The Truth About Mixing Alcohol and Energy Drinks
Having felt horrid all day, I was compelled to write an educational post on my firsthand experience with combining alcohol with energy drinks. This was a first for me, and it is also my last, as I vow never to touch another energy drink again.
Before going into my story, I wanted to share my typical experience with alcohol. I characterize myself as a social drinker who practices moderation, never drinks and drives, usually volunteers to be the designated driver (as I don't need to drink to have fun), and rarely has a bad experience with alcohol. After imbibing, I get sleepy, but I am usually functional again after a nap.
With caffeinated beverages, I don't know if my experience is typical. Because these drinks speed up my heart rate, I end up feeling anxious, shaky, and unable to concentrate. I've used energy drinks whilst trying to study, but I end up with an energy-sucking sugar crash that leads into a nap.
Yesterday started most jolly, as I cavorted around a well-known trade show with a free beer in hand. I had started drinking at about 3:30pm, and I sipped my beer most enjoyably as I strolled around the branded booths. I consumed half the beer and my head buzzed with slight dizziness, but after finishing the beverage and walking some more, I slowly returned to my sober self.
At about 7:00pm, my friend invited me to a dinner party and I had a cup of red wine and a few sips of beer to go along with the delicious food. At 8:00pm, we took off to the next party, where I enjoyed a few desserts and half a glass of white wine.
Onward, we ventured! At this point, I felt that familiar buzz trying to spice up the passage of time. At 9:00pm, we arrived at the last stop of the night, a suite party with much opportunity for imbibing. My friend was in charge of a specific section of the party, and all around us was a wonderland of energy drinks, vodka, and tequila. Of course, the most basic of liquids was not stocked, but could be found "on tap." In the course of the night, I had two tequila shots and about three vodka shots. Because I experienced much tingling of the throat after taking a shot, I, in my not-clearly-thinking state, decided to use sugar free energy drinks as a chaser. Bad idea.
Combining a depressant (alcohol) with a stimulant (energy drinks) can send mixed signals to the nervous system and hide the actual influence of alcohol. The person can end up drinking more than s/he can tolerate, and side effects can include, but aren't limited to, impaired judgement, respiratory problems, dizziness, disorientation, nausea, rapid heart beat, and other cardiovascular effects, such as heart attacks, that lead to death.
Of course, I knew combining the two drugs was not the best thing to do. In my sober state, I would have avoided this deadly concoction, but I had already imbibed a bit, so my conscience wasn't kicking in. After my group took a shot, I would wince and reach for a sip of the energy drink (that had 80mg of caffeine per can) to clear out the burning sensation from my throat. Even when I wasn't taking shots, I would sip a little bit of the energy drink to keep myself "hydrated." In actuality, energy drinks further dehydrate the body with its laxative properties. Of course, my inebriated mind would make excuses as to why I shouldn't drink the not-so-appetizing tap water, so I consumed can after can of energy drink. I polished off 3-4 cans of the heart-rate quickening solution, which is more than anyone should have within a five hour period.
It was remarkable to have taken so many shots, and yet have the clarity of mind to remember who you met and what happened that night. I can say with utmost certainty that I remember 90 percent of everything that transpired, although a few names do escape me. This does not happen to me when alcohol is consumed by itself. Yet, just because I remember what happened doesn't mean I made the best judgments that night, especially with deciding to drink those extra cans of energy drinks. I was starting to feel quite sleepy, and with friends asking me not to fall asleep, I drank the energy drink in hopes of trying to stay awake. I suppose it worked. The energy drinks also gave me false confidence that I could take 1-2 more shots before I would reach my limit, when I had probably reached my limit long ago.
At 3:00am, my sober friend took me back to my hotel, and at about 3:30am, I retired to bed after drinking two glasses of water. I slept for what seemed to be a moment, but I woke up with a start and couldn't go back to sleep. I estimate that I had only slept for 2-3 hours.
At this time, my head was abuzz with want of basic needs. I begged myself to get some water, but I didn't want to get up. I suffered with parched lips for what seemed to be an hour before I decided to pour more water for myself.
I finally looked at the clock at 6:00am. At this time, I felt uncomfortably wired and unable to sleep, and I was plagued by strong anxiety, rapid heartbeat, dizziness, weakness, stomach pain, and nausea. It was the most horrible I've ever felt after drinking, and I would say that the feeling is slightly worse than the discomfort of food poisoning. The most terrible part of it all was that I did this to myself. I was so sad that I knew I wouldn't be able to fully enjoy today because of the previous day's bad choices. Luckily, my mom was sleeping nearby if I needed her, but I really didn't want to wake her.
In my state of anxiety, I sat cross-legged on the bed toward the headboard with my head bowed down and shoulders hunched forward. I prayed for fast recovery, focused on my breathing, looked up positive articles on my phone, and repeated inspirational mantras to inspire my body's process of healing. At this time, my breathing seemed weak, but I had to concentrate on the pacing to avoid throwing up, even though I may have needed that to get better. My heart was racing and I just couldn't get it to slow down. I sat on the bed like this for about two hours, just trying to calm down and keep myself sane.
Although I was trying to focus on the positive, I lamented my condition. I wondered whether my stomach was hurting because I was hungry or whether it was caused by the drinks last night. I didn't want to risk throwing up if I decided to eat, but I didn't want to starve, either. My mind was full of these conundrums and possible solutions. I visited the restroom frequently and took a few vitamins, in hopes that it would improve my condition.
At 8:00am, mom awoke from her relaxed slumber to find me meditating like a monk in pain. She poured water and peeled an orange for me. The citrusy smell and first tangy hint of pulp upon my tongue gave me something else to focus on, and I savored the moments of fleeting relief, but I couldn't stomach very much. Mom gave me a massage, which probably helped some of the toxins to escape my body. I laid down and got up to use the restroom about an hour later. At this time, I felt somewhat normal.
I laid back down to rest and suddenly felt cold, so I buried myself under the blankets. An hour later, I jumped out of bed and felt a stronger feeling of discomfort, which included sweating, dizziness, and hot flashes. I could only mumble incoherently because it took way too much concentration to focus on enunciating my words.
At once, my eyes widened and I sprinted to the bathroom, hovered over the toilet, and attempted to open the floodgates. My gag reflex kicked in and I gagged, but my empty stomach just squeezed itself. This happened two more times, and I was just frozen over the toilet with a disgusted look about me. When the wave of nausea passed at noon, we checked out of the hotel and decided to head home.
In the car, I closed my eyes and tried to sleep, but through my eyelids, I could see a range of colors spilling out from the world outside. In my delirious, ill state, I thought, "how pretty the colors are." We bought Gatorade before going home, and my family used Gatorade, carb-heavy foods, and fruit to nurse me back to health.
Right now, it is 10:05pm. It has been over 30 hours since I started drinking the previous day and over 24 hours since I attended that party. I am still slightly dizzy, even though I have just started drinking my second bottle of Gatorade. My appetite isn't where it should be, but I've tried to eat porridge, veggies, and fruit. I am not sure whether I'll be able to sleep tonight, but hopefully, it will help cure this alcohol-and-energy-drink-induced ailment.
The scariest part of this traumatizing ordeal is that I was so sick, I could have died. Many have, and I am so grateful to be alive and conscious right now. Again, I do not recommend combining alcohol and energy drinks and strongly advise that everyone stay away from the combination. The buzz is not worth your life.
Before going into my story, I wanted to share my typical experience with alcohol. I characterize myself as a social drinker who practices moderation, never drinks and drives, usually volunteers to be the designated driver (as I don't need to drink to have fun), and rarely has a bad experience with alcohol. After imbibing, I get sleepy, but I am usually functional again after a nap.
With caffeinated beverages, I don't know if my experience is typical. Because these drinks speed up my heart rate, I end up feeling anxious, shaky, and unable to concentrate. I've used energy drinks whilst trying to study, but I end up with an energy-sucking sugar crash that leads into a nap.
Yesterday started most jolly, as I cavorted around a well-known trade show with a free beer in hand. I had started drinking at about 3:30pm, and I sipped my beer most enjoyably as I strolled around the branded booths. I consumed half the beer and my head buzzed with slight dizziness, but after finishing the beverage and walking some more, I slowly returned to my sober self.
At about 7:00pm, my friend invited me to a dinner party and I had a cup of red wine and a few sips of beer to go along with the delicious food. At 8:00pm, we took off to the next party, where I enjoyed a few desserts and half a glass of white wine.
Onward, we ventured! At this point, I felt that familiar buzz trying to spice up the passage of time. At 9:00pm, we arrived at the last stop of the night, a suite party with much opportunity for imbibing. My friend was in charge of a specific section of the party, and all around us was a wonderland of energy drinks, vodka, and tequila. Of course, the most basic of liquids was not stocked, but could be found "on tap." In the course of the night, I had two tequila shots and about three vodka shots. Because I experienced much tingling of the throat after taking a shot, I, in my not-clearly-thinking state, decided to use sugar free energy drinks as a chaser. Bad idea.
Combining a depressant (alcohol) with a stimulant (energy drinks) can send mixed signals to the nervous system and hide the actual influence of alcohol. The person can end up drinking more than s/he can tolerate, and side effects can include, but aren't limited to, impaired judgement, respiratory problems, dizziness, disorientation, nausea, rapid heart beat, and other cardiovascular effects, such as heart attacks, that lead to death.
