Eyes in early sobriety
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 135
Eyes in early sobriety
I have been rereading all the threads in which people talk about the physican changes they experience when they quit drinking. Many of them mention the eyes.
Some say they have "cleared up." Some say they sparkle now.
Would you mind if i asked what "cleared up" means? Mine are looking pretty bad. What did yours look like before you quit?
Thanks. I'm having such a crappy day.
Some say they have "cleared up." Some say they sparkle now.
Would you mind if i asked what "cleared up" means? Mine are looking pretty bad. What did yours look like before you quit?
Thanks. I'm having such a crappy day.
Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 10,912
Sorry you are having a bad day.
My eyes were bloodshot every morning from the drinking, and I tried to mask that with eye drops daily. Also, frequently tearing (not from crying), especially in windy weather outside. My vision was also affected I think... sometimes (especially on days of real bad hangovers) it was pretty blurry. I don't wear glasses or contacts all the time, have prescription only for far vision. But there was this blurry vision on some days. Other days, fine.
After even only 3-4 days sober, the red eyes "cleared up" meaning they were no longer red. The tearing and blurry bursts of vision took a bit longer, but not longer than ~10 days, to go.
My eyes were bloodshot every morning from the drinking, and I tried to mask that with eye drops daily. Also, frequently tearing (not from crying), especially in windy weather outside. My vision was also affected I think... sometimes (especially on days of real bad hangovers) it was pretty blurry. I don't wear glasses or contacts all the time, have prescription only for far vision. But there was this blurry vision on some days. Other days, fine.
After even only 3-4 days sober, the red eyes "cleared up" meaning they were no longer red. The tearing and blurry bursts of vision took a bit longer, but not longer than ~10 days, to go.
now's the time
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 2,181
I'm at 3 weeks and most of the time my eyes look way better as mentioned above: not puffy or red. But there are some days, if I'm tired or dehydrated, when I feel like I look just the same as I did while drinking! I remember the first time I quit, I was really physically wrecked, and it took a couple months before I felt like my eyes looked consistently clearer. So if yours aren't sparkly yet, don't worry... it'll happen!
Behold the power of NO
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: WA
Posts: 7,764
I did not have blood shot eyes but I always had dark circle under my eyes as if I was living in a state of perpertual exhaustion (which I actually was).
Those went away, when I get dark circles nowadays I know that I need some rest.
Those went away, when I get dark circles nowadays I know that I need some rest.
Living Sober
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 555
Hey DoloresHaze-
Mine were never really too bloodshot most of the time, however I did have some puffiness, which cleared up when I stopped. I was also told that my entire face looked much healthier, however I never knew that it was looking unhealthy before I stopped. I suppose I was just so use to looking at my own mug, that I never noticed.
Mine were never really too bloodshot most of the time, however I did have some puffiness, which cleared up when I stopped. I was also told that my entire face looked much healthier, however I never knew that it was looking unhealthy before I stopped. I suppose I was just so use to looking at my own mug, that I never noticed.
02.27.15 :): ▽VII△VIII
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: California
Posts: 2,802
I had two weeks sober, then a week drunk, and now another week sober, and my eyes are still very red. I haven't been using any Visine since I quit because I figured maybe they needed natural blood flow to heal. I don't know how long it will take. But they don't burn like they used to, and my undereyes are not swollen anymore. I'm sure it's different for everyone.
Guest
Join Date: May 2014
Location: London, UK
Posts: 1,086
After about a week of not drinking I noticed my eyes looked less puffy. It's taken longer for the dark circles under my eyes to start disappearing. Someone else in one of my meetings said about their eyes clearing up and said that their eyes used to be really bloodshot.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: SE Michigan
Posts: 1,066
One of the biggest benefits for me (I am 56, so not a naturally dewey-eyed young thing LOL.) But the way my eyes looked while drinking or hungover was the single biggest distress, and the one thing I felt I had to explain away to everyone. "Allergies! Jeez, they are bad this year! Yeah, allergies!" :rolleyes. I should have been buying Visine by the five-gallon bucket. And, it doesn't really work that well either, I found.
Anyhow I am not quite three weeks sober and my eyes are no longer red, puffy, horrendously bloodshot with big dark circles underneath. Not perfectly clear but 80% better and I am no longer self-conscious about how horrible and stoned/sick I look.
Also, blurry vision - something that has only been an issue for me in the last four years after drinking and the day after (which translated to almost all of the time.) This may of course also be a function of age because it's nothing I noticed before but recently it's become a real problem.
Anyhow I am not quite three weeks sober and my eyes are no longer red, puffy, horrendously bloodshot with big dark circles underneath. Not perfectly clear but 80% better and I am no longer self-conscious about how horrible and stoned/sick I look.
Also, blurry vision - something that has only been an issue for me in the last four years after drinking and the day after (which translated to almost all of the time.) This may of course also be a function of age because it's nothing I noticed before but recently it's become a real problem.
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