alcohol sensitivity/bad anxiety

[scorpion91]

Okay guys. I'm a bit confused on what is causing this, but whenever I go out and want to have a few beers, I have some bad anxiety to ANY alcohol I try to consume.

November 2014 I had some palpitations when I drank but that somewhat went away after I drank. That happen a bit in April and one time in May.

July I drank a bit with my friend and his female friend and had some dizzyness and palpitation feeling.

August 13-15: I tried to drink a beer but I had some bad palpitations and lightheaded, brief shortness of breath.Or even a small sample of beer.

Today(Sept 4): I had a beer at a Chilli's at my university's student center(student union) and had some anxiety/panic(some lightheaded, pressure, some slight palpitation), but it somewhat was leveled off and didn't bother me enjoying myself. That was about 4pm.

I rested and went back to my on campus appartment and rested and then got dinner; I studied. At 9pm, I went to the outdoor patio/dive bar and went to get a pint of Blonde Ale. I took a few sips and felt "okay" at first, then I felt pressure. I took some water and these feelings went off and on. So I was chilling a bit. I took a few sips again, but I felt some more brief dizzy/pressure and a slight shortness of breath and a slight palpitation. I got the heck of dodge from there and headed back to my apartment.

The patio bar was crowded and packed everywhere, but the Chilis's bar wasn't crowded(it was me and some other guy there)

I had taken 5HTP for most of the summer for anxiety/depression which helped then stopped working. So I switched to passion flower dissolve tabs(50mg. I take 2x or 3x a day).

I know my anxiety has been decreasing gradually and I've been exercising at least 2-3 times a week: running or some weight exercises at the gym at my university.

The question that baffles me: Did the 5HTP cause some alcohol sensitivity or is the passion flower causing sensitivity?

I took 5HTP last yr and drank, but I waited a few hours to drink though and had few issues with that.

I was told by some guys on another website, that passion flower doesn't have interactions with alcohol.

My opinion is I have some alcohol panic attacks or something, maybe it's something with the location/environment, in which I consume my alcoholic drinks.

Is there some "trick" I could use that could stop these alcohol sensitive panic attacks?

Or could the root cause of them stem from the passion flower?

[SADnomore]

Since you do drink beer and ale, it's possible that it provokes gluten sensitivity or an allergy to one or another of the makings of the brew. Anxiety symptoms are classic with gluten sensitivity. It is also to be found in common symptoms of allergies/intolerances to other substances, but has turned up here before with gluten. Just a thought ...

[scorpion91]

@SADnomore. All the other times I drank at bars in the past, it never really been like that.

Maybe it's some panic attack triggered by alcohol sensitivity

[MyNameIsTerry]

Alcohol has no recorded interactions with either but bare in mind that passion flower is a sedative and combining alcohol with sedatives is normally a bad idea. 5-HTP will mean more serotonin but alcohol being a depressant means less serotonin.

You said you were ok with the 5-HTP so it doesn't seem connected to that.

For someone to react to a few sips you would be talking about an allergy. It's not alcohol intolerance since that is genetic.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/alcohol-intolerance/basics/causes/con-20034907

Do you have asthma? If not, it doesn't sound like intolerance based on that advice.

Sensitivity to an ingredient sounds possible so try to check what you have been drinking. Any issues with food?

[scorpion91]

Alcohol has no recorded interactions with either but bare in mind that passion flower is a sedative and combining alcohol with sedatives is normally a bad idea. 5-HTP will mean more serotonin but alcohol being a depressant means less serotonin.

You said you were ok with the 5-HTP so it doesn't seem connected to that.

For someone to react to a few sips you would be talking about an allergy. It's not alcohol intolerance since that is genetic.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/alcohol-intolerance/basics/causes/con-20034907

Do you have asthma? If not, it doesn't sound like intolerance based on that advice.

Sensitivity to an ingredient sounds possible so try to check what you have been drinking. Any issues with food?


I took 5HTP last fall and did drink. I stopped taking it in January 2015, and I did have random anxiety issues from there(palpitations and dizzy feeling). And yes I did have some palpitations when I drank but they went away from there. I started to take 5HTP from June 2015 to August 20.

In the past, I did have some palpitations when I had took 5HTP and drank.

