Spins

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The spins (as in having "the spins") [1] is an adverse reaction of intoxication that causes a state of vertigo and nausea, [2] causing one to feel as if "spinning out of control", [3] especially when lying down. It is most commonly associated with drunkenness [4] or mixing alcohol with other psychoactive drugs [5] such as cannabis. This state is likely to cause vomiting, [6] but having "the spins" is not life-threatening unless pulmonary aspiration occurs. [2]

Contents

Symptoms

The most common general symptom of having the spins is described by its name: the feeling that one has the uncontrollable sense of spinning, although one is not in motion, which is one of the main reasons an intoxicated person may vomit. [7] The person has this feeling due to impairments in vision and equilibrioception (sense of balance). Diplopia (double vision) or polyplopia are common, as well as the symptoms of motion sickness and vertigo. [8]

Causes

Alcohol

Ingesting a great deal of alcohol in a short amount of time causes alcohol to quickly enter the bloodstream. [9]

Mixing alcohol with normal soft drinks, rather than diet drinks, delays the dizzying effects of alcohol because the sugary mixture slows the emptying of the stomach, so that drunkenness occurs less rapidly. [10]

The dizzying effects of alcohol [2] upset the fragile mechanism that the inner ear uses to balance. [8]

Balance in the body is monitored principally by two systems, both of which are affected by alcohol sending abnormal impulses to the brain, [which tells it] that the body is rotating, causing disorientation and making the eyes spin round to compensate. [11]

This "upset" has been seen in experiments in which human subjects were given clinical tests of the vestibular system before and after ingesting alcohol. [12] [13] The alcohol apparently causes the ampullary cupula in the semicircular canal to become lighter than the surrounding fluid (endolymph), which causes the system to become sensitive to gravity in addition to rotational acceleration. [14]

Poly drug use

Alcohol and cannabis

Intoxication from both alcohol and cannabis is known as being cross faded, although the term is also used less commonly for combinations of other substances. [15]

The spins are often reported when alcohol is mixed with cannabis, since both may cause dizziness [2] and magnify each other's effects. [16] Smoking after drinking especially intensifies the effects of the alcohol, [5] often resulting in nausea. [2]

Treatment and prevention

Since at least some of the symptoms of "the spins" can be attributed to alcohol's disturbance of the vestibular system, many symptom relief strategies are based on increasing the body's ability to use other senses to regain balance. In addition to the vestibular system, vision and touch information from the body are extremely important in maintaining balance. In fact, the vestibular system is not necessary at all to maintain standing balance unless information from the other two systems becomes inadequate. [17]

Keeping one foot flat on the ground while trying to sleep is one popular self-treatment for people whose dizziness is exacerbated by lying down with eyes closed.[ citation needed ] There is no direct scientific evidence to support this treatment, however it is consistent with studies showing that postural balance responses to high and low speed tilts are primarily driven by force and velocity receptors in the muscles with relatively little input from the vestibular system. [18]

One way to mask the symptoms of the spins is to avoid staring at moving objects, such as people who are dancing or ceiling fans. Instead, it helps to stare at a non-moving object and slowly blink a few times. However, it will make things worse to keep one's eyes closed for an extended period. In minor cases of the spins, simply sitting alone in a quiet place or taking a walk is all it takes to make them subside.[ citation needed ]

The best ways to avoid the spins are to continuously keep monitoring one's alcohol intake, which involves limiting one's intake to a reasonable level [19] [ unreliable source? ] and to eat before drinking, which allows alcohol to be metabolized more efficiently and steadily, while also keeping blood sugar levels more even. [19] Certain foods, such as crackers and cheese, have the right levels of carbohydrates, fat, and protein to help further slow the emptying of one's stomach. [10]

Someone getting or having the spins is mentioned in several books, including: Being Irish by Joseph Keefe, [20] The Girls' Guide to Surviving a Break-Up by Delphine Hirsh, [6] The Stranger Guide to Seattle by Paula Gilovich and Traci Vogel, [21] Rag Man by Pete Hautman, [4] The Tin Roof Blowdown by James Lee Burke. [22] Visual depictions of the imbalance or dizziness associated with drunkenness were also featured in Mabel's Strange Predicament and other Charlie Chaplin movies. The cause of the spins is also described in Season 1, Episode 10 of the Netflix Original Series Marvel's Daredevil during a discussion between two main characters, Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson, after a night of drinking. Murdock confirms when asked by Nelson that he still gets the spins despite being blind due to disturbed equilibrium of the fluid in the inner ear. In the film Frances Ha , Benji tells Frances that placing one foot on the ground as she lies down on her bed will somewhat alleviate the spins. Later in the film, she teaches this new trick to her friend Sophie. The Pittsburgh rapper, Mac Miller's album K.I.D.S featured a track titled "The Spins". Danger Ronnie and the Spins associate this into their name and music. Rock musician and Korn guitarist Brian "Head" Welch references experiencing the spins during his time as an alcoholic and drug addict. He mentions the symptoms were particularly noticeable when laying down with his eyes closed. These references were made in his self-debuted album track "Flush". The Philadelphia band Modern Baseball make reference to the spins in their 2014 track Rock Bottom, from the album You're Gonna Miss It All .

