Withdrawal

[Rachel]

Hmm actually I should have said, the first time I took Librium, I was really happy whilst I was on it. Just subsequent times not. But maybe it was because the other times it was because I was in rehab

[Topcat]

Librium worked for me too - thank goodness. I'd suffered a withdrawal seizure so librium was essential for me. Cold turkey without medication was too risky. It was wonderfully calming and I also slept extremely well (a great bonus). It didn't eliminate all the withdrawal problems, but it certainly helped enormously.

[DegenerateFTW]

Thanks for all the advice everyone. It's been helpful!

This is my 3rd day sober and apart from being extremely tired and itching a lot I'm actually feeling ok. Is this the calm before the storm I wonder? I've been drinking as much squash and water as I can with just one cup of tea a day / can of diet coke.

I'd expected to feel a lot worse than this if I'm honest. Having said that I was struggling a little last night so I took a few bizarre steps which actually helped a lot.

I had a spoonful of cough mixture, covered my back and legs in deep heat and put olbas oil on my nightshirt. I was asleep in 20 mins. The sensation of the deep heat and all the aromas of the olbas oil etc really released the anxiety somehow and I felt comforted. I also sucked on a throat lozenge for a nice taste - weird huh??

[Rachel]

I hope you are still ok Degenerate.
Re your getting to sleep method, well if it works...!

I see no reason why things should get worse at this stage.
Hopefully they haven't!

[Eileen]

Be honest with yourself and ask yourself can you reduce the amount you drinking slowly? I tried and couldn't. I struggle to stay sober even after a detox. For me only Antabuse, then I know I can't drink and after few weeks I stop thinking of it.

[notorious]

When I first stopped drinking (altogether) - it was a hospitalised detox following a particularly nasty binge. Seems a long time ago now!

I was on Librium and all manner of IV fluids and kept in for 18 days - so no real symtoms. However, after subsequent binges a year or so later (thankfully they seem to be behind me again after a real struggle through late 2011 and early 2012 - typically going on 5 day to a week long benders every few months whereby I'd drink at least 70cl of vodka or whisky a day - often more) the withdrawal was pretty horrible - but thankfully relatively short lived.

3 days max. It's actually shocking at how I'd go from really thinking I'm some deep, serious physical trouble on day 1, not sleeping, sweating, shaking, crushing headache, unable to keep anything down etc etc to being absolutely 'normal' by day 4 - as if the binge never happened. The physical clue would be little bit of weight loss.

I think I've been really very lucky if I'm honest. I'm convinced the luck would have run out at some point....

[croaker]

Day 3. Apart from terrible sleep didn't think it was too bad physically. Just tried to get in my car to go to Holland and Barrett to buy some thiamine and started sweating, shaking and retching. That was scary and feel rough now. Is this normal? First time I've tried to go out since stopping, is this physical or a panic thing? Any help?

[notorious]

Hi Croaker.

Everybody's different, as we all have (slightly) different physical make-up, bodies etc etc.

BUT

That does sound within the realms of what you might expect, yes. I recall during one binge aftermath doing something similar - it was day 2 or 3 and I decided that the best thing was to 'push on through'. Not a great decision for me, personally, at that time. As soon as I was outside I was dizzy beyond descrption, sweating profusely, looking and feeling extremely feverish and involuntaily wretching. Really not nice.

But it WILL pass. I know this is a little clichéd but, really, best thing you can do right now is rest up, completely, loads of fluids, eat little and often if you can. Within a few days the physical side should subside enough for you to take stock and plan the next move.

Keep at it. Keep posting, and just remember it passes.

[croaker]

Thankls notorious.

Well the shaking and retching has stopped, now I just feel fluey. Reading through this seems noraml for us lot

I'll keep on keeping on.

