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Has Vegas Ever Tried to Kill You

Discussion in 'Misc. Vegas Chat' started by spdandpwr, Apr 14, 2016.

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  1. spdandpwr

    spdandpwr VIP Whale

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    Just came back from Vegas on Sunday and while the trip was possibly the greatest thing I've experienced -- sorry no live TR, as I had it all on Snapchat and Facebook -- it left me clenching onto the heels of life.

    To preface this story, I'm a moderate drinker. One or two beers on the weekend, and absolutely no alcohol on weekdays unless it's for a client meeting. If the weekend occasion warrants it, I'll go on a bit of a binge, but nothing that will ever kill me or leave me begging for mercy.

    Enter Vegas 2016. 7 nights of drinking, 7 nights of tequila shots. 7 nights of beer. But, 7 days without a hangover. Slam dunk, I think to myself! I think I nailed Vegas as I'm heading to the airport mildly buzzed from the Eiffel Tower shaped cocktail I just downed with some newly met Boston-ites.

    Get to the airport, and I'm a tad buzzed so I'm asking everyone for directions on how to navigate McCaren (thank goodness I booked first class). I finally get escorted to my gate and am sitting waiting for my AA flight. Of course, in typical AA fashion at LAS, the flight is delayed. I begin to doze-off -- the exhaustion is setting in. But no, I can't sleep...I'll miss my flight so I catch myself. Then my head falls back again, and whapppp!! I slam into the back of someone's head. I said sorry and handed him 20 bucks for his troubles. And this incessant patter of dozing off and catching myself happens for a good 25 minutes until the plane arrives...I'm pretty sure I'm on YouTube somewhere.

    We get asked to board the plane and long story short...I take a long nap, drink lots of water, drink half a bloody mary (it was very good), and finish my meal. Nothing dramatic on the flight, thankfully. And, even as I egress the plane, pick-up my bag, and head to the car where someone is waiting for me, I was good. In fact, better than good, I was all excited recounting my Vegas story to the driver.

    An hour or so later I'm home but I still have energy. You know what, why not unpack so I don't have to worry about it tomorrow when I wake up in the morning? I do all that, drink some water and then off to bed I go. 7 hours later, the alarm rattles off...ugh, I don't want to go to work. Worse still, I feel a little dizzy and something is off...you know that feeling when you know something isn't right with your body. I'm not hungover, I just don't feel 100%. I send an email to the higher-ups asking for the day off...what a great feeling that is...grab water and back to bed I go.

    3 hours later, my heart is beating like an old car struggling to keep idle. Arrhythmia? Meanwhile, I'm consciously thinking about my breathing and my body begins to overwhelm with pins and needles. Oh great! Just what I need before work tomorrow! :grrr: I decide to try to sleep it off so I grab water and head back to bed wondering if I'll wake up from this mess. Hours go by and I wake up feeling a bit better but still not 100% and still a little dizzy-ish. I shower drinks some more water and decide it might be best to get more sleep. This pattern continues until 11pm that night when my body goes haywire...shaking hands, tremors, struggling for breathe...the whole nine...it's like a mini-panic attack. Okay, this is getting serious, let me head to the ER.

    Bad idea that was. Three hours later, I'm out feeling great but with no definitive answer as to why this happening. And of course doctors love to judge their patients. Well anyway, these 'attacks' have been happening since the Monday I got back. I was in a meeting struggling for breathe at one point. Now, I'm just used to it and have found ways to counter the whole thing but even then I'm getting sleep apnea.

    I'm pretty sure I have a electrolyte deficiency, which I'm going to counter today with copious Gatorade. We'll see if that fixes it but yea, Vegas....you did me good!

    Anyone else have scary Vegas-oriented moments?
     
  2. C0usineddie

    C0usineddie VIP Whale

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    I get the same thing once in a while.

    i call it Tuesday.
     
  3. Marky147

    Marky147 VIP Whale

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    :evillaugh


    Did the whole WSOP in 2008, and I have to say, I was almost dead after 2 months in Vegas!
     
