bronzie

So, my last drink was Monday morning. I'm coming up on the evening of day 4, and having serious cravings. Question....am I past the timeframe of having serious withdrawal symptoms or seizures?
I'm thinking it's just my alcohol brain trying to convince me I need to have some wine before bed tonight....but the anxiety is relentless. I don't want to go into a serious withdrawal or anything!
Also, I started a new medication today, which I have taken years ago called Wellbutrin to help me also quit smoking. Took my first low dose (150mg) around lunch time today. Has anyone had any experience taking this medication with or without alcohol?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated, as I am just trying to make it through the night and have a pleasant weekend.
Thank you in advance.

On The Road

Hi bronzie

Please check with your doctor about your health and medication.

As for anxiety, it's common to experience it when you first stop drinking. Don't give in to your AV. And over time anxiety levels often subside.

Try to eat well and get some serious sleep. Your body is adjusting itself to life without booze.

Stick with it.

Dee74

I think anxiety is pretty much par for the course for most of us in the early days - the thing is, alcohol won't really help at all...

by the end of my drinking I still had the anxiety I used to drink over - plus the anxiety of wanting a drink...

it's no win situation and your best bet is to stay sober.

Things will get better I promise

Here are some good tips for dealing with cravings

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...cravings.htmlD

bronzie

Thanks so much for your response. I pretty much rested and slept the first 3 days, then woke up today feeling so much better. Evening came and I started getting cravings and feeling the anxiety. I'm gonna stick with it and get thru this. Thanks again!

bronzie

Thank you so much Dee! I will take a look at the link. I just needed to post here because I was feeling all out of sorts. I think I'm going to be okay!

On The Road

I slept a lot for the first few months. Part of it was that my body was adjusting itself to the new normal (no booze). And the other part was that going to bed early meant that I didn't have to deal as much with the cravings.

Best advice I can give you is: do everything you have to to go to bed sober tonight. Repeat tomorrow. You can do this.

MacW

Anxiety, nervousness and outright terror have always accompanied the times I have gone through withdrawal before.

I actually think these symptoms are worse than the physical ones. They kind of fuel themselves, you get even more anxious when you realize you are anxious and start worrying about it.

I'll tell you one thing that has always helped me with it. Never made it go away entirely, but its helped. Go out and walk until you are tired. I did this today, I walked about 8km.

If I sit at home, I just sit and think. I can't concentrate on TV, or read a book. Work is out of the question.

If I go out and walk, it doesn't take long before I see something that distracts me enough to take my mind off worrying. If I keep it up long enough, I'm tired when I get home, usually tired enough to get some rest/sleep.

Plus the exercise itself is good for you. Give it a try, it might work for you.

saoutchik

I agree with MacW - walking during "craving time" is a great way of distracting you self from dwelling on them

Congratulations on 4 days bronzie

Dame

Bronzie,
I know this is a little late. Please read some literature on Wellbutrin. It carries a seizure risk - and when combined with alcohol this can be a problem. I would not worry about it if I were 7 days out of drinking, but 4 days still carries a possibility (albeit less). Most seizures occur within 48-72 hours of cessation. Mine happened on the 3rd day. I am not a dr., but know a fair bit about this med. In any case, don't panic. Some very noticeable (and bad symptoms) precede a seizure.

bronzie

Thank you, Dame. I have heard about that as well. I am on day 5 now, just staying away from alcohol, and I am feeling okay so far. I think drinking on this new medication would be a bad idea. I'll let you guys know how I get the ought the rest of the weekend!

Dame

Good for you Dear!

Excellent going! In all my tries I never made it to day 5 on my own, so -of course - I just gotta be Grand-Canyon sized PROUD of you. Keep moving forward. You will do this!

bronzie

Thank you so much! I am feeling very "unusual" because drinking has always been my normal. But I'm gonna see it through and go to my counseling on this Thursday. I am very hopeful and determined to get better!

Forward12

You should be pretty much in the clear around day 4-5, but at that time has always been from my experience when the cravings hit the hardest as you've cleared your system of the poison, and your AV goes nuts craving it back.
I've been on wellbutrin for depression, and it's also for stopping smoking as well. For me, it basically amplifies your tastebuds to the tobacco, and makes it taste like you are sucking on an exhaust pipe when you smoke, making it literally disgusting. Also like mentioned one of the side effects is it can up the risk of having an alcohol withdrawal seizure, so use that as another reason to stop the drinking.