could use some advice

[sammy60]

Hi,I am a 32 year old male, heavy drinker. (4.5 litres per day) I have started to get what i think are panic attacks. Dizzy spells, shortness of breath and heart starts to race. I feel like I am going to pass out, this can happen in the mid afternoon roughly at the same time. I don't drink during the day. I suppose what I am worried about is have I damaged my liver or kidneys, do any of the symptoms relate to these organs. I have been drinking for around 15 years.

[king2mp]

What you are describing is almost exactly what I went through for a long time. In particular the "feeling like you're going to pass out" sensation is absolutely awful.
I get the same effects when I drink heavily for many days in a row. All the symptoms you mentioned can and often are caused by anxiety. Anytime I don't drink for more than 2 days almost all those symptoms go away and my body sort of stabilizes. Since you've been drinking so much for so long you probably shouldn't stop cold turkey, but starting to cut down should help.

[jmdnnlln]

Hi..
you probably already know this, but you are drinking more units of alcohol in one day than you should in a week, and that my friend is very dangerous.
Excessive alcohol consumption not only buggers up your liver and Heart, but can cause heart palpitations, and irregular heart rythm, this in turn leads to dizziness,shortness of breath, fatigue.

You 'Know' you must cut down your drinking,..  But YOU have to want to!

[Jacker]

Boogieman is right.  I had the same symptoms at the end of my daily drinking career.  Alcohol can damage your heart, cause high blood pressure, mess up your liver, and keep your body from absorbing nutrition from food,  because it is too busy metabolizing alcohol.  

Time to quit and I'm serious about that.  At your volume, you should get some help from a doctor too.  

[drifter0213]

panic attacks are like intense fear or anger

[drifter0213]

panic attacks can occur from excessive usage,perhaps chemical imbalance-drifter0213

[sammy60]

To boogieman
Thanks for your help.

[boogieman]

hello. alcohol, when used in excess, can do a lot of damage to the internal organs. the body can only filter a certain amount per hour, which results in the absorption of the remainder into the organs via the bloodstream. the brain is affected quickly as alcohol will cross what is called the blood-brain barrier due to its solubility. this can compromise involuntary actions such as heartbeat, breathing and gag reflex. organs such as the liver and pancreas can suffer tissue destruction resulting in everything from lowered function and scarring to complete organ failure. for diagnosing existing damage, your doctor can order bloodwork including a liver panel to check things like enzyme levels. neurological function is often assessed through both routine physical and cognitive exams. being honest with your physician about your alcohol intake is crucial for evaluation. additionally, testing for depressive and/or anxiety based disorders would be advisable as they often are present in cases of substance abuse. best of luck,   gm