New member here. I was a 4-5 day per week drinker up till about a year ago. Then nearly everyday. 1/2-1 bottle of wine per day. ALways after work, and in bed by 10, up at 430, gym, caffeine, work, back home and repeat..Took a week of here and there. Well, a long weekend with some real binge drinking w college lads and bam, acute onset tachycardia and extreme anxiety, dizziness. I had a feeling what it was, went home and drank 1/2 a bottle of scotch but that didnt touch it. Sufferred 4-5 days of insomnia, HR in the 90s, dizziness and 10/10 anxiety...
I stopped drinking for 3 months, then started slowly just 2 days per week, 2-3 drinks each day. Over the New Year I drank 4 days in a row. 3drinks for 3 days then 5 drinks on day 4. Last day was a Saturday. I felt great on Sunday. Went for a run, hit the gym. Monday around 4pm I started getting that feeling again. Pretty bad anxiety and dizziness. Not as bad as before, but had 3 days of imsomnia.....
I'm convinved it has to be WDs. Something reset in my brain, and whether or not it is kindling or whatever..I'm starting to think that just because I can moderate better, doesnt mean that my body can handle the booze. I'm 46 and have no other health issues/take no meds, and exercise pretty hard 5+ days per week.
WOndering if anyone has undergone some mild/mod withdrawals. Been sober for an extended period of time, drank a small amt and then had WDs?
Or could this last one have all been in my head and I have had a panic attack. I have had those before. Not often, and only after I had my WD. I have no hx of any anxiety disorder, but did have some anxiety for a month after my initial WD?
If I have to remain sober then so be it....but man do I enjoy a glass or two of wine.....
Hello Scotty. Could you "Beam me up"? Sorry, I have a recurring sense of humour, when I am not miserable, anxious or drunk senseless !
The drinking... then stopping... then drinking again can have all sorts of effects, on different people. Have you seen a Doctor about your problems ?
I have had many problems through stopping then starting again... but when I start again, it's 2 bottles of wine a day... or A SILLY AMOUNT of G&T... or both, God help me. I deserve all I get.
Anyway, I would advise a medical check.
I hope you are well, soon.
Alonangel🎇
P.S. The wine is not worth it. I am exhausted, trying to stop for good !
we have all been there..stopped for some time and the gradually just one drink and then one more and one more...oops..seek medical advice I think since you are in downwards spiral...best of luck Robin
Hi scottyh Im not a doc but you should get that dizziness checked out properly, as it could be other things. It's the big question isn't it wds or anxiety? Take the plunge see the Doc. There might be a way to start controlling your drinking because it seems as tho you are setting yourself up for dependency have a look at 'one little pill' video and PaulTurners video about The Sinclair Method all on you tube. This is a good site. I am sure others will respond to you soon. Keep talking to us
Kind Regards
JulieAnne x
Thanks for the replys....My big question I guess, and looking for anyone who has experienced it. But upon returning to "moderate drinking'" with lots of days off per week, has anyone had WDs by drinking a relatively small amt?
Have I rewired my brain permanently? Kindling? My plan now is take 6 months off. I've never had cravings before, and if I have to give it up for good then so be it. I'll miss out on some of the social fun, but its no problem for me to bre around alcohol and not drink if I know I'll have to put up with these awful feelings.
THanks and be well everyone
HI Scotty.. My advice would be to stary off booze since I also have weird feelings and mood swings very often when I drank. Feel much better now and more money in the bank. Robin
Hiya Scott
I think your plan to take 6 months off alcohol is a wonderful one You will feel so good about yourself both physically and mentally
I have been a stop start moderate/ heavy and binge wine drinker for years .I have quite easily been able to take take days/ weeks off like yourself .. BUT however much I drank I would wake in a pool of sweat 3_4 hours after last drink followed by a day of anxiety. . I have a funny irregular heartbeat ( apparrently innocuous ) which has been much worse after drinking heavily .I am now in the process of TSM taking nalmefene ( I am 5 weeks in ) .....My drinking has reduced considerably and recently only drinking a couple of glasses of wine Sat and Sun evenings .However I am still waking 3-4 after that last drink in a pool of sweat and an unpleasant restlessness which seems bizarre on that small amount of alcohol. Sooo I am now beginning to conclude my body is pretty intolerant to alcohol and am beginning rethinking whether I should really be totally abstinent again . I am sure normal drinkers dont react like this .. but like you I enjoy those glasses but not sure if they are still trying to tell me something 😑😑
Hi Nat That is such a shame when you have come so far. You can definately pinpoint the anxiety to alcohol? You never ever had this pattern of anxiety when you were abstinent? Just hoping something may occur to you. Thinking of you x
I never had any issues with anxiety at all prior to last spring. And I would say I def had some mild/mod withdrawal after a long weekend following routinely drinking 3-5 glasses of wine per night. WOrst part of the WD was massive anxiety.
