Can't remember

diamondp

Hi all. Dose anyone know about memory loss (drink induced). the last 3 times i have gone out i ended up in an awfull mess and cant remember what i have been doing. the strange thing is i get little flashes where i remember something really clearly and it will only last for a second. example: Went out to din sat night had a bottle of wine, went home had a vodka and next thing i was waking up on sunday morning, Was after going to a club and dont remember leaving the house. now if i had a gallon of wine and drank the vodka straight i would understand the momory loss. im annoyed at myself as im not a teenager and am really embarissed that i got into such a state. Dont know what i want from posting this here but just needed to vent i guess. If anyone dose have sumthing to say which might magically make me feel better then do plsss share.

Beruthiel

My suggestion to you would be to cut down on the amount you drink.

Marksie

The only advice is to go to your doctor about memory loss as it may be symptomatic of an underlying condition.

I wont lock the thread juts yet, but will be watching it carefully for any medical advice other than the above

Dudess

Yes. It has happened to me on numerous occasions when too much of the same drinks you mentioned have been consumed. And it's scary. Last Christmas it happened to me far too much - and the reason why? I was drinking too much too quickly. Plain and simple. Since then I've cut down the amount I drink, I drink WAY more slowly and I find having a sufficient amount to eat before going drinking makes a huge difference. E.g. my mate's hen was in January and I drank lots of wine with the meal, then had a couple of cocktails, then had vodkas and diet Coke sporadically, spread out over the rest of the night. But I was absolutely fine, just pleasantly drunk, and not a trace of a hangover. Clearly the meal is what made the difference.

Quality

It might be just what you are drinking rather than the quantity, I know I cannot drink wine, I can share a bottle at a meal but If I am to have more than two glasses it is black out time.

Why dont you just stick to the vodka and see how you get on in the future, Make sure that you measure your drinks as well.

Best of luck

Dudess

Yeah wine is lethal. It really only should be drunk with food. Sorry OP, I know I recommended eating plenty before going out and now I see you actually went for a meal. In that case, drink more slowly and don't mix your drinks.

Nikster

Maybe you're allergic to alcohol? I know someone that has an allergy to alcohol and if someone around them is even drinking they pass out!

davyjose

I would agree with the others - drink less.

If you find this difficult to do then that is something you need to look at. Put simply there is no logical reason to drink to oblivion (is there any enjoyment in it), so you have to ask do you do it because you want to, or have you a bit of a problem*?

*I thnk drinking problems are, to some extent, a lot more common than people are willing to admit. How many people here would find it a chore to go one weekend without a drink? Is that healthy?

sam34

this is a major warning sign for you. memory loss like this is one of about 7 symptoms that are on a checklist for alcohol dependency. ideally you need to stop drinkning. if you cannot do that without withdrawal symptoms then go to your doctor.

Dudess

Sam, I've had memory loss episodes when out drinking. I also haven't had a drink since the Saturday before last and I haven't even thought about it. I think talk of alcohol dependency might be a bit OTT.

Caoimhín

Dudess wrote: »

Sam, I've had memory loss episodes when out drinking. I also haven't had a drink since the Saturday before last and I haven't even thought about it. I think talk of alcohol dependency might be a bit OTT.

It is OTT, however blackouts are a red flag.

Marksie

sam34 wrote: »

this is a major warning sign for you. memory loss like this is one of about 7 symptoms that are on a checklist for alcohol dependency. ideally you need to stop drinkning. if you cannot do that without withdrawal symptoms then go to your doctor.

Do be careful of trying to detremine a dignosis, though sam34 is correct in that you SHOULD go to the doctor

Dudess

caoibhin wrote: »

It is OTT, however blackouts are a red flag.

They're a sign of drinking too much maybe (teenagers have them) but not necessarily of alcoholism.

sam34

i dont think its too OTT. alcohol abuse can quickly slide into dependency for susceptible people. warning bells should be going off for the op.

Caoimhín

Dudess wrote: »

They're a sign of drinking too much maybe (teenagers have them) but not necessarily of alcoholism.

Thats true but regularly drinking so much that you black out is never a good sign.

briantwin

Try pacing yourself....honestly the number of people who wave around the pisshead stick on this forum is unreal, seriously are you working on commission or something,a euro for everyone you scare into rehab??
The OP has already mentioned that they didn't drink alot, this could be down to any number of factors ie. fatigue and not having eaten properly that day. OP try going out and drinking one drink for every two that your friends have. Also make sure you've had plenty of sleep and you eat dinner an hour or so before you go out. See if that helps.
Failing that head to your GP.

diamondp

Thanks for the replies. I dont think i have a drink problem as i would only have a drink a most once a month. This is what has me worried if i was drinking every weekend i would put it down to overdrinking. the fact that this has happened for the last 3 times i have had a drink i am thinking maybe there is something else at play here. the first time it happened i had had a lot to drink so i did write it off as that, but as for sat night i didnt.(Bottle of wine with my meal and a vodka) Think i will just give the drink a miss for a few months and see what happens next time. :rolleyes:

ScumLord

This happened a few times to me lately and I've never been one for blackouts. In fact I can usually remember everything. The trouble with going to the doctors is as far as their concerned once you go over 2 drinks your technically a binge drinking alcoholic.

