how long do alcohol withdrawal symptoms last?

This is a great thread for people caught in the confusion of alcohol withdrawal and other addictions. The examples and conditions of withdrawal mentioned here are dead on. When you go to AA or read books about alcoholism, talk to others with experience and/or read this thread, an alcoholic who has suddenly ceased his or her intake, esp..Cold Turkey can see themselves and also, understand that MOST all of us will recover fully in due time.

We spent MANY YEARS in most cases demolishing our bodies with abuse and it will take TIME to find Normal. I believe most all of us who can conquer these withdrawal symptoms will find normality and happiness in our future.

Those of us who fully recover from our disease will be stronger for what we went through and survived. It will help us later in life during other tough engagements.

Again, this is one of the better threads that I have read through on the Web that really send encouragement to suffering alcoholics seeking a new life not including the pain and misery involved with alcoholism. I cannot add much to the body of content here that has not already been said. I have been in the shoes of many of you in a FEW times trying to stop.

I am glad for every alcoholic who can cease drinking and find freedom this addiction along with any other addiction.

Ok, I will add one note. From my experience, if you are also going Cold from Alcohol and Other Drugs like pain killers or benzodiazipams for example, the time of misery most likely will last longer, but using the willpower that we used to escape and get high, we can also shift that SAME willpower to assist us in recovery.

In the end, (And just my method), GOD can have my life. GOD can manage my life and do with me what he wishes. That in itself will help some through very tough times.

I want to die believing that GOD has my life in his hands. He certainly knows I cannot manage my own self very well or I would not be an addict and all an addict entails.

I don't want to die at the hands of alcohol and drugs.

God Bless all of you and Good Luck in your journeys

One drink away from HELL again..


Quote:

Alcoholics Anonymous - Our Southern Friend...

I cannot see the cause of this temptation now. But I am to learn later that it began with the desire for my own material success becoming greater than the interest in the welfare of my fellow man. I learn more of that foundation stone of character, which is honesty. I learn that when we act upon the highest conception of honesty which is given us, our sense of honesty becomes more acute.
I learn that honesty is truth, and the truth shall make us free!

my fiance quit drinking about 2 months ago but he is a bartender(at a bar that is corportate and ur not allowed to drink with customers).. obviously it is bad that he works around it but with withdrawal symptoms besides being irritable he has had nothing. is it possible he could just not get them or do you think he is still drinking??

he was an extreme drink til u pass out heavy drinker.

Hello all, I arrived home from Australia about 2 months ago, where was i was drinking very heavily for about five months. it got the point that the last couple weeks every night i could blck out by nine and have to be carried back to my hostel by friends or bouncers around midnight or one (according to my friends). i am nineteen years old and haveen't had a drink for about 2 and a half weeks. About a week before i left australia i woke up hung over one day, or what i thought was hung over and feeling very sick. i stayed in bed for a couple days and felt terrible, no knowing what was going on. arrived home feeling a bit better and exited to be home. went out and had a couple beer that night with friends and felt better. starting drinking heavily again shortly after that. and working ful time during the week. once or twice a day i would get a sudden anxiety attack that owuld last a couple hours. couple weeks later it got worse and i experiancing some more severe symptons not know what was causing them. I went and saw my family doctor who was appauled when i told him the amounts of alchohol i had been consuming and assured me it was alchohol withdrawal. That made the anxiety a bit better at the time. He seemed to be more concerned with my addiction than my withdrawal symptons. So i went a week and five days without drinking. no problem. doctor said it would be alright to go out that weekend and have a couple beers with friends. but dont let it turn into a few. So feeling great of coarse i went out and got bombed with my friends. sure enough the next week experianced symptons again. just not as sever. that went on for a couple weeks, felt better by the weekend so went out. The anxiety attacks worsened after a couple weeks so i decided to stop for a couple weeks. i stopped for 2 weeks no problem while working a couple nights a week at a brewery where i could drink for free while working, but didn't feel the need to. i am coming up on three weeks now without a drink and have no symtons anymore except for usually breif anxiety attacks that tend to happen towards the end of the day. I have no problem going out with my friends while they drink and i dont. I am just wondering how long until i can drink again without these symptons coming back?

