[KnowYouRider]

So I said before that I drink every Friday night and get tested Monday morning more often then not. I have drank copious amounts (15 drinks), staying up until around 6 am on Fridays more then a few times and had no problem peeing clean on Monday at 4 pm. This works out to about 58-60 hrs usually. Well I have a new question and I think I might be in trouble this time. I had my best friends wedding this past weekend. Obviously it was a weekend of festivities so I began drinking around 8pm on Friday, drank all night Friday, chilled out during the day Saturday and went to the rehearsal dinner where we all ended up taking shots and drinking heavily until around midnight when we passed out completely drunk. The wedding was on Sunday and even though I had previously decided against it, I ended up having 6-7 beers starting around 3 and stopping around 10 (the majority after 6 pm). Groomsmen can be persuasive like that. I ended up taking the test Wednesday at around 3:30. So my question is how does the accumulation of ETG work? I have seen in some of your other posts, Dr. Bill, that our bodies begin metabolizing the ETG about 5 hours after drinking it even if you are still drinking. So I'm not too concerned about the 6-7 beers on Sunday since they are about 65 hours out (sun 10pm- wed 3:30) but the cumulative effect of the two days prior adding to the 6-7 on Sunday. I know the more you drink the longer it takes but the Saturday night episode was close to 90 hours out from the test and separated from the Sunday drinking by about 15 hours. Also I was drinking decent quantities of water steadily throughout the whole weekend. I'm 6' 165 lbs, quick metabolism, fairly athletic. Dr. Bill you seem to be the premiere expert about this topic so any help you can give me with this is much appreciated. If I think I will fail, it would be much better if I called her ahead of time to admit what I did rather then wait to get results back, but if I think by any slim chance that I will pass I won't admit to it and nobody's the wiser. And if I do get in trouble, it was completely worth it and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Sober weddings are lame. But this is about it for me pushing it. I think I'm going to actually spend a little more time at AA meetings for a couple months. Thanks!

[DrBill100]

1) EtG isn't cumulative. It's additive, like alcohol. If you drink additional alcohol while there is still alcohol in your system then it is adds to what is already there but continues to be metabolized at a steady rate (rate limited). In other words you are adding alcohol faster than your liver is capable of removing it. That is why BAC increases... your rate of consumption exceeds the maximum capacity of liver enzymes to metabolize it. Keep in mind that EtG is a direct byproduct of this metabolism.

2)

.....I drink every Friday night and get tested Monday morning more often then not. I have drank copious amounts (15 drinks), staying up until around 6 am on Fridays more then a few times and had no problem peeing clean on Monday at 4 pm. This works out to about 58-60 hrs usually.

You are using time of last drink to determine the 58-60 hour time frame. EtG continues to be synthesized until your BAC reaches "0". That reduces the elimination period by 5-10 hours (probably closer to the lower figure based on your rate and volume of consumption).

Accelerated metabolism (of ethanol) can be explained, and should be assumed in heavy and frequent drinkers. Whether this acceleration, a product of Phase I metabolism, applies to EtG, a product of Phase II metabolism, hasn't been tested. By that I mean the rate of EtG elimination. Not production. Maybe we can both learn something.

Before I address that, I need to know how many times you have tested for EtG within this 60 hour range you mention. Also like to know your age and gender. This acceleration process is not without risk, but I'll tell you more about that after your response.

Continuing, the accelerated rate at which heavy drinkers metabolize alcohol is due to Microsomal Ethanol Oxidizing System (MEOS). Due to this (and other unknown factors) chronic long-term drinkers can metabolize alcohol at nearly twice the rate (.034 h v .017 h) as occasional social drinkers. Therein may lie at least a partial answer to your seemingly rapid clearance of EtG. Add to this your age, physical activity and water consumption.

The long range detriment of MEOS is that it is utilizing enzymes that are needed for other metabolic processes and is associated with liver toxicity. Metabolically, ethanol achieves priority over these other processes.

However, your history in relation to this test is a far better indication of future results than an attempt to apply an average elimination formula. Having tested negative 7-8 times following high alcohol consumption removes test error. The EtG synthesis/elimination profile is highly individual and you seem to fall within lower end of the spectrum (being generally 40-130 hours). Your previous test results would seem to indicate your range at or below 55 hours. As noted above, there is no accumulation.

I reviewed your earlier queries and noted that you didn't want to be lectured about drinking. That isn't my policy anyway. That must always be a personal choice, but I am interested in whether you have been advised that you may have a drinking problem, (which isn't necessarily the equivalent of alcoholism) or, more importantly, whether you feel that you do? Particularly since you mentioned AA.

My purpose isn't to coerce or influence your decision but I have long experience in the field and could possibly be of assistance in the wide range of resources currently available in the event you feel a need for them. Entirely up to you.

Either way I am interested in knowing how you feel about it.

[KnowYouRider]

I am a 29 year old male. I have tested within the 60 hour range probably 7 or 8 times

[KnowYouRider]

I do feel I have a slight problem. As I have been told by a judge, probation officer, nearly everyone in AA, I am an alcoholic. I personally don't feel I am an alcoholic but that I tend to do things in excess. I really enjoy going to AA meetings because alcoholic or not I feel they can help just about anybody. Although often times in a meeting I sit there and listen to people cry and tell stories of how they lost their job/ car/ family due to their uncontrollable drinking. This is not even close to the case with me. Usually I drink 1 maybe 2 nights a week and have no problem stopping when I want. I never had a problem with the "1st drink" and all is not lost after having it. Unfortunately I tend to make bad decisions when I do drink and I got my second DUI. This is what has brought on these tests. I could just be in denial but I don't believe that is the case. Either way I'm keeping an open mind and willing to try this sobriety out for a while. Maybe some good can actually come out of it all. Thanks for all your help. Much appreciated.