alcohol withdrawal worries???????

[emmax]

Hi,

I have been drinkign too much for a while now but recently it's been quite bad, about a bottle of wine most nights, although I sometimes don't drink every night. I have been feeling really unwell and have decided I desperately need to stop drinking as it is probably making my anxiety symptoms much worse. I read somethign about withdrawal symptoms and it has scared me....it said that within 3-5 days after stopping drinking you can have seizures, heart attack, stroke etc. I raed this after feeling really dizzy and weak and with chest pains so now I'm really worried and don't really know what to do. Also I was sick this morning :(

I just feel liek I can't breathe and I'm so scared of what is happening.

Em xx

[gypsywomen]

i have sent you a pm

[Baggs]

If you are averaging a bottle of wine a night, it is extremely unlikely that you will get siezures when you stop. Maybe the shakes for a day or two but nothing more. All the best. Baggs.

[anthrokid]

Heya Emma,

I have no idea why they put down heart attack and stroke for withdrawal?? That's ridiculous. It'd be like 1 in every 1000 people who have that occur and it's as a result of the damage they've already done through alcohol abuse and then the pressures of withdrawal. If you're only drinking a bottle a night it would be highly unlikely for you to suffer from any of the above mentioned withdrawal symptoms. I've been through withdrawal before, and whilst it is horrible, the long-term effects from it are brilliant and worth while. And to reassure you, I had no seizures or anything. You may get a few shakes, but they aren't anything dire. Just remember, the kind of withdrawal they'll be talking about online is serious drug withdrawal (crystal meth, coke, etc) and alcohol abuse (as in not being able to go a day without having many mnay drinks). My father is an alcoholic, and what you drink is nothing compared to what an alcoholic does. It's a brilliant thing to stop drinking, I haven't had alcohol since my anxiety started in January, and I feel much healthier. I used to drink almost every day, a chronic partier!

Good luck! If you need anyone to talk to just give me a pm. Remember, the withdrawal won't be anything as bad as it's described on the net. The worst part will be the cravings for it!

[debbsi]

I have seen people come 'down' from drinking and i mean much worse drinking than yours. Sometimes they have been on a bottle of sherry per night!! I have never known of anyone having such health problems. Surley though the benefits far outweigh the tiny risks by stopping drinking so much?

It may be easier to gradually stop drinking, just lessen the amount you would normally drink each night?? Although I know it can be too tempting if theres an open bottle in the house.

I know many people who think nothing of drinking a bottle per night and every now and then the stop it completley - the only side effects they have had is losing weight and saving money

Emmax - best of luck, I hope you are soon feeling better, dont forget we are all here for you :hugs:

[emmax]

Hi everyone,

I found myself on here again today in the exact same situation as I was when I wrote this post. :( I don't know what to do-I really never thought at the age of 29 I would get myself into a situation like this. :( xx

[alicegreen]

Hi everyone,

I found myself on here again today in the exact same situation as I was when I wrote this post. :( I don't know what to do-I really never thought at the age of 29 I would get myself into a situation like this. :( xx

Do you mean that you want to stop drinking again or that the anxiety is like it was before?

[emmax]

A bit of both really. I drink to relax, which I find hard to do usually. Now I've scared myself that I may be really ill because of drinking too much.

[ditzygirl]

Emma - i think your drinking is pretty normal for plenty of women these days. I'm not saying it's right.
I was the same of you until 8 weeks ago. Admittedly I got meds for anxiety so didn't want to mix the two.
I stopped over night and thought it would be really difficult and it wasn't, I started drinking Clipper herbal tea instead.
I had a rough 10 days but that was the meds but I felt so much better in a very short space of time.
I think alcohol makes the anxiety worse.

I don't really miss it and in time I will have the odd glass probably but right know I am just not bothered by it.

I also have some real horrid stressful family stuff going on too which is testing me but I am coping better without alcohol.

Go for it hun - my skin improved, i sleep better without the alcohol and tbh i started to think i was dependant but obviously notx

[Jaco45er]

I agree with ditzy. A bottle a night is a lot for a woman, but so many men and woman drink everynight and are not raving alcoholics (I drink a bottle a night quiet easy, and work full time like so many people).

However, if you are thinking you are drinking too much, then you are drinking too much.

It's probably habit (well that, and wine is nice), a certain time of night you fancy a glass, then before you know it, it's gone. I cook alot, and not holding a glass of wine while cooking just doesn't seem right (must have watched too much Keith Floyd)

You might crave a drink at night if you cut back/give up, but you would crave a choccie bar or crisps if you went on a diet.

If you are finding it hard initially, try cutting down using low alcohol wine, Tesco do a nice La Gioiosa Low Alcohol Pinot Grigio 75c that's only 9% (assuming it's white you drink), then from there, try the non-alcoholic wines.

I find when I go on a health kick (and by god I need one at the moment) and stop drinking during the week and cut down, I feel so much better, sleep better, deal with stress better etc etc.

And don't worry about those withdrawals, you can get those, but you would have to be going some and drinking constant through the day or some serious bing drinking.

All that said, too much alcohol too often can damage your health (I know all too well from family members), but you are not pouring vodka on your cornflakes so don't panic.

GL

Jaco

[Belfry1973]

I was drinking a bottle of vodka a day when I was really ill and topping it off with valiumPu, the physical withdrawels werent too bad, just some shakes.
The worse bit was the psychological withdrawel, facing up to reality sober wasnt a pleasant thing.
Problems with alcohol arent so much the amount the drink, but whether you can go without that drink, you need that drink, or you are drinking to cover up or deal with things.
I drink in moderation now, but sometimes I pour myself a drink to try and forget about things, and thats the old alcoholism attempting to influence me again.

Have you looked at the Alcoholic Anonymous website or are they any local alcohol counselling services in your area. You are obviously wanting to stop and worried about your drinking so I would definately try and get some help with it.

[emmax]

Thanks so much ditzy and jaco. Often it's just a few words of encouragement that we all need. (Plus the thought of pouring vodka on my cornflakes has just made me feel sick haha)

I will cut down slowly I think and try to drink in moderation from now on. I'll keep you posted :)

x

[emmax]

Thanks Belfry, I ahve had a look at the AA website and got in contact with somebody but they told me to call somebody and I was a bit freaked out so i didn't. I do drink to deal with things, which I know is a problem so I do seriously need to take a long hard look at the way I'm dealing with things.