Hi everyone. This is a great thread, and I'm glad that I found it. I've drank pretty heavily for the past 20 years. For the past 9 years, I've worked out of my home, which has allowed me to drink anytime that I want and I usually drink at least a 12 pack, or a bottle of vodka just about every other day. I start work at about 4am, and have had enough of the feeling terrible in the mornings, and decided to quit. It's been 7 days, and I have had mild headaches and have felt really tired, and just feel as if I am walking around in a daze. I do really enjoy how great I feel in the mornings, but the cravings really get strong later on in the day. I've been working out every day, and it is a good reward to see the alcohol swelling in the face slowly go away. My problem is that I worry about having to go thru life without ever drinking again. I know that your mind plays tricks on you when you are trying to give up an addiction, as I felt the same way 10 years ago when I quit smoking about missing it, and I never miss that at all. I'm a huge sports fan, and it's going to be a real test when football season comes around.

i understand where you are coming from. i dirnk anywhere from 6-8 light beers a night. I'm wondering what I should expect to feel when i quit. Generally i can wake up fine in the morning, I might drag a little bit- but I've never been a "morning person". Will it be harder to get up, go to work, how will I feel in the evening? What can make it better?

Hi,
I am a 45 year old woman and 4 days sober now and stumbled accross this site yesterday with terrible withdrawl symptoms. I thought I had some serious medical condition like diabetes or something because of the rapid heart rate, dry mouth, loss of appitite, extreme insomia, sick to my stomach, major headaches, and the worse is the panic attacks. After reading this post form page one I now know it is severe alcohol withdrawls. I am having a very hard time with the insomnia and panic attacks. Could anyone tell me how long the insomnia usually lasts? I am just dozing at night and last night I woke up in a sweat and it still smelled very boozish. I was surprised because after 3 days I thought the booze would be flushed out by now. It's so hard to function during the day with no sleep that I am starting to feel mentally drained and like I'm going to loose it.

Great thread

well, if interested i can tell you what you can expect in firist day's that follows...
It would be good to know your age, gender, lenght of time you being drinking and amount of drinks and sort of drinks you are drinking on daily basis.
However Im not an professional...

Hi,
I was a heavy wine user for about 5 years. I am now on my 5th day of sobriety. I was sick with all the symptoms of alcohol withdrawl on day 3 and felt great on day 4. Now I am feeling like I did on day 3. Tremors, sweats, can't consentrate, irritable, insomnia, sick to my stomach, ect.. I thought I was over the rough part. I sure hope this is the last day of feeling so miserable!! I know for sure I'll never poison my body like that again. A few hours of feeling in a blissful state is just not worth the end price. Does anyone know when I can expect to be able to sleep normal again? Right now I am just dozing throughout the night.

I'd like to take up the offer to the person that posted how long withdrawls can be expected. I am a 45 year old woman who has been drinking white wine anywhere from 1/2 a bottle to 2 bottles a night for the last 5 years. I have been sober now for 6 days, and still feeling so exhaused and trembing with headaches. The insomnia is really getting to me. I just got a B-12 shot today and have been drinking tons of water and taking multi-vitamins plus trying to get some excerse in too when I'm up to it. I don't mind the appitite loss, since I could use to loose a few pounds, but just want to sleep!! Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!!

This is reply for white wine, F, 45.

Firist I have to say IM NOT an profesional and I sugest you go to visit a doc.
Second, I have to congratulate to you for your 6th day.

How log it will last depends on many things, and as there is no general rule I will give you an example similar to yours.

Let us make two thinhs clear for a start- there is AWD - thats what are you going trough now, AND
there is PAWD trough which you will be going in next ( now dont get scared :-) ) 4 to 24 months ( 6 is usual).

