4 weeks no alcohol
 

Well were do i start.....

Been alcohol free for 4 weeks, low mood, lethargic, foggy brain, pains in legs and shoulders on waking.

I was using alcohol for 14 years, mainly a all of nothing guy. I would have days off however, when i drank boy was it a party. Most 80 - 100 unit weekend.

Are these symptoms common for someone whos quit alcohol after years of using it. Also any rough time lines for feeling more normal.

I also find when i exercise i have sea legs. Like my brain isnt in sink with me legs. All symptoms are manageable but rather feel fresh again.

[QUOTE=Leo1984;6918765]Well were do i start.....

Been alcohol free for 4 weeks, low mood, lethargic, foggy brain, pains in legs and shoulders on waking.

I was using alcohol for 14 years, mainly a all of nothing guy. I would have days off however, when i drank boy was it a party. Most 80 - 100 unit weekend.

Are these symptoms common for someone whos quit alcohol after years of using it. Also any rough time lines for feeling more normal.

I also find when i exercise i have sea legs. Like my brain isnt in sink with me legs. All symptoms are manageable but rather feel fresh again.

Any advice would be great

I'm on 52 days in and feel good physically. Actually as each week passes I feel better so now I have to get my brain transmitters back on track.

You might want to see a doc and get a good physical. Alcohol makes all sorts of stuff go haywire in your body. A good blood work up should let your doc know how to advise you. I thinking the healing time is different for each individual pending how hard and how much alcohol was consumed over the years.. See ya doc, get a good physical and go from there. You might even be fighting some depression and need some meds or guidance. I hope you feel better soon!

Welcome- healing varies as much as alcoholics do, but what you describe is pretty normal for a lot of people who drank a long time.

The only way to heal in every way is to stay sober.

Are you working a program for recovery?

I was moody. Extremely moody. I was angry at myself. I was depressed. I had very little motivation. I didn't have physical symptoms that I'm aware of, it was mental and emotional for me.

What you are feeling will subside over time. Your body and mind are learning how to function "normal" and it isn't an easy process.

Congratulations on 4 weeks, that's phenomenal. Keep it up and you will push through this wall.

I did not not actually realise my drinking was an issue. I kept going to docs because i was sweating,anxiety and low mood. I thought it was depression/anxiety.

I was given meds twice and each time i stopped drinking. I felt awful and blamed the meds. So i stopped them and went back to alcohol. This time i started a tablet and kept drinking for 8 weeks i felt ok on the tablet along with alcohol. Then i quit drinking and guess what? I felt awful again just like i did the previous times i stopped drinking. So my thought is has this been alot to do with binge drinking all weekend, then stopping for a few days and going in and out of withdrawal.

I have no recovery plan however i am in touch with a Dr about my mood etc.

Also i have had a load of blood done and they all came back perfect.

Any advice would be great

Anyone relate??

Hi Leo - great job on attaining 4 wks. sober.

I had most of those symptoms except the sea legs. Plus, I was absolutely exhausted from all I'd put my body through. The worst of it was over after a couple months. (I had been drinking for almost 30 yrs. ) It's good that you're in touch with your dr about this.

Thanks Hevyn.

God yeh my tiredness is a killer. I sleep well but still tired during the day. Also the brain fog is awful.

Its like mild dimentia lol

Dementia even

Please feel free to add comments to what i have said.

Do you take supplements? Most alcoholics are depleted in B vitamins, magnesium, etc. there are many supplements that boost mood, energy and function
Congrats on all your time sober....the best is coming. Don’t go back to the prison of pain

Hi,

Yes - i take a good multivitamin.

As an example i have just woke up after 8 hours solid sleep and feel like i have been drugged.

Its so strange. Also my brain just feels clouded.

I hope this goes back to a normal. 29 days and counting.

Hi Leo1984 congrats on 29 days, I'm right behind you and have similar issues, the main ones are brain fog, fatigue, short term memory, tingling on shins/legs, sleep problems, feeling I'm going crazy, hot/old sweats/shivers, decentralization. I've been here before and this time what I find helps is exercise, so now I go swimming as often as possible and for brisk walks. I also have changed my diet and eat more nuts/grains/fruit and veg/reduced carb intake as I also quit smoking in January this year and put on a lot of extra fat around tummy so I hope this new regime helps with loosing weight. I also take a multi B vitamin every day, I don't know if it does anything but maybe the placebo effect helps :) Best of Luck in your journey Leo1984 and keep us updated on your progress. bye for now

Hi Leo,

I completely relate to what you're feeling. I've had 30+ years of binge drinking, never getting any considerable time under the belt. It's now day 47, and I'm beginning to feel a tiny bit more settled.

I've had most of what you've described, brain fog, lack of energy etc. Also I have been prescribed Anti-Depressants for anxiety for a number of years. I firmly believe that the alcohol was wiping any effects of that off, because now I think they're kicking in properly.
Hope this might give you some reassurance !

All the very best,
Johnnie.

Cheers Johnee.

Carlingford - you say you have been here before? How long can it take to feel normal. As in energy back and not walking around feeling dumb.

Any advice greatly accepted

Hi Leo1984 Unfortunately I only made it to 140 days max in the last 30+ years and even at that stage I was suffering PAWS, please see below the link to POST ACUTE ARTICLE its very informative about the Brain stuff etc.
http://www.addictionsandrecovery.org...withdrawal.htm
I am sick and tired of being sick and tired and on the dry again and not really broadcasting the fact as I have failed so many times. Also, when I get back to my own country I will be checking out the "Sinclair Method" check it out !! I am trying soon and hope it works for me. Best Regards and Good Luck.

Cheers Carling - thing is how much did you drink? And how often. 140 days with no improvement is a worry.

I would like to think i improve abit b4 that lol.

Low mood, lethargy, moodiness, apathy, brain fog, emotionally sensitive and easy to anger, I felt all of these for the better part of a year. Things started easing around 7 months but they come and go in waves.

A lot of this can have to do with brain chemistry. There's a few threads on PAWS around here and this is the basis of it.

Your brain adjusts it's chemistry to account for the things alcohol stimulates. When you take the drug away your brain ends up in a chemical imbalance and it can take as long as two years for people to get relief.

PAWS effects everyone different in regards to symptoms and duration. Understanding this helped me stay sober as I had a bad bout with it. Saturday I'll have 16 months and I'm feeling a lot better now.