Delayed Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms?
Hi (yes, I'm baaaaack)
Delayed alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Is this possible?. Believe it or not, I have been alcohol free going on the 6'th day now and the first 4 days were not nearly as bad as I had anticipated (no cravings, sweats, tremors or anything) even though I was just coming off of drinking 10 beers every other day for over a year. I have been taking Campral, Ativan, Celexa and Atenolol to keep the withdrawal symptoms in check and they *seem* to have been working pretty good for those first 4 days but on the 5'th and 6'th day (today) of my sobriety, I began to experience the following...
Depression (I'm taking Celexa for this), stomach is in knots (I'm taking Prevacid and Pepsid Complete for this), breathing issues, heart papitations, apathy (Celexa), lack of motivation (Celexa), scatterbrained, short-term memory issues, brain/mind feels dazed...numb...foggy. And of course, some pretty intense cravings (I'm taking Campral for this).
Anyway, is this delayed alcohol withdrawal and is there even such a thing?. I'm really getting confused here because I was under the impression that I would feel normal again within 4-5 days (ie; the "pink cloud" effect) but instead, I feel like my IQ has dropped 20 points and my brain has been pickled in brine. I'm also aware of the "kindling" affect which means that the more often you detox and then relapse, the more difficult the withdrawal is each successive time. So what exactly is going on here and can anyone tell me if this is normal?.
Finally, I composed a list of reasons NOT to drink below...
* Alcohol withdrawal can be fatal and is the only addictive substance that to be that way when detoxing from.
* Repeated withdrawals make it that much more difficult to quit each time.
* Alcohol almost got me arrested (I came SO close!).
* I do bad and dangerous things EVERY time I drink.
* The hangovers (no matter HOW long I go without drinking and no matter HOW "healthy" I feel, are absolutely MISERABLE!!!.
* Alcohol neaqrly destroyed the relationship with all of my family and my best friend.
* Alcohol (and cigs) deprived me of of other things I could have used the money for.
* Withdrawaling from alcohol takes a long time and is VERY unpleasant.
* Alcohol made me lazy, unproductive, apethetic and miserable to be around.
* Alcohol is a tricky liar.
* You always think that "this time" it will be "different" (yeah, RIGHT!).
* As it grew progressively worse, alcoholism made me feel more and more terrified, desperate, hopeless...like there was no way out and I was going to die from this and soon. I would almost compare it to having rabies, mad cow disease or the E. Bola virus. I "knew" I could not stop drinking no matter what, I was horrified of detox and AA meetings and I also knew what all of this meant - a slow, agonzing, DEATH!.
* I got tired of hanging out on forums every day. I got tired of talking about how bad my hangovers were and when I was drunk, saying dumb, sick and even mean things. This whole daily pattern/cycle got so old and boring and I HAD to break it somehow.
* I thought about the year and a half I had remained sober (many years ago before I relapsed again "this time around") and how good that felt and how I did'nt even think about alcohol back then in my day to day life because I was so recovered.
* When I drank, I chain smoked like crazy and caused my room mate and animals to breath in my second-hand smoke. It was like a poker room!.
* I was so sick and tied of having this expensive and dangerous "time bomb" hanging over my head. The thought that I had allowed somthing to so completely control my life, my behavior and suck my wallet dry each month was devestating to me.
* From time to time I was beginning to get a mild pain in the general area of my liver - especially while drinking.
PS: I have purposely avoided this forum (and others) for almost a week now because of the fear that some of the posts might trigger me to begin drinking again. I am in a fragile state right now but more determined than ever to stop drinking once and for all. I have not had any alcohol in the house for just as long and I have no intention of going back to that Hell I was in when I was either drunk or hungover every day. anyway, please don't forget my original question (ie; "delayed withdrawal"). Thank you very much!.
Merry Christmas and Best Regards - Need4Change