It could be just age, out of practice. Either way it's a side effect of alcohol and the only way to avoid it for sure is not drinking alcohol.

carolmon

OP are you taking any other medication or have you changed medication recently?

The only time I suffered memory loss through drink was a side effect of taking alcohol with meds without realising the effect they would have.
It's a horrible feeling, really freaky trying to regain a chunk of time...

I doubt if you have alcohol dependence given the frequency you drink, if anything you may have a very low tolerance because you are not a regular drinker.

Hobart

It may have nothing got to do with alchohol, it may have everything to do with it. I could be a combination of affects. It is medically proven that a small amount of alchohol can actually have a positive effect on ones life.

Abstinence is one option, but could be way over the top and detremental to not only your physichal well-being but also your mental one.

There are no answers here for you, the best advice, is one that you have already been given. Go to a doc.

Overheal

If its confusing you that much you should see a doc OP.

Easter Sunday I went through 2 bottles of red without much hassle but that was over the course of the whole day I suppose. It was only when I finished with a couple fingers of Whiskey that things went a little pear shaped... I really cant recommend mixing wine with anything.

Caoimhín

Overheal wrote: »

If its confusing you that much you should see a doc OP.

Easter Sunday I went through 2 bottles of red without much hassle but that was over the course of the whole day I suppose. It was only when I finished with a couple fingers of Whiskey that things went a little pear shaped... I really cant recommend mixing wine with anything.

Ya lush...

all the stars

diamondp wrote: »

Hi all. Dose anyone know about memory loss (drink induced). the last 3 times i have gone out i ended up in an awfull mess and cant remember what i have been doing. the strange thing is i get little flashes where i remember something really clearly and it will only last for a second. example: Went out to din sat night had a bottle of wine, went home had a vodka and next thing i was waking up on sunday morning, Was after going to a club and dont remember leaving the house. now if i had a gallon of wine and drank the vodka straight i would understand the momory loss. im annoyed at myself as im not a teenager and am really embarissed that i got into such a state. Dont know what i want from posting this here but just needed to vent i guess. If anyone dose have sumthing to say which might magically make me feel better then do plsss share.

you need to watch what you are drinking and be more sensible about it -

jellie

in my experience wine f*cks me up. gives you a nice happy drunkenness, but too much eg. a full bottle & im pretty much guaranteed to forget a big chunk of the night, especially if i go on to drinking something else.

try keeping away from the wine, or drinking less of it.

LegacyUser

Thats strange OP I had a similar experience at the weekend. I'm 30. I have recently been trying to cut down the amount of drinking on a sat night(only go out once a week), and have been training a few times during the week also. Main thing I've done is stick to the beers. So I would usually have I suppose around 15-20 beers from around 8 or 9pm to around 5 or 6am, but have tried to cut this back to just over 10 maybe. Thing is sat night just gone I had around 10 or 12 overthe same time period, and it was a disaster. I thought I remembered most of the night and what I did etc. I'm scared though that this was not the case. Going through sent messages from 6am I think I may have been snogging a girl who is friends of a friend. I have a girlfriend. When I try to think I can see the face of a girl but its a very brief memory. I dont know what to do. I too, just cant remember.

Faith

It happens to me too, and it's in direct proportion to the amount of alcohol I drink. I've only had one instance of a complete loss of several hours, usually I just have a patchy memory when I forget blocks and remember others.

The last time it happened, I hadn't intended on going out and had only eaten two bowls of soup and some bread that day. It was pretty horrific, and I was so embarrassed the next day.

You say you only drink about once a month - me too. I think that the amount I can tolerate goes way down after periods of abstinence, but I never take that into account. When I was 18 and going out every week, I could easily drink a bottle of wine and several vodkas and be fine. I forget that I don't do that any more, but still try to drink the same amount (or keep up with friends who still drink several times a week). The simple answer is, drink less. Drink more slowly. Have a glass of water every second drink. Don't get doubles (oh doubles, my downfall...).

How Strange

I've only blacked out from drinking doubles, white wine or shots. Shots are a surefire way for me to black out and remember nothing.

IMO, blacking out is not a good sign. Some people seem to regard it as proof of a good night but realistically it's very worrying.

OP, I'd say mixing wine and vodka is a bad combo. A full bottle of wine is quite a lot in itself. Cut back on the amount you drink and what you drink.

Mixedup

i don't know if it could be the same thing OP but i have recently started having blackouts when i drink where i never did before. Now im no saint when it comes to drinking,just finished college last year and would go on the piss four nights a week sometimes having blackouts but it was my own fault.
However since i went out,got a job and limited my drinking to the weekends,not every weekend even, i thought i had calmed down quite a bit.

