quitting drinking and tiredness

[PennyLayne]

I was just wondering.....  I quit drinking 3 months ago.....  i used to drink daily, then i cut down to just the weekends....  i never woke up and started drinking, but i would drink heavily most of the time when i did drink.  back then, when i was not drinking, i was tired, and then i would drink and i would wake up.
now that i have not been drinking, i am ALWAYS tired.  I am not over weight, i eat pretty healthy, work out 3-4 times a week, take vitamins and drink a lot of water.  i have even had my blood tested and everything is in order...... and yet, i am still, always so tired....  i don't understand what is wrong with me or even if the not drinking and tiredness are related.....  the only time that i feel good is right after a refrshing shower or after i have a latte.  :-(  i want my energy back.....  

[working dog]

i would get tested for hep c...that will make you tired...lack of energy...maybe your just depresed..that will make you tired..you might have to just give the no drinking more time...i would think your body needs at least 6 months .......good luck...billy

[PennyLayne]

thank you for your reply.  i have already been tested for hep c and i am negative for that.....  well, i guess i can just see how the next three months will go.....  

[ibizan]

alcohol has a lot of refined white sugar in it...i have read in book written in late 80's Eating Right to Live Sober by Anne Mueller that when people come off it these residues of sugar remain in body until sobriety and good diet banishes them.the exercise and lots of water drinking is very good.....keep that up along with good diet sans the alcohol and i bet u'll feel better soon.Alcohol also destroys brain cells that do regenerate!I'm living proof!:)))))

[uberadtx]

Ibizan has good advice.  Get your diet straightened out.  Also, you don't mention how long you were drinking.  Keep in mind that your brain and body has been abused by the excessive drinking.  You need to increase the niacin, B6, B12 and all the other fun B vitamins, alcohol depleted those.  If you are a woman, you have to monitor your iron intake. Your body can't absorb the iron without the Vit B & C.  You will probably benefit from some OJ with an iron supplement.  It takes a long time for the body to recover and start functioning after drinking.  Everyone is different as far as recovery.  

[Caitlin01]

Your tiredness could be the result of depression since you are grieving something that became so much a part of your life.  I am going through major grieving right now as a result of giving up alcohol and nicotine.  I am definitely off-schedule and very tired.  I am aware that it may take a year for my body to get everything straightened out and get back on schedule.  That is great though that you are able to exercise 3-4x per week, on top of the fact that you have been successful in your sobriety!  Good luck.

[ibizan]

Caitlin tripped my memory...alcohol is a central nervous system depressant and brain like sponge soaking it up while it destroys cells.These cells do regenerate  in time but in early sobriety person feels very off kilter.....depressed...anxious....xcessive caffeine and snack foods will aggravate this but u ber has good advice with what she's reccomending with the vitamins and diet.remember u like us didn't get the way we did overnite so with time sobriety and good nutrition u will feel better!

[fastaire]

I am in the same boat as you. I am on day 110 of not drinking alcohol. I used to just drink on week ends, about 24 to 30 beers each week end. Now that I have stopped drinking I get tired easily and am ready for bed a 10 pm every night. By 9:30pm I have to fight to keep my eyes open. Before I would go to bed at midnight and still have a difficult time sleeping and be up by 6am. Now I have a hard time just getting up by 7:30am. I don't know if this is good or bad.

One other thing that used to happen to me. when I was drinking just on week ends. During the week when I wasn't drinking I would wake up two to three time in the middle of the night absolutely drenched with sweat. I got to the point that I would go to bed with towels next to me to dry off the sweat. After about thirty days of not drinking at all this no longer happened to me. I don't know if this was withdrawal from not drinking alcohol during the week or some other side effect of the alcohol.  Anyone have any idea what caused the night time sweating episodes?

[ibizan]

u drank that much for how long?months?a few years?any other drugs or misuse of RX medication or use of RX medication?what u described is a withdrawal from alcohol.....30 days is not uncommon for what happened to u to happen!

[fastaire]

Thanks izban. That was helpful.

I usually would drink about 24 to 30 beers in total Friday and Saturday. I was drinking that much for about 5 years. No drinks at all Sunday through Thursday. I took no other drugs or medication nor do I smoke cigarettes. I didn't realize it but I must have been physically addicted to alcohol and withdrawing during the week. Now that you mention it I did not wake up sweating when I went to bed after a night of drinking.

[ibizan]

thats a lotta brewskis there!when u were drunk u would just conk out with all that in u.....imagine the body and the brain is like a giant soaked sponge from drinking.....when u stop soaking the sponge it will wring itself out!hence your body....my body...our bodies here of recovering folks posting... the former sponges!i had very bad insomnia and anxiety after stopping all the alcohol/drug use...and i really had to watch the caffeine and chocolate for that aggravated it as well!it took me about 6-9 months to get in2 a regular sleeping pattern.I found that reading helped.....read til eyes got real heavy and nitey nite!

[musclerocker]

Ask youre doctor if you have Hypo Throid. That sounds like you might have it. Have a blood test on that because I have hypo throid. I felt very depressed and tired. Also I was losing hair. Have that checked. out.