  4. makikiboy

    makikiboy VIP Whale

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    I have vertigo and some of your symptoms (dizzy, irregular heartbeat, seems like a panic attack) seem to resemble what I encounter. I found out that some of my vertigo was caused by one of my cholesterol medicine because once I got off it and they put me on another I don't get the vertigo very often. I was probably getting vertigo about once every 1 or 2 months but now I maybe get those bouts once a year (so I still have vertigo, just that it isn't that bad).

    Yes, hard when the doctors don't know what is wrong with you. I went to the ER last year, I thought I was dying, in a few moments time at home I was sweating, my clothes were totally soaked and I was bent over in pain from stomach cramps. This went on for 3 hours so I finally went to the ER when I started to throw up. Unfortunately they deemed my condition "non life threatening" (even though I kept throwing up) so they basically put me on a gurney for hours. I passed out from the pain and dehydration from throwing up and when I woke up I felt a little better. They eventually gave me pain killers and sent me home even though I still had stomach cramps and wanted something for the cramping. What made me feel better is that the ER area was very cold so the sweats went away and I started to feel a little better. Doctors didn't know what was wrong with me but I deduced that my problem was that I was suffering from heat stroke! I didn't realize it was that warm and it was a humid summer and I started sweating and cramping all at one time from the heat stroke. I visited my Dr the next day and he confirmed that it was probably heat stroke which caused my condition. After that I figured no sense going to the ER unless I was bleeding or had a heart attack or stroke since they will just put you on the side (if your condition is deemed non life threatening) until they finish with the other people with more life threatening conditions.
     
  5. andyg99

    andyg99 VIP Whale

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    not sure how old you are OP but I found that when I hit my mid 40s the marathon drinking in Vegas needed to slow down significantly... I was tired of wasting an entire day of of Vegas vacation feeling like I should be in a hospital bed. I do have my heavy drinking moments when I go but nothing like I used to do when I started going at 34, now 2-3 extra hours rest and a couple of Alka Seltzer and I'm good to go! hopefully you do better in the upcoming days but it sounds like 7 days of fun just got to you!
     
    Vegas Trip #57
    Vegas Trip #58, Sammy Hagar
  6. andyg99

    andyg99 VIP Whale

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    BTW - this was my all time favorite thread title here!
     
    Vegas Trip #57
    Vegas Trip #58, Sammy Hagar
  7. Sonya

    Sonya Queen of VMB

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    Yeah marathon drinking will catch up to you quickly, especially after 40. :) I'm pretty good about getting water in between boozy drinks. And I try to eat regularly and not just deep-fried junk.

    I would swear I was poisoned on one trip. I had moved from The Strip to downtown at MSS for my last 2 nights, for some relaxing after 5 days of drinking and debauchery with my friends. I wanted a basic turkey sandwich for lunch. After waiting in line at the Market Street Cafe at The Cal, they said they were out of turkey. :( I ended up getting a philly cheese-steak sandwich. I didn't want to sit in a restaurant so I thought, "This will do".

    On the way back to my room, it didn't smell that great to me, but it was after 2:30pm and time for food. I had about 3-4 bites of it and tossed it out. It didn't taste good to me. I ended up taking it with me when I left the room because I couldn't stand the smell of it. I went down to the 777 for some better food, but reading the menu just turned me green and I headed back to my room.

    I was sicker than I have ever been that night. Alone. In Vegas. No room service. In the morning, I called down to see if I could get someone to bring me some dry toast or crackers and gatorade or something, but they said "nope." There was literally no way I was going to make it down the elevator to get food. I called my husband at work in WA state and told him I was pretty sure I was dying. ;) He called the hotel to try to get someone to help me, but they told him "sorry, no room service". He called me back and told me to call an ambulance. I told him that I wasn't going to do that and I was just going to lay in the bed and die for awhile. I found some smashed crackers in my tote bag and ate those and drank about 10 gallons of Vegas tap water. ick.

