Brooklyngirl1

Hi all,

I've been consuming 5-8 drinks every day for the past 4 months. When I stop drinking for a couple hours, I get the sweats, terrible anxiety, and hand tremors. I know these are common side effects but I'm worried about more severe ones, such as seizures.

Does anybody know the prevelance of more serious side effects? I'm tapering down now and am planning on having my first sober day on Friday.

Thanks, and any information you could provide would be great.

ScottFromWI

Welcome brroklyngirl. It's really impossible to say how one might react to withdrawals via the Internet. Quitting is a great decision, but if you fear severe withdrawals you really need to see a doctor first before quitting to be safe.

Opivotal

Welcome Brooklyngirl!

Some people have seizures and some don't. Everyone is different,

Do you have a family Doctor, someone you could call if you start feeling badly?

ZeldaFan

I would highly suggest you talk to your doctor first. After my first relapse, I was drinking heavily for many months and then stopped. I know I came close to having a seizure and the withdrawal was very severe. Saw my doctor and he helped me greatly get through the withdrawal period.

least

It is always a good idea to get a doctor's help to quit safely and comfortably.

SoberLeigh

Welcome to SR, Brooklyngirl.

Really good advice above.

Brooklyngirl1

Thanks! I am tapering and haven't been drinking to get drunk which is a start! Can you tell me about your experiences? Did you taper, go cold turkey, or seek medical care? What were your symptoms?

I just want to compare my level of anxiety/shakes with others!

Thanks

Lifelesson

I talked to my doctor and I'm VERY grateful I did. I was really afraid of judgement but he was kind and glad I sought his help.

sva777

Are you in Brooklyn NY? If so there are many places you can go to help you detox safely. I wish you well on your quitting but sometimes it is safest to ask a Dr for help.

Dee74

Welcome Brooklyngirl

I hope you'll decide to see your Dr if you're concerned about withdrawal.

Some people detox just fine and some do not,. There's no way of foretelling who's who.
This is a thread about some of our members detox experiences:

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...at-we-did.html

Some of it is pretty full on, but I'm not trying to scare you - just reiterating that if you have any concerns at all, a Dr's supervision is best

D

breath

Against advice from a psychiatrist I went cold turkey; see I thought I could sneak in the back door of recovery by going to a therapist with a typewritten page(I had such bad tremors I could not write) of twenty things that needed fixing, I buried alcohol in #11. She checked me into IOP- intensive outpatient rehab- where I succeeded in getting sober...
Anyway after seeing her that afternoon I went home and just stopped until IOP began the next day, by midnite my then wife, at my request, took me to the ER where they are so used to it they really know the drill; I was discharged in about 4 hours. It wasn't that I could make it through, I just had the resources to get that care and had hit my bottom; admitting I was powerless over alcohol and my life had become unmanageable. Doing that opened up Sobriety and I was willing to do whatever it took, because I knew I did not have the willpower to do it on my own-hence the admission of powerlessness; I was then able to talk to those in trust; my primary care doctor, the rehab folks, my buddies in rehab with me, AA meetings...and my recovery plan began to take shape.
Yes, some of this is AA 'speak' and it sure helped, and helps, but is just a component, do what is best for you.
To answer the original concern, go for it, if you have the resources(insurance, an Emplyee Assistance Plan at work) use them, if not find the resources, they are out there, and get support to get you through; it is very nearly impossible for us to get through this disease on our own so it's my reccomendation to get that support now, to make it a great journey...
What is waiting out there is a new freedom, a new happiness, a beautful life we never imagined and worth the effort!

Enough of my Bloviating. Welcome to SR, a wealth of support, knowledge and resources.

Soberwolf

I went cold turkey (not advised) booking a Dr apt is the safest option

MIRecovery

I withdrew by accident because one day I didn't drink enough and could have died. I ended up on the hospital and was stabilized.

Trust me you don't want to go through acute withdrawal.

See a doctor!