I don't know if I'm in the correct forum, I see so many different threads on here, but I figured I would give this a try anyway. I'm a man in my early thirties, and I have been drinking(but not actually getting drunk all the time) on a daily basis for six years. The reasons for why I wanted to give up booze are too long to list, but anyway, right now I'm in a bit of a problem. Maybe you guys can give me some advice?
Sunday I had the flu and I ended up spending two days in bed. My flu passed and During that time, I didn't drink anything, and I decided I wanted to keep going. I am already aware I should have seen a doctor first. Today is Wedsnday and I still haven't had a drink, only I have been in a lot of pain. I didn't think the physical pain could be this bad. I would rather go thru some depression. On Tuesday I could barely leave the bed and I spent the whole time sweating and shivering with my heart thumping in my chest the entire time(I am paranoid about this because although I don't have heart problems I have a family of people with heart problems), today the sweating continues but the shivering and heart thumping not so much, though I feel short of breadth and very dizzy. I have had a few days of urges to vomit and only today did I start to stomach food. I tried to go outside(I live in a big city) to walk to the store and I felt like I was gonna pass out. I do feel better, I mean I feel better then two days ago, and much better then yesterday. But I'm wondering how long these symptoms will persist? Seeing a doctor is not on the options list right now, so if I'm going on 3 full days of sobriety, can I expect the dizziness, sweats, and other symptoms to start to pass soon?
Also I have drank gallons of water and juice is that ok?
I would like to excerisize or walk or something in order to get rid of the pressure, but I feel too weak, how long do you think before my body recovers and I can go for walks and stuff? Any advice will be a big help, thanks.
We are not in a position to give medical advice, we can only share our experience. It is important to remember that withdrawals from alcohol can be fatal without medical intervention on occasion. It sounds like you are past the worst, so you may be OK, but if you start to feel worse again, there really is no choice, you must see a doctor.
In my experience sever withdrawals don't last too long. Usually the worst is over in one or two days, but the discomfort can continue for quite a while. Drinking heaps of fluids is genrally a good idea, and sweet things can help ease cravings.
If you are well enough, the best advice I can give you is to call your local AA hotline, explain your situation and ask if someone can come and see you. It may be that in order to prevent a repeat of your situation you will need to do a little more than just stop drinking. They can explain what alcoholism is and what the AA solution is. From there you cane decide what will be best for you.
Hard to diagnose your situation. Probably mostly flu symptoms after 2+ days from your last drink, although, since you've been drinking daily for 6 years, getting drunk some of the time, you may be going through some unfamiliar withdrawal pains. How quickly the sweats, dizziness, etc. pass for alkies varies. It can last several days.
Any drugs involved?
Hydrating yourself is a real good idea. Resting is a good idea.
Going to the doc to get checked out, if you don't get better soon, is gonna have to override your objection to medical care very soon.
If you think you might be an alcoholic, you want to start thinking about starting a recovery program. Most people here are AA. Most people here have been in a situation like you describe. Take it is a BIG WARNING, at least.
It doesn't sound like a good idea for you to start drinking again. But the bad news is that if you are an alkie, you will want to do exactly that. That is the problem we all have. That is what we are all working on for ourselves and we will share what we know with you if you want.
Come back and tell us some more about you and how you're doing.
A quick trip to a Doctors Care may be in order. Yo say seeing a doctor is not on the list. funny. not sure dying is on your list but it can happen.
Hard to say what is bothering you. Sounds like you have a good bit of anxiety over your drinking. Maybe there is good reason. Now that you are dry, seems like a good time to make it last.
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"Experience is not what happens to you; it's what you do with what happens to you."
Hey everybody, thanks for the advice. I have known for a long time that I wanted to stop drinking, and I just felt like I was ready to do it on my own. I have already read about the emotional side of this, but I didn't think there was such a strong physical side to it. I'm still sweating a lot and I have been unable to sleep yet I feel very tired. My stomach is in nots. I don't use any drugs, only beer and liquor. Like I said, I have drank everyday for the last 6 years and I guess I've been drinking pretty regularly for a few years longer then that, but I can trace the 6 year period due to other issues that occurred in my life. On a good weekday I might have 4 beers. On a bad weekday I might have a six pack with a few glasses of whiskey. On the weekend I usually drink 9 or 10 beers each night, but I go home relatively sober, not forgetting anything, not vomiting, etc.......
