soberforbaby

Hi

I was just looking to see if anyone had such bad withdrawal. I have been a drunk for ~10 years. I have quit before. I just quit again and feel this is it.

The last several months up to my quitting I was drinking during the workweek ~12 beer a day, usually 3 at lunch and maybe 750ml of wine at night. On weekends I started before noon & drank literally 24 beer a day plus some wine. I am a big guy, 240 lbs, 42 years old, and have been abusing for a long time.

It's amazing how my family never confronted me. I was just the good time guy, no big deal.

Last night, my first night sleeping after a full day no drinking I woke up and I couldn't breath. My throat or bronchial tubes were so constricted I literally fought for my life, it seemed trying to get a lungfull of air. After a half hour of wheezing I finally went to sleep. I have sweats, anxiety also. My wife wanted to call 911.

Just looking to see if someone has had my experience & looking for chat with people with this disease.

Good luck everyone

Missy7

Gosh that's scary. I don't know anything about this, but if you think it wasn't a panic attack, you should have called 911. You're lucky your wife is helping you! Listen to her. She no doubt has noticed that drinking habit and she has your best interests in mind.

Bikeguy

Detox can really mess with your blood pressure and heart rate, experiences like that should not be taken lightly. Go have a honest visit with you doctor, detox can be uncomfortable at best, it's dangerous business, take care of yourself.

Hooped

Hi and welcome!
24 beers a day on the weekends was about my quota too.
I also had the exact same thing happen to me during a detox.

Couldn't breath.
Scared me so much I went to the ER
They put me on a intravenous drip with some medicine in it also.
Oxygen tube up the nose, and mask over my mouth blowing medicine
in to open up the tubes. Bloodwork. Gave me pills to swallow, no idea what they were.

Sent me home at almost midnight with two puffers. Orange and Blue.
What a relief to be able to breath again!
Doctor said I'd had a severe asthma attack and not to hesitate to come back if it happened again. Scary.



I've never had asthma in my life before that. Was it related to the drinking? I suspect it was.

BBQBOY

With that amount of alcohol intake over that period of time, I would definitely go see a Dr. I've gone through withdrawl with no meds and also with Dr. prescribed meds. I WOULD TAKE THE MEDS ANYDAY over the horrible cold turkey method. Most of the time you can detox safely at home....Believe me, go see a Dr. I know what I'm talking about. Alcohol withdrawl is about the most dangerous situation to be in.....Don't take it lightly. Take Care

Zube

Hey -Sober...

We have a lot in common, drinking pattern, age, weight...

My first night detoxing was miserable. Insomnia, Shakiness, Night Sweats, Stomach Cramps, Joint Pain, Severe Leg Cramps, etc. No shortness of breath though. Second night symptoms all got exponentially worse. Third DAY I got in to see my doctor, and was prescribed some medication to help control the withdral symptoms. Had I not done that, I'm pretty sure that I would have thrown myself through a plate glass window on night three.

I wish that I would have seen my doctor before day one. That's my advice. Don't mess around with "white knuckle" detoxing, results can be deadly.

Good luck to you, get to your doctor, and hang in there...it does get better, I promise.

Zube

StPeteGrad

My doc also gave me some meds. I had the shakes so bad the 2nd day I could barely function. Don't go through this without medical oversight. Not only is it very dangerous, but your chance for success is much less, IMHO.

soberforbaby

Wow. Amazing experiences. Thanks for the support everyone.

Hooped, I know the feeling.
I have read people on ***** answers etc. saying restricted breathing is not a symptom for withdrawal. I am sure they are wrong.

I have a Dr. appointment late today.

One of my weaker attempts at quitting, I went on a 2 day business trip and remained sober. I wound up in the local clinic with breathing problems.

The Dr. wouldn't believe I never had asthma in my life. I used to be a decent athlete. I was wheezing, low oxygen level in my blood. I, of course didn't tell the dr. about being an alcoholic. When I fill in that questionnaire in dr. offices I always wondered how much they would crap if I answered honestly in the "how many alcoholic beverages do you consume in a week?". Pretty sure they don't have a box for >100.

Anyway, I feel a little less terrified with this group of kind strangers. I just need to fill in all that time I used to spend drunk or recovering from overdoing it with other things to fill up my life.

Missy7

Yeah, I always look at that box and the DR too. Then I cheerily say "three."

I had six drinks last night.

