All the fun, none of the consequence (yet)

November 14, 2006 4:18 AM

I have unbelievably high tolerance. Could it be a bad thing?

I just started drinking two years ago, and my body seems to respond well to alcohol. I have never thrown up while drinking (not because I didn't drink enough) and I have never gotten a hangover. In fact, I often feel better after waking up from two hours of sleep after a night of drinking than if I were to get the usual six hours. Why?

posted by mr.dan to health & fitness (38 answers total)

You're still drunk?

Yes, it can be a bad thing - your increased tolerance means that you will probably drink more than someone with a lower tolerance, and consequently have more exposure to the negative health effects of alcohol, possibly including a greater propensity for alcoholism. Of course, you don't say how much and what you are drinking...

No idea how old you are, but if you're 21 and below then you can expect yourself to start partaking of the joys of hangovers before too many more years have passed. This most people find their tolerance is significantly higher when they are young.
posted by bifter at 4:35 AM on November 14, 2006

I never, ever have hangovers (no matter how much scotch, vodka, pisco, etc. I've drunk, or how much I've "mixed", etc).
I'm 35.
posted by signal at 4:36 AM on November 14, 2006

I agree with signal. I'm only 26, but I'm in the same boat and I hang out with some pretty heavy drinkers.

The only thing to look out for is that you don't get a little buzzed and decide you really want to get drunk and then end up slamming bottles of alcohol, because eventually you're going to get drunk and probably black out. You probably still won't get a hangover if you're like I, but blacking out is never really a great thing. Haha.
posted by atomly at 4:56 AM on November 14, 2006

It is felt by many researchers that people who have a hight tolerance and avoid the nasty effects of alcohol (i.e. hangovers) are at an increased risk of dependence, so it could be a bad thing. Be careful about your drinking habits.
posted by TedW at 5:02 AM on November 14, 2006

I've managed to get myself face-tingly, 10 shots of 99 apples in an hour or 12-15 shots of assorted stuff in one night, "let's go for a walk through Studio City, where-we-do-not-live" drunk, but I've never woken up with a hangover or thrown up.

I mean, I'll wake up groggy, but not mind-splitting, migraine style, sensitive to light or anything crazy like that. I just take things a bit slow. :-)

And I'm 21. And male. And have no idea what you consider a "lot" of alcohol for your weight. I'm between 200-250 pounds, as a data point for you.
posted by disillusioned at 5:02 AM on November 14, 2006

At some point in my foolish youth, I thought hangovers didn't exist, because I didn't get them. Blackouts, yes, but a "hangover"? A myth surely.

Now, some twelve years later, I know they are very real. I have learned to respect their awesome power that has me crippled for two days if I'm not careful.

The hangover will come, young mr.dan. It will come.
posted by NekulturnY at 5:19 AM on November 14, 2006 [1 favorite]

I weigh ~180 pounds and have taken 16+ shots on a few occasions. This invincibility thing is great.
posted by mr.dan at 5:26 AM on November 14, 2006

16 single shots isn't an outrageously large quantity to be honest (it's the equivalent of 8 pints of beer or a bottle and a half of wine maybe). It's a lot, but it's not into blacking out and throwing up territory for most people, and if it were vodka or some other "clean" spirit, even I would probably expect to avoid a truly crippling hangover.

Still, if they are large measures it gets more serious, and certainly you would still be somewhat intoxicated after 2 hours sleep. It would take a clear 8 hours to work that out of your system completely.

The invincibility thing is great... until it isn't. Not to be a killjoy, but having an alcoholic brother who started the same way as you - never hungover, never sick, could just keep on drinking seemingly forever, I'm slightly less impressed than most at gratuitously heavy drinking. He felt invincible while he was writing off his car whilst drunk, getting the shit kicked out of him by nightclub bouncers for hoovering other peoples drinks and so on. Fact is, heavy drinkers invariably both feel great and think they are great, but most of the rest of the population of the sober world thinks they're complete arseholes. Even while they're smiling awkwardly and trying to be polite about it.

