Alcohol Withdrawal - How long will symptoms last?

[GBFast]

Good evening all,

I posted regularly on this site when my problems started two years ago.

Since then, things have got worse: my depression, anxiety, phobias (heights, being in tall buildings, driving on fast roads), insomnia, and morbid thoughts have continued and increasingly heavy drinking has added to the mix.

The drinking really started a year ago. I then has two binges in November 2014, both times ending-up in hospital and put on librium.

I then drank very little from then until March when I started again.

However, I began drinking particularly heavy in May this year.

I did have a liver function test one day in June when I was sober, and it was within normal limits.

But my most serious drinking was in the week leading-up to last weekend. In one week, I think I consumed three 1.5 litre bottles of vodka.

I woke up on Sunday morning (three days ago) in a panic, with morbid thoughts, and a dreadful hangover.

I rang a local crisis help-line and they were so concerned that they sent an ambulance for me. The crew took me to hospital.

One of the doctors took a blood test. I think he was surprised that my blood alcohol was 'only' 175mg, compared to the drink-drive limit of 80mg.

I was given some Librium (which just made me sweat a lot) despite severe nausea and vomiting, and released that evening.

Since then, I have had bad diarrhoea, poor appetite, dizziness, and serious sweating on and off.

I'm presuming that these are withdrawal symptoms?

I have never experienced them before. How long can I expect same to last?

I have confessed to the GP that I need help before this becomes absolute dependancy. I had a further liver function test yesterday. The GP and nurse both said that it would take months or years of sustained, heavy drinking to cause irrevsible liver damage.

I have sought support from the Community Addictions Team. I'm even considering a 12 week residential programme.

I must confess that I would hate never again to have a social glass of wine with a meal or a beer or two with friends - which is what I used to do. I know that that is only possible again if this problem is nipped in the bud as soon as possible.

Thanks for listening and appreciate any comments/advice.

[flisco]

I know that when I gave up drinking it took about 6 months for the physical symptoms to stop, but the psychological problems were much harder to heal.

well done that your liver test was within normal limits thats good, it means you'll make a full recovery. I think the help you are seeking will be valuable- had you thought of AA too? maybe every ounce of support you can get might be helpful.

Now I don't drink at all and although I still have mental health problems and anxiety I know I'd be worse of if I were drinking, you might never be able to drink socially again but the positives will far out weigh the dubious pleasure of alcohol. you'll feel so much better without it. Alcohol might feel like it helps with the symptoms of anxiety I think in the long run it makes it worse. And hangovers always used to sky rocket my anxiety.

sorry I can't be more help but wish you the best with kicking that shitty drug.

[MyNameIsTerry]

When I used to go to the charity walk-in meetings there was a guy who gave up drugs and was trying to tackle his anxiety and another who conquered his alcoholism.

The guy who gave up alcohol drank as part of the local culture since a young age. It ended up wrecking his marriage and relationship with his kids. He ended up in prison which he said was the best thing that ever happened to him because he got the help he needed to quit. I haven't seen him for a couple of years but he had been off alcohol for 8 years at that point, spoke in prisons and still attended AA. He attended the anxiety & depression groups I went to in order to talk about those issues.

So, getting support from places like AA who understand and can offer you real world experience is worth seeking as well as places like this.

He rebuilt his relationship with his kids and was a proud grandfather. So, nothing is too late.

Good luck.

[Richard1960]

i had a very similar history of alcohol use as you have described except i was hospitalised twice and had two de-toxes in hospital for 4-5 days,if you were being sick and you had been assessed i am surpassed they let you home,as it can be a dangerous thing to have an unsupervised withdrawal.

I was on several meds during de-tox and they prescribed me Acamprosate on discharge to help me stay off the withdrawal can last a couple of weeks initially for the worst symptoms to go but around another 4- 5 months after that possibly depending on the severity,but you will need expert support.

I was also pointed towards the local charity which does one on one services in my area and have had intensive one to one counselling preferable to me then AA.

Look and see if there is a charity that operates such a service in you area via your GP.

Of course AA is also an alternative they are usually once a week group meetings.

Some people decide to give up completely but i have met others in group meetings who who cut down drinking but still drink,i took the complete non drinking route so it can be done determination is key,its uncanny but i also had depression and some of the phobias you list too,and am on the antidepressant Citalopram which seems to have worked brilliantly on that side of things.

After years of using alcohol as a prop i no longer need it and am proof it can be done.:)

[misslove]

My husband has been thru this. The withdrawals are horrible and if you want to talk to someone you can pm me. I have seen the absolute worst of drinking and detoxing. It is a very hard battle but it can be won.

[GBFast]

I was surprised that they let me home on the evening of my admission, but I think that was down to the Mental Health Team woman - I've seen her before, and she is unsympathetic. People like her have too much clout compared to nurses, doctors and even consultants. She was the one who discharged me.

It may also have been because my blood alcohol level was 'only' 175mg when I was admitted (at about 10am) and the doctor I saw when I came in said it would fall by 10mg per hour, so it should have been below the drink-drive limit (80mg) when I left. (Don't worry - I wasn't driving.)

I'd say I was averaging about 60 units (UK) per week since late May, but it was more like 180 units in the week leading-up to last weekend. I have not drunk anything since.

The only symptoms I seem to have are a slightly fuzzy head (though that could be because I take a sleeping tablet) and I keep breaking-out in sweats, though these are not constant any more.

The GP who I saw on Tuesday would not prescribe anything to me; all she did was arrange for a liver-function test and made an appointment with the GP who has treated me regularly since my problems started two years ago.

I can only imagine how awful it would be for any withdrawal symptoms to continue for months. It's bad enough that they seem to be lasting for several days.

[sial72]

I had to give up alcohol when I was 27 because I had had problems with it for years and it was making my anxiety sooo bad.
I did it with some help from a therapist. The physical symptoms I think don't last too long but the psychological ones can, so I would say that it is important that you have support for this. Good luck, it really is worth it, life is so much better without alcohol!! Xx

[GBFast]

I must admit that I would hate not to be able to have a few drinks (beer or wine, not spirits) socially again in the future. I only really ever did it socially and drank things I enjoyed the taste of, not drinking to get drunk.

That's why I need to nip this solitary drinking of spirits in the bud and take all the help I can to do so.