Did you ever NOT notice your withdrawal symptoms?
 

I'm at like day 72 now (I think) & I just realized that I too was experiencing some withdrawal symptoms. I thought I was only experiencing one but now after reading others posting, I realize I had more than I originally thought!

For the past several weeks, I have been baking cookies on the weekend & tearing them up! I never realized it was my body craving the crazy amounts of sugar I used to pump into it with my alcohol consumption. My Coca Cola intake was crazier than ever, again, the sugars my body missed. thanksfully, those cravings have tapered now & am no longer craving so strongly.

Sluggishness....need I say more? I have been extremely sluggish up until this week. I could handle doing my job at work & regular household stuff, but when I wanted to exercise - I seriously couldn't. I am now starting to feel like my energy levels are going up.

Joint pain & general achiness.....I have been realizing that now they are starting to taper off too. Who knew?!?

This makes me sad for my poor body. I have abused it far too long, time to take care of it now!

My drinking made me miss a lot of things over the years. I always noticed my withdrawals as they were pretty bad initially. I have to say though that once you start getting several months under your belt things really improve.

Hi JT i put on weight through eating sugary foods but i was underweight in the begining

Around month 8/9 i went on diet as i was a tad overweight and i cut out all junk foods soft drinks chocs etc i done that for well over 9 weeks and now my diet is varied and healthily balanced

Well done on 72 which is toatally awesome

Congrats

I hadn't felt normal in a few years so the withdrawals were just continuing the way I had felt since 2011: a constant withdrawal to varying degrees.

I craved sugar do vastly I may as well have just poured the bag into my mouth. But, it helped me get through. I say eat five jars of mayonnaise in one sitting if it keeps you from drinking for the first 30 days. Food became a temporary crutch.

I agree with Melinda. Eat whatever keeps your cravings on check. I have developed a little hypogycemia because of my long hours drinking. Withdrawal symptoms usually come pretty bad, mostly with headache and sluggishness. Drinking really messes the sugar levels for some people.

I didn't notice them so much in the first month or so and then bang.

Tired, irritable, moody, lethargic, junk food, caffeine..... It was awful.

Just starting to come good now, 6 months sober.

May or may not happen to you but, I noticed that the crap can ease off for a few days and come back full blown for a few days, but eventually that tapers off too.

Kinda two steps forward one step back for a while.

Hang on there Monica. At times it can all feel so overwhelming and like you just can't put right all the hurt you've caused your body but it does get better and you will feel differently so please don't give up just keep going x

I have the occasional periods where I don't notice them for half a day or so, then they come back and hit me again. But there is no doubt that when I compare it to where I was 30 days ago it is a big improvement.

From your post it seems like it is getting better for you also! Congrats, and keep on going!

OMG, me too!!!! Thanks for your response, at least now I know I am not going crazy. ;-)

I have the occasional periods where I don't notice them for half a day or so, then they come back and hit me again. But there is no doubt that when I compare it to where I was 30 days ago it is a big improvement.

From your post it seems like it is getting better for you also! Congrats, and keep on going!

It's getting better for sure. I just find it interesting how I never put 2 & 2 together. LOL!!! But now I am seeing how my body is responding physically without alcohol.

I also notice that occassionally my symptoms come back, but it seems like now they pass quicker.

As I didn't have any support initially, I didn't know really know but suspected that the lethargy and foggy-brain was related to past alcohol consumption. I was afraid that I had done permanent damage. I was relieved when, at about the six month mark, those issues began to lessen.

You are doing so beautifully, Monica.

I am on day 62 and getting slight temple headaches. Not all day, just here and there. One of the reasons I quit AL was allergies, sinus congestion, stuffed ears, arthritis in fingers (gone the first week) among other physical problems.

I notice the signs of allergies getting much better, and the headaches getting less...but still there. If they are too much, can use essential oils to alleviate.
That works really well....

Thanks, Leigh!!!! That is truly a compliment coming from you...

Hey JT0626, nice to see a fellow resident of Charm City here. Although I'm on day 12 now, I have experienced withdrawal symptoms more times than I can remember. Of course there are the usual symptoms- shakes, anxiety, insomnia, etc. I've found that I have cravings for chocolate, and I've never been much of a person for sweets. There's tons of studies that look into the physiology behind the different symptoms that people in early sobriety experience.

Personally, I've always found the first week to have the worst manifestations of physical symptoms. Everyday I'm sober, I notice little improvements, especially in hand-eye coordination. Due to the nature of my work, I have poor sleep hygiene to begin with. I've drank large amounts of coffee long before I dove head first into the bottle, so it's hard for me to determine whether it contributes to my poor sleep. I've also noticed that my stamina rebounds a little bit each day. Little victories, but victories nonetheless.

The longest I've had sober was seven months, and I do know that each day gets a little better. Congrats on staying sober, and hang in there.

There were so many symptoms along the way as I was drinking that I never put two and two together on. Anxiety, depression, paranoia, plus all of the physical symptoms that plagued me for years.

Despite how the PAWS symptoms can be annoying or tough at times, it is so much better than the alternative.

I cant tell you how much better I feel about myself even at 9 weeks!!!

I can relate as well. I didn't experience much acute withdrawal, but the post-acute process is definitely there! As other have said, it tends to ebb and flow. I'll feel great for several days and then go through a bout of irritability, foggy headedness, etc. Also craving junk foods that I don't normally go for. It's always nice to hear from others that these continue to improve over time.

Yay, someone that's in my backyard!!! ;-)

Funny you say that you craved chocolate, because I did too! I am not even a chocolate lover to begin with, but I was tearing chocolate chip cookies up for weeks!

I'm noticing little improvements here & there too. It just seems weird that I am noticing withdrawal symptoms more so now than I did 2 months ago. My body is weird....LOL!

Post acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS) can be a very trying ordeal, especially if you aren't anticipating or familiar with it. Through my own experience, and conversations with others in recovery, they affect each person differently- just like everything else about this disease. Being able to recognize the symptoms for what they are helps to develop coping strategies. Also be on the lookout for HALTS- Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired, Sick. During my first week sober, I caught a nasty cold that wore me out. I felt like crap every morning I woke up, but it was nothing compared to acute withdrawal. Maybe I've finally lost it, but I was happy to be sick and sober, as opposed to the alternative.