Alcohol withdrawal
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2021
Posts: 7
Alcohol withdrawal
Hi I'm a 57 year old man who has been in denial about alcohol abuse for many years but have just signed up for treatment. I have come to realise that my use of alcohol is an avoidance to cover up chronic procrastination that has got worse and worse. (That's just to say a little of why I'm here!) I have a question that I really need help with from those who have maybe been through it as I've only just started this process.
Is it usual after starting detox to feel relatively fine from days one to four and then suddenly start feeling bad? I'm on day nine and am feeling increasingly dizzy and jittery, with occasional chills, brain fog and facial flushing. I'm sleeping ok and also have an appetite, but it seems the timeline of my symptoms are the complete reverse of what others have felt!
I just really want to get my head clear and feel better so that I can concentrate on my treatment paperwork and exercises but find myself staring into space a lot
Is it usual after starting detox to feel relatively fine from days one to four and then suddenly start feeling bad? I'm on day nine and am feeling increasingly dizzy and jittery, with occasional chills, brain fog and facial flushing. I'm sleeping ok and also have an appetite, but it seems the timeline of my symptoms are the complete reverse of what others have felt!
I just really want to get my head clear and feel better so that I can concentrate on my treatment paperwork and exercises but find myself staring into space a lot
Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 5,937
Welcome to SR, @NGOMAS! I'm glad you found us here. In my experience the first week to ten days was the worst, then it got better. But honestly my brain chemistry and psychology needed a year to settle into a baseline of "normalcy". But really I just felt better and better each week starting at week two.
Member
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: UK
Posts: 3,513
Welcome to SR NGOMAS. The worst time for me in early sobriety is usually around the second week. Other than day 1 when I'm feeling very hungover and day 2 when I'm very tired, the first week is usually uneventful. However after about 7 days my anxiety starts to get worse, reaches a peak at about 10 days and then starts to slowly improve. Hopefully you'll start to feel better soon.
Member
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Arizona, USA
Posts: 1,598
No withdrawal is normal, meaning day 1-3 can be bad or days 12-13.
I’ve detoxed multiple times and the rule that I made up and use, is that if I am getting more or better sleep than I was when drinking, and if I am eating and drinking appropriately, then whatever my body has to do, it just has to do. The mind and body are really wondering when you’re bringing the booze back. It holds you over as long as it can before it really starts throwing a fit.
Some of my detoxes were so bad that I bought pulse odometer and blood pressure machine to monitor my vitals. I did this because over the last 30 years of drinking I had to go to ER or have an ambulance come to check on me frequently because my breathing was so distressed and my heart was palpitating. And each time all they did was check my vitals; oxygen, blood pressure and temp. And if those all came back near normal there wasn’t much they’d do for me except send me a big bill.
Try to stay busy doing other things and when you get into a dizzy spell or other strange happening don’t obsess over it. Your body and brain chemicals are having to do a lot of work and they are making priorities that don’t include making you comfortable, they are adjusting to the new reality.
I’ve detoxed multiple times and the rule that I made up and use, is that if I am getting more or better sleep than I was when drinking, and if I am eating and drinking appropriately, then whatever my body has to do, it just has to do. The mind and body are really wondering when you’re bringing the booze back. It holds you over as long as it can before it really starts throwing a fit.
Some of my detoxes were so bad that I bought pulse odometer and blood pressure machine to monitor my vitals. I did this because over the last 30 years of drinking I had to go to ER or have an ambulance come to check on me frequently because my breathing was so distressed and my heart was palpitating. And each time all they did was check my vitals; oxygen, blood pressure and temp. And if those all came back near normal there wasn’t much they’d do for me except send me a big bill.
Try to stay busy doing other things and when you get into a dizzy spell or other strange happening don’t obsess over it. Your body and brain chemicals are having to do a lot of work and they are making priorities that don’t include making you comfortable, they are adjusting to the new reality.
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,416
welcome NGomas 
Its pretty normal that the more years we drink, the worse and more protracted our withdrawals are, and they mau decrease or increase seemingly at random for a while.
