HEART DISEASE EXPERT FORUM
Should I go to the ER?

Should I go to the ER?

I'm 24, male, and I don't have any known medical conditions. On Friday night, I went out drinking, and had about 8-9 drinks. I was drunk, but not overly so. I had full motor control, good balance, and remember everything that happened. However, when I woke up on Saturday, my hangover was pretty severe. I drank plenty of water, and ate a banana, and rested. I took some alka-seltzer, which had little effect on my nausea. Towards the late afternoon, my nausea eased, and I was able to eat some sandwiches (a meatball sub for dinner). As I was preparing to go out again to party, I began to feel really weak and my nausea returned. I drank a 5-hour-energy hoping it would give me a boost. My friends forced me to drink a beer, but I didn't have the strength to stand or even sit up properly. I could also feel some tightness in my arms and my heatbeat felt really heavy. I took some ibuprofen, went home (about 11:15pm), and slept. My stomach still ached and woke me up several times in the night. When I got up in the morning, my stomach still hurt, and I could still feel the veins in my arms pulse with my heartbeat. I drank more water, took some peptobismol and ibuprofen. Because of the tightness in my arms, the overall weakness, and the heaviness of my heatbeat, I walked over to Rite Aid to test by blood pressure. The first reading was 155/88. The second was 148/84. The walk was a few blocks, and I've been pretty stressed from the fear that I could be really sick, so that might have contributed to the high number. Still, should I be worried?

I should add that I have had hangovers in the past that were similar to this (the symptoms were the same and lasted for 36+ hours after drinking). Also, the last time I measured my blood pressure when I was feeling fine (at a walmart) the reading was 139/70 (I think--I remember the systolic being prehypertensive and the diastolic being normal). Thanks.
Related Discussions
1687176_tn?1321401609
Heavy alcohol consumption is always dangerous to your health, not only for long-term effects but short-term as well.  This could certainly all be due to a hangover but it would be impossible to tell just by description of your symptoms alone, and without a physical examination and appropriate diagnostic testing. Consuming a 5-hour energy drink could also be potentiating the effects of the lingering alcohol which could result in dangerous side-effects, and would caution the use of such ingestions simultaneously with alcohol (or even independently).  If you continue to have symptoms that persist and are out of the ordinary for you with regards to your post-alcohol consumption symptoms, it is always reasonable to be evaluated by a licensed physician to ensure that there is not something serious going on.  
Blank
Continue discussion Blank
Go
Request an Appointment
MedHelp Health Answers
Submit
Blank
Weight Tracker
Reach your weight goal faster
Start Tracking Now
RSS Expert Activity
1741471_tn?1336957856
Blank
LIVE WEBINAR TOMORROW!-SUPER BODY, ... Blank
May 22 by Michael Gonzalez-WallaceBlank
2126606_tn?1335910182
Blank
Fibromyalgia Awareness
May 11 by Clare Waismann Kavin, RASBlank
2126606_tn?1335910182
Blank
Opioid-induced hyperalgesia reduces...
May 03 by Clare Waismann Kavin, RASBlank