SO AWD is what you are going trough now:

My frend was a heavy red wine drinker (he would drank a 1l botle after lunch),
and lot's more in the evening for a 6 or 7 years.

His simptomps for a firist week of cold turkey were:

Hart problems (thats ok now), sleaping problems, serius stomach problems so he spent a lot of time in toilet, He was unable to work efficintly as he
felt so tired, someimes he behave like drunk (really), he could not keep his eys open for more then few seconds, strong headache during all day,
flow like simptoms, very high body temperature for a few days, all overnervousnes ,High level of agression and bad mood with paranoya (lasted for a 3 weeks),
desorientation in time and muscular twitches (lastetd for a 3 weeks but get much better after ten days).

His solution for headache was to take a few short breaks during a day,
just get to bed or chair for a 5 to 10 minutes and close eys and he felt much better. Although he was not hungry he
ate 3 to 6 additional small meals (half of tasty sandwich or fruits) during a day to help him reduce stomach problems and desire for alcohol . He was also overweight but during this period, although he
was eating regularly (even more than usually), he lost little weight.

During a second week he felt pretty much same, only a litle bit better - he started to feel realy better
and could work efficiently on Thursday and Friday of second week.
Third week he was almost ok,but he had few headache days and he went off work earlier. From time to time during a day he felt dizzy and paranoid/
aggressive.
At a beginning of fourth week he was almost ok, and started being his old self (but still not 100%).

So for you, by my opinion (again, Im not an professional) its 3 weeks of intense AWD's and one week of ''mild'' AWD's.
That means that you will be almost ok for a up to 3 day's and then feel bad for one or two.

Then you will go trough PAWD's.

PAWD's include all you had until now, only less intense,
like you will fell ok for a 5,10 days or even a two month
and then , sudenly, you can get depresed, feel sick etc for up to two or three days.
Then again, all normal for a week or more, then you wil get those simptoms again.
After 4 to 6 moths it will become much more rare,and a litle bit less intense.

Hope this helps

How to help you self:

Eat vitamins, good food,drink tea you like, little bit of sport or any other activity ( walk for 15-30 minutes), aviod stress, try not to dehydrate. Again, see professional or check AA.
Read this whole forum, it will help.



It would be interesting to hear your experience from day one....

I fount this on net it gives description of AWS and PAWS

Post-Acute Withdrawal (PAWS)

There are two stages of withdrawal. The first stage is the acute stage, which usually lasts at most a few weeks. During this stage, you may experience physical withdrawal symptoms. But every drug is different, and every person is different.

The second stage of withdrawal is called the Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS). During this stage you'll have fewer physical symptoms, but more emotional and psychological withdrawal symptoms.

Post-acute withdrawal occurs because your brain chemistry is gradually returning to normal. As your brain improves the levels of your brain chemicals fluctuate as they approach the new equilibrium causing post-acute withdrawal symptoms.

Most people experience some post-acute withdrawal symptoms. Whereas in the acute stage of withdrawal every person is different, in post-acute withdrawal most people have the same symptoms.
The Symptoms of Post-Acute Withdrawal

The most common post-acute withdrawal symptoms are:

* Mood swings
* Anxiety
* Irritability
* Tiredness
* Variable energy
* Low enthusiasm
* Variable concentration
* Disturbed sleep

Post-acute withdrawal feels like a rollercoaster of symptoms. In the beginning, your symptoms will change minute to minute and hour to hour. Later as you recover further they will disappear for a few weeks or months only to return again. As you continue to recover the good stretches will get longer and longer. But the bad periods of post-acute withdrawal can be just as intense and last just as long.

Each post-acute withdrawal episode usually last for a few days. Once you've been in recovery for a while, you will find that each post-acute withdrawal episode usually lasts for a few days. There is no obvious trigger for most episodes. You will wake up one day feeling irritable and have low energy. If you hang on for just a few days, it will lift just as quickly as it started. After a while you'll develop confidence that you can get through post-acute withdrawal, because you'll know that each episode is time limited.