[martha]

Day one for me after almost a week of crazy amounts of wine. I actually felt much worse yesterday morning - vomiting and cold for hours - but I am ok, not great, this morning. The worst is probably yet to come

[jaffa21]

Hi all. I'm about to have my community detox tomorrow starting at 10am. I will be put on Librium but no idea of the dose till in the morning. Very nervous!!!! But also excited.... Strange I know but so want to best this demon. Hope you're all well. Xx

[Topcat]

Hi Jaffa. I detoxed with the help of Librium more than once. It's nothing to worry about. It will make you feel quite drowsy so driving and using machinery is not recommended. I found I slept very well indeed on it which was a great help. All the best

[jaffa21]

Thanks Topcat. I'm really nervous and have been told I can't drive. But I'm also worried about how I will feel. I still have two kids to think about although my hubby has taken the week off work. I just dread the sweats shakes and possible vomiting and runs. :-/. Xxx

[faith2be]

Croaker - sounds worrying, but if you're over the worst, ride with it. Stay AF long enough to see the light at the end of the tunnel!
Martha - I'm on Day 4, and yes, for me days 2-3 were pretty awful, much worse than Day 1. Grit your teeth, and just do it. Day 4 is definitely better, although still joint and muscle pain and fatigue, headache getting better. Be prepared, and as above, stay on the wagon to get the benefits (otherwise it's a waste)- sorry dont mean to sound preachy, I always fail at day 3-4, but am trying to do this now.
See the 7-day thread, conversation between body and brain. Very funny.
Hang in there everyone.

[LadyJane78]

Hi, just wondered if anyone has experienced something similar to me or not. Hoping for some advice:

In early jan this year after a particularly bingeful Xmas I started to get withdrawal symptoms. Body was craving alcohol. Felt similar to when I quit smoking. I roughed out the symptoms and stopped drinking for a month. I then decided to test the water again and drank only two beers. Within 3 hours of drinking them, the cravings were back.

So I quit again for two months and then experimented again. Same thing happened. Withdrawal kicked in a couple of hours later. So I quit again for a couple of months. I then thought 'sod it' and went out with friends and drank a bottle of red over an evening. Oh my god. Never felt anything like it in my life. The withdrawal this time was horrendous. Racing heart and palpitations. I was on the train going into work and thought I was going to die then and there. Sweating, nauseous. I thought I was going to have to ask fellow commuters for help and require hospitalisation. I managed to get through it. I had to lie down in the cubical loos at work for 3 hours trying to calm myself. My head felt like it was going to explode.

Anyway, the point to my rambling is that most days since that episode (9 weeks ago), I get a headache almost daily now. Generally when I wake up in the morning and I get a massive migraine if stressed. It's over 2 months now since I last had any alcohol. Anyone else have headaches for such a long time?

They don't feel like normal headaches either. It's like I can feel my brain's circuitry flickering away.

I have come to terms with the fact that I am physically addicted to alcohol and that it doesn't matter how many weeks I leave between my last drink I will suffer withdrawal.

Did/does anyone else get withdrawal symptoms from consuming very little alcohol? As I mentioned above, I get a racing heart, sweating, nausea from drinking just two beers?

Any advice or thoughts would be really appreciated.

Thanks,
Jane

[smudge]

Hi Jane,

It sounds to me like you are experiencing a severe form of "kindling".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kindling_%28substance_withdrawal%29

As I understand it, every time somebody stops drinking they go through withdrawal. In effect a hangover is a form of withdrawal. Over time the effects of withdrawal become more and more pronounced. Eventually, by the time a person is physically addicted to alcohol, the withdrawals are extremely severe indeed. I suspect this is what has been happening to you. As kindling becomes more and more severe the risks of withdrawal become greater and greater. I have read some theories that binge drinkers tend to suffer more from kindling than daily drinkers do, but I don't know how true that is. To be honest, it is knowing about this that helps to keep me sober. I still remember my last withdrawal. I don't want to go through it again.

As for the headaches... I got headaches for a long time after I gave up drinking. They didn't stop, as such, they just faded away slowly. The important thing I found that helped to keep them to a minimum was to make sure that I drank enough fluids. I was so bad at this in the beginning that I measured the capacity of cups, mugs and glasses, and used a kitchen timer to go off every hour to remind me to drink. I also kept notes on how much I was drinking to be sure I was drinking enough. I tried to drink about 3 litres per day in the early days, but I did reduce it to about 2 - 2.5 litres per day eventually. I've always thought of this as teaching my body how to recognise being thirsty, because my thirst "reflex" just didn't work properly.

If you suffer from vomiting or diarrhoea then make use of rehydration powders as well as plain water or other liquids. (Tesco do their own brand. The famous brand is Dioralyte but it is much more expensive than the own brand stuff.)

Good luck.

[LadyJane78]

Thanks for your reply smudge, really appreciate it.

I'd heard if kindling before (from this site actually) and agree with you that that is most likely what is going on.