[Jacker]

Alcohol effects the central nervous system, and I've come to believe that it takes some time for your body to readjust.  Like you, I would become more awake after a night of drinking although in the end, I would wake up with extreme anxiety (at the end of my daily drinking days).  I honestly think that it will pass with time.  

Have you ever heard of PAWS?  It stands for Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome.  Google it when you get a chance.  It discusses the many changes that your body goes through when you remove alcohol from your life.  

[TJack]

Hey Penny, lots of good advice on here for you.  I know my doc told me to take b complex, b1, b6, and i also give myself a b-12 shot twice a month.  It could be a combination of alot of things for you.  Depression had me so down i couldn't get out of it and had no energy at all.  So that could also be a biggie for you.  Talk to your doc and if they can't help you, get another doc.  Sometimes it takes that to get real help.
Good wishes to you.  Please keep posting.  I have been without a drink 8 days shy of 2 months and i feel like I am a walking miracle.  It can be done and you can get there too.  Heck you are well on your way with 3 mos. sobriety. congrats on that.  Tjack

[mellen58]

I am 51 and have been drinking fairly steady since age 13 with a few Months off in-between the many years of heavy drinking. I have worked very hard in factory and shipping in the printing industry in excess of 26 years. I often worked twelve hour days voluntarily for the money. Of course, in this type of working situation, one meets many friends and drinking after work is just part of job, I think, or so I thought..

Bottom line: I am now not working due to medical reasons and for the last 5 years have drank the most in my life. This included on average 15 beers per day for a base and often mixed drinks with gin, vodka, tequilla or rum or a bottle or two of red merlot. Often drank from am to pm with a nap ( possible pass out ) in-between. My last drink was on May 30th, 2010. I also ate so I did get some nutrition.
This time, 22 days is the longest I have quit in a row in many, many years.

I realize my drinking was extreme and I probably should not have went cold turkey but I read some and took some valuim and thiamin etc while coming off of it. I imagine my body is still quite toxic but I really don't feel so good yet.
Kind of wondering how long it will take to feel normal.

As I read, I see many of you are experiencing some of the same things.

I just wanted to thank you all for all your great comments. I am all alone 10-12 hours a day with a boat load of booze in the house and not drinking it gets difficult.
My problems seems to be, once I start drinking, quitting is not an option until I am loaded.

Reading things like this helps keep me from not opening a bottle when I feel discouraged.

I too, am going through tough changes.
I was wondering why I am so......tired all the time. I also have big time body pain and headaches.
I just started walking 1 mile per day, I take multi-vitamins, thiamin, calsium, d, fish oil and unfortunately 3 blood pressure pills and 1 cholesterol pill.

The sick part of this all is in the back of my mind I think if I can get myself healthy again, maybe there is a chance I will be able to drink socialably again one day, however, if I stay true to myself, I am thinking this may not be the case.

Thx again for having a place for people like me to read for support.
I do appreciate your comments and good luck to all of you.
Guess what, I now have to take a quick nap to keep functioning and will check back again later..

[Jacker]

I think the amount of time will vary by person, depending on your metabolize, genetics, how much you drank, and how much damage you did.  During my first real detox, it took over a month to feel better.  At the end of 5 weeks, I started drink on/and off to a lesser extent so I never got to experience true recovery.  Next time through, I had a liver problem and I was tired the whole time.  The last time I stopped (and I plan to stay stopped) it took about 6 weeks to feel really decent.

I think this gets harder on us as we age, and also harder when we pick it up and put it back down.  One thing that helped me "stay stopped" is journaling about all of my drinking experiences over the last few years.  In doing this, I was able to stop fooling myself into thinking I could drink normally.......all the evidence pointed to the contrary.  

Stay the course Mellon58, and consider getting some blood tests to see how things are functioning.  If you have any problems from the alcohol consumption, you're best off being aware of them and treating them. It's your best chance for recovery.

By the way, get rid of the booze in your house- dump it out (I'm serious about that).  Good job on your 3+ weeks!

[ibizan]

jacker is right on......get rid of all the booze in the house......it has invisible tentacles.....and i don't think u can be a social drinker in the near future.Google PAWS..Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome.....read..and see if any of the info applies to u!

[charley27]

i myself have been thinking the same as mellen 58 if i have a few months off the drink and my lfts come back normal, which they have done in the past, does that allow me to drink in the future, but i know that its the little demons that seem to reside in my brain sometimes,  telling me it will be fine. i am going on holiday in 6 weeks to quite a lively tourist area i have been looking forward to it for months, but somehow since ive decided to give up its not seeming to appealing. i know thats sad, but im worried how im going to get through the week without drinking cause i know the people that i will be with will be. drinking loads and im the sort of person that 1 drink will lead to 10  from day 1 to day 7 hence the reason for quitting. anyone got any tips

[ibizan]

i think its highly unlikely that u can go on a vacation with heavy drinkers and not drink.If you really want to quit drinking u will mus not go with these ppl!thats the only sane tip i have for u!