Sorry if that seems like a lecture, but... well... you did ask if it could have any bad effects. Don't get me wrong - I drink socially myself - but frankly, frequently and heavily drinking with the sole intention to get drunk imho will not contribute too many positives to your life.
posted by bifter at 5:50 AM on November 14, 2006

This invincibility thing is great.

Uh may sound like great, may sound like having a big cock and all the very "manly" childish bullshit, but the bottom line is your liver (and your body) doesn't give a fuck about what you or anybody else may feel like, damage builds up.

Here is a wiki link to effects on body

The poison is in the quantity ; drink too much water and you will die , eat too much and .... anything too much and .... drinking is substles as the damages are slow and silent and build up. No wonder it is a profiteable business, clients die only after years of addiciton.
posted by elpapacito at 6:26 AM on November 14, 2006

mr.dan, do you have a high tolerance (can drink a lot of alcohol without getting drunk), or do you just not feel the aftereffects?

A high tolerance may mean your body can process the alcohol better than most, and you are not as hurt by drinking. But not getting hangovers is no indication of whether damage is being done--it just means you're one of those lucky few who doesn't get hangovers.

And yeah, watch to make sure you don't get too enthused about your "invincibility" and get dependent. It's all too easy.
posted by schroedinger at 6:31 AM on November 14, 2006

most of the rest of the population of the sober world thinks they're complete arseholes.

Yup.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 6:32 AM on November 14, 2006

I weigh ~180 pounds and have taken 16+ shots on a few occasions. This invincibility thing is great.

Well, until it's not. Alcohol is alcohol, no matter who is drinking it. Be careful with that attitude, you're not invincible and no one who cares about you wants to find you dead the next morning from choking on your own vomit or frozen because you curled up to sleep in a snow bank. Have fun but don't be (too) stupid.
posted by octothorpe at 7:13 AM on November 14, 2006

You guys need to learn how to take a joke. I know the internet is not exactly the best forum for sarcasm, but come on. I had a friend who passed this year from alcohol poisoning, so I am well aware of the dangers and have been affected by them personally.

Besides, I'm in Texas and it never snows.
posted by mr.dan at 7:46 AM on November 14, 2006

I weigh ~180 pounds and have taken 16+ shots on a few occasions. This invincibility thing is great.

You know, the four stages of inebriation?
1. Extremely intelligent
2. Incredibly good-looking
3. Invisible
4. Bulletproof

I'm not sure what's so great about being able to drink so much. It's not a contest…is it?
posted by adamrice at 7:59 AM on November 14, 2006

I'm almost 21... for my 21st I took 28 shots over the course of a few hours- I know because I took a permanent marker and had the bartender mark them off.

I wasn't even that drunk at the end, it was odd... I know exactly what you mean and I don't get hangovers either. I've made friends with an alcohol called Stroh- it's Austrian Rum and you can get the 80 % Alcohol type in the states- or at least in VA. The Stroh 90 is better (90%..) and it's about the only way I can get drunk unless I forgo dinner and stay away from beer. Otherwise I just get full and loose my urge to drink.

I'm 6'1"/2" and about 180 lbs if that gives you some comparison.
posted by eleongonzales at 8:56 AM on November 14, 2006

Should have said almost 22...
posted by eleongonzales at 8:59 AM on November 14, 2006

My father had a really high alcohol tolerance. On a related note, he was quite yellow when he died.

Where exactly is the fun in having a high tolerance? I always thought the fun was in catching a buzz, and in socializing which can be done without drinking at all (though a little buzz doesn't hurt).
posted by Good Brain at 9:02 AM on November 14, 2006

Look, I hate to be the one (or one of many) to have to break it to you, but a) it's unlikely you have a huge tolerance, b) the hangovers will come.

