how long do alcohol withdrawal symptoms last?

Update!

 

 So after going cold turkey for a month and a half I drank again. I went away with friends to the Poconos for New Years, from the 28th to the 2nd. I was very nervous about going as no one knew what I had been through and I didn't want the symptoms to come back after drinking. The first night there I went to bed early to stop myself from having anything to drink. The second night, Saturday, was different. I had 4 drinks and got really drunk after them. The thing that surprised me is that I didn't feel any flashes after drinking (like I had before) and i wasn't dizzy nor anxious. I woke up the next day and felt a bit hungover but nothing out of the norm! I was happy about that. The net day I only had a beer and nothing else. WHen New Years Eve came, I also drank. I started off with 3 whiskey-cokes and continued on to beer. Had about 3 beers. Blacked out at some point so did most of the people there. The difference is that they drank a lot more. Waking up on Tuesday morning was much more of a hassle. The hangover was much worse but still not as bad as the withdrawal symptoms. I are healthy and kept myself hydrated. I guess what I did different was eat A LOT of oranges in between drinks plus eating a big dinner before I drank. Before my last withdrawal episode, I refused to eat anything because I thought I would get a better buzz on an empty stomach. The days that followed were a breeze, no symptoms and I felt fine. Did I overcome withdrawal symptoms? Not sure but I will never again drink excessively again to rule it out.

 

Stay Positive!

 

 

I'm a 34 year old man and this is my first attempt to give up alcohol after over ten years of heavy drinking. I have read through every single post from the last six years on this discussion and the reassurance I have felt from the similarities to what I'm experiencing have really helped. I am on day fifteen without any booze and so far cold turkey has been horrible.

I have had lots of anxiety and the shakes, a few occasions of confusion and not being able to speak that have passed quickly (thankfully) but the worst has been the heart palpitations. They began about day eight and haven't gone away yet. I am going to be investigated for it to be safe but after all I have read here I'm pretty sure that it's a withdrawl thing.

The worst aspect really is that I gave up drinking for a month for charity and when January is over I'm worried I'll be straight back to the pub and back in to my old, heavy-driniing ways. I haven't found the psychological side that hard at all, I have really not been that bothered about wanting a drink. I just hope this stays the same once my sponsorship ends. At least I've raised a bit for Cancer Research either way.

update: it took much longer this time but I think Im over the wrst. The thing that really scared me this time was the heart palpitations. They remained a constant fr over a week. Bang bang bang. Everytime I got out of the chair they were even worse and I kept coming over dizzy, hot and cold. Day 4 I was soooooooooo depressed I cried all day long and even called Samaritans (bless them) On day 5, 6 and 7 I virtually could not leave the sofa. The mst enormus fatigue hit me and I couldnt keep awake. This has been hell but I kept a diary of every single day to remind myself how bad it was......hopefully that will keep me off the booze again.

The liver has no pain threshold, it would probably be your pancreas that has swollen. If what you are puking appears to be blood i.e a red fluid, and not a liquid that resembles used coffee granules then the reason is probably a tear in the throat. Do see your doctor

I don't know if you'll get this or not.. Or even see it.. But, I just wanted to let you know that what you have said fits perfectly with what my best friend just went thru! She passed away 3 weeks ago and went thru everything that you were saying! She was soooo sick.. slept all the time.. didn't eat... But, unfortunately she passed on. :(

Its a good thing that you stopped when you did. I just lost my best friend 3 weeks ago to alcohol withdrawal! It was soo hard seeing her go thru it! She'd sleep all the time, have seizures, shake uncontrollably, wouldn't eat. Her situation was a lot like yours. She started drinking very heavily 4 years ago.. 2 40s a night. plus beer throughout the day. She once told me that she had to have a 9 beers before she'd even feel buzzed! I feel soo bad for her! She didn't want the help. a lot of us tried to get her to go to rehab, but she'd keep pushing it off.. Finally, she decided to try quitting on her own..And, it cost her her life. :( Her last night she had bright yellow eyes and wouldn't respond for 20 minutes! so, be glad that you got away from it cause it can kill you!

stayingpositive88 and pj, your stories sound familiar.

