Seemingly odd metabolism of alcohol

Factual Questions
1

For the last few months, I’ve been having odd reactions to alcohol. I’m not a heavy or regular drinker (especially now), but the precipitating event for my notice of these symptoms was a night of heavy drinking. Some friends from college had come back into town, which led to a party, and at this party something (my stupidity) led me to drink pretty much everything in sight.

The results were atypical. Rather than becoming “drunk” in any notable sense, I just spent several hours acting relatively normal (while drinking), then woke up on the bathroom floor. Reports of the period of my blackout agree with my own observations - I did not get particularly drunk. Nonetheless, it was an embarassing evening, and I don’t see myself ever having more than one or two drinks of hard liquor in an evening anytime soon. I mean, what’s the point of drinking to excess if you don’t even get a buzz?

I took note of the reaction, and have generally avoided alcohol since. In the five months since, I’ve probably had a “reasonable serving” (1-2 servings) of alcohol 10 times or so, and on one occasion decided to sip through 6 beers at a BBQ over 8 or 9 hours. On none of the “reasonable serving” occasions did I get a “buzz”, although I occasionally felt a bit ill. At the BBQ, I didn’t get drunk until we were on the way home – and boy did it hit me. I spent the rest of the evening fighting against a very uncomfortable drunkenness.

Now, I would normally say that I have an average tolerance for alchohol, or even that I’m a lightweight. I find that the exceptional character of my two “bad” episodes demonstrates that. Also, I didn’t eat much before either of those episodes, so I can’t blame it on a buffer of food.

My theories, upon which I would input or additions:

  1. My hypochondria is getting to me, I don’t have any kind of problem, and I should just drink responsibly in the future because it’s a good idea for everyone.
  2. I am deficient in a nutrient needed to metabolize alcohol properly. My diet hasn’t been very good until recently, so this is a big possibility.
  3. For other reasons, I’ve developed some kind of alcohol “allergy” and no longer produce a necessary enzyme properly.

Thanks for suffering through the long post, and giving me so much interesting reading material while I’ve been lurking hear over the past couple years.

-Andrew

2

I have noticed through the years my reaction to over indulgence has changed. When I was younger I would get a bad hangover on day 1 (usually spent in bed), day 2 I felt pretty good but still sluggish, day 3 I felt great.

These days (after about 20 years of drinking, not habitually, but at least once a month), day 1 I am still drunk, no hangover, still some symptoms of being drunk. Day 2 the hangover begins, feel terrible, weak and tired, just sleep and eat. Day 3 feel real bad, in a terrible mood, can’t sleep but feel exhausted. Day 4 still feel bad but starting to feel a bit normal. Day 5 feel pretty good, want to go out and drink again. The next week or two I usually get sick, a cold or whatever is going around at the time. So, these days a hangover can last a month or more.

I enjoy having a few drinks now and then, even over indulging, but I know the consequences are devastating, so I don’t drink at all these days, much to my chagrin.

So I guess my point is, as you get older the hangovers just don’t seem worth the hour or two of good times, unfortunately.