Funyons

Why do people say 3rd day of withdrawal is worst. For those of you who have detoxed before do you agree and for others is there a scientific reason?

abc

Yes, Day 3 is the worst. Physical withdrawal is the result of your brain increasing your neurotransmitter activity during your drinking life. Your brain does this to overcome the constant presence of a depressant (alcohol). Then when you remove the depressant, your brain is still firing at the high level. This is what makes you sick. It takes a few days for the brain to down-regulate its activity as it realizes the depressant is no longer present. So I think that's the scientific reason it starts getting better after 3 days. Incidentally, this is the whole reason depressants are physically addictive and stimulants are not. When you remove a stimulant your brain just gets depressed, but it does no over-fire, causing bizarre symptoms.

CarolD

That may or may not be true for you....but
for me...Day 3 was the worse...

If you look at the link I gave you on another post...you
will see not everyone had the same de tox symptoms.

Change4good

Interesting. Day 3 is when I feel human again. It is different for everyone.

Funyons

My last drink was Thursday at 11:00 PM, so I'm coming onto 72 hours tonight. I really do want to have a beer right now though that's for sure! Hah

Funyons

Sometimes I get this weird tightness like a knot in my upper back. Does that sound normal?

penny74

Day 2 was always living hell.
But l have known day 3 to 100 not feeling hot as well.

TwoJacks

For me I feel better after the first 24 hours. But, those 24 hours are a bitch!

Alan111

For me the 48-72 hour mark was usually when the night sweats and the shakes came on. After that the physical withdraw symptoms were usually over.

Jitterbugg

Day 3 was always the worst mentally for me, physically it was days 1 and 2 with the sweats and shakes.

Drexo

Day 2 & 3 were the worst for me. Especially the 2nd night sleeping having shakes and experiencing very strange dream states. Sometimes I didn't even know if I was awake or hallucinating and suddenly a few hours had passed again. Very, very scary.

Nevertheless

I lost count of how many times I tried. But anywhere between day 1 and 3 was worst for withdrawal for me.. The last time I was over a month sober,and I woke up one night in a cold sweat. Not sure what that was all about. Usually that only happens the first week or so.
Where I failed the majority of the time though, was about the week mark.
About day 4 or 5 you start feeling really good and think "man I got this whipped". And around day 6 or 7 along comes a craving (I call it a shock wave). But it always seemed so intense I would give in. It always snuck up on me.
The last time I was prepared. I quit one weekend,and the next weekend after that I rented a bunch of movies and made sure I had nothing else to do. I also refused to do anything after work. I completely put sobriety first. Nothing else mattered. All I ever did after work was drink anyway. So that part was no loss at all. Matter of fact,I probably missed the opportunity to screw something up.
Hang in there,and just remember no matter what. Drinking just isn't an option. Might as well forget it.
Fred

thekat

To me the 3rd day was always the day I'd expect to be feeling better, hence when I was planning to detox I would make sure I had 3 days clear where I didn't have to go anywhere or see anyone, so I knew I could go through it without any added pressure.
But I guess everyone's detox is different......

desertsong

Detox is different for everyone. I've detoxed more times than I can remember and sometimes Day 3 was the worst and sometimes it wasn't. Days 1 and 2 were definitely difficult. The last couple of times I detoxed, I was on meds for the first 4 days and it helped tremendously, even though the meds turned me into a zombie. But I'd rather be in Zombieland than going through the hell of withdrawal!

It's always best to consult a doctor before detoxing ... not only can they make sure you do it safely, but you can also avoid some of the worst of the physical symptoms if you get medical supervision. Detoxing can be dangerous on your own, so if you're just getting started, I'd highly recommend seeing a doctor first. If you don't, then please make sure you have someone with you during those first couple of days to make sure you're okay, and if you start to feel REALLY bad, please go to the ER. Seriously. Best to do this safely.

Lilou

Yes day 3 is the worst For me I think the reason is this
day 1 -- hungover and/or feeling awful about yourself because of drinking. "never again"
day 2 -- day one is still fresh in your memory
day 3 -- day one is fading from your memory and so you become susceptable to excuses. "okay just one beer won't make a difference, most people have a beer every week anyway, last time was different, I just drank too much, this time everything's gonna be under control"..

Ampsmarie

Day 3 wasn't too bad for me... I am on day 10 and the past 3 days have been the worst. Itchy, emotional, headache, stress... Day 3 the time I quit for 41 days was pretty bad, itchy with sweats, couldn't sleep... I guess it all depends.

babycat

I feel great after 24 hours. Sometimes still have night sweats for a couple days after, but other than that, I am fine. Like others said, everyone is different.