[ibizan]

oops!typos!i meant to say you must not go with these ppl if u want to stop drinking!

[Jacker]

I spent years thinking like this.  I'd take a break, and then tell myself that I was "okay now" and that I could control myself.  Your alcoholic brain will often lie to you, and all you have to do is look at the evidence. If you always end up in the same place, then you have your answer.  I have to say that I agree with Ibizan- it's too early to be around alcohol.  You might be able to handle it when you are firmly established in sobriety and know who you are, but it takes some time.  Don't tempt yourself.  Do everything within your power to stay sober for now, and make it your first priority.  You need time to grow.  

[Purbeckgirl]

I don't know if you know Tenerife, it's a 'party' island. The nightclub is opposite out apartment! We went last year and ok I did it, I stayed in every night in bed with a book not drinking and listening to a party atmosphere going on around me. It wasn't easy. I have refused to go this year and have booked a house for my husband and I up in Scotland with the two dogs!

The benefit of not drinking was that I was the first one in the pool every morning in Tenerife!

[mellen58]

Thank you so much for your thoughts. Jacker, it makes since to journal about journeys down the alcoholic path. It does curve my appetite for the drink when I ponder all my experiences. I am starting to be ok with out alcohol for the most part.
It made a lot of since about you quitting drinking and starting back up again and the part about fooling yourself into thinking you can drink normally again. I am still struggling with that demon..

When the thought about having a drink comes into my head, I just get something else to drink and I don't dwell on it or surely I would be mixing one. Thought is 1/3 of the deed.
I don't stock my most dangerous choice of alcohol and that is Miller lite. I used to have 3-4 cases in a fridge at all times. It's way to easy to just have ( one ), and unfortunately one is not in my vocabulary or I would not be on this site.. I have 33 bottles of wine and 3 bottles of vodka in a wine rack locked. Vodka is, however, my second choice of liquor.

I have fatty liver but when I got my blood checked for high blood pressure every 6 months or so, I had quit booze about a week or two prior, drank lots of water and my liver counts came out normal. I guess that is a good thing. Us alcoholic's can be clever when it comes to hiding the amount of alcohol one is drinking. I hear fatty liver can be reversed. I never knew that alcohol broke down into carbohydrates and fats, triglicerides, ( hense the high blood pressure ). I thought surely it would have broke down into sugar.

Ibizan, thank you for your reference to paws. I checked out the site and it also has a lot of good info. It is good to know what to expect and know you are not the only one going through all these aches and pains and emotions.

I feel bad for you Charlie 27 and your vacation delema. For me friends, laughter, little unbrella drinks, snacks and the good life is very hard to resist. I wish you luck!!

I rode my adult trike ( balance issues ) down to the dentist for a cleaning today and actually feel just a little better on day 23 of sobriety. I look forward to getting totally out of the fog.

Thanks again both of you and those of you who take time to read this. I enjoy reading about your experiences and it keeps me focused. Have a good day. I am...so far :)

[Jacker]

I had fatty liver too, and I remember being very tired during that sober period.  I think your body is healing, at that's a big part of the tiredness.  

It took about 6 months of sobriety for the fatty liver to go away, and I've heard this can vary widely by individual.  I"m not very heavy and I'm very active, so that may have helped me.

Please remember that it's a short walk from Fatty Liver to cirrhosis.  Once that fat turns to scar tissue, the damage is permanent.  As far as what's in your house, that is A LOT of booze!  If you can't bring yourself to pour it out, then why not give it to someone who doesn't have an alcohol problem?  I would not have it in the house.......too much temptation.  I don't mind having alcohol in my fridge prior to a social event, but when the event is over, all of the alcohol goes out the door with the guests.  I don't mind people drinking around me, but I do not want it in my house for any length of time.  

[charley27]

how does one know they have a fatty liver, i have had countless liver function tests which have come back normal, im just waiting for my next one to come through, i have had 3 so far this year, not because of my drinking because im rather a secret hypercondriac well i suppose it was because of my drinking but my doc didnt realise i had a problem until last week and sent me for another one. my problem is not how often i drink but how much i drink. i can go for months without drinking as i dont drink at home (unless i am on a binge) and i dont have much of a social life as i have 4 very demanding children, so baby sitters are far and few between. when i do go out i will basically drink myself into oblivion. i dont seem to have any happy medium i go from being merry to completely obliterated. feel still drunk when i wake up so then carry on the next day. i knew this was not right but just couldnt control it. realised this def had to stop when i then carried on the day after that as well. so i would end up on a 3 day binge just from one night out. i then wouldnt drink again for about 4 to 6 weeks then one night of drinking would start it all over again. very very vicious cycle. to purbeck girl i know tenerife its nice there, im going to gran canaria for a friends 30th birthday. which is going to be hard not too drink but im going to give it a go. my counsellor has told me not to beat myself up about it if i do and if i really must just have 2. not really the advice i wanted to hear. its almost giving me permission.  hopefully i can post something in aug saying didnt drink and feel proud of myself. fingers crossed x