Dealing with b) first, everyone in the history of the world has started out saying "Man, this drinking thing is great. And I never get hung over!" It's because you're young and your body recovers quickly. Give it a couple of years and you'll be clutching your head as you lean over the toilet, especially if you keep drinking at that rate. Just a fact of life, chief.

As for a), look, I know you, like, totally had all this liquor, dude, and you, like, didn't feel it at all AWESOME! You're a superstar! The two things that you gather once you're not having PlaySkool My First Bender time anymore is that people often feel far less drunk than they are, while simultaneously being total assholes. Trust me, at some point you'll be saying things like "I'm not even drunk!" while simultaneously taking a shit in the middle of the living room. The morning after is when you get to have that "I guess I was drunk afterall. Now I have to clean the shit up off the floor" epiphany.
The other option, and one that people have mentioned, is that alcoholics usually don't feel like they're drunk at all. Unfortunately, the only way to find out for sure whether or not you're an alcoholic is to become one and then never be able to really drink again. So hey, maybe some moderation.
At least take solace in the fact that nearly every single guy in the history of booze has had the same feelings you have now, before realizing that those superpowers fade.
posted by klangklangston at 9:26 AM on November 14, 2006

And the other side of "Could it be a bad thing?"

Look at how much you spend on booze. Sixteen shots, assuming they're well shots, at three bucks a pop (assuming a student bar), is over $50 once the bartender is tipped. Do you want to have to spend $50 to get drunk? Evven at home, 16 shots is about a fifth of liquor. Do you want to have to drink a fifth every time you want to get drunk?
posted by klangklangston at 9:31 AM on November 14, 2006

At least take solace in the fact that nearly every single guy in the history of booze has had the same feelings you have now, before realizing that those superpowers fade.

In my circle of friends I haven't met a single person with the same situation.

I know how to drink responsibly, and I know when I have had enough. I also do not plan to keep this behavior up past college. I did not ask this question to be lectured or because I have a problem. I know that alcohol is bad for the liver, etc. I did not believe that I was somehow immune from the long-term medical consequences. I asked it because I was genuinely curious about my condition and if anyone else had a similar fitness. It seems that there are people out there.

I suppose I should also say that it is not so much a high tolerance of alcohol (it does not take an extraordinary amount to get me drunk), but more of a tolerance of the bad effects of alcohol.
posted by mr.dan at 9:50 AM on November 14, 2006

You asked because you wanted to brag about how much you can drink.

Your condition is called 'Youth.'
posted by Darth Fedor at 10:02 AM on November 14, 2006

Like others have said: the hangovers will come. Possibly not soon, though; I started drinking when I was 13, and up until my early '20s I was fine with upwards of a full case of beer in a night, sleeping until 10 am, and then waking up fully functional. Now I'm almost 25 and more than 5 or 6 beers will leave me feeling like complete shit the next morning.

So enjoy it while it lasts, and make sure you get enough calcium and vitamins.
posted by cmonkey at 10:10 AM on November 14, 2006

I really couldn't care less what a bunch of mefites think of my drinking ability (I really don't think it's all that impressive, just out of the ordinary). There's no point in bragging about anything on the internet because there's always someone there to 1up you or criticize you for it. I asked because I have never met another person who has come remotely close to sharing the same condition.

You are very wise compared to a young fool like me.
posted by mr.dan at 10:15 AM on November 14, 2006

If you think you're invincible you need to get yourself over to England. Drinking is the national sport and we train hard, very hard... Sixteen shots, while a lot, really isn't a lot to someone who drinks regularly. I used to drink a bottle of wine before going out and then drink about eight pints at lease a couple of times a week with no ill effects, but as you move into a space where you drink less (which hopefully you'll do at some point) your resistance will go down with it, and a few more years will probably see you saying hi to Mr Hangover :)
posted by zeoslap at 10:34 AM on November 14, 2006

I will add that towards the end of my drinking stint it got pretty tiresome because it took ages and cost a pretty penny to get to that nicely buzzed point.
posted by zeoslap at 10:37 AM on November 14, 2006