In the last month or two i have woken up nearly every time i went out, and remembered little or nothing, and it's really been worrying me. my friends tell me that they didnt even think i was that drunk so i cant understand it, but then last week someone pointed out that i had lost a good bit of weight recently, and it turns out i lost nearly 2 stone since last year, and that might have a big effect on how much i can handle.

have u lost weight or started on a new pill or something

dudara

Let me clarify, you had a whole bottle of wine (and some vodka)?

And you're wondering why you had a blackout?

At the risk of sounding like someone's mother, you might want to sit down and seriously re-evaluate what you think is a reasonable amount of drink.

davyjose

Dudess wrote: »

Sam, I've had memory loss episodes when out drinking. I also haven't had a drink since the Saturday before last and I haven't even thought about it. I think talk of alcohol dependency might be a bit OTT.

Ah, no offense Dudess but that's one weekend. Besides a lot of peoples alcohol dependancy (for want of a better term right now) is actually a social dependancy (ie, they drink because that's the only way they can socialise), and they are unable to control their drinking when they go out.

I know people who, when dry, can go weeks without wanting a drink, and when they finally have one, they go on a 3 day bender. In other words, there are different forms of alcohol problems, and drinking to oblivion, IMO, definitely falls into this category.

Caoimhín

davyjose wrote: »

Ah, no offense Dudess but that's one weekend. Besides a lot of peoples alcohol dependancy (for want of a better term right now) is actually a social dependancy (ie, they drink because that's the only way they can socialise), and they are unable to control their drinking when they go out.

I know people who, when dry, can go weeks without wanting a drink, and when they finally have one, they go on a 3 day bender. In other words, there are different forms of alcohol problems, and drinking to oblivion, IMO, definitely falls into this category.

This is true.
Not all alcoholics are like the happy fellows on the park bench with the Special Brew for breakfast.
Not that i think the OP is anywhere near that.

How Strange

I'd say that the major risks with blacking out is falling over and injuring yourself, getting into what you think is a taxi but isn't, getting raped or attacked. And I say all this with a tone of 'there but for the grace of god go I' not as someone moralising.

I did some woeful damage to myself one night after I blacked out. I was like a raggedy anne doll falling all over the place. Of course I didn't learn my lesson by a long shot but I do count myself very fortunate that on those nights stumbling home that nothing worse happened.

lily lou

Well I find that when my period is due in the next few days alcohol has much worse affect on me than at other times, could be hormonal!!

Captain Slow IRL

I suffer from blackouts as well, but I only get it when I hit the shots - can't stand wine hangover, so can't comment on that.

I was out with the gf the last few times and at the end of each night, great idea, let's get whisky/vodka/tequila - always end up doing something stupid (but harmless!) and she always laughs at my reactions!

Having said that, I was a bit crazy before I met her (she's teetotal, so a good influence) and I used to end up doing some crazy, stupid siht.

Stay away from the top-shelf - and slow down with the drinking. If you can stomach it, guinness is a great drink - very hard to get drunk on it!

Dudess

davyjose wrote: »

Ah, no offense Dudess but that's one weekend. Besides a lot of peoples alcohol dependancy (for want of a better term right now) is actually a social dependancy (ie, they drink because that's the only way they can socialise), and they are unable to control their drinking when they go out.

I know people who, when dry, can go weeks without wanting a drink, and when they finally have one, they go on a 3 day bender. In other words, there are different forms of alcohol problems, and drinking to oblivion, IMO, definitely falls into this category.

The point I'm making is that blackouts are often merely caused by getting hammered - drinking too much/too quickly/on an empty stomach/mixing drinks... or a combination of all of the above. It can happen to those who have only started drinking - e.g. teenagers. I'm just saying I don't know whether it's appropriate to talk of alcohol dependency.

Memory loss episodes are certainly not something to be taken lightly though: I really went to town on the drinking in the run-up to Christmas. Probably cos I had just started a proper job after a year of freelancing and being broke, and what better way to celebrate having money again than to piss it all away...? :rolleyes: That, plus the festive spirit. Anyway, I had a few blackout episodes and it bloody well scared me so I slowed down instead of "hoovering" back each drink, drank less as a result, and stopped once I started to feel pissed. And I didn't have any difficulty doing that and I've been doing it since.

I went out last Saturday night but took the car. I did that for no reason other than not being in the mood for drinking, waiting for a cab etc.

prod_igy

land9 wrote: »

If you can stomach it, guinness is a great drink - very hard to get drunk on it!

Dude, guinness is a lovely drink, i switched from budwieser there around november and after my 3rd drink i was hooked! (1st drink was gorgeus, 2nd was disgusting, thought i was wrong about the 1st drink, but then 3rd time lucky and ive never gone back!)

In response to the OP, i have gotten blackouts a hell of alot of times, and many of them i woke up the next day scared sh**less of what i did the night before. For instance i have no recollection of how i got home, with my last memory being that of leaving the pub for the nightclub. Another time i had no recollection of the whole night, with the only memory being me walking the 2miles home on a country road, and taking a lift off a complete stranger (luckily he dropped me home:o), and probably the worst was me waking up in a ditch on that same road, having presumibly tried to walk home the night before and failing miserably!!

Many of these i can attribute to an excessive intake of alcohol however and the mixing of drinks!