Scared about my health
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 3
Scared about my health
Hi Everyone,
I'm new here and I've just quit drinking only 4 days ago. While this might not seem like much it is a long time for me since I don't recall the last time I went even one day without one drink. I have been tremendously anxious and depressed since I quit, but one thing that nags me is my health. I am 30 years old and in relatively good-appearing health, but I am very worried about the ravages on my body from drinking heavily for about the last 10 years. I have drunk a six pack or more of strong beer (no Pabst for me!) daily, if not more. I have deceived the world and myself for far too long and have suffered the consequences in a number of ways. So I'm quitting.
I am wondering what the health side of your recoveries have been like. One thing that has prompted me to stop has been the increasing number of blackouts, which seem to come from drinking even less alcohol than it used to take in order to induce a blackout.
How have you all been with the physical side of your recovery?
I'm really happy I found this website. It has helped motivate me already.
Deidre
I'm new here and I've just quit drinking only 4 days ago. While this might not seem like much it is a long time for me since I don't recall the last time I went even one day without one drink. I have been tremendously anxious and depressed since I quit, but one thing that nags me is my health. I am 30 years old and in relatively good-appearing health, but I am very worried about the ravages on my body from drinking heavily for about the last 10 years. I have drunk a six pack or more of strong beer (no Pabst for me!) daily, if not more. I have deceived the world and myself for far too long and have suffered the consequences in a number of ways. So I'm quitting.
I am wondering what the health side of your recoveries have been like. One thing that has prompted me to stop has been the increasing number of blackouts, which seem to come from drinking even less alcohol than it used to take in order to induce a blackout.
How have you all been with the physical side of your recovery?
I'm really happy I found this website. It has helped motivate me already.
Deidre
Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 213
My experiences with the physical stuff
Hey- I'm 41..been drinking upwards of 2 pints ( or more) of hard liquor a day for 22years...been sober 10 days...here's what I experienced
1. tremendous depresion and anxiety/paranoia/delusions
2. overwhelming sadness
3. severe nausea/ gastric distress ( to use polite terms)
4. tactile hallucinations/ vague visual abnormalities
5. no appetite whatsoever
6. severe insomnia
7. vomiting
8.Muscle aches/ joint pains
9. headache/ mental fog
10. shortness of breath/ chest pains
11. extremely bad dreams/ violent nightmares
12. extreme lethargy/ tiredness
13. heartburn/ acid reflux
14. anxiety
basically, I felt like I was going to die for the first 3 days. It got better over time...physical stuff pretty much went away after 7-10 days...the mental anguish lingers longer...as they say. Good Luck....see a doctor if you need to.
1. tremendous depresion and anxiety/paranoia/delusions
2. overwhelming sadness
3. severe nausea/ gastric distress ( to use polite terms)
4. tactile hallucinations/ vague visual abnormalities
5. no appetite whatsoever
6. severe insomnia
7. vomiting
8.Muscle aches/ joint pains
9. headache/ mental fog
10. shortness of breath/ chest pains
11. extremely bad dreams/ violent nightmares
12. extreme lethargy/ tiredness
13. heartburn/ acid reflux
14. anxiety
basically, I felt like I was going to die for the first 3 days. It got better over time...physical stuff pretty much went away after 7-10 days...the mental anguish lingers longer...as they say. Good Luck....see a doctor if you need to.
We Do Recover
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Texas
Posts: 2,619
Day 48 & Life is Great!
I take it one day at a time. The panic attacks have gone--the shakes lessened over time. I no longer take medication for anxiety. I have been re-born (so to speak). I don't know why this time is different from any other previous time I have tried to quit drinking--but I am just "along for the ride", doing the next best thing, attending meetings, working with a sponsor, sharing my experience, and pick up the phone before I decide to pick up a drink. So far, God is doing for me what I could never do on my own. Also, I try to check in daily on my recovery buddies at SR! You guys have helped me, give encouragement when I really needed it the most. Thanks! 
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 8
Congratulations on your decision to stop drinking. I quit at 34 after about 17 years of drinking 5-6 nights a week....blackouts were increasing, the whole bit. All those early symptoms (anxiety, sleeplessness, etc.) are normal but they will go away. Your body is adjusting to not having the alcohol. Try getting a regular exercise schedule to help the process. You should feel better almost every day and it will only get better. But it does take time for your body to change but at 30 you are plenty young and it shouldnt' take much time.
Forward we go...side by side-Rest In Peace
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Serene In Dixie
Posts: 36,740
Hi and Welcome DeeDee
Please check out this link
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...at-we-did.html
Way to go on your new sobriety!
Please check out this link
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...at-we-did.html
Way to go on your new sobriety!
smileyologist and lord of bees
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: mourning smileys near you
Posts: 2,508
DeeDee.
I'm 31 years old and I am an alcoholic. I've been drinking since I was 15 and the drinking got heavier and heavier until at the end I was drinking over 30 units of alcohol (much more than the recommended weekly limit for a man) per day. I maybe averaged about 224 units per week for a very long time.
When I was drinking I didn't show any outward signs of abuse either - I was always clean, tidy, my skin and appearance was always healthy - of course sometimes I appeared drunk (and sometimes not), but I was always stinking of booze!
I was terrified of going to the Doctor for one reason - I knew my liver was near the end and there was no point in going to the doc for the bad news.
I'd read on the internet all of the symoptoms of advanced liver disease and I was experiencing some of them - reddening of the palms, extreme tiredness/fatigue and other things I read about too.
Anyway, eventually I had to go to the doc because when I tried to withdraw myself from alcohol I thought I was going to die - I actually thought I was going to die!!!