Now, I get symptoms 2 days later, and after having relatively little to drink. Perahps I gave myself some sort of anxiety disorder, or perhaps it is kindling....where as now avery small stimulates elicits a big response. The anxiety is no where near what is was like last spring when I believe I had WDs, but its still very unpleasant.
I really enjoy a glass, and I havent had any problem with cravings, and have moderated successfully. So we will see. I'll take six months off. Its been a week since I had a drink and still some very slight anxiety. If it totally resolves I will know. IF not, perhaps its off tto the Doc....However, I really dont want ot ever take an SSRI.
Thanks everyone for the input thus far....Was hoping to find some folks that had WDs, and took some time off and moderated with no symptoms....They seem far and few between.
Hi JulieAnne
I really do think its the alcohol making giving me the night sweats and that worry 'head restlessness' as I call it ... it always has done it to me but its weird that such a small amount of alcohol is still doing it .. I dont drink every day and on my alcohol free ones it doesn't happen ,, I think I will keep on with the nalmefene for now as going for abstinence would be a danger zone for me right now
I hope hubby is doing ok on his meds and beginning to feel better in himself x
Hi Nat. God, Alcohol is the pits. Who would believe that just 2-3 glasses of wine could still cause such havoc? I feel for you.I know my Husband longs to drink normally using TSM but he does suffer with anxiety. Ho hum we shall see. 2nd day of Campral no side effects yet. He is back to work tomorrow. The usual lies - stress related sickness blah blah blah as they have a zero tolerance of alcohol on the premises. He says that is laughable, as quite a few colleagues go out for a lunchtime drink and come back half asleep lol and they are upper management. Hypocrites. He says the thought of alcohol (at the moment) is repugnant, but I know that won't last. Praying that Campral will help him xx
.So pleased the Campral is showing no side effects and I do hope hubby gets on ok at work tomorrow, yep its such a shame having to go in under some sort of pretence that its 'stress' and its not good having to see people come back from lunch dopey from alcohol ..but hey thats normal I guess ha ha so they say
All us drinkers go through that repugnant bit yep and sadly it is often,too often short lived. I dont know much about Campral but it seems very successful. I do get my moments but think I will keep going with TSM ,, I try not to drink much anyway in the week but been so glad of the nalmafene today, It was a stress filled day with family illness and I felt the real urge to drink for the wrong reasons ( if there is ever a right one !). I actually really recognised a clear trigger to have a ' proper drink'! Sooo anyway I popped a pill while I was sat in hospital cafe having coffee and by the time I was near home about 90 mins later that desperate urge had gone but I bought the wine anyway ( its a waste of a pill otherwise !) and have had one glass all evening , probably have another and that will be it.... without the pill I would have had the bottle hours ago with full intentions to stop when it was gone ( sadly that never never happens) so then it would be down the road for another, bottle ,, and feeling like death tomorrow .... so nalmafene is definitely working in that respect.