Related Research Articles

Ataxia is a neurological sign consisting of lack of voluntary coordination of muscle movements that can include gait abnormality, speech changes, and abnormalities in eye movements, that indicates dysfunction of parts of the nervous system that coordinate movement, such as the cerebellum. These nervous system dysfunctions occur in several different patterns, with different results and different possible causes. Ataxia can be limited to one side of the body, which is referred to as hemiataxia. Friedreich's ataxia has gait abnormality as the most commonly presented symptom. Dystaxia is a mild degree of ataxia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alcohol intoxication</span> Negative effects due to ethanol (alcohol)

Alcohol intoxication, also known in overdose as alcohol poisoning, commonly described as drunkenness or inebriation, is the negative behavior and physical effects caused by a recent consumption of alcohol. In addition to the toxicity of ethanol, the main psychoactive component of alcoholic beverages, other physiological symptoms may arise from the activity of acetaldehyde, a metabolite of alcohol. These effects may not arise until hours after ingestion and may contribute to the condition colloquially known as a hangover.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ménière's disease</span> Disorder of the inner ear

Ménière's disease (MD) is a disease of the inner ear that is characterized by potentially severe and incapacitating episodes of vertigo, tinnitus, hearing loss, and a feeling of fullness in the ear. Typically, only one ear is affected initially, but over time, both ears may become involved. Episodes generally last from 20 minutes to a few hours. The time between episodes varies. The hearing loss and ringing in the ears can become constant over time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Motion sickness</span> Nausea caused by motion or perceived motion

Motion sickness occurs due to a difference between actual and expected motion. Symptoms commonly include nausea, vomiting, cold sweat, headache, dizziness, tiredness, loss of appetite, and increased salivation. Complications may rarely include dehydration, electrolyte problems, or a lower esophageal tear.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannabis edible</span> Food item containing cannabis extract or cannabinoids

A cannabis edible, also known as a cannabis-infused food or simply an edible, is a food item that contains decarboxylated cannabinoids from cannabis extract as an active ingredient. Although edible may refer to either a food or a drink, a cannabis-infused drink may be referred to more specifically as a liquid edible or drinkable. Edibles are a way to consume cannabis. Unlike smoking, in which cannabinoids are inhaled into the lungs and pass rapidly into the bloodstream, peaking in about ten minutes and wearing off in a couple of hours, cannabis edibles may take hours to digest, and their effects may peak two to three hours after consumption and persist for around six hours. The food or drink used may affect both the timing and potency of the dose ingested.

A balance disorder is a disturbance that causes an individual to feel unsteady, for example when standing or walking. It may be accompanied by feelings of giddiness, or wooziness, or having a sensation of movement, spinning, or floating. Balance is the result of several body systems working together: the visual system (eyes), vestibular system (ears) and proprioception. Degeneration or loss of function in any of these systems can lead to balance deficits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vestibular system</span> Sensory system that facilitates body balance

The vestibular system, in vertebrates, is a sensory system that creates the sense of balance and spatial orientation for the purpose of coordinating movement with balance. Together with the cochlea, a part of the auditory system, it constitutes the labyrinth of the inner ear in most mammals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dizziness</span> Neurological condition causing impairment in spatial perception and stability

Dizziness is an imprecise term that can refer to a sense of disorientation in space, vertigo, or lightheadedness. It can also refer to disequilibrium or a non-specific feeling, such as giddiness or foolishness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Labyrinthitis</span> Medical condition

Labyrinthitis is inflammation of the labyrinth, a maze of fluid-filled channels in the inner ear. Vestibular neuritis is inflammation of the vestibular nerve. Both conditions involve inflammation of the inner ear. Labyrinths that house the vestibular system sense changes in the head's position or the head's motion. Inflammation of these inner ear parts results in a sensation of the world spinning and also possible hearing loss or ringing in the ears. It can occur as a single attack, a series of attacks, or a persistent condition that diminishes over three to six weeks. It may be associated with nausea, vomiting, and eye nystagmus.

