Weird Symptom

TwelveSteps · Senior Member

Weird Symptom

Cathy · Newbie

Hi GG: Sounds alarming. I would recommend you speak with your Dr. You need to get a good night's sleep. And, you need to make sure something else isn't going on with your health. Good Luck. Yours in sobriety, Cathy

AGO · MIP Old Timer

I had the night sweats and panic attacks when I quit drinking, not saying go to the doctor or don't go, but detoxing from alcohol has those symptoms for many people, there is even a saying in AA "Nobody died from lack of sleep" because newcomers frequently have trouble sleeping their first year or so

drinking is a depressant, remove it and you have anxiety and panic, it's the logical and natural progression from removing a depressant from your system, it takes time for your body to normalize and stop compensating from self medicating, and the only way to allow your body to normalize is stop drugging it, it takes time and is uncomfortable, incredibly uncomfortable sometimes, hence the saying in AA "Don't worry about getting in touch with your feelings (in sobriety) they will be getting in touch with you

It even happens to me now on occasion, when it happens I don't try to go back to sleep, that increases my anxiety, what I do is get up and I try to stay awake and I get sleepy and fall back asleep

However, if I use the computer to stay awake, I do, if I read or listen to an audio book or a speaker tape I get sleepy and fall asleep

-- Edited by AGO on Monday 5th of July 2010 01:04:41 PM

Reffner · Senior Member

I went through the same stuff for about a week while I was detoxing. Went from burning hot to freezing cold at the drop of a hat. I had to wash my sheets every day because of the sweating. The panic attacks were horrible. I also got to experience visual hallucinations, and had the feeling that my skin was crawling off my body. Thank God I NEVER have to experience that again...well, at least today I don't!

Hang in there, it will get better!

Brian

Lexie · Senior Member

I just checked your age, because that can happen in menopause, too. But in your case, it is probably just detoxing, as AGO said. I went through night sweats on a regular basis when I wasn't drinking as much as my body wanted, even beore I quit.

One thing that helped me was a nightly bedtime ritual that included a "nightcap" of a couple of scoops of ice cream. Herbal teas are good, too.

Ultimately it will probably go away on its own in a bit. And keep a good book (something recovery-related, maybe), and read for awhile if you wake up, until you get sleepy again.

Aquaman · MIP Old Timer

I had the de-tox night-terrors on & off for a couple of weeks. I drank lots of water before going to bed; enough so that I would have to get up & pee before the heebie-jeebies set in. Back to sleep was easy after a healthy whiz.

Peace,
Rob

Just Toni · MIP Old Timer

Hi,

Night sweating and panic is part of detox....my opinion for what might help....candy bars, lots of them...Alcohol has so much sugar in it.....

It this is really scaring you and it sounds like it is, no reason not to call and visit your Doctor and talk about it.....
be sure to tell him about you're being an alcoholic....even some really good (supposed) Doctors might offer sleeping aids, and I would not personally want to go there....

Please check in with us and let us know how you are doing, ok??

I once volunteered in a Detox Center, all the new folks were there mostly being taken in by Police, as an option to going to Jail...but my point was that the Detox was specifically for 5 days tops, so in my mind, I always thought that must be the worst of the Detox phase....not certain....

Any kind of meditative tools, Prayer really helps, Camomille tea, double bag, who knows might help.

Just feeling for you dear....this is tough....however it is Possible..

Hugs, Toni

TwelveSteps · Senior Member

Thank you so much for the replies. If it continues for many more days I'll go see the doctor but it's comforting to know that other people have experienced this as a detox symptom. It doesn't feel life-threatening, like I am going to have a heart attack or anything, it's just startling and something new for me. Thanks!

GG

Just Toni · MIP Old Timer

Hi again,

Left something out. I have on occasions go through a ton of anxiety...and if I do not address it, can lead to Panic attacks.

A therapist taught me a long time ago, to do very slow, circular breathing, where I close my mouth, breath in very slowly through my nose, air all the way into to abdomin....then hold my nose, and blow out very slowly air from the low part of the abdomin.....once in a while, if I want to really relax, when I am about to do some meditations, I will practice this....it really really changes how I am breathing, as in a lot more slowly and deeply, completely focused on only the air moving in and out...
Feels good....

Toodles, let us know how you are doing....

Toni

mikef · MIP Old Timer

Hey TWELVESTEPS

When I put down alcohol I tripped(physically)sweated,twitched,couldn't sleep,couldn't wake up,was mean,was nice for awhile till the juice all drained out and my body started turning human again.Cravings,anxieties,depression and many emotions were running wild.By being around people in recovery I learned I was not unique by any means.Things will get better a "day at a time" Work the solution and continue seeking your Higher Power....see you on the rebound!! smile

Aquaman · MIP Old Timer

Toni is SPOT ON on the meditation practices. BIG help once you master it.

