Anxiety as a hangover symptom

[StupidGirlllll]

Dear Dr. Steve,


Last weekend I drank quite a few margaritas with lots of tequila in them..The next day I woke up to what felt like a panic attack. I asked my friend who was drinking with me if she felt this way also, & she says she often feels like this after drinking tequila. So was it the drinks or was it a panic attack? Thanks

[Dr Steve]

Dear Dr. Steve,


Last weekend I drank quite a few margaritas with lots of tequila in them..The next day I woke up to what felt like a panic attack. I asked my friend who was drinking with me if she felt this way also, & she says she often feels like this after drinking tequila. So was it the drinks or was it a panic attack? Thanks

It's interesting, of all the symptoms of a hangover, anxiety falls way below "headache" and "nausea" in people's minds, but is nearly as common.

Women are more likely to suffer from hangovers after a night of drinking (http://www.webmd.com/news/20030915/hangover-women-suffer), and the top three symptoms generally include: fatigue, headache, and thirst. Anxiety is up there as a symptom, however, and I must admit that I suffer from this as well.

Whenever I drink too much, I can count on 24 hours of panicky feelings, which then go away after I get a good night's sleep.

We could do a whole segment on hangover remedies (they all blow in scientific studies except for taking some ibuprofen at bedtime (IF you don't have any reasons NOT to take it, like bleeding ulcers, allergies, etc....talk to your doctor about this), and hydrating well between and after drinking.)

your friend,



Steve

[patsopinion]

We could do a whole segment on hangover remedies (they all blow except for taking some ibuprofen at bedtime (


i thought drinking and advil was really bad for your liver

which is why i kicked it and went to Tylenol

am i mistaken?

[PapaBear]

i thought drinking and advil was really bad for your liver

which is why i kicked it and went to Tylenol

am i mistaken?
Tylenol can definitely kill you. This is an extreme example, but I met a girl in 1989 who swallowed a bottle of it in one of those "cry for help" type things. She died about a week later.

[angrymissy]

i thought drinking and advil was really bad for your liver

which is why i kicked it and went to Tylenol

am i mistaken?

You've got it backwards.

Tylenol (acetaminophen) and alcohol = bad news for your liver all around
Advil (ibuprofen) and alcohol = not as bad - unless you have bleeding ulcer.

[joethebartender]

I only notice this kind of hangover if I've had whiskey. I rarely drink spirits (2 times a year maybe). I never have that feeling in the morning with wine or beer but I swear I get genuine panic after the booze.http://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/confused/confused0067.gif

[StupidGirlllll]

Thank you Dr Steve...I feel a whole lot better now. i also notice I can drink 20 glasses of wine & I never felt like that before, so it must be the hard stuff.

[Dr Steve]

i thought drinking and advil was really bad for your liver

which is why i kicked it and went to Tylenol

am i mistaken?


Tylenol and alcohol have been linked in several deaths due to liver failure. Though Tylenol remains one of the safest over the counter medications ever made, Tylenol overdose is a very common method of suicide in this country and in Europe.

Advil can cause stomach bleeding, and alcohol can increase the risk of ulcers, so that's the main problem with those two. Note, I'm not recommending anyone actually take advil as a hangover prevention, merely that a study showed that prostaglandin inhibitors (which ibuprofen is) improved the symptoms of a hangover. Most scientific data shows that abstinence or moderation is the way to go to prevent hangover.

[Dr Steve]

Thank you Dr Steve...I feel a whole lot better now. i also notice I can drink 20 glasses of wine & I never felt like that before, so it must be the hard stuff.

It may be that since wine is more dilute, you're hydrating more when you drink it, whereas with tequila (I'm assuming straight up or shots), you're taking in less fluid. Or it could simply be a cogener in the tequila that causes the problem. I'm quite sure bourbon has something in it that gives me a headache, so I avoid the stuff. Who thinks that crap tastes good anyway? Yecch. :-)

In the end, my best advice is moderation in all things, and never drink and drive.