Right now my anxiety about drinking comes from the fact that I think I'm gonna get old like this. Most of my other friends who I grew up with seemed to be able to move past the booze, they can drink occasionaly and feel fine. I have a need to drink everyday. I am divorced with a kid, and now it seems like since the divorce I have drank more and initially it felt good because I could go home everyday and drink whatever I want to and nobody is nagging me and now obviously I am seeing that this is kind of sad and pathetic. And I have actually thought about joinging an AA program, as a support network, the main reason I haven't done so yet is because there is actually one at the Church down the block from my house and everyone knows they have the AA meetings there(you can tell by allt he smokers standing outfront) and I haven't wanted people who live in my neigberhood and relatives and stuff to see me going in, which I know I have to accept the problem I have, I could have also found another one but maybe I was just avoiding it. I have obviously avoided addressing the problem for a long time. As for the doctor situation, same deal I guess, I have had the same doctor for 15 years and since I thought about quitting in the last year, I have not known how to explain it to the doctor really. I have done a lot of procrastinating, because for the most part I have known what I have to do and what kind of steps I should be taking. This time I just felt like going cold turkey to see if I could just get this crap out of my system, but it like I said, the physical part of it is kind of tough.
Welcome to MIP BHG, ... we're glad to have you here!
I think Tipsy is right, you're exhibiting symptoms of having the Flu AND this could be making the withdrawal symptoms worse or at least hard to distinguish between the two ... if you're not better very soon, the doctor is in your future ... and if you truly want to quit drinking, your doctor should know that you feel you have a problem, or may have a problem, with alcohol use ... you'll learn soon enough that 'total honesty' is part of our program ... we must come to be totally honest, first with ourselves, then with others ...
and I also agree with Tipsy, that from your description of how you drank, you're withdrawal symptoms shouldn't be too severe ... a stroke is not out of the question when we first stop drinking ... it starts with a very rapid heart rate and extremely high blood pressure, followed by sleepless nights and usually profuse sweating and of course there are the D.T.s where we tremble and shake a lot ... but I feel your condition is more than likely withdrawal coupled with the Flu ... I suggest you go see your doctor tomorrow, just be honest with him or he'll be handicapped trying to help you ...
Glad you're here and God Bless, Pappy
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'Those who leave everything in God's hand will eventually see God's hand in everything.'
Everyone else close to you including your doctor already knows like you have in he past and you're the last to admit you're gonna need help. Alcoholics are human and don't to change any better than anyone else. You will do this for yourself because you are afraid until you're not afraid enough anymore and nothing else will matter excepting getting to a meeting and saying out loud...I need help...can anyone help me? A few nights before I said those words I was looking for spaceships to leift me off of the face of the earth and transport me to anywhere else. It sounds to me like you have a few justifications to get over before you stop worrying about the "what ifs". Suck it up...go down to the church...scoot past the smokers and go take a seat. When the self identifications get around to you tell them you don't know, you might be you need to sit down and listen to see if you are or not. That is if its not a closed meeting where you have to say you're alcoholic or "an" alcoholic. Anything you do to move away from the compulsive addictive drinking you have been doing for the length of time you've been doing it is considered "withdrawal" from the compulsion of the mind and allergy of the body. Keep coming back here also. We have the experience of both sides of the disease...this side is recovery.
Hi bluehousegreen. Thanks for the follow-up and I'm glad to hear you're starting to feel a bit better. Recovering from alcoholism on your own with no assistance from other folks around you really is trying to do things the hard way. I encourage you to check out some AA meetings. If that meeting down the street seems a bit "too close to home" for you, there are a bazillion other meetings. Just check out a couple and find one that seems comfortable for you. In most areas, you can Google "Alcoholics Anonymous" along with the name of the nearest major city and you'll be directed to a listing of local meetings. There's also usually a phone number staffed by AA members who volunteer to help folks find meetings. Welcome, and best of luck!
.And I have actually thought about joinging an AA program, as a support network, the main reason I haven't done so yet is because there is actually one at the Church down the block from my house and everyone knows they have the AA meetings there(you can tell by allt he smokers standing outfront) and I haven't wanted people who live in my neigberhood and relatives and stuff to see me going in, which I know I have to accept the problem I have, I could have also found another one but maybe I was just avoiding it.
Anonymity is often a big concern for new AA members. One thing to know about is that there are online meetings. To find a listing of them, you can go to the Intergroup for AA online meetings:
