Paul50

I posted recently re intense itchiness on quitting alcohol and I also had a foul taste in my mouth (thanks for the replies) - now I have these red palms?? They are not itchy but mildly uncomfortable (at least I am aware of them) I read they are seen with severe hepatic pathology/ cirrhosis etc which didn't do my mood any favours but as they say "a little knowledge ....etc"
Has anyone had experience with this ? I am now at day 10 - I would be grateful for any input 🐘
Paul

Dee74

Did you find a new Dr yet Paul?

It's better to ask them about any concerns you have than a bunch of folks on the net.

D

Paul50

Thanks D - yes I have a new Dr and am having tests etcetc but I disagree I have got more useful advise off a "bunch of people on the net" than I have from any GP - my new GP wasn't aware of itchy skin and liver disease for starters while SR gave me lots of useful advise ps but I did get an insight into his visit to Kruger - I may have missed the remit of SR but I thought it would include being able to ask questions about what people go through mentally and physically while getting sober - maybe I am mistaken and I am in the wrong place - thanks for your input Paul

Dee74

You can ask for peoples experience, sure, but we can't give you medical advice

Looking at your past threads, you seem quite concerned about these things tho, so I just wanted to know if you were still planning to see a Dr.

D

wildflower70

Hi Paul, Congratulations on 10 days!!

It sounds like the other issues have subsided, like the foul taste and itchy skin? I have experienced a multitude of skin irritations from alcohol and drugs over the years, the toxins have to come out of the body, and the skin is our largest organ, and plays an important role in the elimination of toxins.
I'm glad your seeing a Dr., unfortunately they don't have all of the answer's either...I have used a baking soda or Epson salt soak for skin irritations in the past with great results. Try not to worry excessively, and remember only good things will come from your new sobriety!! Hang in there

hpdw

Hi Paul50 congrats on 10 days . I used to be obsessed with dr google for every ache or pain or sensation or blemish , the more I focused on it ( fed it ) the worse it seemed to be .Anxiety manifests in many ways especially in early sobriety when our body is adjusting . my GP did however find that my thyroid was low which was the cause of a lot of strange symptoms , now this is under control I feel much better . Hope you get to the bottom of this soon .
PS :I did get itchy puffy red palms too and this cleared up .

Forward12

I would just make a follow up appointment and have some bloodwork done. This will show if there are any liver or other issues that need to be addressed.

tekink

At 10 days I was already an emotional wreck. I'm a laid back guy who lets most anything roll right off my shoulder. I've worked in high stress environments my whole life and have always had an easy time with staying cool.

Mentally and physically I have stomach aches for the first week. I get raging mad at the drop of a pin. I become depressed and cry for no reason. I'm on an emotional roller coaster. I have insomnia. My brain feels like it's full of mush, thinking clearly is very hard. I have not attention. I forget all kinds of things.

Basically it's like this. Your brain adjusts it's chemistry to normalize itself with all that alcohol. You take that alcohol away and your brain is still acting like it's there putting it into a chemical imbalance. My brain's been on alcohol daily for 20 years, buzzed every night. The last three years I drank to the extreme as a coping method for the head and body trip opiate (dr prescribed) withdrawal.

I have the start of liver damage, I didn't itch but I had the foul taste in my mouth (it's just starting to go away now today is day 26. My liver damage was just starting. I would also wake up with the taste after drinking and it would stay until I started drinking that day. I started eating more salads and trying to eat very healthy outside of all the ice cream I'm eating as a reward. I have a craving for sweets now also which is out of the ordinary.

I find talking about the symptoms helps my mind cope. I quit because my blood test showed the start of liver damage and fear of and early death leaving my wife to watch me suffer was my motivating factor to commit myself to never drinking alcohol again and never changing my mind.