Of course, I knew combining the two drugs was not the best thing to do. In my sober state, I would have avoided this deadly concoction, but I had already imbibed a bit, so my conscience wasn't kicking in. After my group took a shot, I would wince and reach for a sip of the energy drink (that had 80mg of caffeine per can) to clear out the burning sensation from my throat. Even when I wasn't taking shots, I would sip a little bit of the energy drink to keep myself "hydrated." In actuality, energy drinks further dehydrate the body with its laxative properties. Of course, my inebriated mind would make excuses as to why I shouldn't drink the not-so-appetizing tap water, so I consumed can after can of energy drink. I polished off 3-4 cans of the heart-rate quickening solution, which is more than anyone should have within a five hour period.
It was remarkable to have taken so many shots, and yet have the clarity of mind to remember who you met and what happened that night. I can say with utmost certainty that I remember 90 percent of everything that transpired, although a few names do escape me. This does not happen to me when alcohol is consumed by itself. Yet, just because I remember what happened doesn't mean I made the best judgments that night, especially with deciding to drink those extra cans of energy drinks. I was starting to feel quite sleepy, and with friends asking me not to fall asleep, I drank the energy drink in hopes of trying to stay awake. I suppose it worked. The energy drinks also gave me false confidence that I could take 1-2 more shots before I would reach my limit, when I had probably reached my limit long ago.
At 3:00am, my sober friend took me back to my hotel, and at about 3:30am, I retired to bed after drinking two glasses of water. I slept for what seemed to be a moment, but I woke up with a start and couldn't go back to sleep. I estimate that I had only slept for 2-3 hours.
At this time, my head was abuzz with want of basic needs. I begged myself to get some water, but I didn't want to get up. I suffered with parched lips for what seemed to be an hour before I decided to pour more water for myself.
I finally looked at the clock at 6:00am. At this time, I felt uncomfortably wired and unable to sleep, and I was plagued by strong anxiety, rapid heartbeat, dizziness, weakness, stomach pain, and nausea. It was the most horrible I've ever felt after drinking, and I would say that the feeling is slightly worse than the discomfort of food poisoning. The most terrible part of it all was that I did this to myself. I was so sad that I knew I wouldn't be able to fully enjoy today because of the previous day's bad choices. Luckily, my mom was sleeping nearby if I needed her, but I really didn't want to wake her.
In my state of anxiety, I sat cross-legged on the bed toward the headboard with my head bowed down and shoulders hunched forward. I prayed for fast recovery, focused on my breathing, looked up positive articles on my phone, and repeated inspirational mantras to inspire my body's process of healing. At this time, my breathing seemed weak, but I had to concentrate on the pacing to avoid throwing up, even though I may have needed that to get better. My heart was racing and I just couldn't get it to slow down. I sat on the bed like this for about two hours, just trying to calm down and keep myself sane.
Although I was trying to focus on the positive, I lamented my condition. I wondered whether my stomach was hurting because I was hungry or whether it was caused by the drinks last night. I didn't want to risk throwing up if I decided to eat, but I didn't want to starve, either. My mind was full of these conundrums and possible solutions. I visited the restroom frequently and took a few vitamins, in hopes that it would improve my condition.
At 8:00am, mom awoke from her relaxed slumber to find me meditating like a monk in pain. She poured water and peeled an orange for me. The citrusy smell and first tangy hint of pulp upon my tongue gave me something else to focus on, and I savored the moments of fleeting relief, but I couldn't stomach very much. Mom gave me a massage, which probably helped some of the toxins to escape my body. I laid down and got up to use the restroom about an hour later. At this time, I felt somewhat normal.
I laid back down to rest and suddenly felt cold, so I buried myself under the blankets. An hour later, I jumped out of bed and felt a stronger feeling of discomfort, which included sweating, dizziness, and hot flashes. I could only mumble incoherently because it took way too much concentration to focus on enunciating my words.
At once, my eyes widened and I sprinted to the bathroom, hovered over the toilet, and attempted to open the floodgates. My gag reflex kicked in and I gagged, but my empty stomach just squeezed itself. This happened two more times, and I was just frozen over the toilet with a disgusted look about me. When the wave of nausea passed at noon, we checked out of the hotel and decided to head home.
In the car, I closed my eyes and tried to sleep, but through my eyelids, I could see a range of colors spilling out from the world outside. In my delirious, ill state, I thought, "how pretty the colors are." We bought Gatorade before going home, and my family used Gatorade, carb-heavy foods, and fruit to nurse me back to health.
Right now, it is 10:05pm. It has been over 30 hours since I started drinking the previous day and over 24 hours since I attended that party. I am still slightly dizzy, even though I have just started drinking my second bottle of Gatorade. My appetite isn't where it should be, but I've tried to eat porridge, veggies, and fruit. I am not sure whether I'll be able to sleep tonight, but hopefully, it will help cure this alcohol-and-energy-drink-induced ailment.
The scariest part of this traumatizing ordeal is that I was so sick, I could have died. Many have, and I am so grateful to be alive and conscious right now. Again, I do not recommend combining alcohol and energy drinks and strongly advise that everyone stay away from the combination. The buzz is not worth your life.
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