24 replies to this topic

[fight4life]

I've noticed something lately and I'm not talking about getting completely wasted or even drunk for that matter. However, last night I had about 4 beers - enough to get going. Today I woke up with more drive, more direction, and more inhibition than ever before. In a sense, I'm acting more decisively and more like a man... I'm not give a sh-- about what others think or feeling dependent on somebody else.

I don't drink much, maybe 2-3 times per month. Also, a relationship break up had gotten me a little bit depressed over the past week or two, had been tapering off, and this seemed to just snap me out of the BS and get focused on my life. By the way, it has been 24 hours since the drinks, so there may be alcohol in my system, but very little.

Does this have to do with triggering my GABA?

I am thinking if this is GABA, I could supplement sparingly with Phenibut to get my mind off the BS and on my own life.

What are your thoughts?

[kylyssa]

I don't have an explanation but I've experienced the phenomenon myself.

[purerealm]

dopamine rebound, for a few hours after waking up from a night of being wasted, i'll be really productive but still sloppy hungover, and then that will wear off and i'll have to pass out for a few hours and then wake up still a little hungover but at least refreshed

[fight4life]

No, its been all day today... seems like the longer the day went on, the more direction and conciseness I had. I am looking forward to tomorrow...

[Shepard]

Might want to look towards cortisol.

[superpooper]

Yeah I agree with purerealm. Sounds like dopamine.

[Ghostrider]

I have never experienced anything like that, I always feel down or just a bit out of it the day after drinking -- regardless of how little I drink. I know someone else who feels exactly the same way.

[Centurion]

You bring anyone home that night?

[purerealm]

this phenomenon is called an afterglow, i've never heard of anyone getting it from alcohol but consider yourself lucky

don't you mean you've been more uninhibited than inhibited?

[fight4life]

Centurion, no I didn't bring anyone home... not to say that I'm a pimp but getting girls like that as far as hooking up isn't that hard for me. I'm not looking to do that right now.

Anyway, its been 48 hours since the drinks and I've been getting distracted again. It's like that stuff made its way back into my head again. I have ADHD says my psychologist so maybe that has something to do with it. Just not sure how alcohol plays into that.

[kottke]

I think fight4life is on to something here. I too expereince the same phenomina and im a bit on the anxious side. When i wake up from a night of drinking my mind does not space out nor to i have any sort of anxiety till later in the evening. I think it may be a combination of the 2 DA and GABA but im riding more on the GABA. Thats why i think a large amount of people drink in the evening when they get off work. Its like a benzo with a fairly long half-life. I mean ethanol is an amazingly therapeutic substance that has helped people since the begining of time deal with life . Too bad its neurotoxic and doesnt come in a pill form.

[superpooper]

I wonder if the reduction in serotonin plays a role in this?

[olaf.larsson]

Yes I also feel good after heavy drinking. I go to bed at 3 in the night totaly drunk and i wake up 8 in the morning full of energy and with a desire to do programing and write articles.

[morb]

How old are you? I had the greatest times of my life drinking and the day after. Allowed me to get over a lot of things and have a good time but it was very artificial. Its like coke, you may respond well and be a bigger person but its a big lie in the end and you aren't dealing with the underlying issues. As to whether you can ever get over chemical imbalances or improper socialization when young, that is another matter. For me I came to realize I was stuck in the same spot and in no small part because of the people I would meet out. If I go back out those same people are still there waiting, a little older, a little more pathetic. There is a certain zen to getting fucked up but I would probably trade those times knowing what I now know. At the time I was a total mess (pre drugs) but who's to say I wouldn't have pulled through anyway. Its a tricky subject but I have to think some people can get their shit done and just get fucked up to socialize. Some get fucked up to feel normal. All things being equal, it then becomes a quality of life question. I could say you would be better off not touching any drugs but that must be hypocritical. Drugs left me with a lot of regrets as well as good memories. Then I spent a lot of years feeling sorry for the lost time and where I ended up. Now that is all over the place and comes from opposite poles and I may have always had a hard time deciding and acting but this much is reasonable: Learn everything possible, be goal and task oriented, choose your drugs wisely but above all else try to enjoy your days because you never know how many you have and the whole struggle is your life.

Was I fucked up when I said that or not?

[Centurion]

Maybe you just had a really great time. Sometimes in my case the stress and general need to "let my hair down" and the release that comes from a nights enjoyment outweighs the downside of a slight hangover.

[ikaros]

I would say this effect is mainly a result of poor sleep that alcohol induces. The "drive" felt in the following day is a very prominent marker for sleep deprivation. I've experienced it myself after drinking, though sometimes reaching levels of hyperactivity it's surely accompanied by lowered ability to think and perform complex cognitive feats. Of course the still elevated levels of GABAergic activity might also contribute to disinhibited feelings felt afterwards, but poor sleep can make one positively stupid (sleep deprivation btw is a very potent antidepressant). It's quite a wonder what sleep deprivation can do to human body, especially regarding the paradoxical physiological effects it brings about - must have been somekind of evolutionary adaption.
If you nevertheless want to have a good sleep, then alcohol's a bad idea, it interferes with sleep cycles. Moderately taken it's a good sedative and hypnotic.