Well, to answer your literal question, in the style of you, mr.dan: you are not a special little butterfly. Many college students find they can drink without hangovers for awhile, especially if they're drinking pure spirits. Do you want a hangover? Drink a bunch of "woo woo" drinks, as jonmc would call them. Do a power hour, or maybe even 101. Accept a wine challenge (note: I'm not reccomending any of these, but they are known methods of ingesting a lot of sugary liquor, which is known to cause lots of unpleasantness the next day).
posted by muddgirl at 10:39 AM on November 14, 2006

I'm in the same boat. "Constitution of a vending machine" was how my college buddies described me.

Other commenters have pretty much covered the alcohol angle, but another downside of a quickly-filtering liver is difficulty with medications.

Drugs (over the counter, prescription, illicit -- doesn't matter) generally work as advertised the first time I take them, but thereafter it's a losing battle. Doctors have a very hard time treating me, because my body adapts too quickly. I've had procedures requiring local anesthetic where the doctor has had to stop because it would have been too dangerous to give higher doses or he had run out of other medicines to try. Illnesses requireing long-term medication have meant that my doctor has to change medicines every four weeks or so.

About the only things I can rely on are simple chemical reactions, such as soda-based antacids and your basic antihistamines. Anything else, my high tolerance eventually gets in the way.

I never thought about that while I was in college, but now that I'm older and needing the occasional medical treatment, it's become an issue.
posted by ewagoner at 10:43 AM on November 14, 2006

Something Ewagoner wrote made me think of is that my girlfriend used to have a massive alcohol tolerance, because she took anti-migrane medicine that essentially cancelled out the effects of alcohol. But even that was a pain in the ass, and probably dangerous to her liver.

And yeah, you were bragging. It's OK. If no one you know has such a spectacular tolerance, you special little snowflake, you either don't know very many people or don't have such an amazing tolerance. Sorry.
posted by klangklangston at 11:14 AM on November 14, 2006

Way to mark your boasting as best answer, ace. CHUG!
posted by klangklangston at 11:15 AM on November 14, 2006

I used to have the tolerance of a 300 pound football player. I know, because I drank Scottish soccer hooligans under the table.

Then...I hit adult metabolism...and oh lord, did the God of Hangovers visit me with a vengeance, as though to make up for those pain free years.

Yes, when you're young, you metabolize faster, and thus, your tolerance seems significantly higher. As you age, that will slow down, and if you keep slamming like a college freshman, you will pay the price.
posted by dejah420 at 11:39 AM on November 14, 2006

Jesus, guys, lay off him. Just because he's a college guy doesn't mean he has to be bragging, and if I'm not mistaken marking his answer as "best" is a way to keep more ninnies from lecturing him on the dangers of drinking and how their alcoholic friend once sold a kidney for a can of Budwiser Light and how this other friend's liver once exploded out of their stomach like that scene from alien and here's this PubMed study about the dangers of drinking and don't you roll your eyes when I'm talking to you young man!

Guess what? There are plenty of college kids who overdo it and develop serious problems from drinking. But I can attest from my experience of being in that position, there are even more who recognize the dangerous effects of drinking to serious excess and get worried when they see their friends doing it.

mr.dan, to further elaborate on your question, not feeling the after-effects of alcohol at all is not terribly common but not unheard of. It is more common in youth (probably) and may change over time depending on your drinking habits. I used to also fantastic after a night of drinking. Then there was a period of heavy drinking followed by a period of abstinence. Now the few times I have gotten drunk since then I feel like crap the next morning. However, this may be psychosomatic, as the crap feeling isn't headache or nausea, just a general malaise.

Have you noticed whether you tend to eat more, drink more water, or take vitamins as opposed to your friends? This may also affect whether or not the hangover hits.

