another alcohol thread

[GSDgirl]

I have noticed the hard core alkies seen to get sloshed in 2 or 3 beers.  My friend & I were talking about that yesterday.  My uneducated guess was that the liver was functioning way below par and it couldn't process the alcohol?  These people were sitting in the bar next to me 25 years ago and slamming one after another, just like I was.  But now they drink a few and are hammered.  Is my theory close or is there another reason?  

Not important but just something I was wondering about.
enise

[R Glass]

“I have noticed the hard core alkies seen to get sloshed in 2 or 3 beers.”


I haven’t seen that much here in South Louisiana. Generally 2 or 3 beers and a cheese burger is common for lunch, even when the heat index is 105.

[Rockerforlife]

i had to take something because i thought my heart was going to explode in my chest

[Rockerforlife]

I meant almost had a nervous breakdown,i was in bad state

[Rockerforlife]

Some times you do need them in certain cases,you know im into heathfoods and stuff,but in certain cases you do nedd the pharma drugs,i had no choice a few moyjs ago but to take adivan for a few weeks afger losing my job and the stress..i also had a break down

[drdetroit]

Thanks for the info, they have had me on Lexapro for the past month getting ready for my Tx. Not looking forward to the effects, i work full time and dont want to give up my job. Guess we'll have to wait and see.

[GSDgirl]

Rocker, please clarify.............who needs ativan or an anti depressant.  Or may I ask, are you still on the ativan?  Most of your posts don't make a whole lot of sense.

Denise

[Rockerforlife]

Tey come with a cost tho,you may have to ween your self off them after TX,some people dont get withdrawls from the pills

[Rockerforlife]

You may need a an anti depessant or a mild benzo like ativan,from me reading your post.

[drdetroit]

Speaking as a recovering alcoholic who is getting ready to start treatment in two weeks, people who are alcoholic loose the ability to control there drinking and do it compulsivly every day. For those of us who also suffer from Hep C, our livers cant prosses the alcohol like it can in non-alcohoilc people. at one point about 4 years ago i went to the dr. because of stomach pain and even though i hadent had a drink in three days, my blood alcohol was still a 1.2%. not somthing im proud of but because of  my liver condition it stayed in my system alot longer. I have been Sober now for about 13 months and am glad to be out of that nightmare. Now the Peg/ribavibrin treatment is goint to start and it looks like im in for a long ride, all self indused!

       Drdetroit

[annieCinMD]

You might see about getting on an anti depressant. I've heard of people starting on them before starting treatment, to counter the effects. Besides they a) take about a month to fully work b) you might need to do trial and error to find the right one for you. They do tend to mellow you out, so might help you sleep. It's been quite a few years since I did my run on Prozac, so I don't remember for sure about the sleeping.

[annieCinMD]

I read a book called "Under the Influence" after my last run through detox, and what it says makes a lot of sense, at least in my personal experience. It said alcoholics at least the kind I was, daily maintenance drinkers that are physically dependent on alcohol are lacking an enzyme in their liver that processes the byproduct of alcohol, acetaldehyde. The acetaldehyde gets released into the bloodstream, and builds up over time and becomes very toxic.  I believe some people just get psychologically dependent on it, and can usually quit without the hospital. I never could without a full medical detox. I passed out after drinking 2 beers right before going into detox.  Marcia's right about depression often being a factor, but anti depressants don't work if you are drinking because alcohol is a depressant. These people are often self-medicating, but in reality, they are making the depression worse by drinking.

[DD9th]

My understanding is that your genealogy  has a lot to do with it, in that countries that have ancient histories of producing wine/beer have had longer for their bodies to adapt to processing alcohol.  This explains why native americans, eskimos, asians (although there is rice wine in asian history), etc.

But to take that argument a bit further, if historical genealogy provides the ability to create the enzimes to process liquor, if your liver is not functioning properly, it would make sense that you would feel the effects more.

In my case, I had 2-3 (large) vodka tonics nightly.  Was in bed by 9:30, up at 5 am, went to work, etc. without getting roaringly drunk, or having any other negative social effect from my drinking.  

I seriously thought I was an alcoholic, but when I got the first test back, before even knowing I had HepC, of 'abnormal liver function' (my AST and  ALT were extremely high)... I did just quit.  I haven't had a drink since then (and that is now almost 5 months ago).

I'm mad, angry that I had to quit, because I really did enjoy my after work 'self-medication' and found it a way to relax.  

Now, I'm much more stressed out it would seem.  Sleep doesn't come as easily, and I'm depressed.   I think about this upcoming tx all the time and have to work hard to steer my thoughts away from things that cause me to tear up.  

Overall, I feel that I am not any 'better off' having stopped drinking, but I also realize that drinking is not currently option with these kind of blood tests.

I'm worried that if I am this depressed now, and I haven't even started, how depressed am I going to be when tx starts?  

Gah!

[Marcia2202]

I think that their bodies are probably so saturated with alcohol, that they are constantly tipsy. Add a few beers to tipsy and it equals drunks. Some of them may also have depression on top of it. One only needs a little alcohol on antidepressants to get drunk.

Just a guess from my part. I don't know if my logic makes any sense.  :-)

[GSDgirl]

elaine,   I am  not asking about me, I learned that lesson about 3 months ago,,,,,,,,,,no more.    I am talking about the people that are in the bar day after day and get pig drunk on just a few drinks.  I haven't been in any of the local bars in quite a few years but I see the same people coming out at different times.  It is those hard core drunks that drink daily that I am wondering about.

I can't drink only one or 2, don't want to stop till I have that BUZZZZZ on which is why I have mostly steered clear for about 15 years.

Denise