Mamatembo

Hello everyone. This is my first post. I'm a 40 yo female and mother to two young boys.

I've been a heavy(6 a day most days) to moderate(2-3 a few times a week) drinker for 12 years. I quit 5 weeks ago.

Since I quit I feel worse than ever. Dizziness, nauseous after eating, foggy brain, anxiety through the roof, and pain my right side.

I have all these symptoms every day but not all day long and some days are better than others.

Anyone else go through this after quitting? How long did it take to resolve?

I have an appointment for blood work in two weeks, but in afraid I've basically killed myself with alcohol.

The good news is this is enough to make me want to NEVER drink again. But the anxiety about dying due to my drinking is killing me (figuratively).

Wastinglife

Do a Google search on P.A.W.S. (Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome). It's very common when regular drinkers quit altogether.

Hodd

Oh yes and probably everyone reading, so you are not alone and all is normal. I would insert a smiley face here but these no longer work for me with the new site format.
Your symptoms are identical to mine. I could not sleep and craved for a beer every night for weeks.
The pain in my right side went on for around six months after I quit, I had been diagnosed with a mild fatty liver, and the doctor thought that was probably the cause. The fat vanished in time as did the pains.
I really would not worry. Five weeks is great. That will have been tough. You said you will get blood tests, and they will tell you all you need to know. You cannot do any more. Brilliant job.
But please please please do not have a reward drink or try and moderate. Quit for good and you will be just fine.

least

Welcome to the family and congrats on five weeks sober!

It could very well be PAWS. I had symptoms of that for the first year of my sobriety. I was like you, had good days and bad days. But at the one year mark, the symptoms had mostly gone away.

Just don't drink, no matter what, and it will get better.

Anna

Welcome,
I'm glad that you will be getting blood work done in a couple of weeks. That's a good plan. I hope you feel better.

Mamatembo

Thanks everyone!

I called my Dr and moved my blood work up to tomorrow. I just need the information soon. Either way I think it will help my anxiety.

Fingers crossed it's not as bad as my mind has made it out to be.

Hodd

You are doing great. The anxiety is surely due to your body not having any alcohol, but ask your doctor if it continues after a few months.
My mum had anxiety problems, and I can see now it blighted a large part of her life. She was old school and not the sort to see a doctor about such things, but we are all a bit more open about these problems now.

Dee74

Hi and welcome to the posting side of things mamatembo
I'm glad you're seeing your doctor 5 weeks is a long time to feel poorly.
D

Verdantia

Hi mamatembo. Five weeks is an awesome achievement; just keep going and you will start to feel much better. It's good that you're consulting with a doctor about your symptoms; I didn't feel too hot physically for quite a while after I quit. I had various aches, pains in my right side, and peripheral neuropathy in my hands and feet; these all went away within 6 months of sobriety. We are all different, but our bodies have amazing resiliency and ability to heal, despite everything we do to destroy them at times. Don't worry too much--just listen to your doctor's advice and don't drink. Wishing you all the best on your sober journey.

D122y

Here is the good news...I knew I was healing, everything I felt slowly subsided/i got used to it. Additionally, the hell I went through during the first 90 days is burned into my brain.

There was nothing easy about quitting. If it was easy nobody would do it. Quitting being a drug addict (booze is a drug) hurts deeply for a long long long time.

That is why so few make it all the way out. Even at my modest time clean I feel like I could relapse. The AV never goes away. I am an addict for life.

The only way out is through. Taking any meds draws out the healing and causes med addiction.

I didn't take any RX meds, but I take some otc stuff and I am definitely addicted to them.

Suffering and time is the only way I know. I have permanent brain damage. I had to replace the high I got from booze with natural highs.

Thanks.

On The Road

Hi Mamatembo
I was anxious as hell right before I got my blood work done after 25 years of abusing myself. It ultimately can back clean (thank god). Glad to see you getting it done now.
The anxiety will go away and when it does it feels great. Hang in there and take care of yourself. You can do this!

OverthePanic

Hi I'm new to the forum too, also a mother to three boys and wife to a husband who also likes to drink..I've quit 5 days ago and I'm dreading tomorrow as friday would always be a trigger day for me and my husband, he says he is quitting tomorrow too...hopefully he will..i just couldn't live with the cycle of being drunk and being so anxious for days after ,not being able to leave the house with anxiety, or even drive with it ,insomnia, panic attacks, it's a vicious circle..let us know how you get on at the doctor..your doing great though 5 weeks is amazing..its hard though but the benefits will be worth it xx

Surrendered19

Welcome Mamatembo. This is a great site for support. I'm glad you are linking up with the doc. My guess is that you will be fine but your symptoms are hanging on longer than I think is typical, but there is nothing typical about recovery. Every journey is different. But only listen to your medical providers about those issues. Please tell us how you are doing tomorrow after you talk to the doc.

BeABetterMan

Yes, this. Exactly. Happens for weeks and sometimes months for me. I HATE IT. It gets better. But, I did buy a blood pressure monitor and a oximeter so when I’m really freaking out I can check my vitals. They’re always ok, it’s always anxiety. Did I mention I hate it?

DriGuy

I didn't, but I know that many advanced alcoholics become so dependent that they actually need alcohol to function. I remember one guy at a speaker meeting talking about needing to get to an AA meeting. Someone gave him a list of local meetings with people to call for rides. He had been sober for 24 hours, but was unable to focus his eyes and could not read the list. So he bought a six pack and drank until his eyes could focus, and then made the call for help. I remember that story from 20 years ago, because it gave me the creeps.

lessgravity

Awesome work, congrats on claiming your life back. I'm sure seeing your doctor will make you feel better. Most importantly is that you won't allow pain or discomfort to derail your sobriety. That's a huge thing to come to terms y especially early in sobriety.
Keep doing the work, it just keeps getting better.

Mamatembo

Thanks for the reply.

I never needed alcohol to function. I was mostly drinking after the kids went to bed. I was highly functioning during the day. I'd just drink, quickly, from 8p-12a.

The good news is yesterday was a good day. Barely any symptoms!
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Noam19

Hey Mama! First of all, congratulations and great job on the 5 weeks. Even though you're not feeling 100%, I can almost guarantee that your children are feeling so much better and more secure having a sober mom. I know my boys appreciate their sober dad.
As far as feeling normal after quitting. It's different for everyone, and mental, emotional, and physical recoveries can all differ. For the physical I always fall back on 6-8 weeks when I'm wondering how long something will take. That's usually the window for broken bones, surgery recoveries, sprains and etc. If it takes 6 weeks to heal a bone, probably going to take about the same for your body to fix most of the damage caused by alcohol.
Obviously this is just my 100% non-scientific theory.
Wishing you the best, hang in there.

Mamatembo

thanks!

I have blood work at one today. I'll get the results next week. I will update.

Mamatembo

Lol.I ​​I've been using my blood pressure cuff and checking my blood sugar. (Both fine). Oximeters are flying off the shelf due to covid.

Yesterday was a good day. I'm hoping for another one today.