So my sister made an appointment for me (she's a nurse and has known about my alcoholism for years and years) and came with me to my 1st appointment.
I was terrified, this would be the first time I'd seen a doc in years - I knew he would tell me I was dying.
The doc asked me how much I was drinking, I told him and he prescribed me Librium to control the DT's (30mg up to 4 times a day). He said come back in a week, and if you drink whilst taking these tablets, you're not detoxing at home ever again, it's hospital from now on (there was no way I was going to mess up after being handed this life line).
Those tablets saved my life, I was able to stop drinking without shaking, palpations, panic attacks, sweats... the symptoms of withdrawal are one of the main reasons I continued to drink in the first place.
Went back in a week, sober having not drank for a week and had a chat with the doc - he said come back in 4 weeks and we'll get some blood samples and do some tests - cos after another 4 weeks my body should be completely free of the drink and they would be better able to assess the damage.
Waited 4 weeks (sober), did the tests and was asked to either make an appointment or phone the nurse in about a week for the results, but I knew what they would be and was really just waiting for the news - I was dying and might need a transplant.
Phoned, got the results. Normal.
My liver and whatever else they tested were normal. After all the years of abuse, my body had recovered!!! All that stuff I read, I was imagining I was suffering from it. I wasn't!!!
And yours can too - stop drinking and see the doc, please don't be scared - it's the biggest weight off my mind and it's the best thing you can do - you'll be surprised how tough you are.
I'm 31 years old and I am an alcoholic. I've been drinking since I was 15 and the drinking got heavier and heavier until at the end I was drinking over 30 units of alcohol (much more than the recommended weekly limit for a man) per day. I maybe averaged about 224 units per week for a very long time.
When I was drinking I didn't show any outward signs of abuse either - I was always clean, tidy, my skin and appearance was always healthy - of course sometimes I appeared drunk (and sometimes not), but I was always stinking of booze!
I was terrified of going to the Doctor for one reason - I knew my liver was near the end and there was no point in going to the doc for the bad news.
I'd read on the internet all of the symoptoms of advanced liver disease and I was experiencing some of them - reddening of the palms, extreme tiredness/fatigue and other things I read about too.
Anyway, eventually I had to go to the doc because when I tried to withdraw myself from alcohol I thought I was going to die - I actually thought I was going to die!!!
So my sister made an appointment for me (she's a nurse and has known about my alcoholism for years and years) and came with me to my 1st appointment.
I was terrified, this would be the first time I'd seen a doc in years - I knew he would tell me I was dying.
The doc asked me how much I was drinking, I told him and he prescribed me Librium to control the DT's (30mg up to 4 times a day). He said come back in a week, and if you drink whilst taking these tablets, you're not detoxing at home ever again, it's hospital from now on (there was no way I was going to mess up after being handed this life line).
Those tablets saved my life, I was able to stop drinking without shaking, palpations, panic attacks, sweats... the symptoms of withdrawal are one of the main reasons I continued to drink in the first place.
Went back in a week, sober having not drank for a week and had a chat with the doc - he said come back in 4 weeks and we'll get some blood samples and do some tests - cos after another 4 weeks my body should be completely free of the drink and they would be better able to assess the damage.
Waited 4 weeks (sober), did the tests and was asked to either make an appointment or phone the nurse in about a week for the results, but I knew what they would be and was really just waiting for the news - I was dying and might need a transplant.
Phoned, got the results. Normal.
My liver and whatever else they tested were normal. After all the years of abuse, my body had recovered!!! All that stuff I read, I was imagining I was suffering from it. I wasn't!!!
And yours can too - stop drinking and see the doc, please don't be scared - it's the biggest weight off my mind and it's the best thing you can do - you'll be surprised how tough you are.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Toronto,Ontario
Posts: 1,027
DeeDee - go see your doctor, be honest with him/her about your drinking.
He'll run blood tests to determine damage (if any) from alcohol. That's the best way...
Hang in there, it gets much better !!
He'll run blood tests to determine damage (if any) from alcohol. That's the best way...
Hang in there, it gets much better !!
CindeRella is proof that a new pair of shoes can change your life!
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Spreading my wings
Posts: 7,163
Welcome to SR DeeDee so glad that you found us! 
Keep posting with us-there is a lot of great advice here! Reaching out to the doctor would be the first bit of great advice I would grab hold of!
Thoughts are with you!
Keep posting with us-there is a lot of great advice here! Reaching out to the doctor would be the first bit of great advice I would grab hold of!
Thoughts are with you!
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 3
Thanks, everyone, for all of your sincere words. I am finding that the anxiety is lessening and I have been drinking a ton of water, so the urge to drink alcohol has been less because I just can't stomach it when I already feel full.
I have made an appointment to see a doctor, but sadly I never had a doc in the first place because I've pretty much avoided seeing anyone except for gyno exams once a year.
I am encouraged because I keep forgetting that everyone on this board has had a drinking problem, and you're all alive and your bodies are healing. I'm sure mine will too. It's very good to hear RK2007, that you have a good liver. I have been similarly scared that mine's a wreck.
Thanks again to all of you
I have made an appointment to see a doctor, but sadly I never had a doc in the first place because I've pretty much avoided seeing anyone except for gyno exams once a year.
I am encouraged because I keep forgetting that everyone on this board has had a drinking problem, and you're all alive and your bodies are healing. I'm sure mine will too. It's very good to hear RK2007, that you have a good liver. I have been similarly scared that mine's a wreck.
Thanks again to all of you
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