rreg2

Hi I am new

I am wondering if anyone has experienced the muscle spasms througought their entire body. I also have the tingling in the feet and sometimes arms. I have been sober for 38 days but as of yet no relief. My Neuro said that in six months 95 percent of these symptoms shouls dissapear with abstinence. does anyone have a similar experience.
thank you

rreg2

Hi

Really looking for help here. Has anyone had the same experience.

rreg2

For some reason after 38 days of sobriety it seems to be getting worse than better.

rreg2

My neurologist says that I should feel really good after 6 months, however I am really struggling.

DayTrader

According to AA, alcoholism is a 3-fold disease. It affects your physical body, your mentality (or your mind), and your spirit (or your soul). Sobriety is about recovering in all 3 areas. "Not drinking" treats the physical part only - the other 2/3 are still "drunk." Without recovery in all three areas, I wasn't ever able to keep from going right back to drinking.

Bear in mind, to be buzzed "felt" normal. To be able to check out of life from time to time by getting drunk, to have an "escape route" from stuff that "hurts" - that feels normal and right to an alcoholic. What you're feeling now is life withOUT the escape of alcohol....and those other two-thirds are rebelling against this new "no drinking" policy. Being dry doesn't feel right to them so they're going to start going to work on you to get you to go back to what makes them "feel normal" again.

That feeling you're in right now..... that was the one that scared me to death. I just knew I'd go back to drinking again. And I knew that if I went back to drinking I'd be getting arrested again and be heading off to jail for DUI #4 before too long OR I'd get sick and tired of living in the guilt and shame of knowing I went back to booze agaaaaaaaaain! That feeling of remorse, over and over and over and over and over and over.....it was starting to make suicide make sense. Where you are right now, THAT was the pivotal point in my recovery. I zigged my butt into AA with a whole new willingness to learn rather than zagged back to booze and my .357 magnum or prison.

BullDog777

if you're not on any other prescription drugs or coming off any prescription drugs that could cause this, i would say without an in depth range of tests, it's just a guess by a neuro if that's even what it is. alcoholism can cause a WIDE range of neurologial problems most of which go misdiagnosed and more accurately will go away as time progress without a drink.

give it some time. my guess is that's probably what he's thinking too.

artsoul

Hi rreg - Look up PAWS (Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome).

I'm only 13 days into this and haven't experienced what you're going through, but I feel for you. There's a thread at the top of the Alcoholism Forum as well that may help you. (I think it's called "How we quit and what to expect" or something like that). It has personal stories about going through withdrawal. I hope things improve for you!:ghug3

lexington

[duplicate post - deleted]

lexington

Hello, I have not written in a long time because I went through a big move a while ago and have been sorting out my life. One thing that I have not managed to sort out yet - though I don't stop trying - is my binge drinking. In some ways it was worsened by moving to another country and I am working hard to keep it to a level that I considered 'normal to poor' in my home country - 2 binges per week, roughly. Luckily I have found a good, supportive doctor over here who I feel comfortable with and she knows some of the issues that I am having from drinking. Like most drinkers I have downplayed my drinking - I told her I binge but only once a week. That was enough for her to suggest that I have neurological damage from drinking and I'm being check out by a neurologist now. So I am as certain as I can be without meeting the O.P. that his/her problems are caused by alcohol. By now s/he has hopefully moved on and gone back to normal but I just wanted to warn against labeling symptoms like those s/he described as being anxiety related. This strikes me as a form of denial about the threat that booze poses to our neurological health. I know that people who posted to suggest this as an explanation probably meant well and were trying to reassure the O.P. but when one is showing so many symptoms while continuing to drink I think it's unhelpful to soft-pedal the dangers. It was a real wake up call for me to hear my doctor suggest I may have brain damage - who doesn't love their brain? - and I assume it would have the same effect on many people who received such an honest assessment.

Another thing: I suffer from anxiety and have used alcohol mainly to relieve it in my life, so I think that suggesting to an alcoholic that his/her withdrawal and hangover symptoms are actually being caused by anxiety can inadvertently persuade them to carry on drinking, or even to drink more.

That's all I wanted to add. Wishing everyone a positive start New Year...

Lexington

Dee74

Welcome back lexington

I always recommend people see a Dr - and I see that suggestion here all through this thread too from others

I hope the OP is doing better.