 

I do drink a bit during the week... maybe an average of 2-3 pints a night, and then 6+ for Thursday, Friday, Saturday and during the day Sunday. All fairly normal for people my age (23), living in London.

I've been feeling pretty whack for the last 6 months or so, so been going to the doctor quite a bit. Symptoms mainly consisting of brain fog and a dodgy tummy.  Eventually, I was diagnosed with a small stomach ulcer... which explains quite a bit. As a result, I've been put on a fairly heavy course of antibiotics, including tinidazole, to which my doctor reliably informed me has a severe adverse reaction with alcohol. I am now on day 6 without drinking (of 10), and have had many of the symptoms people have mentioned... feeling faint and dizzy, headaches, nausea. I smoked a joint over the weekend to take the edge off and was sick, which is unlike me.

I've still been going to the pub pretty much daily with friends after work etc, but am drinking non-alcoholic beer, and am actually finding it fairly easy. I'm not craving a pint (although alcohol-free becks taste pretty vile). It's been a real eye opener, though, that my drinking habits have caused this sort of reaction, as I'd always perceived my drinking to be fairly in line with my mates who weren't having similar problems to mine. I am totally confident though, that if I reduce my midweek drinking and cut down on the weekend "day sessions", I'll be able to comfortably drink socially going forwards, given the fact that I never really get wasted, just have 7-8 pints. Is this a realistic hope?

Also, regarding the jerkiness just as your falling asleep... It's called sleep paralysis and I get that as well. It is also considerably worse two or three nights after taking MDMA... the first time it happened to me I thought I was dying.

Hey Guest (from early hours of 29th January),

You will find that the symptoms go away after a while. I stopped drinking on the 1st Jan this year and I'm just about free from any withdrawl now, nearly a full month later. I would definitely agree that it has given me a new perspective on alcohol. I know I won't be picking up the beer as frequently or to such ridiculous amounts in the future!

Here I go again.. What a disappointment...

Had another drinking episode.. :(

Drank a lot on Wednesday and the day after I was soooooooo hungover. Took vitamin C, vitamin b-12, vitamin b-1, a multivitamin and a supplement of calcium, magnesium and zinc. Felt better towards Thursday night. Friday around 6PM I started drinking vodka and this continued onto about 2AM. Wake up Saturday hung over again. Take another course of vitamins and keep myself hydrated. Feel better towards the end of the night. Sunday night, bosses 60th birthday party. Have about 6-7 whiskey and cokes at the party and then another 2-3 at the after party.

Day 1: Monday

I wake up at 6AM sweaty and incredibly hungover. I take vitamins, drink water like a fish and take a melatonin to try to fall asleep. (We all had off that day so I am thankful for that!) Trying to fall asleep was a nightmare. I cannot believe I did this to myself again. I was very sleepy but every time I would daze off I'd feel as if my body was going to burst from heat or go into a seizure. At about 10AM, 4 hours of suffering later, I told myself I cannot handle it anymore. I washed up, got dressed and drove to the ER. I wait in the ER for about 3 hours before I see a doctor. I explain to the very sweet woman my symptoms and she said they will give my an IV with necessary fluids and medicine and I should be ok after. My first IV ever! I was so nervous but excited at the same time as I couldn't wait until I would feel better again. 

The nurse came with the first IV. 100MG's of a clear liquid. She said its "hangover medicine" that will stop the nausea and aches. The IV took about 20 minutes so she then came back with IV #2, a huge bag of 1000MG's of Saltine. It's pretty much water with the necessary electrolytes that would keep my body hydrated. I start to feel better in a matter of minutes. I was so excited, so happy! About 2 hours later, the nurse comes back and asks how I feel. I tell her I feel great and so a few minutes later she stopped the IV. It wasn't even finished all the way but I guess I had enough as I felt 99% better! I got in my car and drove home. Had a slight headache but nothing that an advil couldn't take care of. I remember reading online somewhere that if you're extremely hungover you should drink water with sea salt (not table salt) and freshly squeezed lemon juice for the electrolyte replenishment, or just grab some Powerade/Gatorade. I didn't have any Gatorade so I made myself some of the water mixture and I drank it all night until taking melatonin and falling asleep. 