Things will get better tho so long as you don't drink again
D
Its pretty normal that the more years we drink, the worse and more protracted our withdrawals are, and they mau decrease or increase seemingly at random for a while.
Things will get better tho so long as you don't drink again
D
Administrator
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Dancing in the Light
Posts: 61,492
I think you're so right in saying that patience is needed. I wanted to feel better quickly, regardless that I had spent a few years drinking. I hope your symptoms start to improve soon. And, I'm glad you posted for support.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Sonoran Desert & Southeast Asia
Posts: 6,561
Good decision to stop, mate. The first few days your body is physically detoxing but then you start to encounter the damage to the brain and CNS. For us long-term drinkers, the brain chemistry (GABA, etc) was altered by the alcohol so now all that has to be sorted out and it takes time to re-balance. You can read about it online.
Just stick with it man. I have the procrastination thing too and it is much better dealt with sober because it is an emotional response and much better sorted when the emotions aren't deadened by alcohol.
Just stick with it man. I have the procrastination thing too and it is much better dealt with sober because it is an emotional response and much better sorted when the emotions aren't deadened by alcohol.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 774
Originally Posted by NGOMAS 
Hi I'm a 57 year old man who has been in denial about alcohol abuse for many years but have just signed up for treatment. I have come to realise that my use of alcohol is an avoidance to cover up chronic procrastination that has got worse and worse. (That's just to say a little of why I'm here!) I have a question that I really need help with from those who have maybe been through it as I've only just started this process.
Is it usual after starting detox to feel relatively fine from days one to four and then suddenly start feeling bad? I'm on day nine and am feeling increasingly dizzy and jittery, with occasional chills, brain fog and facial flushing. I'm sleeping ok and also have an appetite, but it seems the timeline of my symptoms are the complete reverse of what others have felt!
I just really want to get my head clear and feel better so that I can concentrate on my treatment paperwork and exercises but find myself staring into space a lot
Is it usual after starting detox to feel relatively fine from days one to four and then suddenly start feeling bad? I'm on day nine and am feeling increasingly dizzy and jittery, with occasional chills, brain fog and facial flushing. I'm sleeping ok and also have an appetite, but it seems the timeline of my symptoms are the complete reverse of what others have felt!
I just really want to get my head clear and feel better so that I can concentrate on my treatment paperwork and exercises but find myself staring into space a lot
bona fido dog-lover
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: SF Bay area, CA
Posts: 99,772
Welcome to the family. 
Withdrawal can vary greatly, but in general the first two weeks are the worst. I started feeling better around 2 weeks and barring some normal ups and downs, I was feeling a little better every day.
Good food, rest, and exercise are needed and your body and brain are getting used to normal functioning and that can take a while, and is not linear. Take care of yourself and if the symptoms don't go away, or get worse, then see your doctor.
Withdrawal can vary greatly, but in general the first two weeks are the worst. I started feeling better around 2 weeks and barring some normal ups and downs, I was feeling a little better every day. Good food, rest, and exercise are needed and your body and brain are getting used to normal functioning and that can take a while, and is not linear. Take care of yourself and if the symptoms don't go away, or get worse, then see your doctor.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Down Under
Posts: 400
I'm no expert nor am I finished with the addiction but this statement, from BEABETTERMAN, I think runs really true
"The mind and body are really wondering when you’re bringing the booze back"
Both IMO, want you to go back where it was comfortable; so that's why we feel like crap but from the more experienced ones that have pushed through it ... It gets better
You've done so well ... keep going
"The mind and body are really wondering when you’re bringing the booze back"
Both IMO, want you to go back where it was comfortable; so that's why we feel like crap but from the more experienced ones that have pushed through it ... It gets better
You've done so well ... keep going
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2021
Posts: 7
I haven’t had a drink for 17 days now and generally feel much better. Still get the odd moments of confusion when my brain seems to stop working for a while and this brings on my anxiety which is uncomfortable to say the least. I’m aware of the fact that this thing seems to come in cycles of good days and bad days though.
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