vlad123

Hi,

Firstly I am sorry for something.

When I was writing here first time I was asking something about my brother. I dont have a brother I was asking to see if I can drink again.

It was three years ago.

In that time I had stoped drinking and had terrible need to drink but I had terrible hangovers and thought maybe if I could drink without them.

I have not touched alcohol in that three years.

I am not even thinking about alcohol anymore.

I think that I have developed some kind of anxiety and that the cause of that anxiety are more uglly hangovers and not alcohol itself.

I was binge drinker I was drinking every secind day till I pass out. My hangovers where ultra ugly at the end.
I did not think that I will die I thought that I will go mad and somehow stoped to exist in my brain dont know how to explain it. Like a super panic attack

I was going better through time but I have developed some kind of strange anxiety.

I have symptoms that match hypoglicemia

When I wake up I have anxiety till I eat and it must be something with lots of sugar plus lots of meat

When I am in lots of stress I need to eat to calm me.

I am not hungry in that time but like my brain needs food and sugar 10 times more than normal.

I have had my sugar checked and it is normal, I have even bought home kit to check it and it is normal all the time even in state of hypoglichemia symptoms.

Do you maybe know what this is

Thank you

Dee74

I'm glad you were able to stop drinking Vlad.

Anxiety is common for a lot of us & sometimes that anxiety can manifest itself in physical ways.

Beyond that I have no experience to help you with your symptoms tho - have you considered getting a second opinion from another doctor?

D

johntrevy

Anxiety can show itself to us in all kinds of ways. Are you in therapy with AA or another organisation to help with your sobriety? Since I stopped drinking (day 67 now) I've been craving sugar a lot, I never realised how much sugar was actually in lager and how much I was hammering my body with it.
I would definitely see a doctor again if you are that concerned.
Hope things go well for you.

vlad123

No I am not going to any meeting, I also did not use any medical help to stop drinking.

I stoped cold turkey I did not have any withdrawal symptom.

I suggest that it is better to have medical help when you stop.

I believe that I have anxiety because of almost 20 years of drinking

Yesterday and today I had really bad panic attack and I am anxious and nervous all day.

daisy1

I would suggest asking your doctor for full blood tests to check your thyroid function etc

Aellyce

My drinking pattern was similar, at least in the last several years of it - drinking copious amounts of alcohol, getting totally wasted, passing out, waking up feeling absolutely horrible that typically lasted for ~a day, feeling better in 2-3 days - rinse repeat. I also craved food like crazy on the days after a bad binge very often although not sugar (I just don't like sugary/sweet things much) but the savory-meaty-fatty kinds. It still happens at times after being sober for a few years. I also thought I had blood sugar issues or some other metabolic issues, but nothing came out wrong in my physicals. I would definitely recommend getting a thorough medical checkup - it is good for peace of mind and also to avoid self-medicating in the wrong way (like with food). In my case, I had an eating disorder as well a very long time ago and it is quite possible my brain is still wired for it on some level even if I don't actually have eating disorder symptoms at all these days apart from those cravings. I also craved alcohol like crazy for a looong time after getting sober, both in my first sobriety and following a relapse years later. Some people report never having strong cravings - definitely not my case.

I think the anxiety might well be the main culprit but, again, it is good to rule out other things first. For many people, anxiety tends to be the worst right after waking in the morning - there is well-known physiological basis for this (some chemicals causing it tend to peak at that time daily). Also, many people develop anxiety issues later in life even without ever having an addiction, but a history of alcoholism can definitely exacerbate it. I have formal diagnoses of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (I believe many people on this forum who ever sought help) and when I first started to explore better ways of coping in sobriety, I clearly recognized that I had signs of it pretty much in my whole life but it got worse over time, definitely with drinking. Even my past eating disorder - usually a binge on food alleviated my anxiety momentarily, but not for long. The associated frustration and shame also did not help.

I had panic attacks quite regularly while I was drinking heavily but not a single one in the last few years. Other symptoms have also gotten milder. What I personally found best is to just accept I have this predisposition/condition and find ways to deal with it. Regular, healthy eating, exercise and good sleep habits are some of the best things for mine. You can also consider medication once it is clear it is anxiety. I tried some in the past but did not like them too much and concluded that it is not severe enough for me (given I stay sober) to deal with the balance between benefits and side effects of the meds... I never tried meds extensively though. Often the thing is to really just ignore the symptoms, cravings, whatever... and do something constructive and rewarding that takes my mind off. It can take a lot of self-control and discipline sometimes and many of us are obviously are not the most famous for those things... again, if trying it on your own does not work, I would seek help. For me, not dealing with practical/existential things properly/satisfyingly can also trigger some uncomfortable episodes of anxiety, which almost always go away once I appropriately handle the underlying issue instead of avoiding.

There are many ways to treat anxiety, if it is really anxiety!

johntrevy

When you see your doctor next I would definitely ask about some form of therapy. If it is anxiety then you really need to talk about it, unresolved issues that were buried by the drink are still there. You can't run from yourself, but you can face yourself and banish those old psychological demons. Good luck!!

vlad123

I am not sure that these what I have are panic attacks.

Today I woke up and I had withdrawal symptoms till I have not drink like 2 liters of chocolate milk and ate a lot of meat.

I am going to see a shrink about that.

I am 80 percent sure that these are withdrawal symptoms that caused this bad state I am in.

Is it possible that you have withdrawal symptoms 3 years after you stoped drinking.

I have also checked my blood sugar in that condition and it was normal.

biminiblue

Sugar can act on the nervous system a lot like any pleasurable addiction and then there is the comedown. It also increases inflammation in the body (and brain) so too much is not a good thing.

If I eat too much sugar on a regular basis I have a lot more anxiety. Same with caffeine, so I limit both and my anxiety is much better. One cup of coffee, one cup of tea and less than 100 calories of added sugar is where I try to stay on a daily basis.

I think some people are just more prone to anxiety, too. It's pretty complicated.

Mornings are tough for me, but I chalk it up to the morning cortisol phenomenon. If I wake up really anxious I'll do 50 jumping jacks or run in place and that settles me down while I wait for coffee. You can google morning cortisol/morning anxiety.

Aellyce

I agree with biminiblue that it might be related to your sugar/food habit now and nothing about the old drinking problem. Sugar/food addiction is a real thing and it can cause some similar symptoms to other addictions as it literally works on the same brain mechanisms.

The best remedy for morning anxiety, also for me, can be doing a quick intense workout, just a few minutes. There are many good videos on Youtube that can be done at home and do not require any equipment.

vlad123

It is a bit strange,

When I stoped cold turkey I did not have any sugnificant withdrawal symptoms.

I had cravings but I was used to them because I had them in pause beetwen drinking .

These are lets say super cravings.

SoberCAH

All we can offer is our own experience, strength and hope (ESH).

For me that has been treating my drinking problem with AA and my generalized anxiety disorder (and depression, for that matter) with medications under the care of a psychiatrist.

I haven't had a drink in many years, nor have I suffered from anxiety for the last 20 years (in which I have sought treatment).

It's nice to know that some ailments can be successfully treated.

We're very happy you're here with us.

P.S. We didn't think you had a brother.