As you learn "mindful meditation" (google it) use a physical "key", like touching the fingertip of one hand into the palm of the other. Over time, you will train your body, just like Pavlov's dog, to relax when you apply the "key" before you even start meditating.

Peace,
Rob

Jerry F · MIP Old Timer

12 it's all good discussion and feedback and this is how you learn alternatives to
what you are going thru. Alcohol's gone and subconscious still wants to play while
your consciousness has been put to sleep. Panic, sweats, tossing turning and
jumping around is normal...not nice but normal. Add nightmares and you'll be
talking about my experiences. Most of the time if I can put my subconscious mind
out I can deep sleep and not have all the symptoms you've had and others have
mentioned. Yes I have done that with some anti-depressants which I use "on
occasion". I also use popcorn. LOL strange suggestion from someone on the
board and It worked...!! Yay that's all I wanted so if I'm feeling still bi-level half
in half out (consciously ready to drop and subconsciously ready to run the marathon)
I'll do a small bag of popcorn...don't matter the flavor...not to me anyway. If I do
nothing I set my expectations on around 5 hours of sleep and an hour or so of
blanket on; blanket off and controlled body movement. I have been a student of
psycho-cybernetics for a long time and can pretty well stay sub-conscious and resting
for a couple of hours without a problem. There isn't and will not be a perfect solution
to meet your expectation beyond one day at a time. Good work (((hugs))) smile

-- Edited by Jerry F on Monday 5th of July 2010 11:52:17 PM

angelov8 · MIP Old Timer

I spent many a late night trying to stay calm here on the boards. Drank a lot of herbal tea. I started to take vitamins, I feel the Gaba does help a little as a calming agent. Sugar wigs my blood sugar out so I ate as many sugar free chocolates as my digestive system could handle. Read and re-read "Living Sober" and other AA lit at night. Oh yeah, and some mindless PC games too. Sleeping got better for me after two weeks and then much better at a month. I exercised by walking my brand newly adopted dog an hour everyday. I think that helped too.

It is a phase that is hyper physically uncomfortable and lack of sleep just sucked as I am a weenie without 7+. I lived throught it by the comfort of knowing that it would pass soon, little by little and because I accepted step 1 and fully wanted to embrace AA and a sober life, though I had no idea then what that would be like, I believed it to be better than what was before. I am happy to report that everyone and the BB is telling the absolute truth.

Hugs and keep coming back Girl!
Angela

-- Edited by angelov8 on Tuesday 6th of July 2010 12:18:29 AM

Isabella · Member

how do you detox? I want to start detoxing as soon as possible. I have been drinking a bottle of wine almost every day. I have tried so many times to stop. I function ok during the day, but i am not happy. I need help, but i live in a small town and i will not go to meetings or avoid my drinking friends because I am going through a divorce and I need them. Help!

AGO · MIP Old Timer

Isabella wrote:

how do you detox? I want to start detoxing as soon as possible. I have been drinking a bottle of wine almost every day. I have tried so many times to stop. I function ok during the day, but i am not happy. I need help, but i live in a small town and i will not go to meetings or avoid my drinking friends because I am going through a divorce and I need them. Help!

Isabella wrote:

I am drinking too much in the evening. Like almost an entire bottle of wine. All my friends drink. It is a small town and i don't want to go to a meeting. I want to stop drinking but I always think that I need it to relax.
I am going through a divorce and I don't want to give up my friends...I am going to need you all on this website.

Welcome

Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who believe that a Power Greater then themselves, or an unsuspected inner resource, or some call it God or a higher Power did for them what they could not do for themselves

However, what this power and AA have in common is, to coin a phrase "God helps those who help themselves" or in AA the phrase is "must be willing to go to any length for sobriety". That means YOU must be willing to do the work, AA can't help those who won't help themselves, AA doesn't work until you decide what you are doing doesn't work and are willing to have an open mind enough to try something new.

This is not negotiable, not from AA's end, but from the drinking person's end, some of us tried to hold on to our old ideas, but the result was nil until we let go absolutely

I don't know what those lengths are for you, but being willing to go to a meeting is probably a good start.

We can't help those who aren't willing to help themselves, who aren't willing to go to any lengths, who don't want to stop drinking more then ANYTHING in the whole world, here we put our sobriety first, and everything else second, many of us have also tried to find an easier softer way, but we could not.

