faceless on a forum somewhere.Good luck to you.If my  post sounds meloncholy I apologize.It's very early here and I've had 3 very emotionally bad days due to work problems and I just feel sad right now.I truly apologize if you've felt ganged up on.Have a good day Jon.

[Barbarella]

Aside frim Jon whether what he is or is not doing to himself being not American can mean the person was raised in a different country, culture and different attitude about what is or is not drinking to much, and being an alcoholic in the country he/she lives/comes from means heavily boozing every day and night.  

I lived my first 21 yrs in Germany, and when I was I think 19 yrs old I had a bladder infection.  The doctor told me "to drink as much beer as I can without getting drunk this would put my kidneys in overdrive so I can pee a lot" I did get meds too.  Of course by then I already knew that even one glass of any kind of alcohol gives me a headache out of this world.  I told him that and he then said "then get the alcohol free beer".  He did not say that at first.  You don't have to be 21 to drink alcohol, but 18.

My father left when I was 6 yrs old, parents divorced, but since about the age of 5 and till he left I had to go to the store and get bottles of beer for him, about three I could carry and bring it to him.  In Germany kids no matter how young can buy beer for their parents.  I used to accompany my friends many times after that when they had to go shop for beer for their fathers.  I never remembered ever a kid wanting to know how beer tastes, and wanting to open a bottle to get a "sip"  This was a drink for grown ups, and that was the end of that.  

I go about twice a week on a German healthboard located in Germany where doctors answer your questions, its not a chat room with others only Q&A with doctors.  One doctor after closing out his response to a poster said "and now I'm going home, but I will first stop to get me a couple of beers, as you know beer has hops, and vitamins, and is healthy for you".  He was not advertising for a certain brand of beer, there are tons of them, but just in general.

Now imagine over here kids going to the store and buying beer for their parents.  Hell, over here a cashier under 21 can't even ring people up who buy beer like the cashier would open a can and drink right there in front of customers.  It ticks us off everytime when the cashier has to leave her stand and get somebody "of age" to ring up the beer while people are standing in line having to wait while the cashier is strolling off in slow motion taking her sweet time.

Imagine a doctor over here telling somebody to "drink as much beer as he/she can without getting drunk because its good for his/her kidneys".  Imagine a doctor on a healthboard saying "I will get me a couple of beers now after all its very healthy for you" and pointing out why.

If somebody is raised in a country where you are labeled an alcoholic only if you drink constantly and excessively, and this person just started to post here or just came to the U.S. not thinking he/she is an alcoholic and then finding out how soon you are classified an alcoholic over here, I can understand that this person is surprised by some of the responses.

[April2]

Jon, I don't understand. Several times in your previous posts you mentioned your drinking habits. Why would you keep bringing it up if you didn't feel like it could be part of your problems? You could have just left all of that out and only posted about your PVC's and nobody would have known how much or often you drink. We only know because you kept writing about it. You also talked about doing a detox. Why would you mention that if you didn't feel like your drinking was a problem for you?
I'm not attacking you at all. I'm just confused. I hope you can help me understand. I don't know you and I don't know whether you are an alcoholic or not. I've just seen the damage alcohol can do in my own family so maybe I'm extra sensitive to it.
Social drinking is fine. I drink occasionally. But if I ever start to feel like I HAVE to have a drink, then I'll know I'm in trouble. I've just learned how much is ok for me. When I was your age, I used to go out with my friends on the weekends to discos and bars and drink too much. Then I'd feel sick or hung over the next day. It took years, but finally I got tired of that. I figured out how much I could drink without getting drunk (in my case it's usually no more than three drinks) and still feel good in the morning! I also try to make sure that I drink plenty of water if I've had a few drinks because alcohol really dehydrates you. That's really why we tend to feel hung over the next day with a headache. It's because we're dehydrated. As long as you can drink responsibly and not feel like you HAVE to have it then go ahead and drink once in awhile. Anything can be addictive if we feel like we have to have it or can't stop, even overeating. Just don't let anything control you and you'll be okay. Best wishes.

[Barbarella]

April,

Good post, and good advise!  I know about anything can be addictive :) I was so strong over the weekend, but I just came back from the grocery store where I got weak and bought another gallon of ice cream, Bryers my favorite brand :)

I think the reason Jon kept on mentioning the alcohol is because he was trying to find out what his triggers are for these PVC's, but we long time PVC sufferers know there don't need to be a cause at all, but some things can bring them on quicker.  I don't drink and I have them frequently again lately, and then I can go for weeks with no PVC's whatsoever.  Its a mystery Cardiologists cannot even explain.

[April2]

I get PVC's too. I started getting them about 6 months ago. I thought at first it was because I had an extemely stressful year this last year, but things have gotten much better. They went away for a month or two and just came back this week out of the blue. I can't understand why. I don't know what I could have done differently. Someone told me if your electrolytes are messed up that can trigger them. I do think I don't drink enough water, so I might be a bit dehydrated, especially where I live. It's a very dry, arid place.
I know what you mean about the ice cream! :D I have a weakness for it too. However, it tends to give me a stomachache the next day so I think I might be lactose intolerant. It doesn't stop me from craving it, though! I've finally gotten to the point where I told my kids I'm not going to buy it anymore because no one lets it last. It's gone in a couple of days! I realized my teenage daughter was eating it every day and that kind of woke me up. I don't want to teach her bad eating habits. She used to be real active in sports but hasn't been this last year because of her grades and I have noticed she's gained about 10 pounds. I haven't said anything to her because I don't want her to feel self-conscious but it made me think if I was passing on unhealthy habits. I never used to have a problem with snacking until I stopped smoking 12 years ago. I think I replaced one bad habit for another! Only the weight seems harder to get off than quiting smoking! I'm getting ready to start another diet. 'Sigh' , so wish me luck! I would like to lose about 30 pounds. It seems a lot harder in my 40's than it was in my 20's! I also had a baby 3 years ago and didn't seem to lose the weight as easily this time! Oh well, I got a beautiful baby boy out of it! Just feeling my age, I guess! :)

[threesacharm]

GEEZ...this question/answer page is nuts!!!  anyone have a panic attack yet????   i have no comments because i think everyone has probably covered everything that can be covered, except.....if jon hates what us "AMERICANS" say....maybe he should go on an anxiety forum for BRITS only....also Jon it is this simple...if you can't handle what people have to say or advice they give you, don't go on the forum!!!!

[Jon10]

Its a wrap, barbarella is spot on, i was only mentioning te alcohol because I was trying to find out if they can cause/aggrivate heart flutter. Im glad I have managed to clear up that i`m not an alcoholic. Infact, i started my detox today which invloves no alcohol. The only reason this all started is because that tosser toostressed decided to cut and paste my entire history on here for everyone to see, something which i think is an outrage. Im ok with everyone on here, i dont hate "americans". There is no such thing as an "american" you guys are only 200 odd years old for gods sake, USA is younger than the football team i support! Anyway thats besides the point.

I`ll just look on here from now on, cant be arsed with posting, if its going to cause a scene.

Take care, be lucky

C`mon visit london, best city in the world! and its over 1400 years old! A bit of history will do you guys some good.

[Barbarella]

The fact that you think you are not an alcoholic, but started the detox anyway shows that you want to help yourself.  Good luck to you!

[suzi-q]

Best of luck to you Jon...I truly wish you the best!  And, believe it or not, we meant no harm and are hear to help.