Songtx

So, I've been aware of and am reading about alcohol withdrawal. Some of the reactions to stopping cold turkey are really scary. Question is, if I had my last drink.on Thurs night am I in the clear from any major reaction? So far it's been ok. Thanks in advance.

Soberpotamus

I didn't have any obvious withdrawals, so I can't say this from experience. But from all that I've read, the worst usually happens 2 - 3 days after you quit. If you're feeling "ok" so far, I think you're probably in the clear. But others more qualified to answer this will soon chime in...

I'm wrong... I just read that they can last for up to a week or even 10 days. If you're a heavy drinker, you still may have to watch carefully for symptoms.

Dee74

Hi SongTX

None of us are Drs here and we can't give medical advice - if you're concerned I recommend seeing your Dr. - why not put your mind at ease?

D

Tosh

Well done on stopping drinking, Song; seeing a doctor is great advice.

Mind you, when I stopped, I just stopped, and I lived (I love to state the obvious).

Another thing on your priority list is 'staying stopped'. Many alkies can stop drinking, sometimes for quite a long time, but invariably end up drinking again.

I use A.A., and it worked marvellously for me, but there are other programs and support systems available; please investigate them and try some of them. This is really important, since just 'stopping drinking' using pure will power can be a mental experience; it can grind you down like Japanese water-torture; and you end up drinking again.

Good on you though; please keep us informed of how you're doing!

sugarbear1

We may all be alkies, but we are different.

Seek medical advice, as suggested, be MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL

whiskeyman

i stopped drinking July 10th and made it three days, yes with shakes and sweats but the was about it until the fourth nite went i woke up in te middle of the night with terrible chest pains and huge electric jolts that would wake me everytime i would try and fall asleep so much so i thought they werer going to be seizures. i woke my partner at 5 am and told him i think we should go to the dr or the hospital. he asked why and i told him that i had been drinking, he actually thought i was clean for almost a month but far from it. alcoholics are the master liars.

we went to the dr for diazepam and my heart was racing so fast he thought i should go to the ER. while there they fast tracked me as i was having my shocks. they gave me some intravenous valium and made me stay overnight. no seizures thank HP but could have been close.

i beg everyone who even considers going cold turkey to fess up to someone and let them know you need help. i thought if i made it past day three i was almost in the clear. NOPE.

Please do not risk it. and if you truly want your desire for alcohol to be gone go thru something like this and see all the support that comes your way, you will not feel alone anymore.

But my biggest warning to everyone is to please dont go cold turkey. it is true that they say you can DIE. and i didnt want to die and i dont want you too either. get some help no matter how hard it is to tell some.

Boleo

Me to. It's a bit like playing Russian Roulette. There is no telling what would happen if I tried it again.

whiskeyman

thats is why i am not going to try again. 20 days and going strong.
it is not going to get me this time.

Songtx

Hi everyone,
Thanks for all the feedback. I'm on day 4 and not having any physical symptoms. I did get into a blowout fight with my husband, which is not too unusual. The problem is that I really got out of control. I flipped. I then went to my bed and almost immediately fell asleep. So, I'm pretty unstable and tired. I thought for some reason if I stopped drinking, it would solve the fights. I believe the fights are a direct result of alcohol, and it robbing our lives for so many years. I like to think I would have done more with my time, and we would have done more together had we not been drinking almost nightly for 5 years. So, now I'm trying to get healthy. I did manage to get in 2 walks today despite my mood. I just fear that the change might break us apart. As it is now, we're not speaking and he's out on the porch drinking. I know I can't expect him to change. If I haden't decided to try, I'd be out there too. So, he lost his drinking buddy and that must suck.