Alcohol making me ill?

[rayoflightand]

Hi I'm 36 and never really feel great.
I'm starting to think it's dehydration.
I don't drink much at all
Breakfast half a cup of tea
Then rest of the day il sip on a Diet Coke and after 6 hours there will still be some left.
Then maybe 1/2 bottle of 500 ml water

I wake up exhausted,I'm always tired
Really sticky mouth but the worst is a headache on the top of my head and going lightheaded occasionally.
Also I will drink twice a week (5 cocktails a night )

Aibu to think it's my lack of drinking (I just struggle to drink more )
Or is that enough ?

Yes it's dehydration. I'm surprised that your skin isn't suffering as well.

Why do you drink so little. If you feel that unwell surely it’s a very easy thing to change?

My skin is so dry and also my face is bloated.
Stupidly the penny has just dropped

I have anxiety and I know this will sound silly but when I'm at work I'm scared to drink incase I choke

Absolutely sounds like dehydration. Clearly you can drink more if you manage 5 cocktails a night.

@rayoflightand

I have anxiety and I know this will sound silly but when I'm at work I'm scared to drink incase I choke

Actually choke on water or make a spluttering sound?

Ever since I was young and a drink went down the wrong way i have been a bit weird about swallowing
Sometimes if the office is really busy I get anxious
So I just sip on it

I used to be worried about drinking in case I'd need a wee at an awkward time (ahhh the joys of anxiety so I empathise). I'd go without drinking until late evening if I was out for the day, and sounds silly but other people drinking especially in cars etc made me actually clam up. However I've overcome it mostly now via medication, therapy and some other things. Anyway, I'd choking is your fear would using a straw or something help?

Definitely not enough, if you don't like drinking at work could you make sure you have a proper drink of water in the morning and when you get home? And perhaps gave soup for lunch?

@Peasock I can't drink on a bus or train either.
Just incase I start choking and feel trapped
A straw does massively help me yeah.

Although sipping is fine, just need lots of sips throughout the day! Honestly I felt like arse when I wasn't drinking enough- I was also all bloated, terrible skin & hair, zero energy- I am astounded by the difference it has made.

I would also advise against drinking coke of any sort while you're so dehydrated, as that only makes the problem worse. Take a large bottle of water into work with you OP, and keep it by your desk, constantly sip your water from a straw, and top up your glass throughout the day. It really is vitally important that you drink more, no wonder you're getting headaches. I would also be inclined to speak to your GP or pharmacist to see about getting something that will rehydrate you.

You need to drink more during the day, use a straw if you say its easier and you can increase your intake with watery foods like water melon, fruit, yoghourt, jelly, ice cream, alcohol dehydrates you too and is a diuretic so maybe mocktails would be better.

How much does everyone here drunk ?
What's normal?

*drink

I have 3 large teas and 4 squash a day

www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/how-much-water-should-i-drink-day

You don’t have a problem drinking in the evening for the cocktails, right?
So it’s just at work?

I drink approx 4 cups of coffee a day, a couple of decaf teas, and approx 6 glasses of squash or water (300ml each. So 1.8l of cold drinks)

I also have a small glass of wine most evenings. Say 4 evenings a week- I split one bottle across the week.

It's just around people I don't really know.
Not my "safe" people or when I'm in the house but I've become that used to not drinking now I'm rarely thirsty and just forget.

I’ve had a similar problem with much smaller amounts of alcohol. I can confirm that it’s lack of water; make sure you drink what seems like a ridiculous amount in between alcoholic drinks.

I'm off work today
I've got a 2 l bottle of water
Going to drink this all today and see if I can notice a difference
I feel like a right idiot

I drink loads, menopause has made me really thirsty!
Breakfast time - 2 cups tea
Mid morning- 2 cups coffee
Lunchtime - cup of tea
Afternoon- 500mls water plus cup of tea
Evening - at least 3 tall glasses of water
Overnight - a pint of water

Sipping fizzy drinks all day is really bad for your teeth too.

Try to drink enough water to keep your urine pale in colour.

Five cocktails is probably enough to give plenty of people a bit of a hangover (cocktails are tricky because it's hard to know exactly how much alcohol is in them - five cocktails could be equivalent to five shots or it could be equivalent to a dozen shots. I'd be fine if I had five mojitos, but if I had five Long Island iced teas or five vodka Martinis I'd be ... a lot less fine).

However, completely setting aside alcohol, if you are routinely only drinking half a cup of tea, a few mouthfuls of Diet Coke and 250ml of water a day, you are almost certainly a bit dehydrated. Alcohol dehydrates you further.

It sounds like you have an actual phobia/OCD problem around drinking in the office, which must be really hard for you. I think maybe some therapy might help you there - it's impacting on your physical health and general wellbeing. Definitely invest in a bottle with a straw, if you find straws help you be less anxious about drinking. You can get bottles that are marked to show you how much you're drinking, so you can keep track.

How much does everyone here drunk ?
What's normal?

For me it's 5 to 8 mugs of tea, a can of Diet Coke and a couple of large glasses of no-added-sugar cordial most days. I'm not a massive drinker of alcohol, maybe two or three glasses of wine/pints/spirits and mixers once a week?

Stop binge drinking.
Take water bottle to work.
Deal with anxiety. Speak to GP