it still makes me feel a bit odd about an hour after taking it but its nothing I can;t deal with. Julie I can understand your husband longing to drink normally... Tell him to hold on in there as it is achievable with the magic meds lol
Again I wish hubby all the best for tomorrow...He has a wonderful person in you helping him hack his way through all this xx
Hi Nat. I am definately not Mrs wonderful. I have screamed and hurled abuse at the poor man, I even emptied a whole bottle of vodka over his head, as he lay in a drunken stupor. I was and still am so scared I am going to lose him. I could not understand how he could be 2 years sober and then go back to bad old habits. Then I was given a contact number at our local hosp alcohol unit. They explained such a lot to me, what happens to the brain. How, because he has AUD in his family it is more likely he will have problems. I do feel guilty that I lacked empathy but I was ignorant. Didn't help that my Dad had problems with alcohol too. We face the difficult times together now. I would like to think that he can be honest with me now. It's not good when you lend your neighbour the cat carrier and it has got half a bottle of vodka hidden in it! xx
Oh dear Julie I had to laugh when I read about the cat carrier.. Don't for one minute suppose u laughed at the time .Us people with AUD find some ridiculous hiding places and then of course forget where we have hid the damn stuff .I live alone now but have many a time I have hid booze from myself ..doh ! My stupidest place years ago was in the cistern of the loo....ooops
It is a hard illness to understand.I did 14 yrs and went back to it as I thought I could drink normally and convinced everyone except myself I can.We have a lot of AUD in our family .I worry about my eldest son..He only drinks at weekends and doesn't perceive it as an issuec but boy does he get drunk..He is 40 now and saw a lot of my drinking when hevwas young and knew all my special brew the hiding places too ..ughhh makes me shudder now
The thing is Julie you have stood by hubby and supporting him through this even if you have poured a bottle of vodka over his head and all the screaming and shouting..You are human and don't want him to destroy himself and your marriage ... I pray that your working through this together pays off for you both.. I think stands a pretty damn good chance and I hope he realises how lucky he is to have your support .. 🤗
Thank you Nat. I will always feel guilty I guess but then so does hubby. He is always saying sorry. But we do laugh about the cat carrier and about a 'leak' we had in the attic but was actually his stash of K cider he had knocked over 😳 thank god I didn't call out the plumber, that would have been the end. Well he is at work now, company suggested phase back, but will not actually pay for it 😒He has lost so many good jobs with well known companies. I feel so sad for him. At least he has still got this one. The alcohol unit at local hosp have told him that funding is being cut and he won't be allowed anymore medical detoxing this year. We are so lucky to have this service, if we had to rely on ARC, I don't know where we would be. Also, he was very poorly on first day of detox- could not stop dry heaving, had to give him prn's of Chlordiazpoxide all in one go and get him to A & E . He was in a corridor with 8 other people on a heart monitor and a drip. So things are serious now, Campral really does need to work and then Nalt/Nalf when his body has recovered if that is what he wants to do. I know he suffers from anxiety and that he initially used alcohol to help him relax in social situations. There seems to be an awful lot of people with AUD on this forum that suffer from anxiety. I know that alcohol makes it worse tho. A worrying aspect of it all is if, as you are experiencing, it permanently damages something in the brain and even tiny amounts will trigger anxiety, what will he do then? We can only wait and see. Thank you for listening to me go on. I hope you will be able to continue your treatment and not suffer too much with anxiety. Best wishes x
This anxiety problem with alcohol seems to be a reoccurring theme. It would seem that as people become more dependant, over a period of time, even small amounts affect the brain. A very worrying aspect for people who want to use TSM. I wonder if there are any studies which would support this theory? Hmm will see what I can find. Isn't there any meds at all that you can take for anxiety? Does it have to be an SSRI?
Kind Regards
JulieAnne
Yes. On other forums I find this theme. Some research out of U of NC in rats exposed to alcoholic and being unable to handle stress.
This anxiety I suspect is a chemical/neurotransmitter response. It's not the guilty thoughts and worry that some folks have when hungover that lead to anxiety. It's the alcohol causing a rebound in the sympathetic nervous system and an extremely uncomfortable feeling.
In terms of anxiety medications. I'm going to try no alcohol for 6 months and see if that helps. Other than SSRIs. There are benzodiazepines. But their withdrawals are as bad if not worse than alcohol.
I've tried all the meditation and supplements. I hit the gym a ton. Funny.
Hi Scotty. Thanks for your information. Well as for my other half, we will just have to see when and if he still wants to go ahead with Nalt/Nalfm and just pray that he doesn't get too many side affects from the alcohol. Dont know what to suggest for the anxiety apart from sobriety-difficult to achieve but if you can do it safely maybe the only answer. It sucks doesn't it? x
It's a good job that we can smile at some of these stories ..I have had visions of cider dripping through ceilings and a comatose cat in the basket after a session on the vodka ha ha .Seriously though it doesn't sound like his body would take much more abuse and you must be at your with end with it all.Hopefully this is the turning point now for him ( and you of course ) and the Campral will work and he can have the Nal/Net to follow on and importantly he remains determined to turn this around
I'm not an anxious person but I know the alcohol makes a goid job of making a liar out of me there .. I am jittery and anxious when it wears off even if it's a small amount but if it's been a real binge ...well ..it's horrendous .thank goodness been no binge since beginning of December and it feels sooo good 😊😊
Don't forget to take good care of yourself too my friend xx
well, 6 months of sobriety it is, and then we will see. I did come across a number of posts in other forums of other "harder" alcoholics that had WDs, and when returned to drinking would get WDs after a LOT less etoh. However, the etoh I returned to drinking was quite moderate. 2 -3 drinks. Anyhow, I'll repost how this experiment turns out. Perhaps whatever I have changed in my brain will revert back to "normal" in time.