Day 6 withdrawl symptoms....are these normal?
 

I'm on day 6 today and have felt pretty decent, some mild to moderate symptoms such as fatigue, anxiety, insomnia....today I woke up feeling great and then just a few minutes ago as I began to eat lunch I got SLAMMED with nausea and fatigue, feeling weak and a little shaky. I've been drinking lots of fluids, had some coconut water a little earlier. Is this normal? I haven't felt this nauseated for the past 5 days. I've gone 4 or 5 days without drinking several times, this is the first time I've gotten to day 6 in a very long time. Could my more severe withdrawal just be setting in now?

Thoughts?

Progressive detoxes can get worse. If you have any concerns definitely see your doc, severe symptoms can take several days to onset.

my worst hit at day 4 and 5.
but please imagine the change that your body and brain have to go thru.

Onwards to day 7

It's possible you have the flu. I heard that is going around right now. But just to be safe, I would go to the doctor.

Well, the nausea subsided. Now I just feel sort of tired and a little shaky, but just to be safe I scheduled a Dr. appointment for tomorrow. It is going to be really hard to admit to my Dr. what is going on. I've been seeing him for a couple of years and he has had no clue about my drinking. I'm ashamed and embarrassed to admit to him but I also want the help. I suppose he'll put 2 and 2 together now and understand why I've been coming to him with all these other symptoms, high BP, digestive issues, anxiety....better to be honest and deal with the real issue. Has anyone else talked to their Dr. about their drinking? How did that go?

2 years ago I ended up in ER with dangerously low potassium levels and was admitted to the hospital because the doctor said my heart could stop at any time. My blood alcohol content was .20. They also ran blood tests while in the hospital and told me my liver enzymes were very high. At a follow up visit with my doctor, she asked how much I drank and I was honest about the fact that I drank every day but I fudged on the amount I drank. I never had discussed my drinking with my doctor before that. She said I had alcoholic liver disease and asked if I wanted to quit. I said no, I can't quit and don't want to. Fast forward 2 years later and before I quit I called my doctor and told her I am an alcoholic and wanted to quit but was scared of detoxing (getting DT's, etc). I requested she write me a script for drugs to get me through it, but she refused. She simply stated that if things got bad, to go to ER. As it turned out, I didn't get bad symptoms from withdrawal and I am grateful that she didn't prescribe me any drugs. I am also relieved to have finally admitted to my doctor that I have a problem and was going to do something about it.

There is no reason to be ashamed or embarrassed to admit alcoholism to your doctor. They know it's a disease and probably have treated hundreds of patients for it.

Cryingbuddha, first time to 6 days sober? You are FANTASTIC. Congratulations. You made is 6 days, you can make it 6 weeks, 6 months, forever. Rootin for ya. :egypt:

Alcohol withdrawal does often start mild in the beginning and peaks at its worst after several days go by. So it's not unusual, but still a wise decision that you're seeing a doctor, as there's a possibility those symptoms could be alcohol-related but not withdrawal-related.

I've never talked to my family doctor/general practicioner about drinking, as I haven't had one in a very long time. I have talked to doctors in hospital before about my drinking. I did get a short, "here's the facts" lecture about what alcohol was doing to me and what I might expect if I didn't quit. It was hard to hear, even though I needed to hear it, but it was professionally done and didn't strike me as moralistic judgment. I would've expected the same tone if I was being seen for high cholesterol and admitted I ate Big Macs six nights a week.

Thanks guys. I guess it helps I'm a little OCD about my health, even while drinking. I eat very healthy and take a lot of vitamins and supplements. I get my labs checked regularly, last time was in January and everything was normal with the exception of my electrolytes were slightly low, which is to be expected when one is drinking too much. I've had a complete cardio workup due to my family hx of heart disease and was told my heart is in good shape. My BP has been slightly high for the past year or so, in the 130/85 range on average. I have a BP machine at home and check it regularly, last night it was 119/79 which is great! So, I think overall I am fairly healthy (thank God). However I know if I continued to drink I would deteriorate quickly. I'm 36 years old. I was drinking on average, a six pack of beer every other night for the past couple of years. Before that I was still drinking too much but probably 3 or 4 nights a week, I also worked out 5 days a week so that kept me healthier. The past couple of years I was in a deep depression due to loneliness and marital issues which have mostly resolved. I really want to be sober, I'm looking forward to day 7 but am just anxious about the withdrawal. I know it will be good to see my Dr. but he has always been kind of a jerk to me and I'm nervous about how he will respond. I guess I will just suck it up. My health is more important than whether or not I feel embarrassed or ashamed. Sorry for the long post...