WHY I COUNT MY DRINKS My experience with alcohol commenced relatively late in the piece as I spent my final years of high school madly studying and had only drank a handful of times by graduation. Medical school, however, was a rapid initiation into binge drinking and its consequences. As a result of being the control freak that I am, my friends would always laugh as I recounted the exact number of drinks I had consumed the previous night. At the time the number regularly exceeded 6-8 however the habit has remained and as I have aged my drink count has reduced dramatically and I still keep Ultimately the adverse effects of alcohol start almost immediately as even 1 drink results in mild dehydration which causes thirst, fatigue and a headache the following day. Anything more than 3 drinks and we will start to develop 1. Sleep disruption - a major one for me as I age, sleep is disrupted after even 3 drinks with fragmented sleep patterns and earlier waking. 2. Gastrointestinal inflammation- after 3-4 drinks the lining of the stomach becomes irritated, more acid is released and symptoms of heartburn and nausea can kick in 3. Mini withdrawal - drinking initially can make us feel more calm and relaxed but as the first buzz wears off, anxiety can increase. 4. Inflammation- after any level of alcohol causing intoxication, general inflammation in the body is increased resulting in fatigue and body aches. The symptoms of alcohol intoxication and hangover are usually worst when the alcohol level in the body returns to zero, hence the “hair of the dog” mentality of starting up again the following day to override these symptoms and start the cycle all over again. To this end, during the festive season, the key tip is drink counting and pacing yourself . After 3 drinks the symptoms above increase exponentially and the pleasant effects of alcohol become outweighed by the adverse ones. There is no benefit in not mixing drinks or the order in which they are consumed, alcohol is alcohol regardless of its form and ultimately it is a socially acceptable toxin that many of us enjoy to excess. So, be a dag like me, count your drinks!