Lightheadedness is a common and typically unpleasant sensation of dizziness or a feeling that one may faint. The sensation of lightheadedness can be short-lived, prolonged, or, rarely, recurring. In addition to dizziness, the individual may feel as though their head is weightless. The individual may also feel as though the room is "spinning" or moving (vertigo). Most causes of lightheadedness are not serious and either cure themselves quickly, or are easily treated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vertigo</span> Type of dizziness where a person has the sensation of moving or surrounding objects moving

Vertigo is a condition in which a person has the sensation of movement or of surrounding objects moving when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. This may be associated with nausea, vomiting, sweating, or difficulties walking. It is typically worse when the head is moved. Vertigo is the most common type of dizziness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vestibular nerve</span> Branch of the vestibulocochlear nerve

The vestibular nerve is one of the two branches of the vestibulocochlear nerve. In humans the vestibular nerve transmits sensory information transmitted by vestibular hair cells located in the two otolith organs and the three semicircular canals via the vestibular ganglion of Scarpa. Information from the otolith organs reflects gravity and linear accelerations of the head. Information from the semicircular canals reflects rotational movement of the head. Both are necessary for the sensation of body position and gaze stability in relation to a moving environment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hangover</span> Discomfort following alcohol consumption

A hangover is the experience of various unpleasant physiological and psychological effects usually following the consumption of alcohol, such as wine, beer, and liquor. Hangovers can last for several hours or for more than 24 hours. Typical symptoms of a hangover may include headache, drowsiness, concentration problems, dry mouth, dizziness, fatigue, gastrointestinal distress, absence of hunger, light sensitivity, depression, sweating, nausea, hyper-excitability, irritability, and anxiety.

Alcohol and sex deals with the effects of the consumption of alcohol on sexual behavior. The effects of alcohol are balanced between its suppressive effects on sexual physiology, which will decrease sexual activity, and its suppression of psychological inhibitions, which may increase the desire for sex.

Kindling due to substance withdrawal refers to the neurological condition which results from repeated withdrawal episodes from sedative–hypnotic drugs such as alcohol and benzodiazepines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Auto-brewery syndrome</span> Medical condition

Auto-brewery syndrome(ABS) (also known as gut fermentation syndrome, endogenous ethanol fermentation or drunkenness disease) is a condition characterized by the fermentation of ingested carbohydrates in the gastrointestinal tract of the body caused by bacteria or fungi. ABS is a rare medical condition in which intoxicating quantities of ethanol are produced through endogenous fermentation within the digestive system. The organisms responsible for ABS include various yeasts and bacteria, including Saccharomyces cerevisiae, S. boulardii, Candida albicans, C. tropicalis, C. krusei, C. glabrata, C. kefyr, C. parapsilosis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Enterococcus faecium. These organisms use lactic acid fermentation or mixed acid fermentation pathways to produce an ethanol end product. The ethanol generated from these pathways is absorbed in the small intestine, causing an increase in blood alcohol concentrations that produce the effects of intoxication without the consumption of alcohol.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Methanol toxicity</span> Medical condition

Methanol toxicity is poisoning from methanol, characteristically via ingestion. Symptoms may include a decreased level of consciousness, poor or no coordination, vomiting, abdominal pain, and a specific smell on the breath. Decreased vision may start as early as twelve hours after exposure. Long-term outcomes may include blindness and kidney failure. Blindness may occur after drinking as little as 10 mL; death may occur after drinking quantities over 15 mL.

The term chronic subjective dizziness (CSD) is used to describe a commonly encountered type of dizziness that is not easily categorized into one of several other types, and for which the physical examination is typically normal. Patients with CSD frequently initially suffer a sudden injury of some sort to their vestibular system, the neurologic network that preserves sense of balance. Even after this initial injury has healed, people with CSD usually describe a vague sense of unsteadiness worsened by triggers in their environment such as high places, standing on moving objects, or standing in motion-rich environments like busy streets or crowds. There is a clear indication that anxiety and other mental illnesses play a role in the dizziness symptoms that occur with CSD. However, the condition is categorized as chronic functional vestibular disorder, not as a structural or psychiatric condition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alcohol (drug)</span> Active ingredient in alcoholic beverages

Alcohol, sometimes referred to by the chemical name ethanol, is a depressant drug that is the active ingredient in drinks such as beer, wine, and distilled spirits. It is one of the oldest and most commonly consumed recreational drugs, causing the characteristic effects of alcohol intoxication ("drunkenness"). Among other effects, alcohol produces happiness and euphoria, decreased anxiety, increased sociability, sedation, impairment of cognitive, memory, motor, and sensory function, and generalized depression of central nervous system (CNS) function. Ethanol is only one of several types of alcohol, but it is the only type of alcohol that is found in alcoholic beverages or commonly used for recreational purposes; other alcohols such as methanol and isopropyl alcohol are significantly more toxic. A mild, brief exposure to isopropanol, being only moderately more toxic than ethanol, is unlikely to cause any serious harm. Methanol, being profoundly more toxic than ethanol, is lethal in quantities as small as 10–15 milliliters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vestibular rehabilitation</span> Form of physical therapy for vestibular disorders

