The Bear

Hi everyone,

Just wondering if anyone else had really bad headaches upon quitting alcohol? I have been 40+ days sober and the last 18 days have been a nightmare in terms of really bad headaches. It gets to a point where at 3pm, I have a lie down and turn off anything that makes a sound.

I am aware of PAWS however I was under the impression this occurred at the 3 month mark not sooner.

I felt great leaving detox and had enormous amounts of energy, and now I have hit a brick wall I can't climb over no matter how much I try.

I am seeing my doctor in 2 days, the soonest appointment I could get. I take multis, eat pretty well and in general am in pretty good health. I did have severe migraines in the past so not sure if that has any correlation.

I'm not asking for medical advice, just for other people's experiences :-)

karate

Are you drinking plenty of water? ,Headaches are a sigh of dehydration .

The Bear

Hi Karate,

Yes, drinking 2-3 litres a day. I have a cup of coffee in the morning but otherwise water or mineral water with lemon juice.

KateL

Could be stress related, let us know how you get on x

doggonecarl

I had terrible headaches when I first quit. I assumed it was related to early recovery and while they troubled me, they didn't overly concern me. However, 18 days in a row is a lot. It's good, I think, that you are seeing your doctor.

thisisme

Several weeks into my sobriety I had horrible headaches. I stopped drinking diet anything with aspartame.

Taking5

We alkies tend to ties every physical ailment we ever have back to our drinking days. Most of the time, given the amount of abuse we put our bodies through, we are right. However, even people who have never had a drink still get headaches.

Don't beat yourself up trying to figure it out. Take the OTC med of your choice to deal with the headache like a normal person would, and if the headache persists, go see your Dr.

The Bear

Thanks for your replies everyone. Had to reschedule so am seeing my doctor tomorrow who thankfully is also a drug & alcohol specialist who should be able to help me.

Funny thing is, yesterday I lost my balance and fell heavily on a completely flat surface...Have mangled my right shoulder, arm and bizarrely enough my neck as well. I laughed at first but with the intense headaches I did get concerned a little..

Believe me Taking5, the only time I did not suffer from migraines when I was pregnant. The sole reason I did not notice this pain whilst drinking is because I was in a perpetual state of drunkenness.

As for OTC medication, I won't take panadol let alone anything else that is stronger unless the doctor is adamant I need. I just wanted to hear other people's experiences and I am glad to hear that can be a possible side effect of quitting. I'll put up with the pain if it is temporary, which I hope it is rather than an ongoing thing, I have enough health issues to contend with LOL! ;-)

Thank you to everyone for taking the time to reply, as always greatly appreciated :-)

jessie65

I've woken up with a headache more times than not, stress related probably, especially if you have a lot on your mind. Or maybe you're not sleeping well?
I get headaches when I'm overtired.

Good idea seeing your doctor, I hope you feel better soon.

Dee74

let us know how you get on, TheBear

D