What is the worst day of alcohol withdrawal after stopping cold turkey?

I stopped drinking 3 days ago. I drank pretty much every night for 5 years. I decided to stop cold turkey after a particularly bad night.

I feel like ****, the only thing I've been able to "eat" is protein powder mixed with water, my hands are trembling, I have hot and cold flashes, severe anxiety, fast heart rate, pretty nasty insomnia and a slight fever.

I was just wondering if anyone else has done this and when the affects start to decline. I'm willing to do pretty much anything except start drinking again, and have a doctors appointment in 4 days, which will be one week from when I took my last drink. That's the earliest I could get in and can't afford the ER.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[GA Guy]

Is there any way you can get into an urgent care doctor tomorrow? Depending on your consumption, you're at a very high risk of certain heart problems as well as seizures from the withdrawal. Opiate withdrawal isn't life threatening, but alcohol and benzo withdrawal is. Please, try and get to a doctor ASAP. There's meds they can put you on short term to make the withdrawal less dangerous.

[Kevin_Bacon]

Although Ga Guy is quite right about benzo w/d's, you really need a short-term (Valium) tapering run on this drug or Klonopin. It's standard OP, especially for the first 72hrs -- most folks are out of seizure territory at this point.

The reason I'm advocating (short-term and as prescribed) Valium is that it will take the edge off the whole mess, including w/d's and straighten out your sleep a bit for now. Usually, sleep issues can last quite a while, but you can get something else, e.g., Imovane or Ambien short-term and then melatonin and any herbal stuff that works.

You should really get to your dr. or a clinic Friday -- I know about the agony you're going through.

Good luck.

[candothis247]

i dont know much about alcohol withdrawal, but it really does sound like you should go to urgent care sooner than later. good luck

[Calamity2]

Hey I want first to congradulate you on your decision. I drank for  many many years. I got sober many times also.  I think my most comfortable alcohol withdrawal was when I went to detox for 3-4 days then directly into rehab for at least 30 days. That approach is about as successful as the urgent care or doc with a SMALL script for the first 3-4 days of whatever they give now maybe valium.  But if you already have several days I would head to the first A.A meeting you can get to. then 2-3 A.A meetings a day. Have you ever been to a meeting?

[dominosarah]

Please get into the doctor and tell him what is going on.  WD'ing from alcohol can be very dangerous.        sara