Posted by AMD on March 24, 2005, at 13:07:19
Folks,
Is there any reliable literature out there on the effects of short- and long-term alcohol consumption on cognition. Will a week's worth of drinking cause damage, or does it take years and years of heavy drinking? What is the etiology of the damage? The alcohol itself, vitamin deficiency, something else? Finally, is this damage reversible, and is there a quantitative way to measure it?
I ask because I seem to have a horrible response to alcohol these days -- it zaps my memory and brings me down for a couple weeks into a cloudy, unorganized, unmotivated funk. And I think -- is this the alcohol, or is it a side-effect of the alcohol's interaction with my psychopharmacological medication? I have had, maybe, 24 nights out drinking in the past two years.
I guess I just want to see if my having a casual drink or two (or three) now and then if I'm committing intellectual suicide. Are truly successful, smart people all non-drinkers?
Any medicines to offset any possible damage?
Thanks,
amd
poster:AMD
thread:474989
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050322/msgs/474989.html