could I have died from drinking that much?

Question

Im 5'2" and 89 pounds, and on new years I managed to drink 2 glasses of champagne, 1 jello shot, and about 5 or 6 shots of other stuff at a party..

I drank all of this on an empty stomach, in less than 2 hours.. I also take 450 mg of wellbutrin xl..

Im scared because, although I remember drinking those drinks, I dont remember actually choosing to drink them, I also dont remember what I said to people, but I remember talking to them. I dont know what happened after the new year countdown, but sometime between 12am and 6am I passed out and woke up in a bed at this house (and yes I know how dangerous and stupid that was)

how serious is this..could I have died that night? what is a safe amount of alcohol for someone my size to drink, and how do you know when to stop?

Answer 1

I don't know how to stop once I start either. That's why I go to AA. I've learned that my body processes alcohol differently than most people. There's a chemical reaction that starts when I take a drink, and doesn't stop until I'm dangerously loaded. And I have this obsession with the idea that one day, that won't happen. But it always does.

Try www.aa.org for more information.


Also, as a nursing student, I can tell you that the amount you drank in that timeframe is enough to kill someone of your size, even without the Wellbutrin. Anyone who can drink more than that, puking or not, has built up some tolerance.

The memory loss is techically called a "blackout", and is an enormous red flag for alcohol addiction.

Answer 2

The "good" answer would be to not drink at all, but we all know that's not feasible. The realistic answer is that this has happened to everybody, and sometimes it's just a matter of learning what you can or can't drink and what not to mix; everyone's body is different.

Although there have been cases of people dying from alcohol poisoning, this is either because there was an allergy to the alcohol or because some other people were forcing that person to drink beyond way beyond their limit. Unless you are allergic or, God forbid, poisoned, your body will react defensively by either vomiting or passing out.

But yeah, watch out who you're hanging out with when you drink, people can't all be trusted -- I had a friend who passed out in front of a bar on a busy street and his friends just left him there and he woke up four hours later; nobody bothered to help him and he didn't look like a homeless guy or anything.

By the way, it's kind of a fallacy that drinking after eating is better for you. Had you drank on a full stomach, the effects of the alcohol would have hit you much slower, which means you may have been compelled to drink even more. Empty stomach or not, the alcohol will still get into your bloodstream.

Answer 3

Everyone else has addressed that you could die. My question is: your friends let you do this? I know you are old enough to take care of yourself, but if they saw you do all this, I don't know that I'd party with them again! 5 or 6 shots is a LOT to do in an hour. My people would say something, and I'd have my keys taken away. There's too much to lose.

BTW - in many states, if you drink more than 1 drink per hour especially on an empty stomach, you are legally drunk (by blood alcohol level) behind the wheel. I seriously hope you stay where you are if you drink more.

Answer 4

If it were a dangerous amount for you you would have woke up in the hospital having your stomach pumped or a case of alcohol poisoning.
Everyone has a different alcohol tollerance im 5"1 i weigh 50kg and I can drink 5 glasses of wine 3 beers 4 shots of vodka and other things and still I will only be tipsy
The more dangerous part of the situation is waking up in strange places you know, only get smashed when your with people you know not when you might go home with a homicidal maniac
Like I said its all to do with the person and their alcohol tolerance I had a very strong alcoholic in my family that when out of beer would raid the cupboard for turps or metho and be utterly fine

Answer 5

I doubt you would have died from the alcohol itself, although if you are unused to drinking that amount you may have become quite sick. You would need to drink a fair bit more than that to die from it. However, you may have died as an indirect consequence of that alcohol. Considering you don't remember anything at all, it would have been possible for you to make unwise decisions or for other people to take advantage of your situation, leading to death.
There is not standard formula for determining how much somebody of a certain size can drink. The amount of alcohol absorbed into the blood stream and the rate at which it is absorbed differs from person to person depending on such things as muscle mass, metabolic rate, how much food that person has eaten prior to drinking, whether or not that person is feeling happy or depressed when starting to drink, etc.
I nonetheless suggest drinking just enough to feel happy but avoid crossing the line to drunkedness. It's really not that difficult to do if you drink slowly.

Answer 6

Drinking that heavily is dangerous for anyone. As you know, alcohol depresses heart action and breathing. You know you've had enough to drink when you start feeling a little "heady". Actually, by then you've already had too much. I'm not against drinking, but I do have to say that having a good time at a party isn't a function of alcohol. It's what you bring of yourself to the event that makes all the difference.

Never accept drinks from someone you don't know and trust.

Answer 7

The good news is that this has happened to everyone at least once, drinking so much and then loosing memory and getting sick.

When you start drinking your brain works like a clock starting at the front of the Brian when the Alcohol reaches to the back of the brain your Brian makes you throw up If you don't throw up you can die of alcohol poisoning

That was way to much for your body to handle I cant even drink that much I have in the past made the same mistake and threw up in my boyfriends car he was mad at me for the longest time I was sick for th entire next day it was horrible

I hope you learned your lesson and remember next time you start drinking what happened and you wont be so stupid again a tip next time you drink take 2 aspirin and drink plenty of water also don't drink so quickly take it slow

Answer 8

That is the definition of binge drinking and the fact that huge expanses of time are missing is something that you should be especially concerned about. That's what blacking out it. And if you passed out later you probably had acute alcohol poisoning which is miserable. Yes, you could have died, and to be honest, you're lucky that you didn't. That's a serious situation, especially considering your size. Your blood alcohol level was about .225 which is pretty high, and was probably higher since you hadn't eaten. Just be careful if you're going to drink and try not to drink as much.

Answer 9

Yes you could have died. You cannot drink alcohol while taking Wellbutrin. You did not just pass out, you had alcohol poisoning which kills many people every year. If you are taking Wellbutrin for depression, then you should not be drinking any alcohol. Alcohol is a depressant it will send you spiraling down. You almost killed yourself. Do not tempt fate twice.

Answer 10

Your last question - 'how do you know when to stop?' is the telltale one....Most people DO know when to stop drinking and that is after they begin to feel a buzz usually.

Unfortunately it sounds as if you may have the proclivity for eventual alcoholism so please do something now. If you find you go out, promise yourself you will only have two or three drinks, yet then 'break' that promise to yourself, your body and mind are NOT suitable for safe drinking of alcohol.

And yes, you could have died. Surely you know you cannot anti depressant drugs and drink also!