Day 2: Tuesday

I wake up feeling okay, but not 100% myself. I knew the IV wasn't a miracle considering the amount I drank so I was expecting to still feel something in the coming days. I feel ok during the day, keep hydrated and take my vitamins. I start to feel a little weak in the knees which seems to be a bit annoying and worry some but it's manageable. The worst part comes at night. I take my melatonin but as I'm dozing off, my body starts to feel weird again. Weird as in sudden drop and rise in temperature all over, entire body weak and a feeling of maybe an oncoming seizure or something of that sort. GREAT! I turn Netflix on my laptop and daze off, let me mention I was suffering until my body was just too tired it turned off by itself.

Day 3: Wednesday

I wake up feeling refreshed. I take my vitamins along with my breakfast and start my day. The strange weak-leg feeling comes back and it just as manageable as yesterday. I also feel a headache and I take some aspirin as I'm out of advil, it goes away. Weak-legs continue on throughout the day and last until I'm trying to fall asleep which is also a hassle to deal with. I take a melatonin before bed and seem to fall asleep to watching Breaking Bad. It is now 5:00AM and I woke up, feeling strange. WTF! It's the beginning of day 4, leave me along weird body feeling please! Sooo I decided to post about it, again. 

Reading these posts really does help. You don't feel alone as I did during these few days and the first time I went through this. No one knows I went to the ER for the IV, I haven't even told my boyfriend of 3 years nor have I told my mother. They wouldn't understand and my mother oh how would she judge! I wouldn't hear the end of it! I also find it embarrassing to tell anyone! I tried to tell my boyfriend the first time around and he just said I was over exaggerating and that it was impossible for someone my age to go through withdrawals. Ok end of conversation! I tried! I rather suffer in silence and write about it then have someone mock me. 

I cannot believe I am going through this again. I'm just relieved that these symptoms aren't even close to the one's I went through the first time around. These are much more mild, I mean like these are 25% of the ones in November. Maybe the IV really did make a difference in the alcohol withdrawals? Anywhooo, I am just upset that did this to myself again. I promised myself I wouldn't but I guess I do have a weakness to alcohol and I need to learn to accept it and live with it. I guess non-alcoholic beer will be my drink of choice from now on, which isn't that bad!

I will keep posting in the next couple of days to let everyone know how I am doing with the symptoms. Good luck!! Xox

Update!

Day 4: Thursday

Woke up and continued onto my routine, vitamins etc. The whole day I felt great! I went to bed with melatonin (1.5mg) and just woke up at 5:00AM unable to fall back asleep. EXTREME ANXIETY AND WEIRD-BODY FEELING! ITS ACTUALLY SCARY! I was NOT expecting this :( I don't know what this is but it is NOT worth it!

I just wanted to share something with all of you that's helped me to quit drink with a lot of extra willpower on my side. At the start of January I gave up booze completely for a month for the first time in my life after twenty years of heavy drinking. I did it as part of a charity think in the UK for Cancer Research and I raised a lot of money.

Knowing that so much was riding on it and what the money would do to help meant that it was a Lot easier to not drink. I suffered from a lot of withdrawal symptoms including heart palpitations, sweating, visual and auditory hallucinations, pains in my limbs and sleeplessness. The eventually passed during week three and then I began to feel better. Much better.I've not sworn off alcohol forever but that month of zero booze gave me a clarity of thought that I've missed recently and my relationship with alcohol will never be the same again because of it. I know that after this, I will not be falling back in to the habits I had before and that gives me a sense of enormous wellbeing.

Try the sponsorship thing for a cause you believe in. Ask everyone on your facebook to donate and it really will make it easier to retain your willpower.

