I've had the same digestive issues that others have mentioned while drinking. It got so bad that I would actually choose bathrooms farther away from my office (out of embarrassment and hoping not to run into anyone I worked with or knew) and sometimes in different buildings.
I never noticed the "alcohol" smell the day after, but I was a drinking smoker (sense of smell will probably take a while to come back if it does) and wear colon. The first thing in the morning I drink a large bottle of water and then 2-3 more during the day, so I wonder if that negated it some. Of course, that results in an embarrassingly high number of bathroom trips. At some point I am going to discreetly ask if people noticed the alcohol smell. I'll probably be horrified by what I learn.
Someone mentioned that they wouldn't eat if they knew they were going to be drinking, because "food will absorb the alcohol" and waste the drink. I actually would eat a fairly healthy meal, and just drink more. "The veggies and fruit and lean protein will offset the effects of the alcohol". Self-rationalization at it's worst.
I would get blood sugar fluctuations and "anxiety" if I didn't have a snack every 2-3 hours the day after. I self-medicated with a cookie in the morning and string cheese or fruit in the afternoon. Something to keep the carbs pumping into my system. Wow. Fortunately, my blood sugar is within the norm.
I have had dry skin on my face for at least a decade, but just got in the habit of using some Jergens dry skin creme after showering. Self-medicating a symptom.
The shaking hands is a huge embarrassment, but I found I could reduce it some by keeping a regular snack in my routine. The ability of my mind to self-rationalize / self-medicate symptoms away is now only becoming truly, and horrifyingly, obvious to me. I hope the shaking goes away with time.
The worst for me is the insomnia. Not just now, but for a large number of years. I am on day 3, of another try, and have a cold to boot. It got to the point, that I was regularly taking a sleeping pill just before bed, even after all of the drinking, to ensure a "full" night of "sleep". That seems like a horrific idea, now that I type this.
Someone mentioned that their nails would break non-stop. I never had that problem but my cuticles are a mess. I have to push them back and trim them at least a couple of times a week. Has anyone else experience something like that? Maybe the problem will go away.
This thread has been immensely beneficial to me and I have book marked it for weekly reminding of what we do to ourselves just for a drink. Thank you all.