Could it be possible to have some panic attack or anxiety attack at a specific area? The patio bar was outdoor, crowded and packed. The Chillis I was at earlier in the day, barely had a few people there. So maybe there is a connection.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Yes, absolutely. Panic Disorder is known to work like that. Everything is stored in memory and that includes the association between feelings, thoughts, location, etc. So, it's possible that if you were in one of those locations you could have one and the more closely the experience, the more likely your subconscious will find the previous event e.g. a feeling in your body could tick another box for its search criteria.

An obvious question would be what happens if you drink in a location that holds no memory of past panic attacks? But you would need to remove any other similarities like if it's crowded or wide open, if they have been part of past panic.

[bekw89]

Sorry to jump in here but was going to start a similar thread. I had half a pint last night and this morning anxiety feels worse than previous mornings. Is this interacting with citalopram?

[Fishmanpa]

You can try and rationalize by looking at suspected interactions with meds or allergies (gluten intolerance etc.) or psychological reasons but the bottom line is for many, alcohol and anxiety just don't mix.

In this case as well as many others, 1+1=2. If drinking, even a small amount causes a negative reaction, just don't drink! Would you continue to put your hand over a flame if you were getting burned?

Positive thoughts

[scorpion91]

I don't think it's an alcohol intolerance/allergy. I think it's just a panic attack that happens at the bar. I'm not alcoholic or have some drinking problem.

I had a few swigs of some Malibu Rum at my apartment and I haven't felt no panic attacks so far. So I'm beginning to draw a conclusion, that the outdoor patio(and the crowd) might have been a trigger for the panic attack.

[MyNameIsTerry]

You can try and rationalize by looking at suspected interactions with meds or allergies (gluten intolerance etc.) or psychological reasons but the bottom line is for many, alcohol and anxiety just don't mix.

In this case as well as many others, 1+1=2. If drinking, even a small amount causes a negative reaction, just don't drink! Would you continue to put your hand over a flame if you were getting burned?

Positive thoughts

See the OP's follow up post proving this incorrect in his case.

Thats the problem with generalisations & assumptions. At least the OP now knows it's not an interaction or sensitivity issue but an anxiety issue, but not one related to alcohol.

[Fishmanpa]

I don't think it's an alcohol intolerance/allergy. I think it's just a panic attack that happens at the bar. I'm not alcoholic or have some drinking problem.

I had a few swigs of some Malibu Rum at my apartment and I haven't felt no panic attacks so far. So I'm beginning to draw a conclusion, that the outdoor patio(and the crowd) might have been a trigger for the panic attack.

I'm not implying or saying you have an issue with alcohol or anything of the sort. Your OP spoke of several aspects and specific incidences that involved alcohol. Granted, it's possible that certain social situations combined with alcohol consumption could be the key. That being said, if it causes an issue, it would make sense to abstain, especially in those situations.

Again, you can rationalize it till the cows come home but for many and most who bring it up as a topic here, alcohol and anxiety don't mix.

Positive thoughts

[MyNameIsTerry]

I'm not implying or saying you have an issue with alcohol or anything of the sort. Your OP spoke of several aspects and specific incidences that involved alcohol. Granted, it's possible that certain social situations combined with alcohol consumption could be the key. That being said, if it causes an issue, it would make sense to abstain, especially in those situations.

Again, you can rationalize it till the cows come home but for many and most who bring it up as a topic here, alcohol and anxiety don't mix.

Positive thoughts

But it's only "many and most" because the rest of us don't post "had some alcohol, I was fine". The same argument applies to caffeine which is posted because someone has had an issue with it and the rest off us don't raise hundreds of threads a year just to say "had a cup of tea, no problems". So, thats no evidence at all as you only see those who have a problem and that could easily be a minority of sufferers for all anyone knows. Again, it's the problem with not seeing the full picture and could be applied to so many things. The same argument could be used to say the majority of drinkers are binging & committing crimes because thats all the news reports about it.

The OP can use ERP to regain their confidence in public situations and then reintroduce alcohol bit by bit to get over it. Or they can choose to abstain, their choice, but it should be made freely and not out of fear otherwise it's avoidance.

[SADnomore]

But it's only "many and most" because the rest of us don't post "had some alcohol, I was fine".

