Anxiety for days after binge drinking alcohol.

Hi there, I hope some of you can help calm my fears here!

Basically, two years ago I suffered pretty bad anxiety after a lads holiday where I drank alot. This was put down to two things - the fact I had had a really stressful year and then the alcohol sending me over the edge causing panic disorder. I was given Citalopram 10mg and within a few weeks I was already starting to feel better. A month or so on I was feeling back to myself and wasn't drinking atall really as recommended. Slowly I started to drink a bit but never did anything ridiculous, it was always limited to at most twice a week. A year ago I stopped taking the medication and have felt fine since, apart from one or two times where i've felt a bit dodgy after some prolonged drinking but that went away within a day or two.

However, last week I drank heavily 3 times in the space of 6 days and then on Sunday I started feeling very anxious. I stopped drinking, went home, and expected it to subside the next day (as it had done before), but now its Wednesday evening and its just got worse really. I just have this constant anxiety stomach churning and the racing and disturbing thoughts. At times its pretty damn bad I can tell you. It feels as bad as it did the first time I had it.

So, my first question, is it likely that this will subside on its own? Has anyone ever suffered anxiety for days after drinking or is it usually just the day after? I really, really want it to - and I've made a promise to myself to never drink like that again (and I know i'll keep to that) as I really don't wanna go through this again. How long should I leave it before its definitely not going to go away on its own?

Secondly, i'm slightly worried that the first time I took Citalopram I only got better because of the placebo effect (ie I thought 'this makes you better', so it did), so knowing that i'm worried if I go back on (REALLY don't want to) then it won't work this time. It worked amazingly first time. Am I being totally illogical here?

I hope someone can answer this! :) :weep:

I'd like to add that i'm not worried about anything in particular. I worry that it won't go away and then worry about the thoughts I have but there is nothing in my life to actually worry about! (which is what makes it really random)!

Hi, try a different antidepressant and stop drinking... it sounds like you need to listen to your body this time...

Oh definitely, I will never drink like that again. But i'm not sure whether I should even start taking an antidepressant yet as its only been 3 days. And the last one worked, so it should work again right?

Not necessarily, I was taking prozac years ago for pnd... stopped after 9 months, then a few years later took it again.. it didn't work at all :( I now take venlafaxine which works differently on the brain, and it's made my life bearable. It's a nightmare to withdraw from though :( I'd see how you feel in the next few days... if you start to feel better, maybe see if you can manage without the meds? Good luck

Cheers, i'll do that. Hopefully it will subside, but its got so bad that i'm not so sure this time.

Wondering if anyone on here has had this similar experience to me where alcohol has brought it on? If you do, do you have any advice/explanation/experience?

sIf you do a search on "anxiety and alcohol", I think you'll find that this gets reported a lot by anxiety sufferers. Often, it doesn't take that much to bring it on (more than about 4 units of alcohol will do it for me), and the effects can be pretty unpleasant.

from what i have found out the anxiety that is present after a binge session is always caused through dehydration. if I over do it I just drink loads of water the next day.

Hi,
yes this is a real trigger for me and feeling anxious the next day. Its even brought on panic attacks where i have ended up in A and E thinking i was about to keel over!
I realise now that although its okay to have a few pints i find a 'heavy' session just to risky and after last panic attack am tending to not even go there. I'll have a few pints / some wine at a weekend but know now when to stop. I try not to drink during week and have reduced alcohol intake alot.
The combination of dehydration and anxiety just results in the panic and yes it can take me days to get over.
Dont get me wrong i love a pint of ale but just need to be aware now of it being a trigger and consequences of it. Like the previous post make sure you drink alot of water aswell.
Hope this helps, believe me i've been where you are and the danger is dont use alcohol to surpress your anxiety as easy as it seems. Sure it relaxes everyone but it wont solve the problem. Good luck!

Thanks alot guys.

I actually felt completely fine again last night for a few hours but now in the morning I feel pretty lousy again. Just worried that it won't go away really! But yeah, thats the last time I drink like that I can assure you. To be honest, drinking less will not only stop this, but it'll be healthier and will save money! I'm 23 now and I guess its time to grow up and listen to my body.

I'm just hoping now that the anxiety will subside on its own and I don't have to go back on SSRIs! Cheers :)

I don't really drink anymore as it used to make me feel terrible after.

I just stick to a few drinks with a meal otherwise I know i'll end up feeling worse!

Worst thing u can do is drink when feeling low. It can just end up being a big vicious circle, drink to feel better and you could end up with a prob!!