    By noon I was feeling almost human, but I was ready to get out of Vegas. I packed up my suitcase and as I was leaving, the hotel manager showed up at my door with some gatorade and a bucket of ice. Apparently, my husband didn't stop calling to get me some help. I still headed out of town. Lesson learned. I need to have room service if I'm traveling alone. I apparently can't be responsible for taking care of myself.
     
  8. Snidely

    Snidely VIP Whale

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    Delirium tremens (DTs) is a rapid onset of confusion usually caused by withdrawal from alcohol. When it occurs, it is often three days into the withdrawal symptoms and lasts for two to three days. People may also see or hear things other people do not.[1] Physical effects may include shaking, shivering, irregular heart rate, and sweating.[2] Occasionally, a very high body temperature or seizures may result in death.[1] Alcohol is one of the most dangerous drugs to withdraw from.[3]
     
  9. grosx2

    grosx2 Have fun storming the castle!

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    I thought that delirium tremens are only seen in severe alcoholics that are going thru withdrawals, not an occasional drinker that's coming off a bender...
     
  10. BlacklabberMike

    BlacklabberMike MIA

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    been there, but my buddy went one more than me...

    we go in may as our birthdays are a week apart and like to go for the kentucky derby...

    this one trip was like the OP... copious amounts of drinking with a couple of nights of red bull/vodkas...

    we get home and are in need of a body bag...but he forgot that he needed to have his DOT physical that week to keep his job...
    things were a it shaky until he got on the treadmill.... all of a sudden his BP shoots up to over 200 and his heart is pounding...the code blue him!!!!!
    but no heart attack......of course he failed and had to re-test the next week....

    moral to story... don't schedule DR appt till at least a week after getting home.
     
  11. Fet297

    Fet297 113 survivor North Vegas

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    That had to be a terrible situation. Never thought of a hotel without room service as having a downside until now. Thanks for sharing! :clap:
     
  12. Kdiamond

    Kdiamond Low-Roller

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    Have definitely been there after getting back from Vegas trips...it's no fun...not bad enough to keep me from doing it again but no fun.

    You'll be back to norm in no time.

    Hmmm, the DTs, never thought about having that but the symptoms sound about right. Although I'm pretty sure that only happens with true alcoholics. I think what you experienced is just a massive hangover coupled with no sleep.
     
  13. chantellevegas

    chantellevegas Low-Roller

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    You can go through withdrawal from a substance after one night if you drink to the point you are sick, blacking out, yada yada, your body can experience the same symptoms as if you were a long time alcoholic trying to quit. I'm not anti-alcohol or anything but its poison. And it is harder to sober up from than most street drugs.
     
  14. Timbuck

    Timbuck Low-Roller

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    Red bull or other sugary mixes will make you feel HORRIBLE the next day (or 2). I love to drink vodka redbull at night, but the next day sucks.
    And yes- after 40 you need almost a week to be normal again after a multi day binge.
     
  15. kollegekreed

    kollegekreed Low-Roller

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    I left the airport in an ambulance last June after having a major panic attack after a couple nights of drinking. Truly thought I was dying. Have done a lot of work in the past year on the anxiety but its a pattern now - alcohol (excessive) causes panic attacks for me.
     
  16. Sonya

    Sonya Queen of VMB

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    I never thought of it being an issue either. I'm not much of a prima-donna and I never thought it would be a necessity, but yeah, I gotta have that emergency toast delivery option.

    I don't know how people can drink so many of those red bull/vodkas. I had one of them and felt like I needed to climb out of my skin. The people who have met me in Vegas would probably agree that stimulants are the last thing I need. Maybe if they served Nyquil and vodka, I could learn to sit down and use my "inside voice". :haha:
     
  17. RealSolGlow

    RealSolGlow MIA

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    Oh Alcohol absolutely will cause anxiety/panic attacks. I know because I suffer from both and my Mondays can be a bit rough if I go on a bender on the weekends with friends. I have a script for Ativan that I take if I feel an anxiety/panic attack coming on and that stops it dead in its tracks. After 1 of them and 30 minutes later I'm on cloud 9 and floating high in the sky. It really is a miracle drug if you're sobering up after a big binge.

