IamDrowning

Okay so I posted a while ago on here and was all ready to quit but I got overwhelmed and never did. Long story short, 2-3 months of drinking 350ml of vodka to fall asleep every night, but within the last maybe week have woken up 4 hours later and needed the extra 350ml to get some more sleep. That left me with a bottle a day for a week.
Woke up yesterday morning at 3:30am intense anxiety kicked in about 4am so took 1mg of Valium, had another one at 5am and spent the next 2 hours sweating and anxious. My parter helped me distract myself and then at 7am went to see a dr. That was the earliest I could see him.
He put me on Valium for the next several days.
Last night didnt sleep at all kept feeling like my body had jolts of electricity as soon as I was dosing off. Didn't take as much Valium as he prescribed cause I didn't feel like I needed it. I have previously suffered from insomnia so was aware of how it felt. I actually stopped being anxious for a few hours thinking that this might be it for the withdrawals. But today, took some this morning about 7, still couldn't fall asleep. But the Valium helped with the jolts, wasn't as intense but not enough to fall asleep. 3 hours later I am now finally feeling the cold sweats. Body temperature and heart rate is in a safe area tho. Called a health hotline and she talked us through it. Just feeling intense brain fog and can't believe after 3 hours of taking Valium i am already feeling worse. Yesterday I lasted the whole day on that single dose. Anyways at least I am not going over the drs prescribed limit per day. Just more shocked I actually need it.
So day two for me. Anyone have any experience with these jolts waking you up? I'm hoping today is the brunt of it and as of tomorrow I should hopefully start to feel like there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Withdrawals plus insomnia just makes it feel like it all lasts so much longer.

DataDog

I was antsy for 3 days after I stopped drinking... Insomnia stinks, I'm still taking OTC sleep aids, I find that they calm me as well as help me to sleep... not a restful sleep but it beats grinding my teeth throughout the night.

I never got jolts that woke me up, but I would be awakened by the immense amount of sweat that would pour out of me during the night... I didn't know sweating like that was even possible.

also, what I found to help me a lot is to make a cup of tea to replace the bottle I would drink at night. If having trouble sleeping try some camomile tea, it's a splendid alternative.

Dominica2

Yes. The jolts are terrible! Wake you from a dead sleep. It does get annoying, but it got better within a week. The time frame you are in was the worst for me, but it does get milder as time goes on. Just make sure you have your Dr. on standby. Best wishes! You can do it!

Dom

Dee74

I have no experience with Valium or jolts, but I wanted to welcome you back IamDrowning

D

IamDrowning

I have had jolts that wake me up from a sleep but haven't had jolts that prevented me from falling asleep so I can't even get a good hour or so.
I'm not really expecting to sleep tonight. It's worse when you expect to and don't. As long as I am content and the Valium does its work till the end of day 3 hopefully I will be in the clear. I'm not worried about alcohol cravings and what's to expect once I have fully detoxed etc. I just hate getting over this hump of getting the alcohol out your system and the anxiety and shakes etc. I actually haven't sweated much at all but I've just felt cold and weak.

2granddaughters

Google "brain zaps" or the like, you'll find it's a common withdrawal symptom. I had them too, I took V for 15 yrs.

IamDrowning, I strongly suggest you get to AA/NA meetings in your neighborhood. Get with the people who are recovering and have been down the path you are on and recovered.
It's quite evident that whatever you have been doing isn't working and this isn't a GD game were playing here.
I think it's time to step up and get serious... or lose it all.
I may be wrong, ... i hope so. Your choice.

