How long after leaving treatment centre does an alcoholic still smell like alcohol?
 

Hi I am new to this. I have been married to an A for 6 years. He left his treatment centre in December and I was told that they will smell like alcohol for a while after detoxing. Is this true or is AH drinking. I have no trust at all in this relationship. He is a closet drinker. Just curious.

welcome!!!

I can't answer your question, but do recall a case here some time back, gentleman was blowing positive on a breathalyzer
months afterwards, apparently it is common enough.

Keep coming back, you'll find a lot of support here.

5 months later? Nahh.. that's gotta be new liquor, in my opinion. I HOPE not, but seriously..

Maybe someone will know more about that than me though, I do remember the story John is relating.

Honestly, I used to use that 2 or 3 days after a big bender.. "it's just getting out of my system".. but that was a lie, and only because I had been drinking that day.

But that was me..

I just wanted to welcome you to SR!!

Good for you for seeking out help with this.

My thought is that five months seems like a long time for alcohol to be present systemically. Even the pungent herbals I use for my horses that are released through the skin only have a max life span of 30 days. Could a slow metabolism be the culprit?? My boyfriend has not quit drinking longer than a week, so I don't have first hand experience to share, unfortunately.

More time will tell.

Peace to you during this time. Keep posting!!

Alice

5 months out of rehab and he smells of alcohol? He's drinking.

No. No way the alcohol is still in his system after that long of a time.

5 months since he quit & he smells like alcohol. That is so ridiculous it's not really fun but sad.

tib

You've already established that you have no trust in this relationship. What do you want for your life?

I was absolutely drained in the end when I was still with my EXAH. There was no trust, only fear, anger, resentment, and lots of violence with me on the receiving end.

I hope you continue to post, ask questions, or just vent. :ghug :ghug

Is he a Diabetic?

Have you ever heard of diabetic ketoacidosis?

It "presents" exactly like alcoholism

There is such a thing as Adult Onset Diabetes

I would suggest checking this out, people can die from this.

Or, He's drinking

It's one or the other I would venture to say.

My AXGF would smell of alcohol for, at most, a few days after stopping. By the time the alcohol-withdrawal shakes had stopped she'd be smelling "normal".

A remaining smell of alcohol for months after (allegedly) stopping is either secret drinking or, as Ago says, something seriously wrong with their metabolism.

I find Occam's razor useful for this kind of thing - either a) a known alcoholic and one with a track record of secret drinking has resumed drinking after treatment and is lying about it, or b) with peculiar timing and despite continuing sobriety, they have developed only a few symptoms of a relatively rare medical condition that, strangely, gives the impression that they've resumed drinking.

I know which one my money's on.

Mr B.

A lot of this might be about enabling and that desperate wish to believe the alcoholic. I am an alcoholic and an enabler for three alcoholic brothers and everytime they put me through the mill it is about me not knowing whether or not to believe their latest BS.

Who told you he'd still smell of alcohol? Was it him? I only ask as sounds like a stunt my ex would have pulled

I totally agree with AGO posting a deeper look at what might be going on.
Much love and light!~Cheryl

It is highly likely that he is drinking again, however at work I kept asking one of my clients if he was using solvents - similar smell to cheap white cider, but more chemical somehow. I eventually got to the point where I believed him (believe me this is rarer than you think in the hostel) and tried to work out what else it could be. He was diagnosed a week later as diabetic. If he checks this out and there is no problem, he is definitely drinking. The smell of alcohol is gone within three weeks max.

That was my first question too.

I was a pro drunk for a long long time. I've been in rehab multiple times. I know many many other pro drunks. I've never heard of the odor not going away completely after just a few days.

It takes the normal body three hours to process one ounce of hard liquor....so you can do the math but if he consumed enough to still be processing 5 months later, one would think he would be dead from alcohol poisoning.

Thanks for your warm wishes and doses of reality. He is drinking I found bottles on the roof. He has been tested before for diabetic and the test come back negative. I have asked AH to leave. The counsellors at the treament centre he was at told us that he would smell like alcohol but did not say for how long. I have had enough of he lies, lies lies. I left him last year after he kicked me and I called the police on him. He kicks me and it's my fault. BS. He calls me all sorts of names infront of our 2 girls. We have a 5yr and a 3yr. after he left the treatment centre I felt obligated to take him back but wasn't ready. The time I had without him was peaceful. I live in Canada and he is going to visit his sister where she can enable him. I am so happy he is going and I am counting the days. I am tired of the disrepect this man gives me. Why did I go back?????

We go back because we want to believe it's going to be different.

My EXAH was abusive too. Once I left, I never looked back.

You and those precious little girls deserve so much better!

Please keep posting and sharing with us. Take care of you, okay? :ghug :ghug

You probably took him back because, as you said, you felt obligated to keep trying because HE was (allegedly) trying. It's a common theme here - "well, he's in rehab, I can't just dump him now..." (even though he's cheated on me, spent all our money, abused me and the kids, etc etc etc)

Lighten up on yourself and let yourself look forward to the future. It'll be so much more peaceful, healthy, and happy :hug: