A little over a month ago I drank three large glasses of red wine in about 20 minutes. (That is a story in and of itself) What I experienced was one of the most intense intoxications of my life. (Yes, duh, alcohol does that) But what troubles me most about this situation was, not only did I not have control of my drinking, I flipped out because of the intensity. I had a major panic attack! I couldn't get my head right and my heart was pounding out of my chest. I almost thought I might have to go to the ER. Felt as if I were losing my mind.

I was just wondering, has this happened to anyone else? Can alcohol bring on panic attacks?

I used to drink heavily in my teens and early twenties, and I drank to get drunk. I used to like that feeling because it allowed me to relax and get away from the anxiety, from myself.(I no longer like that feeling of being out of control) A former psychologist administered a test to me to determine my alcohol depenedency, to which the results indicated I was indeed an alcoholic. I don't want to drink and I haven't in over three years, but I seem to have a problem saying no. I guess I'm just rambling here...but I'm a bit scared and would like some encouragement. I don't plan on drinking again, it's just that I really feel like I don't have total control. Please help me!

boo

Dear Boo, My husband was at one time a very heavy drinker and like you he used the alcohol to make himself feel better. But it became his enemy and his anxiety got worse with the drinking. His panic attacks escalated and it was horrible for a time. when he stopped drinking due to me pulling the bottle from his hand all of this came down on him and he had what i call a melt down. His anxiety was bigger than ever, panice attacks more frequent, obsessions from out of nowhere overwhelmed him. I immediately took him to a doctor and they gave him zoloft. This saved him and now he is working with the program to over come it completely. No matter how bad it gets try to remember that it will be better and maybe go for help if you feel that you are out of control with it. Best wishes. Sherri

Yes alcohol can increase the intesity of panic attacks, I didn't drink for years because of this. I didn't like being out of control and not trusting myself to be able to handle it.
You now know that you have the tendacies of being an alcoholic, maybe this is a blessing in disguise for you.
If you don't like how it makes you feel and you are afraid of it then you won't drink it which in turn can save you from even more problems.
Its ok to say no to something that you are not comfortable with.
Decide which is better for you, to say no or to go through panic attacks.
Sherra

Boo, I didn't grow up with alcohol, didn't drink at all until entering the Army at age 24. Most people I knew drank beer, so I tried developing a taste for it and it was difficult, but finally did. I drank from age 24 to 36. One of the reasons I lost a prestigious job in 1983 was due to drinking. Somewhere I had crossed the line of being in control and didn't have control anymore. I was scared too. My wife became pregnant about this time and I started trying to break the habit. I didn't want my son growing up around it. It took until early 1986 for me to break the habit for good. I attended a few AA meetings during this time and prayed a lot about it as well.

In the last few years of drinking I was on meds for depression and anxiety and alcohol interferred greatly with the meds. I got to where I was having blackouts, go to sleep in a stupor and when I woke up I was tired and washed out. I drank about every other day. It took me a couple of days to feel rested again. Then I would drink again. It was a viscious cycle that I hated. I didn't drink that much, about 4 or 5 beers at the most. The alochol made me feel good the first few hours, but I paid for it big time after that. It seemed bad to me for my nerves and made my problems worse instead of better. I think meds is a lot better than alcohol for anxiety. I never got addicted to any med, not even Valium. I never got high on meds, never had a desire to.

alcohol can increase nervousness but ultimately its not the alcohol thats causing the panic, its still your thoughts. I used to think alcohol among other things were the cause of my panic but recently i have learned that panic is all internally created. Maybe youve developed a fear of the feelings you get from alcohol? whatever the case may be if you dont feel comfortable when you drink , simply dont drink. I went through that stage for a while but now i feel like i can have a few beers and be fine with it. All things heal with time.

wow, i thought i was the only one.. i used to love drinking. at one point, i was drinking every night for a few months, by myself. it got to the point where i ended up in the emergency room from alcohol poisoning.

then after i started having the panic attacks, i didn't like drinking anymore. it made me uncomfortable, i felt like something was wrong with me, like the alcohol was making my heart beat too fast.

Yes, My anxiety had got worse when drank jsut to take the edge off. But I was mean and hurtful towards people around me. Now I can control it. It's part of our culture but I don't need the alcohol or medications to help me with my anxiety. I'm grateful.

Hi Boo.
I'm an alcoholic. I've been sober for over 10 months now. I take 5 different medications a day. It is NOT advisable to mix alcohol with meds. Alcohol is a depressant. That's why you felt panicky. I assume that you are an alcoholic by your drinking pattern. From my experience, every time you relapse, it gets harder to stay sober again. Take it from me, I've been there. Be careful and good luck.

Hi Dennis,

Yes, I probably am an alcoholic, but I haven't drank since the incident I posted about. I don't really have any desire to, yet I don't feel in total control either. If someone pressures me to drink, I have a hard time saying no. I've gone years without drinking, and have only drank a handful of times this year. My problem seems to be in saying no, and in limiting myself. But after the last episode, experiencing panic as bad as I did, I really don't want to do that ever again. It was terrifying.

Anyway, glad to hear you have 10 months behind you. I hope you are taking time to be proud of your accomplishments. I've heard it takes 3 months to make a new habit....so hopefully the further you are away from that last drink, the more peaceful life will be. That's my hope for you anyway. Take care

boo