It's funny because I had really cut down in my drinking and didn't drink a third of what I had done in the past. I was down to about 20 units a week. I guess you just don't realise how physically addictive alcohol really is.

Regarding the memory of the withdrawal, I'm the same as you. There's no way I can go through that again. Abstinence hasn't been that difficult as I'm too scared to drink now. A small amount will make me extremely ill and will take 7 days for the hangover to fully go.

What has been the most difficult part in all this is everyone else's reaction to me not drinking. I can't tell really anyone the real reason for not drinking. Partly because I have tried before at the beginning of the year and I get the feeling I'm not believed. I see the expressions on people's faces and it's like they think that I'm lying. They don't see me as an 'alcoholic' and don't think i could be experiencing withdrawal. Other people I can't tell because it would hurt me professionally and others I can't trust. So I've said I'm not drinking for a while as I'm waiting for blood test and the dr advised I lay off it for a while and their reaction is one like I've said I've died. Just because I'm not drinking for a while, along with 'go on, one won't hurt' and I'm thinking 'one will f*cking hurt me, leave me alone'. People go on and on, asking me several times what I want to drink.

This country makes is so hard to be alcohol free.

[Chillyjack]

Hi

I'm new to this site

Just want some help on some matters. 3 years ago I split up with and ex and moved out with mates. For 6-7 months we drunk a lot on student nights out etc. one or twice I passed out from it. Iv moved back in with my parents and calmed down slightly. After a night out in november 2011, the day after, late that evening I went for a lie down after food and suddenly became ill. I was sick a lot and felt apart from my body. Ambulance came and checked my heart, blood levels, everything. They said I was all normal. Chucked water over my self to check I was still real.

I went to the doctors who checked me over the next two weeks, and said I was completely fine. Tests and examinations. I still felt bad and not with it at all. They told me it was bad anxiety. For two years iv felt like it and Hardly drink anymore. Days after drinking my levels go through the roof. Iv not had a binge at all for at least 2 years but it was over a 6-7 month period when I did drink a bit more. Not a big drinker before or after it.

Anyway last couple of months iv been fine getting better until this weekend as It was my 29th birthday. My friends fill me with drinks till I blacked out. Carried home. Iv haven't done this in 2 years of drinking and I'm not a big drinker anyway.
Days after iv felt serve anxiety and I'm very frightened of withdrawal symptoms. I have anxiety symptoms over the last two years and had every test come back completely fine. Brain scans the lot.

Iv talked to my doctor yesterday and Monday and he has told me that I should not worry at all about it. It's the anxiety that is making things worse for you. I have been subscribed diazepam and seemed to feel a lot calmer and better after taking them.

I don't want alcohol and don't have cravings for it at all. Just petrified of what has happened and what could happen.

My doctors has said everything will be fine by the end of the week and talked about going on anxiety meds to get Rid of the anxiety as all blood tests, brain scans, heart test have come back completely healthy.


Sorry to go on but any help would be amazing as I'm just petrified


Thank you

[scrossUSA5996]

Chillyjack - you and I are in similar situations, I think. I don't want to drink at all, but I'm terrified of the symptoms and what could happen if I stop. I started a taper a little over a week ago. I'm definitely drinking less, but I want to stop altogether and rid myself of this poison. I used to be so healthy.

I'd love to hear from some people who are still in more acute withdrawal/detox, if you're out there. I've been AF today but just laid down for a rest and the jerks really scared me, and still with the chills and the nausea. It would be good to hear if this sounds dangerous (ex. did anyone come from slight jerks in their sleep into a seizure?) or just typical of coming off. I don't want to go too fast, so maybe I should have a nip, but I don't want to.

[Chillyjack]

Hi scrossUsa5996

I'm not a big drinker at all. I don't drink every day. Never have. Just the very odd occasion drink on weekend. Iv have had 30-40 pints over a two year period. Had a massive binge for my birthday sat and just feeling so anxious. Very slight jerks. The diazepam is doing well. Spoke with so many doctors, nurses and a counsellor the last few days expressing my concerns and they said I shouldn't worry about it as I'm not a regular heavy drinker, I'm 29 and all my tests over the last year have come back normal. Brain scan, heart test, blood. Normal.


Iv told them that it could be alcohol withdrawal symptoms but the ruled it out and said its a very bad patch of anxiety. Your thoughts of our brain are causing the way you feel as alcohol makes anxiety 10 times worse. Give my body a rest for a week and a bit. Take the meds and try and relax.