Not to split hairs, but isn't this the same as saying that those who DO come on to post about alcohol are indeed those for whom anxiety and alcohol cause concerns? I can tell that the OP is trying to get to the bottom of his panic attacks, and that's the good part. As for what I said about gluten intolerance (beer contains gluten), in my own attempts to improve, I have read articles on how anxiety and panic are symptoms of allergies/intolerances. I have identified soy, myself, which causes me severe digestive trauma. You know, it was probably long wreaking havoc with my poor brain before I eliminated it. Would explain a lot of brain fog and that sort of crap that resembles disassociation or whatever the hell it is. Ugh. HATE that. :mad:

I also see an opportunity here to look at why anxiety and alcohol seem to converge for the OP. Even as a trial of a few outings, I don't see a problem with "avoiding" alcohol! What harm can that possibly do, really? If it were a matter of avoiding needed foods (I've seen this), it would be different, but it's not like we "need" to drink to be healthy. :roflmao: Right? I mean, clearly, right? I know it's a different kind of "avoidance" you mean Terry, but I think it would be a shame if the OP started to avoid social activity, when at the end of the day, if he were to drink soda instead he may be fine?

If it turns out that it's something else triggering his panic attacks, then he can explore that instead, knowing at least that it's not the beer. Panic is being triggered, I say let no stone go unturned until it becomes resolved vis a vis a situation he is just trying to enjoy.

Good luck Scorpion! Keep your mind open, mate, and "give it all a think". :flowers: I am a bit of an anomaly around here, I don't have "a social drink", but still love to socialize. I can do it with a can of diet Pepsi and eat all the peanuts while everyone else fills up on beer, ha ha!
Marie

[MyNameIsTerry]

Not to split hairs, but isn't this the same as saying that those who DO come on to post about alcohol are indeed those for whom anxiety and alcohol cause concerns?

No, it's not because it means you have a forum full of posts solely stating alcohol & anxiety means problems. Thats like going onto an anti meds forum and using their posts to show that ALL meds are bad. Confirmation Bias - looking for evidence to fit the belief and ignoring looking for evidence that doesn't support your belief. If this post was a mix of both sides of the coin, you could analyse and determine which side of the argument appears the strongest for NMP as a demographic but it still wouldn't be considered evidence to apply across a wider population.

Why cut out all alcohol if the panic/anxiety is about the social situation? What does that solve? Nothing. All it does is cut off something you could otherwise enjoy and serves to reinforce something falsely in your subconscious. Thats avoidance. Avoiding something out of fear. If it were avoiding something logically connected to the reason for the fight or flight response then it makes sense but not an everyday thing, thats where disorders build from. Making a choice that you just don't like it or don't want it, is positive. Being told you have an intolerance and have no choice to avoid it isn't based on fear.

One thing that the OP need to consider is that use of alcohol in a feared situation could bring sensation changes in the body and this might lead to anxiety/panic. I've dealt with a lot of this myself with food. So, I could not eat certain foods and live off the same things the rest of my life or I can expose myself to these fears and overcome them. Alcohol could be considered different in this way but since alcohol is part of social norms, you can choose it or not just as I can choose different foods. Should I avoid all those foods "just incase"? Wouldn't that mean I just reinforce the fear in mind that I can't eat those foods?

As a trial, an experiment, it makes total sense just as the OP's drinking at home has made sense - it has disproved the fact alcohol & anxiety don't mix in his case.

I'm not arguing we need alcohol, remember I haven't drank any in around 6 years now, but we should be allowing for people to make their own choices and not make generalisations & assumptions. Otherwise, all caffeine, all meds, B vitamins, etc - anxiety & them don't mix. Same argument. I could dig up threads on here for that. But that would be Confirmation Bias as I'm not also researching all the people who don't have those problems.

I drank alcohol for a week on holiday after seeking approval from my GP. I was on Citalopram at the time. So, if alcohol & anxiety don't mix at all - how did I do that? This was the argument not long ago, that you can't drink at all on meds and I can pull up those posts and medical sources which disprove that. Now, its about "many". Based on what evidence? A few hundred threads on an internet forum out of how many millions of sufferers?

[Fishmanpa]

I also see an opportunity here to look at why anxiety and alcohol seem to converge for the OP. Even as a trial of a few outings, I don't see a problem with "avoiding" alcohol! What harm can that possibly do, really?

Exactly Marie... exactly.

Positive thoughts