Rack-a-bones, just be aware that having the shakes is an indication of physical withdrawal from alcohol. Physical withdrawal is dangerous and can be fatal.
It sounds like you dodged the bullet this time, but future detoxes may have more troublesome outcomes. Subsequent withdrawals from alcohol tend to be worse than earlier ones. Medical management may be indicated if there is a ‘next time’.
QtM, who’s detoxed an awful lot of patients over the years.
I have an ex-gf running around that I saw go through several phases of sober/not sober. She looks like a totally different person when shes not drinking.
Thanks everyone for your encouragement and advice.
When I said 3-4 with a shot, I meant at least one shot with each beer. In looking at my old bank statements that estimate appears to be on the low side.
RandMcnally - thanks for the article. I almost didn’t bother reading it because, well, it’s cracked.com, but a lot of those things were very familiar.
Regarding the ‘shakes’: it was only my hands and went away after 24 hours. I just read ‘Under the Influence’ and though it is 30 years old, it freaked me out a little.
QtM - thanks for the info. Do you know a good resource where I can look more online regarding the withdrawal symptoms? Which symptoms are potentially fatal?
Thanks again everyone. Your comments and advice are appreciated!
Ironically, I’ve found my ‘safe zone’ has turned out to be my local pub. Been coming to this place for years. I’ve let the bartenders know not to serve me booze and my friends know not to buy me booze. Everyone has been very helpful and supportive. A few times I’ve had the urge to sneak off to an out of the way pub and sneak a shot. When I feel that urge I head to my pub where I know I won’t get away with it. The owner of the pub even brought in some NA beer for me.
One can go from Stage 1 symptoms to fatal ones all too rapidly, I fear. Stage 2 symptoms definitely spell trouble.
Risk Factors for severe withdrawal (Delirium Tremens)
Age >40 years
Heavy drinking >8 years
Alcohol intake >100 grams, >1 pint liquor, >96 oz beer
Patient experiences withdrawal symptoms when abstinent
Hepatic Cirrhosis
Stage 1 symptoms (6-12 hours post-Alcohol)
Anxiety or Panic Attacks
Paresthesias, Shakes or Jitters
Chills, Sweats, or Fevers
Chest Pain or Palpitations
Insomnia
Headache
Nausea or Vomiting
Abdominal Pain
Still coherent
Stage 2 symptoms (24-72 hours post-Alcohol)
Marked agitation, restlessness and diaphoresis
Tremulous with constant eye movements
Nausea, Vomiting, anorexia, and Diarrhea
Sinus Tachycardia >120 bpm
Systolic Hypertension with SBP >160 mmHg
Confusion may be present
Hallucinations (Alcoholic hallucinosis)
Paranoid Delusions or illusions
Auditory, visual, and tactile hallucinations
Withdrawal Seizures (24-48 hours post-Alcohol)
Generalized tonic-clonic Seizures
Brief Seizures (<5 minutes) and may recur
Status Epilepticus is not due to withdrawal
Stage 3 symptoms (Delirium Tremens): 72-96 hours
Visual hallucinations
Disorientation and Delirium
Severe tachycardia and Hypertension
Severe agitation and tremulousness
Fever, severe diaphoresis
That is all kinds of awesome! I’ve got my own issues and I’ve found that, once your “secret’s” out, it’s a lot easier to be accountable. Good for you!
Holy crikey!
Thanks QtM. Makes me think that it just ain’t worth it.
Rack, try this site:
There’s lots of info there, articles, stickies, message boards, and such. You’ll get lots of support and good info from People Who Know. Hang in there. You might regret resuming drinking again, but you will NEVER regret quitting.
Once I could go grocery shopping without thinking about picking up some booze, I considered myself “over it.” First few times, I would definitely think about it and forced myself to avoid that aisle. Then one day, I just went about picking the usual stuff on my list and only realized later that booze hadn’t even occurred to me. Took me a couple of months to get to that point.
I’m reminded of a funny moment from the group therapy program I did after I quit drinking. One guy, who was recovering from meth addiction, asked “how do you drinkers do it at the grocery store? I mean, if I was shopping and there was a whole aisle with meth on display - my God!” <Pantomimed smacking his lips>
Wow I guess everyone reacts to this differently. I’ve gone a week without drinking so far. I’m 40. For the past 10 years I was a 8-10 beers a day drinker, almost every day.
No negative side effects what so ever regarding withdrawl. Maybe my Irish and Native background has something to do with it, I’ll consider myself lucky.
The positive effects so far; I sleep much better. I’m well rested in the morning, more alert, less anxious. The reason why I quit. I figure my heart and liver had seen enough action for a lifetime and want to live past 65.
why are you all counting his drinks instead of congratulating him? Congrats on your experiment. I’ve found that headaches last for awhile.
I’m sure after 5 years he’s through the worst of it…
…or tried it again. I wasn’t allowed to say it in AA, but first tries often don’t take, especially if you’ve given yourself the reward of “only beer” after thirty days dry.
He hasn’t been around in almost 2 years. It might take some time for him to see your message.
This confuses me. In just about every A.A. meeting I’ve been in the fact that most people don’t get sober on the first try is just an accepted fact. Nothing controversial there.
Now, rewarding yourself for quitting drinking by having a beer isn’t the accepted A.A. way…
Slee
On the other hand, it may be possible that someone else has experienced something similar.
Sure thing.
But the person who *resurrected *the thread did so as if the conversation was still going, which it clearly wasn’t.
Booze isnt cheap.
What are you doing with the money you are saving?
Good choice, Rack-a-Bones. I’m coming up on three years sobriety myself, and I cannot emphasize to you how much better my life is now that I’ve quit. Alcohol was my great stagnater, and now I can think and function and discover old hobbies and new ones, and better myself, and I’ve lost 40 pounds, and it is WONDERFUL.
My advice: take inventory of all of your stumbling blocks. You probably drink for a reason, even if you don’t know what it is. Social fear and low self esteem were mine. I couldn’t learn to fix them right away, so I learned to endure them and avoid them, and that kept me sober. Now I’m working on fixing them.
If at first you don’t succeed, try try again. Find out what works and what doesn’t. What gets you to three days? What helps you make it to two weeks? A month? Eventually, you’ll work out enough coping skills to make it to freedom.
Consider counseling, AA (or other support group), or both if you can. I’m an atheist. I went to AA meetings four times a week, did not work the steps, but sat and listened and used it as a reminder that “I will not drink today.” It helped me in a big way. Days when I could not make it to a meeting, I used other coping skills.
Learn to say these words: I am an alcoholic. Then, tell people. Go on. Tell your family, the people you go out with. Hell, if the subject comes up, I tell my co-workers. Enough people know that it would be impossible for me to take a drink in most any public capacity without someone expressing concern. Eventually, the phrase will become, “I am a recovered alcoholic.”
Learn about liver disease and cirrhosis. Not everyone gets to see it up close and personal like me (I’m a nurse), but learn what you can. It’s a horror show that will stick with you. And if possible, don’t learn by pretty diagrams. Learn the shit. Learn the blood. Learn the delirium and agonizing screaming of hepatic encephalopathy. Learn the liver transplant doctor leaving a little opening in your giant chest incision, and each morning, he takes his gloved finger and shoves it in deep to check for inflammation. I’ve seen more tough guys cry than I can count.
Most of all, good luck.