BrendonM

I have been quitting for a while, usually 1-2 weeks between incidents at this point, but every time I've been sober for a few days or more, I start to feel unwell. I get a mild, infrequent twitch in my right arm; eating makes me feel sick, even when I'm starving; I suffer from hypnagogic jerks up to 5 times a night; I take up to 3 hours to fall asleep... those are just the physical symptoms.

How long can I expect this to go on? I almost feel like being hungover for a few hours is better than feeling like I've been awake for 24 hours all day long. Have other people experienced this?

Raider

I'm not sure I get it. You drink, then stop for a couple weeks and experience these physical symptoms, then drink again. Is that right?

BrendonM

Yes, my recovery has involved slowly increasing the amount of time it takes between failures. I'm hoping it will reach critical mass and I will just abstain outright. The symptoms aren't my motivation, but they invariably pop up after 2 days or so.

karate

I found I had to totally quit , to get rid of the aches and pains.

Raider

Well that's a very cruel way to go about this little problem of ours.
It's like pulling a thorn out of your skin slowly. You're going to keep having these unwell symptoms until you ride it out. That is, experience the symptoms until they run there course, and stop drinking.

hiddenzebra

I'm surprised it takes a couple days for the symptoms to show up. Mine were nearly constant, and got worse after an hour or so of abstinence while I was still technically heavily under the influence, although I didn't feel buzzed. I also wasn't sleeping at all.

GroundhogDay

Yeah, I think your every couple of weeks schedule is dragging out the process. Your body needs at least six months, if not longer, to resolve those issues.

bizzybee

For me the hee- b- jee-b's just went away about a week ago! I'm only sober 76 days ...stick it out and it will pass!
My skin itched like there were red ants biting me for weeks! Talk about no sleep!

Sanantoniosober

I tried this because I kept believing that I could still drink, just not as often. By going back to drinking, it makes me start all over again. And if you are like I was, every time you drink to relieve the withdrawal symptoms, it'll make the next withdrawal worse.

I don't drink because I don't want to and don't know if I can come back through that again.

Rar

I also had the itching. It was horrible. I am 7 weeks today and I'm still afraid to go without skin cream, especially at night. Of course the dry winter weather adds to the misery. Red ants - yes that's exactly what it felt like.

LBrain

Hello BM,

I'm at day 85. I've been awake all day. It's 230 EDT. I am becoming a night person for some reason. A week or two ago I was getting 8-9 hours of solid sleep. And I still felt like ))() all day. This too shall pass. I hope. I was going to the gym every day and excited about life. I hit a wall a couple weeks ago. But I feel myself rebounding again. Actually did a little work outside.
It takes time. There are many variables.
Keep with it is the only answer.

bizzybee

I too am becoming a niteowl! I feel hungover for hours after getting up(minus the reeking, dry mouth etc ) sometimes even walking funny! Tomorrow will be 78 days for me! I really hate this staying up late thing!

Treerat66

LBrain and bizzybee, you may want to look into 'seasonally affected disorder' I have mild SAD and need to hug my light box in the Fall else my sleep patterns fall apart.

alwayssober1

Yeah I'm 83 days sober and generally still feel like crap..lol, I'm hoping by 6 months there will be improvements.

OBXNC77

And I thought the itching and red ants were just me. I have been waking up at 3:30 in the morning for the past week feeling like this.

Hawkeye13

google "kindling effect" if withdrawals are worse each time

This also happened to me and that is how I found SR

The good news is, since I've stopped for good, I'm feeling much better physically now

matt4x4

[QUOTE=BrendonM;4544831]I have been quitting for a while, usually 1-2 weeks between incidents at this point, but every time I've been sober for a few days or more, I start to feel unwell. I get a mild, infrequent twitch in my right arm; eating makes me feel sick, even when I'm starving; I suffer from hypnagogic jerks up to 5 times a night; I take up to 3 hours to fall asleep... those are just the physical symptoms.

How long can I expect this to go on? I almost feel like being hungover for a few hours is better than feeling like I've been awake for 24 hours all day long. Have other people experienced this?[/QUOT

gO TO A DOCTOR TO GET IT CHECKED OUT. iT MIGHT BE WORTH YOUR WHILE. bUT YOU HAVE TO TELL THE COMPLETE AND HONEST TRUTH, WE ALCOHOLICS LOVE TO LIE TO THE PEOPLE TRYING TO HELP US ESPECIALLY DOCTORS. gOOD LUCK MY FRIEND.

sugarbear1

it's not what happens between drinking that gets us anywhere near sobriety, it's what happens when we forge through and stay stopped and allow our bodies actual real time to get and stay clean....then the sobriety work can begin....

dude, seriously, try staying stopped for a year and see how you feel then, otherwise you are just really hurting your body and brain and making all of this healing take so much longer. can't heal when ya binge or periodically drink....the body cells remember!