Alcoholic in Recovery Alcohol Breath
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2020
Posts: 3
Alcoholic in Recovery Alcohol Breath
Good Evening all,
First, a little bit of background information on me. I am a 28 year old man, 5' 10' around 205. My last time binge drinking was on 12/31/2019. Before that I was on and off sober for a year, but never lasting more than a month. Prior to that, I binge drank beer (6-12 beers) mostly every day or every other day since I was the victim of a home invasion in 2011 in my early days of college. Since then I have come a long way, and really only got serious about my sobriety over the past year or so. Finally, after drinking too much on New Years Eve last year in 2019, I made that my last time getting intoxicated. I have been completely sober up until today.
Tonight it was passover, and I was with my girlfriend's family. I did not drink to excess, however being in a religious/social situation with their family, and not wanting them to know I am an alcoholic in recovery, I had around an entire glass of wine. Thankfully, I felt no effects, and generally I can probably say the urge to drink i s gone.
My girlfriend knows that I am an alcoholic in recovery and she completely supports my recovery. She told me after dinner that while I didn't wreak after having one glass of wine, she could tell I had something to drink from my breath. Again, no impairment, nothing like that, and the urge to drink is gone b/c it screwed up my life in so many ways. I am more concerned about the health effects.
I had a physical around 8 months ago or so and I lost around 25 pounds so far from not drinking (I drank basically daily). My liver enzymes were all normal, including my bilirubin, etc. Also, I had an ultrasound of my internal organs including my liver done as I was honest with my doctor. Thank god, nothing crazy found after binging basically daily on beer from age 20 to 28 years old.
Why/is it normal for me to smell at all after having a single glass of wine? I know and agree that alcoholics in recovery are always in recovery and should not touch alcohol. It's a battle never won. MY question is, is it a marker of poor health that I smell now even if I have one beer? Again, its been like almost four months since I had a drink at all, so I'm a little concerned even one drink makes me smell.
Has anyone else experienced this. Is this a marker of poor health, or more a potential marker that your days of drinking are over? Again I had a physical last summer, all was fine, liver enzymes in low 20s with sobriety (I think over 40 is when its no good). I just can't for th e life of me understand why a single glass of wine makes my breath smell now.
Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much! Have a great evening.
First, a little bit of background information on me. I am a 28 year old man, 5' 10' around 205. My last time binge drinking was on 12/31/2019. Before that I was on and off sober for a year, but never lasting more than a month. Prior to that, I binge drank beer (6-12 beers) mostly every day or every other day since I was the victim of a home invasion in 2011 in my early days of college. Since then I have come a long way, and really only got serious about my sobriety over the past year or so. Finally, after drinking too much on New Years Eve last year in 2019, I made that my last time getting intoxicated. I have been completely sober up until today.
Tonight it was passover, and I was with my girlfriend's family. I did not drink to excess, however being in a religious/social situation with their family, and not wanting them to know I am an alcoholic in recovery, I had around an entire glass of wine. Thankfully, I felt no effects, and generally I can probably say the urge to drink i s gone.
My girlfriend knows that I am an alcoholic in recovery and she completely supports my recovery. She told me after dinner that while I didn't wreak after having one glass of wine, she could tell I had something to drink from my breath. Again, no impairment, nothing like that, and the urge to drink is gone b/c it screwed up my life in so many ways. I am more concerned about the health effects.
I had a physical around 8 months ago or so and I lost around 25 pounds so far from not drinking (I drank basically daily). My liver enzymes were all normal, including my bilirubin, etc. Also, I had an ultrasound of my internal organs including my liver done as I was honest with my doctor. Thank god, nothing crazy found after binging basically daily on beer from age 20 to 28 years old.
Why/is it normal for me to smell at all after having a single glass of wine? I know and agree that alcoholics in recovery are always in recovery and should not touch alcohol. It's a battle never won. MY question is, is it a marker of poor health that I smell now even if I have one beer? Again, its been like almost four months since I had a drink at all, so I'm a little concerned even one drink makes me smell.
Has anyone else experienced this. Is this a marker of poor health, or more a potential marker that your days of drinking are over? Again I had a physical last summer, all was fine, liver enzymes in low 20s with sobriety (I think over 40 is when its no good). I just can't for th e life of me understand why a single glass of wine makes my breath smell now.
Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much! Have a great evening.
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,426
hi and welcome.
I think anyone who drinks will smell of alcohol, particularly to someone who might be on the lookout for that smell.
I can be on a bus and tell you which one of the passengers has been drinking.
I'm not Jewish, but I couldn't do what you did. I can't dabble in drinking - not worth the risk.
D
I think anyone who drinks will smell of alcohol, particularly to someone who might be on the lookout for that smell.
I can be on a bus and tell you which one of the passengers has been drinking.
I'm not Jewish, but I couldn't do what you did. I can't dabble in drinking - not worth the risk.
D
Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: West Tn
Posts: 3,043
Glad you’re here MM.
I can’t answer the question you raised.
I certainly stunk of stale, metabolized alcohol seeping out my pores, which was quite embarrassing.
But, I think, by far, the more pressing matter is your having a relapse because you didn’t want someone to know you’re in recovery.
What will the reason/excuse the next time.
Your alcoholism is bad enough for you to wisely get some testing done a few months ago, but you bartered away your recovery to make someone think you aren’t an alcoholic.
I am not trying to be personally critical of you, but the decision you made puts your health and longevity at risk, brother.
I would do some quick reassessment, amigo.
If I can help, feel free to PM me.
You have a valuable opportunity to get sober as a fairly young man (I got sober at age 31), and I hope that you seize that opportunity.
I can’t answer the question you raised.
I certainly stunk of stale, metabolized alcohol seeping out my pores, which was quite embarrassing.
But, I think, by far, the more pressing matter is your having a relapse because you didn’t want someone to know you’re in recovery.
What will the reason/excuse the next time.
Your alcoholism is bad enough for you to wisely get some testing done a few months ago, but you bartered away your recovery to make someone think you aren’t an alcoholic.
I am not trying to be personally critical of you, but the decision you made puts your health and longevity at risk, brother.
I would do some quick reassessment, amigo.
If I can help, feel free to PM me.
You have a valuable opportunity to get sober as a fairly young man (I got sober at age 31), and I hope that you seize that opportunity.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 363
Now that I don't drink in social gatherings anymore, I can smell it 10ft away if the breeze is right.
Very doubtful it's your health, you just stink man. You drank alcohol and to people who don't drink, it smells. You seem to have some anxieties regarding your health. Go get checked again if that helps, but the answer is to not drink.
Very doubtful it's your health, you just stink man. You drank alcohol and to people who don't drink, it smells. You seem to have some anxieties regarding your health. Go get checked again if that helps, but the answer is to not drink.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 148
No thank you, I don't drink alcohol. Simple, straightforward statement but it's something I have really struggled with too for nearly three years. Even though I know it is my ever so clever addiction that makes me think other people will judge me. Because, really wouldn't you just be in awe of someone who is that together, that confident in themselves to just say no thanks . Had a visitor a couple of weeks ago. Offered her a drink - she said don't drink gives me a headache. No more, no less. I don't know if she has had a problem or not. But I know she has my complete respect.
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