Just one question I would like some advice on : its been four days now, and it hasn't really subsided - how long would you leave it before you basically think -OK this isnt just the drink now i need to get back on the tablets?

i just wanted to add that i feel the same after alcohol, sometimes it lasts for days, just have to tell yourself yes it is anxciety caused by the demon drink and it WILL pass, hope you feeling better soon xx

Thanks alot! :D thats made me feel a lot better knowing someone else has had it for days and its passed! PHEW.

Dont think tablets are always the answer, if you think its a long term problem consider alternative therapies. I'm currently going through Cognitive behavoural therapy and listen to relaxation c.d's, trying to do a bit more exercise and basically do things that keep your mind of it!
Unfortunatley these things take time i've come to that conclusion.
Anyway your young and have many years ahead of you, so i hope you beat it and live life to the full!!

Another vote here that heavy drinking (especially for days at a time) can lead to days of anxiety - I'm sure it'll pass without the need for meds :)

As a separate issue, if you decide to take ADs again in the future, there's no reason to think the same ones won't work again, necessarily. You'd just have to try them and see! And if they didn't work you'd just try another one...

Thanks :) , its good to know that it may just pass. Been like 5 days and still here and the only thing im worrying about is it not going away! Fingers crossed anyway guys and thanks for the support.

just to add - its literally just anxious stomach churning. Its pretty constant. Really want it to go away :( :(

Hmm...your case sounds similar to mine, although mine's not really alcohol related.

I worry about various specific things but I realise that it's just symptoms of this rather than 'true'.

You say you got drugs straight away?
So I tell my GP, he says 'you're 16, what do you have to worry about?' and prescribed me a book. After two years of it.

In fairness though, in the middle I've had an 8 month stretch of pretty much freedom from it, so things can get better!

My main tip for recovery is, when you feel 'good' or 'normal', run with it. Don't doubt it.

I Igor, I was like that for nearly 25 years until I became a fully fledged alcoholic. Alcoholism = Alcohol + the ism ( I. self. medicated.) Clean now for nearly two years. Still get the the PA's, some days worse than others. Long spells without an attack then I worry and worry about something till I bring an attack on. Takes me about two to three weeks to desensitize the body again. An attack these days last about 20-30 minutes and then that is it for the day, whereas whilst I was drinking, attack after attack. You get more strength if you manage to get through an attack on your own and build up a portfolio of coping strategies. Although unpleasant the sting or the bite lessons each time. I wish I knew/practised this 25 years ago. Clare Weeks strategy was...... Face.....Float....Accept and allow more time to pass.............Took me a while to get it but I think I am getting it now. Hope your journey is not as long as mine. Good luck on your journey. You have a wealth of strength within you, may you find it.

Hmmm... I wouldn't say it was the start of alcoholism. I don't drink to take the feelings away. The first time I had this, it was brought on by alcohol, I struggled for about a month and then got tablets for it, within a few months I was fine again. This second time its been brought on by alcohol and I now have constant stomach churning and anxiety in my stomach, nothing else really. I'm not having panic attacks really, just constant anxiety. I am not gonna drink to make it go away, I never have done that.

I just want it to go away on its own, I'll never drink heavily again as that seems to be the trigger. I just really hope this constant anxious stomach churning can leave because it can be unbearable :( :(

igorbiscan, have your anxiety gone away yet? I'm having smiliar problems. I've never had anxiety after drinking before and it was kind of freaking me out. I was drinking for 6 days straight. They were all sugary drinks like pina coladas and coke and rum. I never drank to the point where I got drunk only slightly buzzed. But I drank while I was in Cancun on vacation for a week. I didn't drink that much water while I was there, instead I had green tea every morning and then a few pina coladas and coke and rum throughout the day. I don't think laying out in the hot sun helped the cause either but its been 6 days since I've been back home and I still feel anxiety. Did yours go away on its own or do you still have anxiety? Any info would be greatly appreciated. (This is the first time I ever felt this way after drinking) Thanks!

Can you help me please? How do you feel now? I had the same experience in Cancun of a 5 day binge, and now I have been experiencing anxiety and depression for 4 weeks. Please let me know in how much time you feel fine

Yep I've recently had this, everyone gets the hangover downers but if your sussepable to panic attacks it's worse. I had an awful attack at the weekend. Felt hanging all day saturday at work, my hubby picked me up ready to go straight out and I started to get the shakes. Thought I could sort myself out but by the tile I got there I was sick diorea freaking out. ANd I was 3 hours away from home at mu hubbies bosses house. I held on for an hour then sat in their bathroom ALL NIGHT sipping water crying and being sick, shame!! I still feel ruff and ready now. Good reason to cut down the alcohol I think your right. I'd rather be in terrible physical pain than has this again! Hope you feel better soon xxxx

No surprise here, alcohol fuels anxiety, it magnifies it, if you drink you should not be surprised if it makes you feel worse afterwards.