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Dan,
This is unfortunately an area I have gotten to know a lot about. More than likely you are experiencing paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. The doctors sometimes refer to it as "holiday heart." Paroxysmal means that it happens now and then, as opposed to chronic, where it happens all the time. If they put you on a Holter monitor for 24 hours, or an event monitor for seven days, there is a good chance they won't see it, because it only happens when conditions are just right. You have to have an EKG when it is actually happening, which is not always easy. It took about three months to diagnose mine. That was about ten years ago.
Excessive alchohol deprives the heart of potassium, and the heart's electrical circuits begin to misfire. The upper part of the heart (the atria) vibrates (fibrillates) rather than pumping. If the blood stays in the heart chamber too long, it begins to coagulate, which can then cause a stroke.
Once the heart nodes are damaged, they usually don't heal. Continued alcohol abuse certainly can permanently damage the heart. I will be on meds the rest of my life to control my heart rate, unless I have surgery. The surgery doesn't always work, then you need a pacemaker.
If I don't take the meds, I can expect an attack at least weekly. It leaves me extremely lightheaded, winded, and tired. Before they found the right combination of meds, my episodes would last from a few hours to up to 12 hours. Your heart is racing at about 4 to 5 times its normal rate, so when it finally goes back to normal, it feels like you've been running up flights of stairs for hours. It frequently occurs during sleep or rest. It may not occur for a few days after heavy drinking. Once the nodes are damaged, it will happen whenever it wants to.
There is a fair amount about it on the Internet.
I hate to be so blunt, but I would strongly suggest that you discuss this with a doctor, preferrabley a cardiolgist who specializes in arrhythmia. This is nothing to fool with.
Regards,
Toivo
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