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alcohol withdrawal help!!

i have been heavy drinker for 5 yrs, recently i stopped drinking, its been 2 months. after 3 weeks of quitting alcohol, i suddenly has this dizzness, i am feeling i am about to faint, and fear, and i feel like i am going crazy, rapid heart beats,usually i heard this symtoms appear just after stopping alcohol..i had this symtoms after 3 weeks of quitting , i am perfectly fine before that, after i got that..it lasted for 2 weeks, those two weeks were the most horrible i ever felt,i felt like i am loosing control of my bodyi rushed to ER, they took blood test, CT scan,they say everything is normal, .after nearly 2 months..it is reduced but still i face it once two or three days,.is it normal, do anyone get these symtoms. and how long do they last??..help me!.

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Avatar universal
Hi, what you are experiencing is without a doubt, anxiety. I would get a routine checkup from a physician to rule out and health issues Such as blood pressure, but I am 99% sure it’s anxiety. It can make you feel like you are about to die at any moment and can be scary but it is harmless and it will go away. This is common after stopping heavy alcohol consumption and usually begins to manifest itself shortly after quitting. Hang in there because it gets much better and if you experience fear or heart palpitations, try breathing into a paper bag for a minute. You will be amazed at how fast it goes away.
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
hey hughgrection.  I think this is good advice.  Have you been through this?
Avatar universal
Wow sounds familiar. I had about 20 units of alcohol daily (drank as soon as I woke up, at work, after work) and quit cold turkey. For about a month it was hell. Same exact symptoms. Scared of driving due to being afraid of my racing heart stopping or giving out and crashing. My friend was on Klonopin medicine for her anxiety and gave me a few. Boy did those help! I'm now off the Klonopin and am able to function by drinking socially with friends (1-5 units a week vs 20 a day.)

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Avatar universal
I think its just alcohol withdrawal, if you feel the symtoms worse , better go to a physician, i still have tingling sensation after 4 months of quitting alcohol,but i am getting better,coffee made my symtoms worse, so i would suggest to quit coffee too,i had symtoms like after 3 weeks after quitting, i quit before, but i never had symtoms, may be its a body condition, so better dont touch alcohol,drink water,hang in there..you should be ok.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I recently quit drinking after 2 years of continuous drinking some of my symptoms have been headache ?
i different areas of my head small minor ones but back side and front. after day three I started feeling soreness from lymph nodes under both arms, not throbbing just enough to feel it's sore, then on my neck. this morning i had a cup of coffee and the left side of my face felt tingly and numb over my lips. now i have a sore node near my collar bone. These all occurred after I quit drinking on Monday and today is Thursday I have never felt like this in past when stopping for a few days and i   haven't seen anything that associate sore nodes with quitting. My appetite is normal and im not Nausea. Please advise if you know these to be normal symptoms of quiting or something else..
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Avatar universal
you said you were a heavy drinker for 5 years. please tell me what you concider heavy.   i am new here and this is the 1st time i have ever sought help.  i am a bit nervous.
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
Please don't be nervous.  You are in the right place!  I was like you too but some of the interaction I have had on here has really helped me.

I find the definition of heavy can be varied.  I would drink 3 pints of 5% beer on a Friday, up to 9 on a Saturday and about 6 on a Sunday.  I would class this as normal but others on here see it as way too much.  I thought my problem was the week long benders I go on every couple of months but I have realised that these stem from the 'normal' drinking I was doing at the weekend.

Anyway, dont be shy, honestly this is a good place to be!
Avatar universal
Thanks a lot, your information makes me feel better,i would try gatorade,i have stopped alcohol for 2 months now, i dont think i will ever drink it.

Helpful - 0
190885 tn?1333025891
you can expect anxiety for a while...and it makes you feel like all kinds of things are worng...it's so funny reading jacker posting about driving and taking back roads...i was so scared to drive more then a few miles...took me months to drive 40 miles out of town for shopping...and 6 months to drive 2 hours to a city...i live in the sticks...i would always be scared to get in any kind of line thinking i would pass out ...just really freaked out about all kinds of stuff...everynight at 130 i would wake up with nightmares...i didn't understand the sleep thing untill someone here posted about the stages of sleep...google that...i didn't hear about the electrolytes and drinking gador aid untill i was over the dizzy spells...i also found it has been helpfull to read posts on this forum even though i don't plan on drinking again....good luck......billy
Helpful - 0
243614 tn?1266197537
A couple of weeks ago, after I hadn't had a drink in a few days, i had so much anxiety i thought i was going to explode.  I made it through the night and then went to urgent care sat. a.m.  The dr. there sent me straight over to E R.  She said i needed a banana bag (which is exletrolytes, vitamins etc.) through an i v.  She called them and told them i was on my way and what the situation was.  They got me right in.  Took a little over an hour for the IV to be completed.  Did an ekg, blood work up.  Did any dr. ever say you might need a Banana Bag? (the stuff is yellow in color, hence the name, i guess)
Anyway, just a thought.  I am sure it did help me.  A long with some valium and blood pressure meds.  Hang in there.  Jacker gives great advice.  TJack
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Avatar universal
Read my post above, but let me clarify one thing.  I still occasionally drank last summber- not in June, but afterwards.  I stopped at the end of December for real.  It took me 3-4 months to feel "normal" after that point.

Over the summer, I did improve dramatically by cutting back on my consumption, but I didn't cure the problem completely until I abstained for a period of months.  
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I won't discourage you from seeing a doctor, but it sounds like you've already had some tests.  I had dizziness, rapid heartbeats, numbing and tingling in the hands and feet, lack of cooridnation (especially in my left arm) and vertigo.  I couldn't even drive down the highway because going 60 miles an hour made me dizzy - I took back roads.

I thought I was having a heart attack or a stroke several times.  My whole body pulsed with each heart beat.  I actually had an EKG and a blood test for a life insurance policy while this was happening.  All looked normal.

I did, however, have high blood pressure.

Stay away from caffine for now.  Take a vitamin B Complex suplement (your body needs this).  Eat well and keep exercising - even if it's just walking.  And don't touch alcohol at this time--- not even a drink or two.

I have no other advice besides patience and time.  If you really feel bad, go see a doctor again- not the ER- those guys just solve immediate or obvious problems.  Go see an internal medicine specialist.  They can point you in the right direction.    
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Avatar universal
when i exercise i feel better...not over do it, if i lift weights i get back the symtoms..i feel i messed up the brain...i dont know if i feel its due to anxiety ...fear, confusion...its not as bad as used to be..i am improving...what doctor should i look for? are there any specialist for alcohol withdrawals? jacker can you tell your symtoms it would help me...

harry
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Avatar universal
I hope I didn't sound too abrupt when I said "some times, that's all you get".  You should experiance continual improvement.  It's just that it might be in small increments over a long period of time.  It took you some years to get this way, and it may take some time to undo it.  I was having the same issues a year ago.  
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Yes, working dog is correct.  I had the same issues and it lasted for months.  If you can stay sober, you will probably get over this but it will take several months.  The good news is that each month should be better - be thankful for even small amounts of improvement, because sometimes that's all you get.

Be patient and feel free to check in on the forum and tell us how you're doing.  I had the same concerns last summer - I couldn't believe how long it lasted, but it did eventually subside.  

Helpful - 0
190885 tn?1333025891
my symptoms were so bad for months...the dizzy thing was awfull...lasted over 6 months...the anxiety was so bad...your electrolytes are all messed up...try a gator aid and see if that helps...give us more info and we might be able to help you better....hang in there....billy
Helpful - 0
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