I dont recommend this approach to anyone but I had a strange experience this weekend which I thought Iād shareā¦
Sat night went out for a mates stag do. I thought before this would possibly be a terrible idea but as weāve all said beforeā¦life must go onā¦My main worry was I had a Christening to attend on Sundayā¦So, Sat night started a bit rough, slowly got more and more bladdered until the point where the dizziness and the alcohol merged to a point where it was no longer noticeable.Not a clue how I got home but woke on the sofa (next to a pizza - excellent diet aswell :? ) late Sunday morning. Feeling horrific (real hangover now mixed with my everyday hangover) I had not much time to worry about it all as I had an hour to get to churchā¦The hour then spent in church was hell (possibly not the most pc word choice but you get my drift) and I couldnt get outside quick enough.Feeling gradually worse and worse I then had to go to the post christening meal. Head was now all over the place so at this point I went for the āeasy way outā and decided to repeat Sat nights techinque of drinking through it and if successful save my Sunday whilst effectively ruining not only my Monday, but most likely Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday etcā¦Heres the strange thingā¦On Monday I didnt feel any worse than any ānormalā day and today was the sameā¦This could now be the kiss of death and tomorrow could be a disaster but why I ask myself, did I feel so bad Sunday after one night, but infinately better after 2???
Iām not advocating getting drunk as a good idea by any means, but just a note to say that we dont always have avoid things/nights out/events through fear of the consequences
Just FYIā¦
Alcohol increases GABA in the brainā¦so it could be something related thereā¦I personally feel low GABA is one of the things that I suffer from. Benzos increase GABA as well. It calms down the excitatory neurotransmitters.
You can take GABA over the counter, but it isnāt supposed to really work, as we donāt really absorb it and turn it into GABA. There are some supplements that work to increase it, like L-Theanine (which is found in green tea).
Kelley
Your story made me chuckle ā especially feeling like hell while in church! lol. That is interesting that you were able to hit the booze so hard and survive like that. Iāve had moments where a few drinks kills me and others where there is no real fall out. Over the weekend after a 13.5 hour trip on a jet I knocked back a gin and tonic. The next night while in LA, a glass of white wine which I normally avoid like the plague. My head was sore on the Monday morning but soon vanished on the jet to Toronto.
Iām going to take Kelleyās advice and try a gin and soda one night instead of the tonic. It could be that tonic is worse than the gin I think. Clear spirits are probably ok if you drink lots of water with them.
Maybe when Iāve been on the diet longer . . . clear spirits sound like a way to get hammered, but to me that doesnāt sound good. I drank to enjoy feeling mellow or high-spirited, and to be truthful I drank for flavor as much as anything: porter, dark ale, liqueurs, single malt , sweet sherry, Irish and sweet vermouth . . . at this point, I still think, āVodka and soda? Why bother?ā Mayhaps Iāll change my view. Or maybe pot will be legalized even for osteoarthritic geezers like me, and I can sprinkle it in pasta sauce, as I used to when young and cockyābut unwilling to hit my mouth and lungs with smoke. I happened to like that flavor, too. (Donāt tell me itās chock full of tyramine!)
As predicted with a previous reply, my Wednesday and Thursday were a washout, today is just starting to feel a bit of reliefā¦I āassumeā this is a delay from the alcohol, but it could be the sleep pattern change, food or pretty much anything and not related to the weekend blowout at all???
Thats the problem when trying to live a life with thisā¦Identifying a trigger is nigh on impossible it seems unless we eat only rice, drink only water, go to bed at the same
time as most 8 year olds, dont have a lie in, dont watch TV or go on the computer, exercise instead - but dont over exercise of course
When this all started I began drinking wine EVERY night. It always made me feel better! I did not know how it effects GABA!!! It has been over 2 years and I am still drinking a glass or 2 every night. It my only relief after a long dizzy day! I wonder if it effecting my GABA levels and in turn making the problem worse or is the REAL reason for the dizziness??? Can any one help??
Most defifnitely could be the cause of your dizziness. I find that taking Klonopin is the only thing that helps take away my dizzinessā¦it is GABA related. What is your experience with benzos? The problem is that a lot of docs donāt want to prescribe them, but if the underlying brain chemistry is that we donāt have enough GABA, then all the serotonin/norepinephrine enhancers arenāt really going to do much.
Iām reading about different pathways in the brain where things get messed upā¦it could be one of the neurochemicals like serotonin, or norepinephrine, or GABAā¦or even Dopamineā¦it could be a problem with the electricity ā¦different meds affect different routesā¦so if you take an SSRI and it doesnāt help dizziness, it means sero wasnāt your problem. Thatās where Iām atā¦Iāve been taking Cymbalta and it has helped some of the issues that rose from my initial complaint of dizzinessā¦I got anxious and depressed worrying about my health, and then I developed insomniaā¦all this stuff got better while on Cymbalta, but I still have my original complaintā¦visual āoffā lightheaded dizziness 24/7. What helps? Klonopin.
So my internist says itās anxietyā¦my neurologist says take the Cymbalta up higherā¦but what if itās simply my body not getting the GABA it needs? My Dad and his Dad were both alcoholicsā¦which could be trying to self medicate for either low sero or GABAā¦
I feel there is an underlying root cause of these problemsā¦if one class of meds isnāt working (and you should try 2-4 diff ones) then try anotherā¦you can google āhow to raise GABA levelsā or āGABA agonistsā and learn a lot online about which drugs/supplements will help.
Hope that sheds some light on this subjectā¦
Kelley
Hi Kelley, Intersesting! How are you going to raise your GABA levels??? I know when I take xanax my dizziness is a lot better, but I do not want to keep taking them the rest of my life!! Also doesnāt taking Benzoās make your body not able to produce GABA on its own???
Good question, unfortunately I donāt have an answer. I can ask my dr next time I see him. I looked up GABA agonists, and analoguesā¦you can take l-theanine, and l-glutamine to help raise GABA naturally. I believe most anticonvulsants affect GABAā¦ I know neurontin does. I will look into it. There is a really good book called āthe Edge Affectāā¦ it has questionnaires to determine where you might have deficit. Then tells you what you can do to help balance it out.
Was recommended by my pharmacist.
Kelley
You know, usually after a big, big night l feel better. Like just this past week, l had 3 big sessions, after the third l thought l better slow down just in case, and it being that time of the month when l can get mav, l didn,t get anything yet. I actually felt better. Maybe alcohol does something to stop symptoms sneeking through? Have any studies been done on alchohol and effects on mav?
Also, l don,t think there is anything wrong with drinking in moderation, especially if it makes us feel better. In some ways l think is is better to drink than to take all this medication. Less side effects and you know what your going to get.
Sue,
GABA is one of the main neurotransmitters in the body. Serotonin and GABA are the more calming, whereas Norephinephrine and Dopamine are the more energizingā¦
I say if drinking makes you feel betterā¦go for it. Not encouraging you to be an alcoholic, but a glass or 2 of wine or spirits daily, pretty much puts you in the class of most people I know. Be careful of red wine thoughā¦a notorious trigger for migraine.
Kelley
Thanks for that desrciption.
I would not like it all if l had to give up my bubbly and wine. My weekends are always enjoyed with at least a few glasses per night over the weekend. I tend not to drink during the weeknights to give my body a break.
I probably drink too much over the weekends, and should cut down. When l am at home with my famiy l moderate pretty well, but when out with friends, l always, drink too much.
Be careful of red wine thoughā¦a notorious trigger for migraine.