Badga

Hi all

I am now four days into my fifth quit attempt in ten years of daily drinking and feel totally and utterly physically exhausted! Even though I am sleeping like a log now.

I have not been to my GP for a liver function text (LFT) and understand that this forum is prohibited from offering any medical advice. I am hoping that with a couple more weeks of good nutrition and exercise I will start to feel well again.

I just wondered if anyone else on SR has had the same experience of chronic fatigue in their early days of abstinence and how long it took to feel better again?

IOAA2

Hi and congratulations on your bid for sobriety.

You probably know just about all backgrounds of drinking can stop.
The effect of drinking among people is very varied and or often alike because of the variables among us.
Except for not having that first drink what was easy for me may not be for you or others. For instance going to my first AA meeting was easy though a bit apprehensive. Liking all I heard went against my grain at times. Whenever I did something I didn’t want to the usual feeling was a relief of letting go. Like my feeling about speaking, I swore I’d drink first so I’d be disqualified. Well when I did on the spur of the moment the feeling was great because I let go of a fear I/we have.

These after effects of after drinking situations will pass often after stopping the obsession we many have about them. Again this takes TIME.

BE WELL

Axiom

Hey Badga!

Congratulations for getting back on the sober horse. I know you can do this if you really want to.

Oh yeah was I fatigued when I quit drinking. Coupled with insomnia for me, not fun at all. I had to be medically detoxed and it took months for me to feel close to normal again. I don't mean to be a downer but with 10 years of daily drinking behind you it will most likely take a while before you level out. I promise you it is worth the time and work it takes, so please hang in there.

Welcome to SR bud. I hope to see you posting around here frequently. It honestly made all the difference in my sobriety.

Elizabeth333

Hi - yes I'm very tired in these early days - glad I did lose my job - as it is allowing me to sit with myself, ask for help and just be. Very difficult at times, particularly when I speak or see family. Yet I feel much better. I was so sick the last time I drank - Also, went to the doctor, thinking liver would be gone. Not true, tests revealed I'm in good health. Grateful!

pumpkinny

I was totally wiped out and exhausted for about 80 days. I barely made through the work day. Tried to keep up with minimal work ours and just slept the rest of the time. I'd say for it to totally lift and for me to find my normal was at about 5 months in.

dwtbd

We did some work/damage to ourselves when we drank, it's reasonable to expect the need for 'payback' , yes? Paying attention to diet maybe adding some exercise, pretty sure even walking counts, propbably can go a fair way to helping bring back energy levels. Those are just guesses on my part , but pretty good ones, I bet.
What I Know is that abstinence will definitely be all around healthier as a lifestyle. Great decision, love the phrase "in early days of abstinence" sounds like a great mindset, it implies a commitment to doing , trying not being an option.
Good luck with medical checkups and evals, remember the body is amazingly resilient.
wish you well , and keep the can do attitude , you got this

SweetBaby

I am on day 3. I am very weak and tired. However my sleeping patterns are all messed up.

Good luck!

PennyLane76

Yes, I am exhausted during the day and waking up nightly with terrors. I take a xanax then or else would never function on so little sleep. Need some encouragement the night terrors will pass?. Grim along with OP but not giving up.

Cauliflower

oh yes, the fatigue is common. I am 10 weeks sober and just starting to feel energized. Baby steps, you can do it, just ride it through.

biminiblue

I treated myself like I was healing from a serious illness, because I was.

It took me a good month before I could sleep through the night and feel good enough to exercise regularly. I gave myself a good, healthy nutrition plan, took vitamins and drank a lot of water, but I also allowed myself to sleep 12 hours if I needed it and ate anything I wanted for the first month. There were many nights of three-four hours of sleep, though. I watched a lot of Netflix, spent time on here and went to AA meetings.

Hang in there, you guys who are new - it gets better. Just hang on - and don't pick up that first drink, no matter what!

Welcome to the site, Sadie1. Lack of sleep won't cause any permanent damage and you will sleep when you need it. Sometimes a snack will help - we have low blood sugar oftentimes. Pulling the alcohol sugars results in a need to replace them for a while. It's just uncomfortable, you'll make it.

mecanix

Took a few weeks of healing , i didn't sleep well and then i slept about 36 hours on a weekend for about 6 weeks in a row .
Keep on and good luck with the check up at the Dr's .

m

dwtbd

Staying the course and the longer in time you are from your last drink, the better you will feel. It is by no means comfortable early on, but it does get better, dues however must be paid, and to be expected.
All manner of grimness can be soothed with IC, practically a guarantee.


Ice Cream (and dark chocolate)

Soberwolf

Yes Badga this is common in early sobriety i think you are doing amazing on day 4

tomsteve

It's possible you were,physically exhausted when you were drinking but too drunk to notice or care.
Also many years of beating up a body, it needs rest to heal.

PurpleKnight

The body needs more than a few days to repair from a decade of drinking!!

Give it time, things will get better!!

thomas11

I would agree with all posts. Tough it out. No need for a 6th time, right?

Dee74

It took a while - weeks not days - but things did get 'normal' again Badga

D