# What makes you drunk? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 27, 1999, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-drunk/519 "1999-05-27T21:27:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 1999, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-drunk/519/21 "1999-06-01T15:35:00Z")
OMNI. Now _there’s_ a good scientific ref. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![TrueYears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@TrueYears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TrueYears)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2011, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-drunk/519/22 "2011-10-26T00:34:49Z")
I guess nothing since I dont drink i wish I could but last time I did I threw up half my stomach ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2011, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-drunk/519/23 "2011-10-26T00:42:46Z")
Hi TrueYears, welcome to the board. I just wanted to point out that the posts you were responding to were written back in 1999, in case you hadn’t noticed. Nothing wrong with that but we refer to these as zombie posts, so expect comments to that effect. ---
**Author:** ![heavyarms553](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/779978/32.png) [@heavyarms553](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heavyarms553)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2011, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-drunk/519/24 "2011-10-26T00:44:33Z")
Alcohol is an allosteric gaba agonist. It works on the frontal lobe and cerebellar vermis first. Hence the disinhibition (thinking you can do stuff you can’t) and truncal ataxia (loss of coordination) commonly known as “being drunk.” Alcohol does NOT absorb thiamine. People who drink a lot tend to not eat enough thiamine. Also, alcohol causes changes in your digestive tract which impair absorption of thiamine. Over time (5+ years) this causes you to become deficient and develop wernicke-korsakoff syndrome because thiamine is needed by neurons to properly metabolize glucose. That is why they always give thiamine before giving glucose to alcoholics. Giving glucose alone can kill a long standing alcoholic. Edit: Whoops, I guess I’m a necromancer for halloween. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2011, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-drunk/519/25 "2011-10-26T01:15:29Z")
This might be the oldest thread I’ve seen. There aren’t even names associated with the posts! (I assume that’s a sign of old age…) On topic: In my experience, it’s the alcohol. -D/a ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2011, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-drunk/519/26 "2011-10-26T01:15:30Z")
Idiots, you can just find it on Wikipedia. Or wait, that doesn’t exist yet. Find a youtube video that explains it. Oh wait. Google it. Wait. Never mind. Just get a beer and forget about it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2011, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-drunk/519/27 "2011-10-26T01:32:28Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Idiots, you can just find it on Wikipedia. Or wait, that doesn’t exist yet. > > Find a youtube video that explains it. Oh wait. > > Google it. Wait. You can always do a search on AOL. Better if you can pick up a 56K modem. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2011, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-drunk/519/28 "2011-10-26T02:37:09Z")
Of course I can pick up a 56K modem. They’re only what, two, three pounds? I’m not _that_ weak. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2011, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-drunk/519/29 "2011-10-26T02:57:38Z")
[moderating] Since the original participants are nowhere to be seen, and there’s no new information being added (aside from **heavyarms553** ’s post), I’m going to put this zombie back in the ground. [/moderating] [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-drunk/519.md?page=1)