Paul50

Thanks Thomas59 - I know you are correct and I am obsessing but I think it is very difficult not to given the anxious state I find myself then I guess just reaching out to hear that other people have gone through similar things and still have a pulse makes me feel a little bit more settled. I am sorry if it all sounds a little too needy . Thanks also TEKINK - I relate very much to what you are saying I also have come from a very high-powered position in which I was always very confident and now I find myself floundering unable to perform the simplest of tasks - I feel pathetic but as you say sometimes it's just good to know that other people have also gone through a similar thing and that you are not alone or unique. Anyway thanks a million. I will wait and see what my bloods show and try and stay away from "Dr Google" in the interim ...��

Paul50

. .... Thanks Wildflower - yes the itchiness / foul taste have largely abated - I didn't realise there would be such an avalanche of psychological and physical changes when I stopped drinking. It has been quite a challenge trying to hold it all together over the last 10 days It's enough to drive someone to drink !!!!! but hopefully as you and others have reiterated that is all part of the healing process and that is a great comfort to me. It is easier to ride this rollercoasters knowing that there may be some calm waters ahead - cheers Paul

Delizadee

I think I had the red itchy palms too at many points. But I detoxed so many times and was constantly sick in my last two years of drinking that the only thing I remember really noticing was the incredible pain, skin color changes and always randomly bruised and bleeding. Can't forget shaking and hallucinations. I think the itchy red palms got chalked up to mild irritation. But yes it happened for me more than once now that I remember. I just always thought it was like my grandma's old superstition, itchy palm meant I had money coming my way... still broke but at least Im sober
Hang in there my friend. Don't torture yourself with Dr Google take this time to relax and recoup. It gets better.

Delilah1

I have made myself crazy in the past being Dr. Google. During the past year or two I had some health issues pertaining to my heart. My first primary care doctor tried to say it was all stress, he finally referred me to a cardiologist, who then tried to blame menopause. I ended up switching both primary care and cardiologist and advocating for myself. It turned out there was something off with the electrical system of my heart and I needed a heart procedure to address it.

If you are unsatisfied with an answer you are getting from your doctor be an advocate for yourself and ask for a second opinion.

hpdw

Paul50 can I suggest you read up on how to breath better . I have been advised this and try my best to practice it . When things get anxious in my life( like right now) I tend to hyperventilate and it shows up with tingling and other weird symptoms/sensations then I remember "breath better " and it really does make a big difference .

Paul50

Thanks Delizadee - it sounds like you have really been through it - I hope things are better now 🙏🏽 I haven't really had many issues before now - the odd admit with DTs but nothing so crushing and multifaceted as this - it's only taken 30 + years (soy stupido) but I am determined - can't face this again and my bloods tell me I may not have too many more chances - so yes I will try and stop torturing myself with the future and concentrate on now - be safe 😀 Paul

sobersolstice

Never in the past have I had the itch that you're referring to. This time around, I itch everywhere, and it moves around. Skin irritation moves from forearms, chest, palms, bottoms of feet, legs, and between my toes/fingers. It's not bad when I move around or am active, but bad when I'm laying down, sitting, or resting.

I've found that drinking a lot of water helps a bit.

I gave in not sleeping much after a week with a nightcap and it got worse!

My body is definitely telling me something is urgent, and need to listen. I woke up this morning at 3:30am with my chest itching like crazy, and I drank 2 glasses of water, and it went away enough to get a couple hours of sleep.

Paul50

[QUOTE=sobersolstice;6168232]Never in the past have I had the itch that you're referring to. This time around, I itch everywhere, and it moves around...... Hi - yes Sobersolstice the itch seems to move everywhere and definitely worse at rest- drinking definitely helped - I was drinking > 3 litres per day and when I dropped this back the itch definitely started to flare back up again -
I went on a vegetable juice (liver cleansing ) diet took lots of vitamins and hydrated - I don't know how much this helped but it made me feel like I was doing something - many people recommended showers/ mild soap - baths (with Epsom salts etc) - the showers helped me (I don't have a bath) also when the itch was bad my skin felt like parchment - that improved as the itch abated - I really feel for you and hope the itch settled soon and you can get some sleep Paul 🐘

Rupesh

Can I know whether your issue has been cleared