abba12
03-21-2010, 03:29 AM
When I drink alcohol, sometimes I am fine, but other times I get severe chest pain during (not after) consumption. This pain feels like a huge heavy weight on my chest making it hard to breathe, like everything is compacting, and my neck feels extremely cramped up. I stop drinking at this point, and after some deep breathing and calming myself it usually goes away in about 10-15 minutes.
Usually I stop here but last night I was out with friends in the city. The pain happened fairly early on in the night, and once it calmed down I didn't want to drag everyone home so continued to drink, also curious as to what might happen. There was no pain for some 3 hours, and many drinks, and then suddenly it hit in again, this time it didn't last as long, probably 10 minutes tops, but was even more painful, and once it passed I was fine again (but stopped drinking)
I read some things online but none of it quite seemed to fit me. Generally I do drink the girly drinks, fizzy things with fruit concerntrates and stuff. But I have also had this happen after having a single orange juice and vodka, and I've had it NOT happen after downing some 10 premixes, all fizzy and sugary, one new years eve. The answers I found talked about eating beforehand, but I have been finding that if I eat first it's more likely to happen, the bigger and more recent the meal, the more chance of an issue. I have also never experienced this pain outside of drinking, with anything.
Something I have noticed is that, as the pain goes away, it seems to almost work it's way up and out. I know the pain is calming down when my lower ribs stop hurting, and my shoulders still feel stiff for awhile afterwards. I regularly have a glass of wine or a baileys and cream a couple times a week, but I only drink heavily probably once a month.
I would prefer at this point not to see my normal GP as I suspect his answer will be 'stop drinking and you'll be fine'. Which is true enough, but not really the point. If this is an underlying issue it needs to be addressed am I right? And I don't think there's anything wrong with drinking from time to time.
Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing back from you.
Emily
Usually I stop here but last night I was out with friends in the city. The pain happened fairly early on in the night, and once it calmed down I didn't want to drag everyone home so continued to drink, also curious as to what might happen. There was no pain for some 3 hours, and many drinks, and then suddenly it hit in again, this time it didn't last as long, probably 10 minutes tops, but was even more painful, and once it passed I was fine again (but stopped drinking)
I read some things online but none of it quite seemed to fit me. Generally I do drink the girly drinks, fizzy things with fruit concerntrates and stuff. But I have also had this happen after having a single orange juice and vodka, and I've had it NOT happen after downing some 10 premixes, all fizzy and sugary, one new years eve. The answers I found talked about eating beforehand, but I have been finding that if I eat first it's more likely to happen, the bigger and more recent the meal, the more chance of an issue. I have also never experienced this pain outside of drinking, with anything.
Something I have noticed is that, as the pain goes away, it seems to almost work it's way up and out. I know the pain is calming down when my lower ribs stop hurting, and my shoulders still feel stiff for awhile afterwards. I regularly have a glass of wine or a baileys and cream a couple times a week, but I only drink heavily probably once a month.
I would prefer at this point not to see my normal GP as I suspect his answer will be 'stop drinking and you'll be fine'. Which is true enough, but not really the point. If this is an underlying issue it needs to be addressed am I right? And I don't think there's anything wrong with drinking from time to time.
Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing back from you.
Emily