[xanadu]

Oh boy, another "isn't booze wonderful" thread. Yes, the theraputic effects of alcohol can be attested to by any wino you meet in the street. It's highly toxic to the body including the brain, tends to promote cancer, is addictive and can lead to sudden death by acute intoxication or slow death by liver failure. Not that those are the only bad effects of it.

But it makes you feel better in the short run. And it sometimes helps get a potential partner into the sack so who cares?

[kottke]

Hmm. Drinking moderately seems to be one thing healthy seniors have in common.
Maybe not as highly toxic as you think xanadu.

[tjcbs]

I too have experienced this. Lets not get sidetracked by moral crap, or "it does more harm to you in the long run" sort of talk. I think this is a valid physiological phenomenon worthy of discussion, if only for the vague hope that it may be reproducable consistently without the alcohol. My own experience is that the day after heavy drinking i feel *good*: happy, confident, and intelligent. Like what I have been hoping to achieve through nootropics but never been able to. I think the sense of increased intelligence is not illusory: i am a pretty poor chess player (my rating would probably be around 1200) but one day after serious drinking I played a 1900 player and beat him in a long and complex game, which I'm sure i would not be able to do otherwise.

[operationivy]

I had a moderate afterglow with alcohol. More intense afterglow is experienced with strong hallucinogens and opiates though.

Alcohol is bad in numerous ways. Not to mention that mainstream drinks are loaded with harmful additives.

[NFP]

my day afters are the best. i wake up earlier than usual, a little groggy but confident and optimistic. i only drink 1-3 times a month though. does anyone know how this happens?!

Edited by NFP, 18 August 2014 - 07:25 PM.

[Dichotohmy]

my day afters are the best. i wake up earlier than usual, a little groggy but confident and optimistic. i only drink 1-3 times a month though. does anyone know how this happens?!

 

http://www.longecity...rs/#entry601853

 

In a nutshell, the GABA modulation by alcohol results in a temporary rebound in gluatminergic and dopaminergic activity once the acute effects of the alcohol have passed.

 

Personally, I don't get this effect from getting sloppy drunk quickly, but definitely do if I pace myself over at least 12-hours of drinking - amount by amount. For example, putting back the better part of a 5th in a few hours would leave me feeling absolutely awful the next day, while sipping on the same amount of liquor from morning to bedtime would usually leave me feeling pretty damn good the next day. Unfortunately, my digestive tract and liver cannot handle this kind of drinking anymore, and now, active alcohol intoxication results in an acute downregulation in the reward pathways in my head that leaves me a more anhedonic, "sad drunk." 
 

Edited by Dichotohmy, 18 August 2014 - 07:39 PM.

[barbelith42]

My composite hypothesis includes:

 

1) A temporary glutamate increase: GABA<->glutamate balance one another. Glutamate is a precursor to GABA, GABA breaks down into glutamine -- which is part of the process that creates more glutamate.

2) GABA also acts as an excitatory neurotransmitter in certain places, not exclusively as an inhibitory one.

3) The temporary reduction in affective stress also likely limits the ability of cortisol to exert negative effects, which would be particularly noticeable in chronically stressed individuals and/or those with hypercortisolism or other Addison's-like adrenal (pituitary) suppression due to overwork and/or toxicity.  

 

NB: *racetams also increase glutamatergic activity.

 

Required safety warning: Please do be careful with alcohol, as its psychological effects are notorious for masking the longer-term damage caused by consumption of an organic solvent. Moderation allows the body to recover (mostly), but it's only when you stop drinking with any regularity that you will notice its effects. Never do anything all the time unless you need to -- as advised by trained and specialized medical personnel. You would only notice damage after it occurs. Alcohol's addictive affects are also notorious, particularly in susceptible individuals. Be safe -- no, you can't drive, I know you feel totally in control right now, man; yea, she IS really hot, but you won't make it home if you get a DUI on the way, so call a cab. That being said, have fun!

[Plasticperson]

Obvious GLUTUMATE rebound from gaba agonism.. a couple beers isn't going to last into the next day and cause gaba rebound or whatever everyone else thinks lol. However, It could also be that your getting better sleep lol.

 

Piracetam and Vitamin b6 could mimic your after alcohol effects.

[barbelith42]

Alcohol interferes with sleep structure; i.e., the time in each phase of sleep is altered. If I recall correctly, REM (dream) sleep is suppressed -- interfering with memory consolidation -- and some of the restorative functions of slow-wave deep sleep are as well. However, time into and spent in stage 1 light sleep are reduced. Time slept can be increased, but if used frequently will likely reduce total time slept due to the above reasons.