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Exaushtion and tiredness

Old 04-02-2013, 11:56 AM
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Exaushtion and tiredness

I've been sober from alcohol 2 months 9 days and I'm having bouts of exhaustion. Two weeks ago I had a bout of tiredness and exhaustion then it subsided 2-3 days later. These bouts are awful. A month ago I was having bad anxiety laced with paronoia but that has subsided quiet a bit. I feel like on the inside I'm giving up .
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Old 04-02-2013, 12:19 PM
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Have you had a physical exam lately? Might be time to have yourself checked out and get some bloodwork done. There could be some underlying organic issues.

And if not that I suggest daily exercise. You will have to break the cycle. A long brisk walk everyday can work wonders. Of course, I'm assuming you're not already doing some sort of daily exercise, if you are, then IMO a trip to the Dr. is in order
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Old 04-02-2013, 12:23 PM
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I agree with Feeni. It wouldn't hurt to go see a doctor. I was feeling that way last month so I got my thyroid and my liver (finally!) checked. They are both okay. I put my body thru years and years of abuse so it will take time for it to get use to the new way I treat it .
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Old 04-02-2013, 12:26 PM
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I would agree with getting a checkup. I did at about 30 days and a full bloodwork came back normal in every respect, but I still have days like that. Sometimes it's tiredness, sometimes it's just feeling totally spaced out/off balance, and sometimes neither. I'm almost at the 90 day mark and still feeling it at times. I figure I drank for almost 2 decades, and the last 4-5 years pretty heavily - so it's going to take a while for my body to recover.
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Old 04-02-2013, 12:30 PM
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It could be PAWS, post acute withdrawal syndrome.

Why We Don’t Get Better Immediately: Post-acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS) | What...Me Sober?
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Old 04-02-2013, 12:34 PM
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Yes I have been to the ER five times and had labs done and everything checks out. I do have post acute alcohol Withdrawl. I failed to mention that in my first post. I'm just upset and I'm at my wits end at this point. Will this ever end!? How long does all this last?
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Old 04-02-2013, 12:36 PM
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At one point I was sleeping in my car in the ER parking lot for fear of dying or loosing it.
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Old 04-02-2013, 12:41 PM
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Are you going to AA meetings?

All the best.

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Old 04-02-2013, 12:57 PM
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I've been to 4 of them and I have been feeling so anxious to the point of not keeping still so I stopped going and I'm not anxious I'm just exhausted and unmotivated. I have the AA book and read it and I have a little support within my family.
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Old 04-02-2013, 12:58 PM
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Originally Posted by Dimlitstar View Post
Yes I have been to the ER five times and had labs done and everything checks out. I do have post acute alcohol Withdrawl. I failed to mention that in my first post. I'm just upset and I'm at my wits end at this point. Will this ever end!? How long does all this last?
What did they recommend to you at the ER - or did they just release you? We can't give medical advice here but seeing a medical doctor or mental health professional specializing in addiction might help if you've ruled out any immediate physical ailments at the ER. Most cities have drug/alcohol councelors and help lines you can call to find resources that might help as well.

Sorry you are having such a hard time of it, i had panic attacks too. I'm about 3 months in now and have anxiety but the bad attacks have subsided for the most part.
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Old 04-02-2013, 01:01 PM
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Originally Posted by Dimlitstar View Post
I've been to 4 of them and I have been feeling so anxious to the point of not keeping still so I stopped going and I'm not anxious I'm just exhausted and unmotivated. I have the AA book and read it and I have a little support within my family.
I used to go to meetings and hold myself in the chair with both hands... to keep me from shaking or running.

AA not only got me sober but addressed my physical/emotional/spiritual/mental maladies as well.

All the best.

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Old 04-02-2013, 01:04 PM
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They said to keep taking my Clonazapam I only take a quater pill a day. It's a .5 milligram and I take only a quater pill. Last month I took half the pill off and on as needed. The tough anxiety attacks have subsided at least but I do get side tracked with nervousness a lot. It's been 2 months and 10 days and the exhaustion and tiredness feeling just come out if no where just freaks me out.
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Old 04-02-2013, 01:10 PM
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Originally Posted by Dimlitstar View Post
They said to keep taking my Clonazapam I only take a quater pill a day. It's a .5 milligram and I take only a quater pill. Last month I took half the pill off and on as needed. The tough anxiety attacks have subsided at least but I do get side tracked with nervousness a lot. It's been 2 months and 10 days and the exhaustion and tiredness feeling just come out if no where just freaks me out.
I get freaked out by stuff too, your body is trying to figure out what the heck you did to it and how to live without that constant feed of alcohol.

If you haven't followed up you might want to, perhaps you need a different dosage or different drug than originally prescribed. Sounds like you are pretty active in keeping track of your health with the doc though, that helps keep some of it at bay by just getting reassurance that you are physically OK.

I'm not an AA person but it could be helpful for you to tough out some AA meetings or other recovery groups. I find that getting out and doing things/talking to people in general gets my mind off constantly worrying about my physical perceived issues. Amazing how many of those little things magically disappear when your mind is engaged in something else. Not suggesting you ignore physical symptoms completely of course.
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Old 04-02-2013, 03:03 PM
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I've read that PAWS can last up to 2 years. I was reading about it today, as I've been wiped out for 3 days. I get hit every 6 weeks or so and I bounce straight back. Considering I drank alcoholically for 20 years, 2 years of ups and downs doesn't seem so bad now.