So yeah, as long as you're not breaking yourself drinking, don't worry about the hangover-free life. Every time I see a particularly hangover-prone friend curled up on the couch, moaning when the light hits his eyes, I thank God for my constitution.
posted by schroedinger at 11:51 AM on November 14, 2006

No doubt about it. It is a very bad thing. You are a full-fledged alcohoic and should be in treatment. You will hate yourself immensely down the road when the effects of this over-indulging hits home. Surely you know that. Do something positive with your time and skip the theatrics with your drinking. You must get high on being "invincible" but you are treating your body in the worst way possible
posted by JayRwv at 12:00 PM on November 14, 2006

(note: I'm not reccomending any of these, but they are known methods of ingesting a lot of sugary liquor, which is known to cause lots of unpleasantness the next day)

I've done it all. Bottles of cheap champagne, boxes of wine, etc. Never had a hangover.

If no one you know has such a spectacular tolerance, you special little snowflake, you either don't know very many people or don't have such an amazing tolerance. Sorry.

It's not that they can't drink just as much as me or more, it's that they throw it all up for the next 12 hours.
posted by mr.dan at 12:05 PM on November 14, 2006

Something else to keep in mind Dan, is that throwing up is often the body's way of detoxing when the booze has gotten to the dangerous/fatal levels.

Back in my "Hemingway-mode" years, when I was a seriously heavy drinker, there were times when I forced myself to throw up because I realized that if I fell asleep with that much booze in my stomach, I was going to die.

(Yeah...that was the point at which I realized that perhaps booze was an issue that needed to be addressed.)

The thing is, when you have a high capacity tolerance...and some of us do have more tolerance than others...you run the risk of doing something much more stupid than the folks who slam shots and toss cookies.

The physically lethal level of alcohol doesn't change just because you don't *feel* it. So, with high tolerance, you're more likely to think you can drive, when you're physically incapacitated, you're more likely to think that you have all faculties intact, and you're more likely to OD because you didn't feel the previous 16 shots hit your blood stream.

All that said, if you really want to experience a sticky, nasty, yucky drunk and hangover...drink sweet girly drinks for an entire night. Gods, there is nothing more disgusting than daiquiris the second time around...and the sugar hangover is gawdawful. (When I drink, I stick to red wines, vodka martinis and warmed cognac...no sugar drinks for me ever again...)
posted by dejah420 at 12:53 PM on November 14, 2006

Perhaps you have a really thirsty tape worm and he's having your hangovers for you :)
posted by zeoslap at 12:55 PM on November 14, 2006

Dan, I wasn't trying to brag earlier either... but I was still feeling drunk the next day till about 11 am, after that I was fine.

Seriously check out
Stroh, it changed my life and saved my wallet.
posted by eleongonzales at 12:59 PM on November 14, 2006

I weigh ~180 pounds and have taken 16+ shots on a few occasions.

Bah, you're a lightweight.

Me, I've always had hangovers, since my first major rye drunk when I was 13 years old, nearly 30 years ago. They haven't gotten any worse with age, but they haven't gotten any better either.

One of my co-drinkers since childhood and best friends (who can't do it like he used to since being diagnosed with lupus, though he makes the old school try) has rarely if ever had hangovers. It happens.

Hangovers are one of the things that, despite being a life-long lover of the booze, have kept me from becoming a drunk. The pain is educational, focussing. I do some of my best thinking while hungover. But no more than once a week, thanks. I'm not that masochistic.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 8:16 PM on November 14, 2006

I'm very late here but here goes:

I was just like you when I was in college, although my best mate was the same. Zeoslap is right, in England drinking is a national sport. Then the hangovers hit and I got older. So yeah I've been in the same boat (as have a hell of a lot of people) and it'll pass. Frankly it's a good thing if it does. There'll always be someone who can drink more than you. This is not why you are special, I'm sure you have much more admirable attributes.

Anyway, as I said I'm older and I actually enjoy sobriety. It makes me feel good. Now, when I do drink, I much prefer having a couple of really good beers or a good brandy or bourbon to the slop I used to throw down my throat.
posted by ob at 8:41 AM on November 15, 2006