Bob R

IamDrowning

I have no problems with going to AA but I am just taking one step at a time at the moment. Been to the doctor to get initial assessment and medication to detox, gone to a psychologist to deal with the long term affects of what this has done to me and at the moment I am just trying to get through the next few days. My partner has been the most amazing person in the world through this and she deserves a sober dedicated partner who is healthy. I will go to AA to get that extra support and interaction with people who understand what I am going through but at the moment I am having trouble leaving the house. So talking with others about how long it took them to detox and their symptoms to pass is the only thing giving me clarity at the moment and helping me realize this will actually end and then I can get to work on fixing the rest of my life.
Those who experienced the sudden jolts during detox, did you eventually fall asleep on your own or with the help of a sleep aid? I have previously taken a sleep aid probably a year ago and hated the drowsiness and didn't use it past the first night. But at least it got me to get a nights sleep after 4 nights without sleep. I always find that after a nights sleep my anxiety drops and I am ready to tackle life again. But it's the Foggy brain that knocks me about.

instant

It's a rough ride for a while, it's your body readjusting- I think having a Dr on board is a good idea

Firehazard

It does get better friend. But I was so agitated/antsy/restless after week two that I surrendered to the Doctors percription for a mild anti Depressant. I took it for the first three months before I was willing to leg go and walk on my own. I would do as Dominica suggested and keep the Doc in the loop.

BackToSquareOne

IamDrowning, if you saw your Doctor and have valium for detox you have all the bases covered. The detox is tough duty but it will pass, it always does. Hang in there, it will all be another page in the history books before you know it.

whiskeyman

please if those jolts get worse go to the dr or better yet to the ER.
I was detoxing and the jolts got extremely bad at day four especially at night.
i went to the ER thinking i was going to seizure. they put me on IV valium to detox properly.
that was nine months ago and been sober since.
dont play with your life if you think it might be bad go get help

penny74

l had the jolts as well.
l have been ok for almost 2 years but still have them now and them.
It's your nervous system that has blown a fuse and is reajusting.
Could take a long time but it does get better... like a lot of things...

Spawn

I white knuckled it!

Withdrawals do go away.......I refused any meds.

IamDrowning

Thanks everyone for your responses! I'm on day 5. On day 2 I still had the jolts but eventually fell asleep and slept a good 7 hours and woke up with some hope. Had about 2 hours before falling asleep with horrible nightmares. Even had one where my father was holding me face down by my neck and was drilling into my back with a drill which was strange and horrible. The pain was around my kidneys. However It felt amazing having that first nights sleep without alcohol. I even managed to leave the house on day 3 and do some normal things. I had terrible brain fog but it wasn't as bad as the previous days. Slept great day 3 night. Day 4 night hit a bit of insomnia again and spent the night tossing and turning with some sweating but my partner said it was a hot night so it may not have been related to detox. Even though I didn't sleep that well sober. It's way easier waking up and functioning without the alcohol in your system.
A good thing to remember is that if you are a few days into your detox, and are experiencing anxiety and stress, doing exercise is really helpful. Exercise is the one thing that has started to help. Even if it's some short walks. I have started running again yesterday. Doing exercise burns up excess cortisol (the hormone that your body produces when it's stressed), so it reduces anxiety. This was only possible for me yesterday day 4, on day 2 I did short walks of about 20 mins. It also distracted me instead of lying there feeling like crap.
I am so glad to finally be over the brunt of it all. I got my first cravings when it came to my usual time to drink, but quickly went to the movies to distract myself which helped cause by the time I got home I was tired and ready for bed. Got my meeting with my psychologist in 2 days and looking forward to that so feeling very positive.
I must say, if you are planning on doing a detox at home, and are very against going to the ER. I don't recommend it without seeing a doctor before hand and getting the medication needed, and making sure you have someone by your side the whole time who will monitor you the whole time. Having my partner there who remained calm and made sure that even if I felt worse, that it wasn't just my anxiety playing tricks on my mind and reassured me by taking my temperature, my pulse etc every 2-3 hours. That definitely reassures you. She kept my environment extremely calm just by putting me on the couch with water and layed next to me for the next few days while we watch entire seasons of television shows and taking my medication.
Thanks everyone for your support. I must say, writing on here gave me a slight bit of a shiver as the it gave me a flash of how I felt the last time I wrote on here.