It's been a bad weekend...(long)

[Linsey]

Hi, this is my first post ever so I'm hoping it's in the right place.
As the title says, it's been a bad weekend. I went to my cousins house to have a few drinks. A few drinks turned into a few more, and long story short, a LOT of booze was consumed that night/morning. Anyway, I wasn't feeling too bad the next morning, managed some breakfast. But on the way home I suddenly felt this strange 'lurching' sensation in my chest. I have bad anxiety, so palpitations etc isn't unusual, although it hasn't been as bad since I cut down on caffine. Anyway this sensation continued when I got home, followed by pain in my chest, back, neck and arms.
I called NHS24 who sent an ambulance. The ambulance crew took a trace and they said it was fine, but they took me in to hospital anyway, to be on the safe side. My heart was monitored, and the doctor said it was regular, albeit too fast (ranging from about 111 to 125, but it varied) so they waited to see if would settle down, but it didn't really so I was admitted for the night. They gave me paracetamol for the pain and a purple tablet I can't remember the name of. I was given a couple of bags of fluids, and two yellow bags which were glucose I think, or sodium chloride. My bloods came back normal, as did my blood pressure.
So I'm back home today, but I'm still feeling strange. My legs are wobbly, and I don't feel light dizzy as such. I would describe it as 'floaty' like I'm not quite with it. I'm still getting twinges of pain and I just want it to stop. I'm drink regularly, but to drink as heavily as I did that Saturday is very unusual, and that's what the doctors said might be behind it.
Last year I had a similar episode last year, with chest pains, and palpitations. The doctor that came out said my heart was normal and advised me to take a couple of painkillers and get some rest, so I did. When I went to the bdoctors the following morning, I was prescribed Omeprazole for heartburn and until now I haven't had much trouble. Knowing that it was anxiety and cutting down on caffine made me feel 'normal' again. But now I don't feel myself at all.

[Lifelonganxiety!]

Sounds to me like you had a panic attack caused by a hangover. Alcohol is known to make anxiety worse (the next day anyway), and when you have a hangover with bad symptoms like headaches, palpitations, nausea, weakness etc... they are blown up in your mind.

Once the hangover fades, you're still anxious because you wonder if it was a hangover or something more sinister, which keeps your body in a state of tension and anxiety, in turn causing more symptoms. It's a pretty crappy spiral to be in.

You've had the tests, there's nothing wrong with you physically - you just have to learn to accept that and the anxiety symptoms should fade!

[Linsey]

Thank you. I hope that means this will pass soon.

[Fishmanpa]

Yep.. alcohol can and does do a lot of damage to the anxiety sufferer, especially in large quantities.

Check out this recent thread: http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?p=1557287#post1557287

Palps and feeling like (*~@&%#....Same thing and the OPs Cardiologist affirmed it! There are pages of similar threads concerning alcohol and the negative effects it has for anxiety sufferers.

Hydrate, rest and things will calm down. Might want to start thinking twice or three times about drinking ;)

Remember... "First you take a drink, then the drink takes a drink, then the drink takes you." F. Scott Fitzgerald

Positive thoughts

[mindful anxiety]

Linsey -

In my 20's I partied HARD. Everything was in excess, especially the drinking at clubs. Well, some things changed in my life and the memories I was suppressing through this lifestyle of excess finally started hitting me hard.

With the stress and anxiety in full swing I quickly realized my body and mind just could not handle being inebriated anymore without going into full blown panic mode or total depression. Something changed with how alcohol affected me.

I guess what im trying to say is - there is something that happens to us when we go down this road and actually start recognizing this curse that haunts our being. It changes us. I tend to think the realization of our condition is compounded when we drink because through stress and anxiety we are hyper sensitive to emotion now, and alcohol exacerbates these feelings.. Some more or less than others.

I know this may not fit your situation exactly but I believe there is something to being on edge and stressed that changes our chemistry and how our mind deals with stress. You may have to keep in mind from now on that alcohol is a trigger for you.

I hope this helps.:)

[Linsey]

Thanks guys, this has certainly given me food for thought. I appreciate the input.