    As for Vegas trying to kill me? YES. My first trip was last January (2015) after I hit a major jackpot for my birthday. Went with my buddy for 5 days. Of course, Vegas virgin with $4k in my pocket and you can do the math. Met some pretty fine ladies from Kentucky who were there for a beauty convention and it was basically a death wish.

    It took me 3 trips to the ER on my return home for a stomach ulcer (which I'd never had before) and a new allergy to Motrin for me to recover which took about 4 weeks later after we got back.

    That was one wicked experience that I'll never forget or get to the point of again.

    My second time in Vegas in December was MUCH better. This 3rd time end of May should be pretty smooth as Lord knows I do not want to and will not go through that terrible experience of the bender I went on.
     
  18. Multifarious5

    Multifarious5 VIP Whale

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    Coming back from Vegas on a Sunday and going to work the next day is BRUTAL. I flat won't do it. I seem to always feel fine in Vegas, no matter how decadent, yet my body always needs a few days to adjust back to "real world" habits versus being decadent. Not to mention the "my vacation is over, now back to the grind" anxiety---it hits me hard every time if I don't give myself a few days of down time post return. (I am not joking about the anxiety, you might have had a case like that, combined with your body trying to reboot, which would also explain why the docs didn't see anything.)

    I now always come back on a Wednesday/Thursday or even Friday, yet don't return to work till the following Monday. It also lets me catch up on much needed sleep! It's means one big Vegas trip every 9-10 months versus 2 smaller trips, but for me, it's worth it. And it lets me piggyback comps better :)

    I AM very sorry you felt so badly, I hope you're doing better!!!!!

    P.S. Sonya, yours was terrible too, I am so sorry!
     
    Last edited: Apr 14, 2016
  19. WHITEJACKET73

    WHITEJACKET73 VIP Whale

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    Back in 2003 I broke both bones in my lower left leg in a canoeing accident in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in northern Minnesota...it took thirteen screws and two titanium plates to put everything back together...flash forward to Las Vegas three years ago. I did a lot of walking up and down the Strip and developed a blister on my left foot early in the trip. The last day in Vegas my ankle and lower leg hurt like hell, which sometimes has happened when I did a lot of walking since the accident...no biggie. A day after returning home, I started to get severe chills and had a low grade fever. This went on for a couple of days and then I developed a bright red rash on my leg....trip to the ER. My blood work came back off of the charts...Doc says, "My boy, you have one hell of an infection in your leg." Two hours later I am in surgery, they removed all of the hardware from my leg; the pus just oozed out when they removed one of the screws. Spent 5 days in the hospital on IV antibiotics, had a PICC line inserted so that I could continue with daily IV antibiotics at home for several weeks, had a cast on my leg for 3 weeks and a special boot for a couple of weeks after that. Apparently, the blister had broken open and allowed bacteria to get into my blood stream and set up "shop" in my leg.

    A year later, I am back in Vegas having my usual good time, when my knee starts acting up..WTH? Once I am home, the leg hurts like hell, a huge rash develops on my calf and I start running a 103 degree temperature. This time it's a severe case of cellulitis; spent another week in the hospital on IV Vancomycin and three weeks on a couple of oral antibiotics at home. The guys at work are kidding me about that I should be more selective with the Vegas hookers, etc. I still go to Vegas 3 to 4 times a year, but I am really serious about my foot hygiene. I also take along a two drug combination of oral antibiotics just in case. Who says "What happens in Vegas, STAYS in Vegas"?
     
  20. Chuck2009x

    Chuck2009x VIP Whale

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    Yeah, alcohol withdrawal would cause all the symptoms that OP described, especially if you didn't eat much along the way. But it should abate after a day or so.

    I really don't drink at all any more except when I'm on vacation, but I like to pound it pretty good in Vegas. As you get older, you'll find you can still drink the about the same amount before you become non-functional, but the recovery takes much longer.

    Did this for the first time on my last trip on the morning of the 3rd day - "breakfast" at a slot machine, ordered from a CW: one coffee with milk & sugar, one orange juice, one rum & coke. :drunk:
     
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