After drinking every day for four years after my father died (ironically of liver cancer) I knew I really wanted to quit. Every attempt I made failed and I couldn't seem to last long in the willpower department. I felt so powerless and controlled by alcohol.  Then out of the blue I saw on my iPhone iTunes audiobook library what I look at now as being my prayers answered.  It was an audiobook and a set of hypnotherapy files to match called Alcohol Lied to Me.  I thought it looked interesting, so while continuing to drink every night I listened a bit each night to the extended version first, and I was so sure it would help I also bought the hypnotherapy one too.  After about a week and a half of listening to it, I just woke up one day and with no effort at all knew I didn't want to drink that night or ever again.  I tipped all my expensive alcohol down the sink without batting an eye and just moved forward with my life. I bought the vitamins he recommends in his book and I also gave up caffein at the same time because I also hated drinking all the coke with the alcohol.  Iv been free from the "attractively packaged poison" for several months now and don't even get an urge to drink ever again.

 

this is not a willpower method.  It is educating you to the point where you actually change your own mind and make the decision to quit on your own terms.  I did the same with smoking over five years ago using Allen cars book or audiobook called the easy way. Just woke up one day, threw my cigarettes in the bin and haven't ever touched one since. They actually make me sick to b around.  The best way to describe it is you really need that deep subconscious part of your brain to be on board with the change otherwise you are fighting a losing battle against yourself.  I can't recommend both of these audiobooks enough.  I am so grateful to the authors and to god for sending them into my life as I honestly couldn't have done it relying on the willpower method.

 

withdrawals will pass. Don't be afraid to see your dr if u need something to help. 

I took mercyndol from chemist for headaches, night strength helps to sleep through bad ones. Drank lots of herbal tea and eat as much healthy food as you can. Fruit, salads, veggies. Took vit b complex, magnesium plus zinc, strong slow release c, and very good very important omega 3 with eha & dha.  

Goodluck everyone.  God give us all strength I say oxox

I am sick of alcohol. I just found this forum after I googled how long withdrawal symptoms last. I thought I was dying about an hour ago. The worst thing is I live with a woman who lost her son five months ago and I only realized after I told her I might need an ambulance that I had scared her. I finally called it off. But I feel like s''t. I really do not know how I ended up like this.

I am on Day 29 and so far so good.  I thought I would chime in with some advice on what has worked for me (at least so far):

1. Exercise - I feel like that helps with headaches and gets rid of any cravings and makes me focus on a healthy body.

2. Re-read about liver problems - I decided to quit after reading about how dangerous liver damage is and how the symptoms are usually hidden. Any time I need some extra will power I re-read that information and it keeps me scared!

I am by no means an expert as it has only been 29 days - but I just wanted to pass these along just in case they will work for someone else out there.  I drank anywhere from 25 to 65 drinks per week so this is a dramatic change - but the two items above have been invaluable to me.  Even if the exercise is just doing some push ups or jumping jacks - anything to get your body moving. 

 

Thanks to all that posted! This is without a doubt a serious topic. I am 41 years old and have been drinking since I was 16. I have been through college and have held the same great job for the last 14 years. I was never into hard alcohol just beer. I live in Portland Oregon so as you may know Micro's flow out of our public fountains here.... I have just recently decided to quit and I'm on day 11 cold turkey. I work in the medical field and actually specialize in Liver transpant. What I can say is you have to stay focused and you have to occupy your time all day long with something. Excersize works great! I would take folic acid and thiamine supplements daily. you can buy these over the counter. Drink plenty of fluids, but not just water because this can deplete your electrolytes making things worse. I have chosen not to take any other drugs to help me ie. valium, ativan. I want to know where I have put myself and I don't want it to be easy. I dont want to give my brain an "easy out". The symptoms are getting better but I have noticed lately some days are good and some are not. The days I excersise are much better. Just keep telling yourself your better than this. stay positive and get excited about rediscovering yourself. I'm stoked! Good luck everyone. You can do this, We all can do this.