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I have been very open and honest with my doctors about my drinking.
One glass of wine each evening with a meal, followed by two drinks as I watch movies.
All spaced out over multiple hours. Knowing my body weight, I keep my BAC under 0.06, so I am never 'drunk' and I can always drive a vehicle..
Don't ever tell a police officer that you only had a couple of drinks. He won't be interested in your math that determined you're not drunk and you are fit to drive.
Just because you're not legally drunk doesn't mean you're not impaired.
I have extremely low sodium, and it isn't alcohol related. Ask your regular GP test your levels regularly. Aside from passing out, a person can suffer a stroke from this. I've been hospitalized for it. For me, I drink too much water and teas (non-caffeinated). My BP drops dangerously low randomly and I fall. I regain conciousness as soon as I hit the ground. It's not fun! I've had many a black eye from this. (I've also had this since I was a teen.) The two are connected.
The moderate alcohol consumption mentioned probably has nothing to do with it.
Probably so. Can't say I agree with the harsh "time to stop drinking" comments, it could have been induced by anything.
I've fainted randomly several times in my life. Once was on an airplane while walking back to the lavatory, once on a tennis court. A couple times I think it was probably heat stroke or dehydration related. Yes, it's a bit scary but I never paid it much attention and just went on as usual. Never bothered to see a doctor because I'm otherwise in good health and it's happened few and far between.
Chronic or repeated episodes of low Na suggests endocrine or renal problems (and of course, low Na can occur with diuretic use). Appropriate testing should be done.
Syncope during exercise/physical effort suggests cardiac problems like IHSS or rate dependent dysrhrythmia. An echo easily finds the former, but irregular rhythms can be hard to catch on an EKG or Holter when they only occur rarely.
Autonomic insufficiency is a neurological condition often associated with diabetes that results in recurrent episodes of hypotension with syncope or near syncope.
Don't ever tell a police officer that you only had a couple of drinks. He won't be interested in your math that determined you're not drunk and you are fit to drive.
Just because you're not legally drunk doesn't mean you're not impaired.
Stay off the roads.
The last time I got pulled over by a LEO, I had just left a VFW meeting where I served as their chaplain. I had one beer before the meeting, and no further drinks after that. A LEO followed me when I left the VFW, and pulled me over when my headlights flickered [wiring harness issue].
He performed the 'horizontal gaze nystagmus test' to confirm that I was drunk. Though I passed it without any indication that I had been drinking. The LEO got mad at me and cussed me out. Because in his version of reality, I must have been drunk.
After doing the same test over again a few times, he eventually released me.
Chronic or repeated episodes of low Na suggests endocrine or renal problems (and of course, low Na can occur with diuretic use). Appropriate testing should be done.
Syncope during exercise/physical effort suggests cardiac problems like IHSS or rate dependent dysrhrythmia. An echo easily finds the former, but irregular rhythms can be hard to catch on an EKG or Holter when they only occur rarely.
Autonomic insufficiency is a neurological condition often associated with diabetes that results in recurrent episodes of hypotension with syncope or near syncope.
Would an autonomic insufficiency syncope include violent muscle spasms?
Yup. The night before we went to bingo night at a local brewery with some friends. I had a few beers over about 3 hours - nothing stupid. They were a bit stronger than what I normally drink but I don't recall even feeling a buzz. Despite this, my wife drove home. I jumped on a work call until 3 am basically for validation and support purposes, but I mostly sat there quietly.
I woke up the next morning at 7:45 am to kick off the work day. Other than being tired, I was fine. Late night/overnight work is common this time of year.
I got dressed and petted the kitty (real cat, not a euphemism) and I began to feel strange. For a moment, my environment felt like it was in a weird bubble with a sense of Deja Vu. I remember mentioning it to my wife as it started to ease. I walked into the bathroom to kiss her before signing on and the next thing I knew I awakened face down on the floor with her telling me to lie still.
My wife told me as I walked into the bathroom I made a guttural sound - as if I asked for help, just before grabbing the doorway like I was trying to catch myself. I fell into some plastic drawers before landing on the bathroom floor. Luckily, the side of my face broke my fall.
