Originally Posted by
thomas11 
Not sure about others but when I was drinking I was either recovering-- or drinking. That's how the days played out. Because I wanted to feel better I took Excedrin. It has acetaminophen and caffeine. So the combination of coffee, aspirin, and alcohol I was constantly sweaty. I sweat easily anyway but it was embarrassingly bad. The only time I didn't sweat excessively is when I was drunk.
Now that I have quit it seems my body's thermostat has regulated itself properly and I don't feel hot or cold all the time. And if I sweat its because I should be sweating.
Anyone else notice this?
Absolutely.
I have had HORRIFIC experiences with sweating. Sweaty hands. Sweaty armpits. Sweaty forehead..... hugely embarassing moments in front of entire rooms of people and sweating through shirts.
Turns out, caffeine and alcohol both impact the nervous system in lots of ways. Caffeine in particular is a sympathomimetic agent that triggers your fight or flight response. I believe it also has a cumulative effect.
Between coffee and excedrin and energy drinks to manage the downsides to my drinking, and of course the inclusion for several years of cocaine and other stimulants and drugs that messed up my serotonin and dopamine - well, I was a sweaty awful mess.
Nowadays, caffeine still has that effect - but it's much less pronounced. I think I did permanent damage or altered my nervous system all together with the years of abuse of caffeine and drugs and alcohol.
Social settings still give me anxiety. Presenting in front of a group makes me sweat excessively.... but it's still a thousand times better than it was before I got sober.
Anyway - totally normal and it does ease over time and with good sobriety depth.