The "willing to go to any lengths" have ALWAYS turned out to be better for us, it's always turned out to be the softer easier way and what makes us healthier and happier, but in order for AA to work one MUST have this willingness, or it just doesn't work.

We have all gone to meetings and found support for life issues, for divorces, for everything under the sun and learned how to navigate them without drinking, far better then the support of our families or so called "drinking friends" could ever give us, all the support we need we find at meetings, by building a support group, by getting a sponsor and working the steps, and by many of us, ultimately from God, not all, but many, you needn't be religious.

If what you are doing doesn't work (using the internet and hanging out with drinking people) please try AA, it works when all else fails, but only if you surrender and abandon yourself to it, this doesn't mean join a cult or shave your head rama rama, it means go to meetings and do what's suggested, it's free, it's fun, and ultimately it's freedom from bondage, but it won't work unless YOU do the work. It also doesn't mean you have to give up your drinking friends, although some may tell you you do, I was out with "non-sober" friends I have known for 30 years last night, although hanging out in bars or around people pounding shots is not advisable in early sobriety, and quite frankly most of us get tired of drunk people and just stop hanging out with them on our own just because it's distasteful and boring to listen to the blow by blow details of their tawdry existances, work problems, and relationship issues, as they yell it into out faces 5 times in a row accompanied by blasts of bad breath and spittle, but that is purely a personal decision

Honesty
Open Minded
Willing

That's all you need, but those are indispensible

-- Edited by AGO on Tuesday 6th of July 2010 12:31:49 PM

Just Toni · MIP Old Timer

Hi There Isabella,

Welcome to MIP....it would be great if you would start a Post of your own...so that we all can get to know you....

What Ago wrote, well to me nothing can be improved upon in his Response...

You become a member of Alcoholics Anonyous when you have the 'Desire" to quit drinking......so I will say a Prayer that you will take that desire to a meeting, maybe an out of town meeting for now, if that it what you need.....

Again, Welcome, please DO keep coming back, this is and always has been a WE program, and if your desire is to quit,
we can help.....

We do this only one day at a time....always...

A Big Hug,

Toni

Halfwolf · Veteran Member

My Doctor put me on Vitamin B Complex, it helps. I take it everyday.

TwelveSteps · Senior Member

Hey there Isabella,

Welcome to this forum.

I just wanted to say, maybe you are selling your "drinking friends" short. All of my pre-AA friends drink but have been nothing but loving and supportive about my decision, taking care to plan events we can share that don't revolve around drinking, inventing special-recipe virgin cocktails just for me at parties, just offering to be there if I ever want to call, go for a walk, take a load off, etc. Their support has really been overwhelming... even though I always mostly drank alone at home so they were all very surprised to hear that I was an alcoholic. If you share these feelings with them, you might be pleasantly surprised by their reactions.

I encourage you to go to a meeting. If you're afraid of seeing someone you know, you can always go to a meeting outside your immediate area. If you do see someone you know, remember that they're there for the same reason you are. Maybe you can support each other.

GG

Lexie · Senior Member

Isabella,

Are you starting to get the message? AGO is telling the truth. You will probably get SOME benefit from posting here on the forum, but there is absolutely no substitute for physically going to a meeting. Preferably, lots and lots of meetings, especially in the beginning.

First thing, get rid of the wine. Throw it out. I don't care how much you paid for it. Don't worry about finding a good home for it. Just dump it out.

You said you were worried you might want to drink in the evening, and not be able to stop. If you throw out the wine, spend the evening at a meeting instead of sitting at home drinking, and do not make any detours to buy more, you will not drink. ONE of the benefits of meetings is that you are breaking up your usual drinking routine. You are spending your "drinking time" in the company of people who will support your decision and show you how to get through the first few days--which can be somewhat uncomfortable, but if you are drinking a bottle of wine a night, and nothing more, you will more than likely not need a medical detox.

Drink lots of water. Herbal tea is good. Vitamin B is good. Eating healthy food is good. Those things will help with any mild withdrawal you might experience (which is all that detoxing is).

Buy the books-- the AA "Big Book" (the official title is "Alcoholics Anonymous") and "Living Sober". The Big Book explains the AA program. Bear in mind that the first part of the book was written in 1939, but the personal stories in the latter part of the book include many of more recent vintage. There will probably be at least a couple of stories you can relate to. Most AA groups have Big Books for sale, or you can order it, and "Living Sober" (a collection of tips for coping with early sobriety), at Amazon. You can also read the Big Book online here: http://www.aa.org/lang/en/subpage.cfm?page=359.

Remember, we were all once scared of going to our first meeting, too. But we wanted to not drink more than we were scared. And it is the best thing most of us have ever done.