Post-acute withdrawal usually lasts for 2 years. This is one of the most important things you need to remember. If you're up for the challenge you can get though this. But if you think that post-acute withdrawal will only last for a few months, then you'll get caught off guard, and when you're disappointed you're more likely to relapse.
How to Survive Post-Acute Withdrawal

Be patient. Two years can feel like a long time if you're in a rush to get through it. You can't hurry recovery. But you can get through it one day at a time.

If you try to rush your recovery, or resent post-acute withdrawal, or try to bulldoze your way through, you'll become exhausted. And when you're exhausted you'll think of using to escape.

Post-acute withdrawal symptoms are a sign that your brain is recovering. They are the result of your brain chemistry gradually going back to normal. Therefore don't resent them. But remember, even after one year, you are still only half way there.

Go with the flow. Withdrawal symptoms are uncomfortable. But the more you resent them the worse they'll seem. You'll have lots of good days over the next two years. Enjoy them. You'll also have lots of bad days. On those days, don't try to do too much. Take care of yourself, focus on your recovery, and you'll get through this.

Practice self-care. Give yourself lots of little breaks over the next two years. Tell yourself "what I am doing is enough." Be good to yourself. That is what most addicts can't do, and that's what you must learn in recovery. Recovery is the opposite of addiction.

Sometimes you'll have little energy or enthusiasm for anything. Understand this and don't over book your life. Give yourself permission to focus on your recovery.

Post-acute withdrawal can be a trigger for relapse. You'll go for weeks without any withdrawal symptoms, and then one day you'll wake up and your withdrawal will hit you like a ton of bricks. You'll have slept badly. You'll be in a bad mood. Your energy will be low. And if you're not prepared for it, if you think that post-acute withdrawal only lasts for a few months, or if you think that you'll be different and it won't be as bad for you, then you'll get caught off guard. But if you know what to expect you can do this.

Being able to relax will help you through post-acute withdrawal. When you're tense you tend to dwell on your symptoms and make them worse. When you're relaxed it's easier to not get caught up in them. You aren't as triggered by your symptoms which means you're less likely to relapse.

Remember, every relapse, no matter how small undoes the gains your brain has made during recovery. Without abstinence everything will fall apart. With abstinence everything is possible.

Thanks so much for that information. I am on day 11 now. Yesterday was a great day!! I slept about 7 hourse, which was a great relief form the 3-5 hours I was getting before. Then last night had a bad sleep night and woke up feeling depressed and very tired today. I do have headaches from time to time. And very mild diziness.

It wasn't fun reading that PAWS could last for 2 years...ouch!! But, I guess I've damaged my body for so long it's only to be expected. I'll fight through this one day at a time.

Thanks again.

On day 15 here, cleaned myself cold-turkey from a half-bottle of vodka a day habit. Just now starting to feel normal again, these past two weeks have been hell. Love and luck to all of us; we're going to need it.

Day 15 guy again here. Does anyone know - is it possible to go from being an alcohol abuser, back to having a "normal" relationship with alcohol, i.e. a (single) beer every now and then? That is what I want to do, but I am afraid that doing so will prolong the withdrawal symptoms or bring them back. Has anyone successfully done this?

Day 16 here. Whew it's been a hellish rollercoaster ride!! But I woke up today feeling pretty good. I was thinking the same thing as you 15 day guy. But, I've decided to stick it out for at least 7 months to clean out my system, lose some wine-o weight and start a new chapter in my life. It's going to be very hard this weekend because we are heading for the coast and there's nothing better than a few glasses of wine by the pool. Instead I'm looking forward to no alcohol and renting a bike and cruising the coast...should be a whole new experience and fun to boot.

I too hope someday I can enjoy a glass without ever abusing it too, but for now I know I'd probably fall into that every night cycle again, and I never want to be going through alcohol withdrawls again!!! EVER!!! I've come this far and will continue!! Best of luck, hope you find the answer to your question.