Drunk But Not

If you have been sick enough, long enough, chances are you have had a feeling of being drunk, even though you are not. I have heard of chronically ill people being pulled over, arrested, and then found out to be ill, not drunk. It is a miserable feeling and we have to deal with it when it happens.

Thank goodness the drunk feeling passes but it sure is yucky when dealing with it.

There really are reasons why we can experience this “drunk” feeling when we are chronically ill.

• Blood sugar
  • Diabetes – when blood sugar drops, the person may feel very different – may even feel drunk or slightly intoxicated
  • Sugar “hangover” from too much sugar
• Neurological
  • Brain injury – slurred speech can be indicative of a serious injury, for example
  • Epilepsy – seizures can be either partial or generalized, so they may not be obvious
  • Seizures – not from epilepsy have the same effect
• Alzheimer’s – symptoms range from mild to severe and may include symptoms that make the person appear drunk
• Vertigo – the inner ear is not working properly, so balance and nausea may occur
• Migraine – have an “aura” that can be a range of feelings before they start that isn’t necessarily something you see, but something that you feel before the pain comes on
• Gut Fermentation Syndrome – rare syndrome causes the abdomen to produce ethanol naturally, type of yeast in the gut that naturally produces a type of alcohol that can have an intoxicating effect without even drinking
• Viral illness – onset of a viral illness known as the “prodromal period” may mimic feeling hungover without drinking
• Wilson’s Disease – body accumulates excess copper, and cannot clear it through normal detox pathways, making the person appear drunk
• Chronic fatigue syndrome – can cause unrestful sleep that may make you wake up feeling hungover and still tired the next day (sleep does not resolve this issue)
• Detoxing too fast – yep, something that simple can cause the feeling of being drunk

Those are a boatload of reasons to feel “drunk” but we are not. We are ill and it can happen for many reasons.

I have had this happen many times because I have been chronically ill for decades. Now that I do not drink alcohol, I cannot blame it on alcohol.

When this happens, safety is the main concern.

• Do NOT drive so that we are not putting others at risk
• Get in bed, or at least sat down, for our own safety

When this happens if can feel scary. When it happens enough times we can learn how to flow with it.

• Get in bed where it is safe for everyone
• Drink fluids
• Get rest

When rest does not solve it, it is important to find the root cause.

Now we are back to troubleshooting to find root causes which not only cause symptoms, they lead us to the diseases that are keeping us stuck.

As an example, in this video, I express that I feel “drunk.” I did not feel well enough to do anything but crawl in bed for a couple days.

I finally realized that there was a weather pressure system that was going through. Granted, I wish my body was able to handle simple weather, but it is not yet.

The pressure system created intense pressure in my right ear. Not only did it cause the lethargy and exhaustion, but it caused a megaphone sound in that ear. It was so intense that I used hot water bottles on the ear and neck, for days!!!

The weather system finally passed and the “drunkedness” passed. The safest and most comfortable thing for me to do was stay in bed with a hot water bottle to relieve pain, keep up with fluids, eat healthily and sleep as much as possible until it passed.

My whole point is that the drunk feeling can happen while we are ill, even though it is not from alcohol/drugs/substance of any kind.

Being aware that it can happen can relieve some of the stress surrounding it.

Being chronically ill is quite the adventure!! Ride with it, don’t fight it. Keep safe!!

HEALTH COACH DISCLAIMER:  Health/Wellness coaching is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent or cure any disease or condition. It is not intended to substitute for the advice, treatment and/or diagnosis of a qualified licensed professional. Trained and certified Health Coaches may not make any medical diagnoses, claims and/or substitute for your personal physician’s care. As your health/wellness coach I do not provide a second opinion or in any way attempt to alter the treatment plans or therapeutic goals/recommendations of your personal physician. It is my role to partner with you to provide ongoing support and accountability as you create an action plan to meet and maintain your health goals.