I forced myself out to my local coffee shop, had some medicinal chocolate cake and a coffee and came home. It gave me the boost I needed to start cooking again instead of sleeping all day.

Good luck, it's not easy.

S x
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Old 04-02-2013, 04:01 PM
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I get days of exhaustion, too. Yesterday I slept in past noon and still went to bed well before midnight!

I did find this bit of advice in an article on the neurochemistry of recovery:

"However, if you want to speed the process a bit, this is possible. The keys to doing this are diet and exercise. To ensure that our bodies have the building-blocks necessary to rebuild depleted neurotransmitters, it is important to eat foods that are rich in the amino acids that are the chemical precursors of neurotransmitters such as dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin and endorphins.

The amino acids most helpful in the process of rebuilding depleted neurotransmitters are tryptophan and tyrosine. Foods like turkey, other lean meats, green leafy vegetables and dairy products are rich in these amino acids. The more often one make the choice to eat healthy, fresh foods, the more quickly brain chemistry will attain pre-use levels – and the recovering person will feel better and think more clearly. Moderate, regular exercise speeds the process even more."
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Old 04-02-2013, 04:32 PM
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Many thanks to Scott From Wi, Shazzle, and Fan-Tail. Your response and all the other timely responses give me hope. I'm getting headaches very faint head aches and electrical pulsating zinging liner sensations in my head. My exhaustion started yesterday and now I'm feeling a little more better as if I'm getting a hint of my energy back. I've lost 14 pounds and I was thin already and yes I had been excersizing but this past weekend was so stressful. Had a death in the family and there was a wedding in the family and then Easter grill outs and excersizing and my mom kinda stressed me out on Sunday and I guess it wiped me out.
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Old 04-02-2013, 04:35 PM
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Originally Posted by fantail View Post
I get days of exhaustion, too. Yesterday I slept in past noon and still went to bed well before midnight!

I did find this bit of advice in an article on the neurochemistry of recovery:

"However, if you want to speed the process a bit, this is possible. The keys to doing this are diet and exercise. To ensure that our bodies have the building-blocks necessary to rebuild depleted neurotransmitters, it is important to eat foods that are rich in the amino acids that are the chemical precursors of neurotransmitters such as dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin and endorphins.

The amino acids most helpful in the process of rebuilding depleted neurotransmitters are tryptophan and tyrosine. Foods like turkey, other lean meats, green leafy vegetables and dairy products are rich in these amino acids. The more often one make the choice to eat healthy, fresh foods, the more quickly brain chemistry will attain pre-use levels – and the recovering person will feel better and think more clearly. Moderate, regular exercise speeds the process even more."
This is very useful info can anyone give me a list of all the foods one should be eating to beat Post Acute Alcohol Withdrawl?
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Old 04-02-2013, 05:20 PM
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Originally Posted by Dimlitstar View Post
This is very useful info can anyone give me a list of all the foods one should be eating to beat Post Acute Alcohol Withdrawl?
I am at 8 weeks of sobriety and I am still battling fatigue. I sleep sound 8+ hours per night but still have bouts where I can barely keep my eyes open. I have cut out caffeine (which really helps with reducing anxiety) and fix a smoothie with banana, berries, protein, ground flax and a super greens supplement for breakfast. An alternate could be yogurt with fresh fruit; eggs with toast and fruit, or a high fiber low sugar breakfast cereal. For snacking try to stay with fruits, veggies and nuts. Lunch and dinner should consist of some lean protein, veggies and high complex carbs like beans, brown rice and whole grains. A good example for lunch would be a turkey sandwich on whole grain bread, with a side salad. For dinner, I love a large mixed green salad with topped with a grilled chicken breast. Avoid processed food and take-away foods as these are high in fats, sodium, MSG and other additives. Continue drinking lots of water and take a good multi-vitamin daily. For more detailed menu suggestions, take a look at the following link - Recipes by Diet or Food Type | LIVESTRONG.COM. Keep it simple early on until you start feeling more energized. I like making a pot of soup on Sunday which carries over for lunch for several days.

Try to not be discouraged; even with a healthy diet and regular supplements, I am surprised at how long the fatigue has lasted. I look at it as something I have to get through as my body and brain recovers. You definitely are not alone in the plateau!
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Old 04-02-2013, 05:49 PM
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I was exhausted, exhausted, exhausted for about 3 months. I slept so much I was really getting worried. But I listened to my body, slept when it wanted to, ate what I craved (healthy food if you can believe it) and just rode it all out.

I drank alcoholically for about 2 years and heavy for 3 prior to that so I figure it is going to take some time to feel totally right. At 7 months now I'm physically feeling much better and the mental part is sorting out too. I have some bad days, but I think it is just life - I was so used to having bad days all the time when I was drinking I was surprised to have them still happen in sobriety but apparently sober people have bad days too. Go figure.

Hang in there - it does get better. You just have to trust us and lean here when you need support
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Old 04-02-2013, 08:08 PM
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