[patsopinion]

Tylenol and alcohol have been linked in several deaths due to liver failure. Though Tylenol remains one of the safest over the counter medications ever made, Tylenol overdose is a very common method of suicide in this country and in Europe.

Advil can cause stomach bleeding, and alcohol can increase the risk of ulcers, so that's the main problem with those two. Note, I'm not recommending anyone actually take advil as a hangover prevention, merely that a study showed that prostaglandin inhibitors (which ibuprofen is) improved the symptoms of a hangover. Most scientific data shows that abstinence or moderation is the way to go to prevent hangover.

thanks ronald regan
(sp?)(which is kind of ironic)

[StupidGirlllll]

It may be that since wine is more dilute, you're hydrating more when you drink it, whereas with tequila (I'm assuming straight up or shots), you're taking in less fluid. Or it could simply be a cogener in the tequila that causes the problem. I'm quite sure bourbon has something in it that gives me a headache, so I avoid the stuff. Who thinks that crap tastes good anyway? Yecch. :-)

In the end, my best advice is moderation in all things, and never drink and drive.

I had it is frozen margaritas, so next time when I drink it i should drink more water & then maybe the next day I will not feel like that?

[mhaugan]

As a homebrewer, I can tell you that the number one cause of hangovers are things called fusel alcohols. These are a type of alcohols that are caused either by improper fermentation temperatures or in some drinks are intentionally created for flavor. In liquors, your darker liquor usually have the higher fusel content (see Dr. Steve's note on Burbon). In beer it is common in crappy lagers (this includes pretty much every beer that the average American drinks).

[Dr Steve]

As a homebrewer, I can tell you that the number one cause of hangovers are things called fusel alcohols. These are a type of alcohols that are caused either by improper fermentation temperatures or in some drinks are intentionally created for flavor. In liquors, your darker liquor usually have the higher fusel content (see Dr. Steve's note on Burbon). In beer it is common in crappy lagers (this includes pretty much every beer that the average American drinks).

I'm a homebrewer too! I can say this, though, it ain't just fusels that causes hangovers, though I'm sure you're right that they contribute to the symptoms, especially headache. I am also a home distiller and I can testify that 100 proof ethanol with nothing else in it will cause one hell of a hangover :-)

[MobCounty]

+1 on very mild anxiety and very mild depression after drinking for the next couple days.

I'll also add that the fat smash (probably any good diet) cleared up a lot of anxiety too. I was at the point where I would wake up a couple times a night worrying. Once I was on the fat smash for a few weeks, the anxiety cleared up.

I also found it amazing how foods would change my body/mind after being on the diet a while. I figured out if I had a coffee or a coke after midday, I was inviting anxiety.

[Tall_James]

I am also a home distiller and I can testify that 100 proof ethanol with nothing else in it will cause one hell of a hangover :-)

Can you write me a scrip for some moonshine? Me and my ol' huntin' dog Duke could use some after a hard day of squirrel shootin' in the holler.

[bobsnin]

+1 on very mild anxiety and very mild depression after drinking for the next couple days.

I'll also add that the fat smash (probably any good diet) cleared up a lot of anxiety too. I was at the point where I would wake up a couple times a night worrying. Once I was on the fat smash for a few weeks, the anxiety cleared up.

I also found it amazing how foods would change my body/mind after being on the diet a while. I figured out if I had a coffee or a coke after midday, I was inviting anxiety.

I also get the mild anxiety along with a feeling like I want to crawl out of my skin/restless leg syndrome. I'll have to get up and walk around every 10 minutes or so to keep from screaming at someone.

[Aqualad]

It's interesting, of all the symptoms of a hangover, anxiety falls way below "headache" and "nausea" in people's minds, but is nearly as common.


Whenever I drink too much, I can count on 24 hours of panicky feelings, which then go away after I get a good night's sleep.

your friend,



Steve

Dr Steve-

Whenever I drink heavily, the next day after the physical hangover symptoms go away I get very down and depressed. This usually happens in the afternoon or early evening. Is this a physical/chemical thing or just a mood thing?