Last week I downed about 19 oz of VERY strong red wine to try to get by a
social occasion (a company dinner party) that otherwise would have been very
nerve-wracking. I had to get there in a hurry, so I gulped it all down within
the space of about 5 minutes.

Now I regret what I did. I consume alcohol very infrequently because I'm pretty
much a social recluse, but this was one of a few occasions where I felt a drink
was essential to get me by. My personality is like that of a wet blanket when
sober, so if a social occasion does come up that I absolutely cannot avoid, I
get trashed.

It has been a week since I drank the wine, and I feel weird both physically and
mentally. My typing is terrible, and I can't seem to string words together (it
has been quite a bit of effort to construct this post). I just don't know what
I want to say, how to say it, or what to say next. I also feel a little shaky
in the limbs.

I feel stupid for writing this post because it sounds almost hysterical or
hypochondriacal (at best I expect a few laughs) but can't help but worry that I
might have caused some minor damage to my brain. I drank almost 5 servings of
wine, as fast as I would if my life depended on a 650 ML bottle disappearing
almost immediately.

I did a Google search and there were quite a few hits linking "brain damage"
with "binge drinking". A few surprising things I "learned" (if I can trust that
what I came across is indeed factual), is that about 5 servings of strong
liquor consumed quickly can do more damage than a smaller amount of liquor
consumed over a longer period of time.

If this post is coherent at all, I'm basically wondering if anyone else in here
has consumed more than 5 servings of strong liquor within a few minutes, and if
so, do you notice any permanent difference?

It has been a week since the binge incident, and I don't feel myself. I
know a doctor would be of no use, because there are no testing instruments
sophisticated enough to detect a small amount of brain damage that isn't enough
to amount to anything significant - well, it's significant to me because I feel
"different" - I'm pretty sure I popped a few brain cells in my rush to survive
the social occasion. Who in their right mind would do what I did? I'm either
experiencing an extended hangover or I've suddenly gotten crazy.

I also think it's incredibly cruel that one incident could color my life
forever. Has this happened to anyone else? Thanks for listening to my rant.

"Hex" <tethethx@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20040510042429.15274.00001185@mb-m18.aol.com...
> Last week I downed about 19 oz of VERY strong red wine to try to get
by a
> social occasion (a company dinner party) that otherwise would have
been very
> nerve-wracking. I had to get there in a hurry, so I gulped it all
down within
> the space of about 5 minutes.
>
> Now I regret what I did. I consume alcohol very infrequently because
I'm pretty
> much a social recluse, but this was one of a few occasions where I
felt a drink
> was essential to get me by. My personality is like that of a wet
blanket when
> sober, so if a social occasion does come up that I absolutely cannot
avoid, I
> get trashed.
>
> It has been a week since I drank the wine, and I feel weird both
physically and
> mentally. My typing is terrible, and I can't seem to string words
together (it
> has been quite a bit of effort to construct this post). I just don't
know what
> I want to say, how to say it, or what to say next. I also feel a
little shaky
> in the limbs.
>
> I feel stupid for writing this post because it sounds almost
hysterical or
> hypochondriacal (at best I expect a few laughs) but can't help but
worry that I
> might have caused some minor damage to my brain. I drank almost 5
servings of
> wine, as fast as I would if my life depended on a 650 ML bottle
disappearing
> almost immediately.
>
> I did a Google search and there were quite a few hits linking "brain
damage"
> with "binge drinking". A few surprising things I "learned" (if I can
trust that
> what I came across is indeed factual), is that about 5 servings of
strong
> liquor consumed quickly can do more damage than a smaller amount of
liquor
> consumed over a longer period of time.
>
> If this post is coherent at all, I'm basically wondering if anyone
else in here
> has consumed more than 5 servings of strong liquor within a few
minutes, and if
> so, do you notice any permanent difference?
>
> It has been a week since the binge incident, and I don't feel
myself. I
> know a doctor would be of no use, because there are no testing
instruments
> sophisticated enough to detect a small amount of brain damage that
isn't enough
> to amount to anything significant - well, it's significant to me
because I feel
> "different" - I'm pretty sure I popped a few brain cells in my rush
to survive
> the social occasion. Who in their right mind would do what I did?
I'm either
> experiencing an extended hangover or I've suddenly gotten crazy.
>
> I also think it's incredibly cruel that one incident could color my
life
> forever. Has this happened to anyone else? Thanks for listening to
my rant.
>

"so if a social occasion does come up that I absolutely cannot avoid,
I get trashed." "One incident" ? "Incredibly cruel"

Who perpetrated the cruelty?

If you are unwilling to accept the outcome of *repeated* deliberate
action on your part, have you considered making a formal complaint to
God?

Bob

>
>"so if a social occasion does come up that I absolutely cannot avoid,
>I get trashed." "One incident" ? "Incredibly cruel"
>
>Who perpetrated the cruelty?
>

Obviously, me. My choice of words was bad. I was not meaning to imply that my
own actions didn't have something to do with it.

>If you are unwilling to accept the outcome of *repeated* deliberate
>action on your part, have you considered making a formal complaint to
>God?
>

I tried, but his box is full.

On - Mon, May 10, 2004, 8:24am (EDT+4) tethethx@aol.com (Hex) wrote:


> It has been a week since the binge incident, and I
> don't feel myself. I know a doctor would be of no
> use, because there are no testing instruments
> sophisticated enough to detect a small amount of
> brain damage that isn't enough to amount to
> anything significant - well, it's significant to me
> because I feel "different" - I'm pretty sure I popped
> a few brain cells in my rush to survive the social
> occasion.

There are tests for metabolic acidosis. If blood ph is acidic, it will
affect cell functioning and the glucose cycle - the brain depends on
glucose. Also, the congeners in red wine produce an additional toxic
load on the liver, so your metabolism has a lot ot deal with right now.
I've posted research excerpts on 'nutritional detox' in a recent thread,
in case you are interested.



Excerpt: "Alcoholic Ketoacidosis"

"While most commonly described among chronic users of alcohol
approximately 48 h after cessation of use, AKA can also occur in less
experienced users, particularly after a binge of use.

"the oxidation of ethanol produces acetaldehyde, which is oxidized to
acetate. Both steps in this process convert nicotinamide adenine
dinucleotide (NAD) to the reduced form of nicotinamide adenine
dinucleotide (NADH), increasing the NADH/NAD ratio. This reduces hepatic
gluconeogenesis, further reducing glucose levels. Hence, insulin levels
remain suppressed, and serum glucagon levels remain elevated."

http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/topic21.htm


"Congeners (similar plants) substances produced in the fermentation
process. When congeners are metabolized they are much more toxic than
acetaldehyde, which is the normal byproduct. The fewer the congeners the
alcoholic drink contains, the less toxic the congener byproducts are.
Thus a hangover from Vodka is less than one from scotch, bourbon, beer,
or wine"

http://webpages.charter.net/rfhale/alcohol.htm

"Hex" <tethethx@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20040510120923.16549.00001063@mb-m04.aol.com...
> >
> >"so if a social occasion does come up that I absolutely cannot
avoid,
> >I get trashed." "One incident" ? "Incredibly cruel"
> >
> >Who perpetrated the cruelty?
> >
>
> Obviously, me. My choice of words was bad. I was not meaning to
imply that my
> own actions didn't have something to do with it.
>
> >If you are unwilling to accept the outcome of *repeated* deliberate
> >action on your part, have you considered making a formal complaint
to
> >God?
> >
>
> I tried, but his box is full.

Seems you had better start practicing how to make the most of social
occasions, if only to stop being cruel to yourself then, doesn't it.

Bob