She drove me to the ER where they ran several tests, including an EKG, X-rays, and a CT Scan. The only thing that showed up was mild dehydration with low sodium, which the doctor said was consistent with having a few beers the night before.
Cognitively, I recovered almost immediately. Physically, I am sore and have some bumps and bruises, but feel fine. Mentally, that's another story. I feel very mortal right now. Especially after recently experiencing some harsh side effects for a week or so after ending a course of Tramadol prescribed for surgery.
I have a history of spinal injury and multiple concussions, in addition to a syringomyelia. I have an appointment with my neurologist on Monday. Until then, I am refraining from driving until cleared.
This was really just seemed to come out of nowhere. It's a bit frightening.
I was going through the same thing for about a year. My doc thought I was having seizures, but it turned out that I was having bouts of ventricular tachycardia. It was discovered when I had a near death episode in September 2022.
The medics in the ambulance I called found me unconscious, with my heart rate elevated to 300bpm. I had a pacemaker/defibrillator implanted, and they put me on an anti arrhythmic drug (amiodarone), and I've been fine since then.
Would an autonomic insufficiency syncope include violent muscle spasms?
No.... Knowing you were diabetic, I made the comment because the spasms suggested hypoglycemia. You said they did the right tests to evaluate for stroke, tumors etc. to r/o seizures.
It can take a few minutes for your normal protective mechanisms to get a low BS back up, and that delay in recovery of normal mentation can mimic the post-ictal recovery period after a seizure. A hypoglycemic event can be hard to prove unless someone on hand can do a quick BS test &/or give you a quick jolt of sugar and you recover quickly with it.
Not to change the subject, but your experience with the gendarme sounds like entrapment....The drunk driving thing is a scam to gain extra revenue and browny points.It represents an effort by the naive to go after the low hanging fruit. Who (except for guys like me with actual data to back their opinionsl) is going to object to getting drunks off the road?...In fact, reflexes & coordination don't get negatively involved until you're really hammered... and of course, one gets attenuated to the effects of alcohol so it may not affect their physical abilities at all... Just ask The Babe or Mickey Mantle. The joke was that Mickey's favorite inning was the bottom of the fifth.
No.... Knowing you were diabetic, I made the comment because the spasms suggested hypoglycemia. You said they did the right tests to evaluate for stroke, tumors etc. to r/o seizures.
It can take a few minutes for your normal protective mechanisms to get a low BS back up, and that delay in recovery of normal mentation can mimic the post-ictal recovery period after a seizure. A hypoglycemic event can be hard to prove unless someone on hand can do a quick BS test &/or give you a quick jolt of sugar and you recover quickly with it.
Not to change the subject, but your experience with the gendarme sounds like entrapment....The drunk driving thing is a scam to gain extra revenue and browny points.It represents an effort by the naive to go after the low hanging fruit. Who (except for guys like me with actual data to back their opinionsl) is going to object to getting drunks off the road?...In fact, reflexes & coordination don't get negatively involved until you're really hammered... and of course, one gets attenuated to the effects of alcohol so it may not affect their physical abilities at all... Just ask The Babe or Mickey Mantle. The joke was that Mickey's favorite inning was the bottom of the fifth.
Thank you.
The LEOs in that city are notorious for following vehicles that leave the VFW or Am Legion late at night, in the hopes of arresting a drunk. He was upset that I was sober when he pulled me over.
Within all of the tests that my PCP has done, he did uncover that I had a stroke within the past five years. I was unaware of it. No idea if that connects to my syncope incidents.
Hmm, on another tangent. Is hypoglycemia hereditary?
My son had issues with hypoglycemia for his CDL as a truck driver.
A stroke heals leaving scar tissue in the brain. That can serve as an irritative focus to set up seizure activity.
The classic history in T2 DM is a young pt making too much insulin (because it's has abnormal effectiveness and less coordinated control of BS) which can lead to episodes of hypoglycemia. As time goes by, the pt's pancreas starts to poop out from over-work, so to speak, and BSs start to rise if calorie intake continues to be too high, and then DM is finally dx'd....T2 is of course hereditary.
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