Zube

AA is a great start. I find non-drinking non-alcoholics some of the most boring people on the planet, but non-drinking recovering alcoholics some of the most fun.

Good luck...
Zube

Hooped

I drank about the same amount as you.

It's no way to live man.

It will kill you in the end. Maybe 10-15 years from now, or maybe next month ...but it WILL kill you.
It could be quick ..or it could be a horrible suffering death. You don't want to put your family through that.

Quitting isn't easy. It's work, and it needs action. Concrete steps. But it can be done, many here have been right where you are and are sober.

This site is wonderful, the fine people here will help you up if/when you fall and you can make some wonderful supportive friends here.

But,.. I've found I needed a little more...some face to face support.

I see an addiction counselor once a week and attend AA. I'm finding it really, really helps.

Good luck. I hope you stick around.

Dee74

I don't know if it's typical but I've had that experience myself and it's terrifying.

I really would see your Dr - why not be safe and reassured?

D

soberforbaby

I got some Valium (or relative of) from the Dr. to control panic.

Told her about my drinking problem and side effects from stopping.

I have some stuff to help the itching too. It's just allergy medicine.

Ready for another night of excitement.

Thanks for the support.

I have been feeling like I would die if I kept drinking. Pretty good motivation to quit.

Thanks again everyone.

ACT10Npack

Sorry about your shortness of breath. Go see a doctor about this. Keep yourself busy throughout the day and work on yourself. Try to have a health lifestyle as in eat healthy and joining the gym is a good start. There are many programs on alcohol recovery as in AA. SOS. SMART and others. Do your research which one will work for you the best to get the most out of it and not relapse again.

Impurrfect

I'm glad you're going to see your dr. Don't worry about the box on the form you fill out, but be honest with your dr. about how much you've been drinking. They can't help you if they don't know the truth, or at least not as effectively.

Detox from alcohol can be fatal. Don't know if the breathing issue is asthma or panic attack, but I know how scary it can be. I just had an infection and was working as an ER nurse...went to work and had to take breathing treatments and it scared me!

I'm pursuing another field, also in healthcare, but am reading through a book on human diseases and was surprised at all the things that have "excessive alcohol intake" as a possible cause. Not to say you HAVE any of those, and in every one it says "no alcohol" as a treatment, with a good prognosis, but better to be safe than sorry.

Hugs and prayers,

Amy

FrothyJay

Hang in there, and beware when you start to feel better. That's often when we alcoholics go right back. All that pain and misery fades and we revise our commitment. It's part of the powerlessness.

refrigerator

Sounds like you may have just hyperventilated due to withdrawal anxiety, which I used to struggle with a TON. But then again, I have no idea. You should meet up with your doctor.

TodayToo

Great question and great support back! That's why I love this site. I never experienced the problem you describe, but I'm interested in whatever happens to us as we go through this trial together. We can do it if we help each other and really believe it is all that is going to keep us alive another 10, 15, 20, 30, 40 who knows how many more years. I'm on day 10 today. I know when I begin to feel like I'm normal. What's a beer gonna hurt on a nice hot day? Yeah, see, that's the way the little trickster in my brain works. I gotta be ready for it with a quick reply. Me, you lard a**, stop busting my chops. I sure hope the meds help you make it through easier tonight. Sending some prayers your way, soberfor.... Thanks for posting!

soberforbaby

Thanks for all the encouragement everyone.

The Clonazepam my Dr. gave me helped a lot. I pretty much slept on night 3.
Just crazy dreams.

I know what Frothjay and others means about picking it up again as soon as you feel better. I am determined not to do this. I keep a picture on my 2 year old daughter taped in my wallet right below my credit card (which I would need to by booze). I think of her explaining why her daddy died when she was 12 and never knowing the truth that it was all my fault and I destroyed our family because I have no backbone.
Yes..a little morbid but the direction I was going and could easily return to.

Researching my alcoholic withdrawal symptoms I have found so many alcohol related organ failure issues it's a miracle I am alive.

My favorite way to finish off a nights drinking was to take 6 or more tylenol with 8mg codeine (Tylenol #1, you can buy them in Canada. I go there a lot) or Tramadol I bought online .

Boy, I cannot wait to run 5 miles again plus I can actually read a book at bedtime now. Just picked up the time travelers wife last night.

Thanks all

TodayToo

Where'd you go Sober? Are you okay?