Desperate for Answers on Unusual Alcohol-Induced Reactions

Hi everyone,

I’ve been struggling with alcohol-related issues for the past decade. After multiple visits to the medical system without receiving a clear diagnosis or help, I decided to share my experience here in case anyone has encountered similar problems.

It all started about ten years ago during a trip with friends, where I consumed a large amount of vodka Red Bull over the course of the week, getting blackout drunk on a couple of nights. When I began to sober up, I found myself struggling to form coherent sentences, think clearly, and even experienced hallucinations in the following nights. Since then, alcohol has affected me more severely after each drinking session. I experience brain fog that lasts for weeks or even months after drinking, and I suffer from prolonged dehydration, especially at night, which causes me to wake up repeatedly for weeks. Additionally, when I drink, I don’t get the usual buzz from alcohol—it seems to affect me much less than it used to. Instead, I experience a mild brain fog that feels different from just being intoxicated.

Due to these symptoms, I’ve remained sober for the last 5+ years, as the negative aftereffects far outweigh any pleasure from drinking. However, this has led to social issues in my culture, where many gatherings revolve around alcohol. I often feel left out, both indirectly because I don’t enjoy being around drunk people while sober, and directly, as I’m sometimes not invited because I don’t drink.

I suspect that something may have happened to my stomach or gut bacterial flora. I’ve also noticed that certain non-alcoholic drinks and foods cause issues. For instance, if I drink a can of carbonated soda, I become very dehydrated. Similarly, if I eat artificially produced candy, I can almost feel my brain slowing down, and my ability to think and speak clearly diminishes.

Doctors have told me that I shouldn’t be affected like this and that everything appears normal.

Has anyone experienced similar issues or have any thoughts on what might be happening?