sanguinity

Hi all,

Nearly two weeks ago I decided to cool it with alcohol. Six days went by, and I had no physical issues whatsoever. On the seventh day, as a test I had a little wine and felt noticeably less good/more tired the next day -- thus sealing my commitment to stay off the stuff. Each day thereafter I felt great -- still no physical issues, mood stable and lovely -- until today. Today I feel like I drank an entire bottle of wine on an empty stomach. What the heck? Has anyone else experience something like a mild hangover this far removed from alcohol ingestion?

-S

SoberinSyracuse

If you're weren't drinking, it's not a hangover. And if you've been sober several days, you shouldn't be having any physical withdrawals. Sounds like you just don't feel that great. It's part of the normal human experience to feel crummy sometimes.

Lots of things can cause you not to feel well, especially dehydration, poor sleep, malnutrition, or low blood sugar. Try to cover those bases today and see if you don't feel better tomorrow. I hope you're not coming down with a cold.

jryan19982

Withdrawal is different for everyone. But 14 days out (minus "a little" wine) seems a little unusual. That being said, maybe your endorphin in your brain have finally kicked the alcohol and trying to adjust to a sober life. In another post someone mentioned that happens around 30 days. Maybe you are a little a head of schedule, or maybe a little behind?

That being said, drink water, get sleep, and see how you feel tomorrow. You might have caught a bug. They go around this time of year for sure!

sanguinity

Thanks for these replies! I guess I'm so used to alcohol being the culprit for feeling crappy it didn't really occur to me it could be something totally benign. I will take your advice: Get hydrated and rested and report back tomorrow.

Soberwolf

& if it persists book a Dr apt

I got to add please don't 'test' yourself it's a very slippery slope

least

Welcome to the family. I'm glad you joined us. You'll find lots of support here.

biminiblue

I find if I eat too many carbs (or too much sugar) I get a hung-over feeling, too.

sanguinity

Thanks, Soberwolf. One test was plenty for me. I wouldn't trade the anxiety, expense, calories and mental energy I've saved in the least two weeks for anything! Every step further away from alcohol feels like a step closer to my true self. I've been missing that version of me for a long time and feel very good about this mission to her again.

sanguinity

Thank you! I'll admit I've been lurking here for years. It feels wonderful to join this amazing group of people.

sanguinity

That could be it, too. I had a banana and a little strawberry jam early this morning, so I guess it could be a sugar crash. Maybe it's time for a "balanced snack" of some sort.

Anna

It does take awhile for our bodies to adjust.

Bunnyrabbit

The first few weeks or months even I had headaches and terrible insomnia, I remember feeling hung over at times too. I was replacing alcohol with caffeine and sugar though so it could have been that but I'm still kinda doing that and now I feel great and sleep well. It's probably the brain and body adjusting to the lack of alcohol after decades of heavy drinking. It's unpleasant but it'll pass and then you'll feel better than ever. Probably best to see a doc of course.

PurpleKnight

If like me you drank for years, it's going to longer than a few weeks for the body to heal and repair.

For me it took more time, but if you're worried about anything best checking in with a Dr!!

D122y

Sang,

I felt hung over w red eyes for weeks. But, the hang over only lasted for a few minutes when I first woke up. Probably part of my healing.

I drank hard for about 15 years. At least a 1 liter minimum a week. When I was feeling really alky, I drank a 750 ml every 2 days.

I would still be drinking if it wasn't for all the help here. I would be lambasted right now. An ugly, stumbling, pathetic, fat, embarrassing drunk. An alcoholic incident waiting to happen.

Now, I am just ugly.

Bottom line that got me through...it gets better every day.

Proudly sober. Alcohol is poison.

mav

I get these "anti hangovers" as well. It may be a sugar thing (eating more choc than usual atm) but generally I think it's a bit of paws.

SoberinSyracuse

A thought:

Before assuming something is PAWS, doesn't it make sense to rule out simpler explanations?

I mean, if the feelings persist for a long time, okay, maybe it's PAWS. But to feel a little tired, groggy, headachy, or whatever once in a while is completely normal.

I think we newbies to sobriety ought to march forward with the expectation we're gonna be perfectly fine. If it turns out otherwise we can deal with it then. But I think we should assume the occasional nightmare, insomnia, bad mood, fogginess, or headache is just part of normal life. Heck, now that we're sober we're probably going to notice these things a lot more when they occur!

sanguinity

Hi there. Here's a quick update: It turns out I had a low-grade fever on Friday! But, after chicken soup and ginger tea for dinner, plus an OK night's sleep, I was back in business Saturday morning. Today's been good, too (and marks my third consecutive hangover-free Sunday).

Thanks, everyone, for your insights and advice. I'm so grateful I can turn to Sober Recovery.

least

I'm glad you're feeling better.

ZeldaFan

I find if I don't get enough water the day before and then sleep a long time I tend to wake up feeling a bit hungover. It's dehydration so I get water into my system when I get up and it goes away shortly after.

MelindaFlowers

I felt that way, off and on, for quite some time after I stopped drinking. Foggy and groggy and out of my body a little bit.

However, if you really think back to the sharp, stabbing, delirious hangovers we had, the foggy groggy is nothing compared to those.