Vestibular rehabilitation (VR), also known as vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT), is a specialized form of physical therapy used to treat vestibular disorders or symptoms, characterized by dizziness, vertigo, and trouble with balance, posture, and vision. These primary symptoms can result in secondary symptoms such as nausea, fatigue, and lack of concentration. All symptoms of vestibular dysfunction can significantly decrease quality of life, introducing mental-emotional issues such as anxiety and depression, and greatly impair an individual, causing them to become more sedentary. Decreased mobility results in weaker muscles, less flexible joints, and worsened stamina, as well as decreased social and occupational activity. Vestibular rehabilitation therapy can be used in conjunction with cognitive behavioral therapy in order to reduce anxiety and depression resulting from an individual's change in lifestyle.

References

  1. ↑ Leiva DM. "Women's Voices on College Drinking: The First-Year College Experience". College of Education. The Florida State University. Archived from the original on 2012-05-22.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Marijuana / Cannabis". Dartmouth College . 17 July 2018.
  3. ↑ Gibson P. "Battery Review". patrickgibson.com.
  4. 1 2 Hautman P (20 February 2002). Rag Man. ISBN   9780743217699.
  5. 1 2 "Alcohol and Drug Interactions" (PDF). Prevention and Wellness Services. Western Washington University.
  6. 1 2 Lederman LC, Stewart LP, Laitman L, Goodhart F, Powell R. "A Case Against "Binge" as the Term of Choice: How to Get College Students to Personalize Messages about Dangerous Drinking" (PDF). The Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention.
  7. ↑ Peck T. "Today's spotlight sermon on Addiction". FlockFinder.com.
  8. 1 2 Porter M. "Dr Mark Porter on giddy turns". Discovery Channel Ask the Expert.
  9. ↑ Wolfsberg J (October 2007). "Ask the Drug Guy: Is the phrase "Beer before liquor, never sicker - liquor before beer, in the clear" accurate, and if so, why?". Archived from the original on February 20, 2012. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  10. 1 2 "Food pairings: Working for or against you?"". CNN .
  11. ↑ "Alcohol". treatment-now.com.
  12. ↑ Tianwu H, Watanabe Y, Asai M, Shimizu K, Takada S, Mizukoshi K (1995). "Effects of alcohol ingestion on vestibular function in postural control". Acta Oto-Laryngologica. Supplementum. 519: 127–131. doi:10.3109/00016489509121886. PMID   7610847.
  13. ↑ Post RB, Lott LA, Beede JI, Maddock RJ (May–Jun 1994). "The effect of alcohol on the vestibulo-ocular reflex and apparent concomitant motion". Journal of Vestibular Research. 4 (3): 181–187. PMID   7921336.
  14. ↑ Fetter M, Haslwanter T, Bork M, Dichgans J (February 1999). "New insights into positional alcohol nystagmus using three-dimensional eye-movement analysis". Annals of Neurology. 45 (2): 216–223. doi:10.1002/1531-8249(199902)45:2<216::aid-ana12>3.0.co;2-f. PMID   9989624. S2CID   25697152.
  15. ↑ Patrick ME, Lee CM (2018-07-07). "Cross-faded: Young Adults' Language of Being Simultaneously Drunk and High". Cannabis. 1 (2): 60–65. doi:10.26828/cannabis.2018.02.006. PMC   6329594 . PMID   30643908.
  16. ↑ Rich C (November 2004). "Getting High". Washingtonian .
  17. ↑ Horak FB (2010). "Postural compensation for vestibular loss and implications for rehabilitation". Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience. 28 (1): 57–68. doi:10.3233/RNN-2010-0515. PMC   2965039 . PMID   20086283.
  18. ↑ Horak FB (2010). "Postural compensation for vestibular loss and implications for rehabilitation". Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience. 28 (1): 57–68. doi:10.3233/RNN-2010-0515. PMC   2965039 . PMID   20086283.
  19. 1 2 "Natural Hang Over Cure - Kind Of!". Craig Hitchens Therapies.
  20. ↑ Keefe J (2002). Being Irish. ISBN   9780740719974.
  21. ↑ Gilovich P, Vogel T (2001). The Stranger Guide to Seattle. ISBN   9781570612565.
  22. ↑ Burke JL (17 July 2007). The Tin Roof Blowdown. ISBN   9781416559887.
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