hangover anxiety

[peaches84]

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?

[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. 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!