D

TheOjibway84

Sounds very scary :O Yeah I had pulsing in my feet as if I was standing on a vibrating floor and whenever I sat down it was worse. I got off a 4 day bender myself and I was drinking like crazy. Day 4 I was puking yet I drank more and more and everything seemed to be falling apart. I wasn't having fun anymore, I was more worried of my withdrawlas so I downed more which is stupid seeing it'll make it worse. I also had what felt like weak heart rate on my last binger day. When I went to sleep or tried to I'd jump up out of bed because it always felt my heart was going to stop if I passed out. I have been binge drinking for 6 years myself. I wasn't daily at the start, I'd binge once every week and thought that was normal. 4 months ago I was a wreck too. I was so scared to go to sleep I literally stayed up for 4 days straight because I was scared I wouldn't wake up again. Thats when my parents came to my place and helped me in time. I swear if I continued one more day or two, I probably was going to die, because I didn't eat or drink water those 4 days.

That symptom of lightning going through out your body sounds scary, I haven't read the comments because I didn't want to feel I was repeating people but maybe you need to go for more medical tests, blood work only finds certain things. As for the symptoms going away? Takes time. I was lucky that once I sobered up within a few days mine went away. I've been on and off with my drinking and have been going to AA. Maybe if I wasn't in AA and doing the drinking I'd probably be going through the same fate. Depends on your body really since we're all different on the inside. Well I hope things go through as positive for you and you seek more medical attention because if you can diagnose your issues then you can correct themm, minding you if they are fixable. good luck and it's good you found support in these rooms!

Sunny27

The same thing struck me as I was reading this thread.

I have just turned 39 and started drinking at 18. I have only had one 3-month period off drinking in that time. I was a binge drinker, but didn't do benders for days. I also didn't drink every day.

But I KNOW my relationship with alcohol is and always will be unhealthy. I tried going for just the 1-2 glasses of vino, but after the 2nd I always felt in flying form and had to have another. At that point friends would be heading home so I'd leave as well and get a bottle on the way home.

I simply don't have the 'off' button that many others have. They can take it or leave it - I can't.

I am only accepting now that this is the case and it terrifies me too that I can never drink again.

But I want to have a long and happy life without fearing what my drinking is doing to my body, my mind.

I get at 25 this must seem all pretty scary - never drinking again - but in my experience, moderating my drinking NEVER worked and I see from reading on here that many other the same.

I thought I could train myself to drink socially - I can't.

I hope you are OK, Chris. Let us know how you are doing if you can.

Dee74

just a reminder guys - this thread was bumped. The OP hasn't been here in a while - nearly 3 years.

D

Sunny27

Whooops. Am new here and didn't realise.

Anyway, here's hoping he is doing OK

ForeverDecember

Anyway to change the title to let people know?

Dee74

If I had to change titles to all the threads that get bumped, I'd be even busier so...no, not really FD LOL.

I find I just instinctively check dates now

D

ForeverDecember

True, true. This is twice I've fallen for a necro thread this week! The tip off was seeing Carol's reply.

Sealpoint

I have alcoholic neuropathy in my lower legs/feet. In the last 10-12mths my drinking has reduced considerably. I have not been able to abstain completely but in all have drank a fraction to what I used to.

My neuropathy has improved, however I still have it. Currently my legs still feel like they are set in cement from the knees down, knumbness, and I have different weird/abnormal sensations that can change, eg feel like I am walking on pebbles, lack of feeling, dead legs, feeling like I am walking around with heavy weights attached to my legs, also depends on what I am doing or how long I am sitting. It is always with me, a reminder of the damage I have done to myself (I am 43). I am able to now exercise, walk properly but with continual discomfort which I just have to put up with now.

What has improved since my drinking has is that I can walk downhill unaided. I can go up AND down stairs more than one step at a time and not holding on with both hands. I am able to stand in the shower (rather than having to sit), my balance is alot better, although I have discomfort now it is less extreme.

If I could turn back the clock the one thing I would have done differently was once I started getting tingling & pins & needles in toes was to seriously consider my drinking options. The onset was about 3 years ago. Neuropathy for me was the main fear factor that helped me change my drinking behaviour.

TheOjibway84

well go figure giving all this advice and this is another poster whose post is old. lol So why did it get bumped? Somone went browsing and updated it with an answer? lol. Thanks for the heads up Dee! lol.

TheOjibway84

but even if its an old post. isn't that the point? To bring people to answer this question and tell what they gone through with symptoms? Just curious because I remember being told instead of making a new thread each time to browse and find a topic that i wanted to post and contribute there. lol