Sudden onset of bad hangovers?

**peterdavisfacs** · April 14th, 2009, 07:41 PM

Im 28 and have been a heavy drinker for 2 years. Just recently I started having terrible hangovers....

More background: I've been a causal drinker since college, but for the last two years have drank more often - 5-6 days a week. Usually it is a few glasses of wine (1/2-3/4 bottle) on evenings when hanging out, or some mixed drinks (like 5-6 shots I guess) when watching sports. This would give me a good buzz and I might have a slight headache once in a while the next day if I drank more than that, but it never became a problem or affected anything. Anyway, about a month ago I had the same amount of alcohol I've always had one evening (1/2 bottle of wine), but woke the next day with a terrible hangover (vomiting, shivers, dizzy, etc). I almost never have that happen unless I spend a whole day getting plastered, so I was totally confused how I could be so sick one morning out of the blue after my normal amount of drinks.

So I took a week off drinking, then had 5 beers with friends at a baseball game. I was buzzed, sobered up, and went home no longer drunk or buzzed. But the next morning I was near vomiting again, with another bad hangover.

I thought that was weird again, and stopped drinking for 2 weeks. Last night I had some screwdrivers at a basketball game with a friend, maybe a quarter of a pint, not enough to even get "drunk". Drove home fine as could be, and today I've got a splitting headache and feel like I can barely stay awake.

So the last three times I've drank, its been terrible the next day. I'm confused because I am not drinking any more booze than I used to, I am drinking the same kind of beer/liquor/wine in the same amounts as I have been for two years, so its not like I'm drinking new alcohol or mixing it up.

Has anyone else ever had anything like this happen or heard of this happening? I am worried there is something wrong (medically), but have not found anything online of people with a similar experience, or all of a sudden having this happen without changing their pattern of drinking.

**Joey** · April 21st, 2009, 05:49 AM

Yeah, that's pretty weird. I only get those type of hangovers from binge drinking heavily. Perhaps you're not getting enough water? If you're worried there may be something wrong with you medically, obviously the best thing to do is see a physician.

**Nova5** · April 23rd, 2009, 07:55 AM

The liver is getting its revenge upon you.

**3GROC** · April 27th, 2009, 09:43 PM

old age...same thing happened to me around 27...

**Natack** · August 27th, 2009, 01:21 AM

Don't worry. You are young. But! don't drink so much and stop drinking when you get shaky and nervous!

**Kojack** · September 1st, 2009, 01:45 AM

When I started getting hangovers I started drinking water between drinks (sound odd) and that keeps me right.... Its the lack of sleep that gets me these days.

I've got a mate that has the same sounding problem... She's been hospitalised a couple of times after big nights, but just casual drinking messes her up too. She's seen the docs and they can't find anything wrong, so they just told her to stop drinking....

**Trendkiller Z28** · September 4th, 2009, 09:42 PM

It's possible you may be causing hypoglycemia due to your heavy drinking. If you drink enough your liver focuses on breaking down the alcohol in your body and in turn doesn't produce enough blood sugar. Make sure you don't drink on an empty stomach which, as much as you say you've been drinking, probably happens regularly.