SoberNunn

I've been trying to quit for months so have had a lot of days 1, 2 and 3. I've never had any symptoms of withdrawl. Today (day 3) after an uneventful day 1and 2, my hands developed a slight tremor. I was at lunch with my family. I was so anxious and also scared they would notice. I drank 2 glasses of wine and it disappeared. Is this the start of delirium tremors?

Dee74

No - but it could be a sign that you might be progressing further along the alcoholic continuum.

The more you progress along that continuum, and the more you drink to try and feel 'normal', the harder it's going to be to quit, SoberNunn.

D

Bunny211

No. It does not have anything to do with DTs. It is, however, a sign of alcohol withdrawal. Withdrawing from alcohol takes a full 5-7 days so it is not uncommon to have tremors on day 3. If you are worried about DTs I suggest you check in to a medical detox facility or at the very least, detox in an environment where someone can keep watch over you at all times and bring you to the hospital should you have a seizure or anything serious. Get off this elevator now though. It's not going to bring you anyplace good. Only further down.

You can do it. I believe in you.

JustTony

I shake so badly the first three days after my last drink (been there loads of times) that I daren't pick up a glass of water in front of my staff.

It made me feel worthless and ashamed. Only drinking again would take away the tremors - or getting to day 5 or 6 in my case

I have gone 27 days in the past and all tremors and feelings of withdrawal had gone by then (convincing me I could moderate - ha!)

You just have to let the body re-adjust to life without alcohol.

Severe cases require medical advice and support.

August252015

Agreed. As my alcoholism progressed, I go I had to the point that I had to drink in the morning so my hands would not shake. I could barely write, as just one example, unless I did. When I quit, I experienced shakes for awhile - they went away.

Stopping drinking and staying that way is the only way I experienced everything get better, throughout my body and everything else.

SnazzyDresser

My hands were shaking up a storm regularly, which always seemed to exemplify the whole problem. Drink to stop the shaking (and bad feelings in general) every day, do the same the next day. When the only reason my hands were shaking in the first place was me being drunk every day. Really rich when you think about it. Once I stopped the drinking, my hands stopped shaking.

esinger

My hands would shake terribly if I went a day without booze. Couldn't hold a cup of coffee or sign my name. It was like this for me the last several years of my drinking. It's withdrawals. My body was so used to the poison that it rebelled when it wasn't there. The more you go through it the worse it gets. I used to tell people that would notice , it was from my allergy medication. Now after being clean for a while my hands are steady as a surgeons.
If you are just now experiencing this, why not get out now? It will only get worse if you don't.
Good Luck!

Anna

I agree with Dee, SoberNunn. Each time you stop and start again, the next withdrawal will be harder. You can google 'kindling' for an understanding of this phenomenon. Talk to your dr if you are worried about detoxing. You can do this!

Forward12

I agree with the others this is a sign that your alcoholism is getting worse and worse. You really need to quit now before it really gets out of control.
Do you have a plan in place? Attending AA? Perhaps look into rehab?

Alan6154

It's annoying, it's embarrassing, and it makes it really hard to eat a bowl of soup. The spoon is empty by the time it gets to your mouth. Shaving requires two hands so you don't cut your throat. Coffee (caffeine) is off the table because that makes it worse. You look like a dog trying to pass a peach pit when you drink coffee. It goes away completely in a month or less depending on how deep the booze has it's claws in you.

Maybe this helps-

"consistently lower level Shaking from alcohol withdrawal may also occur because alcohol abuse has changed your nerve cells. Alcohol exerts its depressant effects by reducing activity in the brain, and the brain becomes neurologically accustomed to this of stimulation as you maintain heavy or frequent drinking habits. Then, when you stop drinking, your brain is flooded with more activity than it is ready for, leading to nervous system hyperactivity symptoms like trembling or tremors.
3 Other facts about shaking during alcohol withdrawal include
The shaking due to alcohol withdrawal can occur in any body part, but most often occurs in the hands.
Someone can develop alcoholic shakes as soon as 8 hours after the last drink.
The likelihood and severity of alcoholic tremors are increased in people who drink more frequently and in higher amounts.
Alcohol withdrawal symptoms, including shaking, are typically strongest 24 to 72 hours after the person had their last drink, but can continue for weeks.

Andante

My experience is a bit of an oddity, but perhaps it will serve as a cautionary tale.

Over 4 years after quitting drinking for good, I still have vestiges of alcoholic tremor. Apparently I knocked something permanently off kilter in my nervous system with my drinking, and it may never return to 100% normal.

Of course, in hindsight, there were warning signs along the way, but my addiction was too strong to allow me to heed them.

PhoenixJ

For me it was. Seeing a doc might be a good idea.

bunnezjp

Its one of the worst parts about withdrawal. It does pass but is extremely embarrassing, especially in public/at work. I used to try to pass it off as low blood sugar but inevitably it doesn't go unnoticed. Thankfully, it will pass so long as you don't drink to ease it. Drink and you're just prolonging the inevitable.

~Bunnez

Alan6154

Andante,

I am sorry to hear that. I have read that because alcohol is a central nervous system depressant it can permanently damage some nerve endings but moderate exercise that increases blood flow will aid in growing new nerve endings over time. I don't remember where I read that. Sorry, wish I could be more helpful.

ThatWasTheOldMe

Alcohol has two predominant effects on your brain.
First, it enhances the effect of GABA, which is our inhibitory brain chemical. This is what makes you feel calm after a couple drinks.
Second, it reduces the effect of glutamate, which is our excitatory brain chemical. This adds to the calm feeling you have after a couple drinks.

The problem is, when the effect wears off, your brain overcompensates in correcting the imbalance. The result is a rebound effect, where withdrawal symptoms are opposite those associated with alcohol intoxication. What you're feeling is your brain slowly fixing the chemical imbalance introduced by drinking too much alcohol.

If you binge drink, the effect gets more pronounced over time. Speaking from experience, withdrawing from alcohol can be he!!.

BrendaChenowyth

Tremors certainly are ONE of the symptoms of DTs, but there are many more serious ones.

But if that is the worst part of it, it's passes if you don't drink again. If you drink, you're just gonna continue to have them.

Mine are better today. They are worst upon waking. Were bad Friday.

doggonecarl

I don't know what the shaking is, but I know what the drinking is...

...the insanity of alcoholism.

AnvilheadII

alcohol causes the tremors. drinking for every symptom of w/d will only exacerbate the problem. there is only one way through, to quit and stay quit. and that won't come without SOME discomfort.

this continual stopping and starting again every few days is taking a real toll on your body. and it will only get WORSE. drinking is NOT a solution, it's a death sentence.

Dee74

Guys, some of the responses here are getting close to medical advice -

personal experience only please.

Dee
Moderator
SR

SoberNunn

Thanks for the responses. I limited myself to the 2 glasses of wine and havnt had them since. With regards to some of the posts here I was not craving a drink. I did not WANT a drink. I was really scared it was the start of DTs as they didn't start till 3 days into withdrawl. Reading the posts here it seems pretty common.