GI issues from drinking

[bettertimesahead]

Does anyone have any recommendations or advice on fixing or healing gut issues after stopping drinking ??

[bobslife]

Like other medical issues, seeing a doctor is the best way to help heal GI issues post drinking. Abstinence is a good start, but medical intervention may be needed in some cases. Good luck!!

[Dirk]

A certain amount of (GI) irregularity and/or discomfort is probably to be expected when detoxing. If however you feel that it is more than that and that your drinking may have done damage to your body, I am with @bobslife and would strongly encourage you to see a medical professional.

There are really two reasons for getting a medical professional involved:

1. We/the general Internet aren’t trained to diagnose and treat health issues
2. There may well be treatments/medications available to help lighten your symptoms and accelerate your recovery

[Bobbyw]

I think this is something we all have thought about this is the way I looked at it, I quit drinking. If I did some damage, there’s not much I can do about it now except not pick up a drink. Be careful not to read too much on the Internet, especially in the beginning, it starts to freak you out. Good job on quitting!

[mxelle]

FODMAP diet.

[bettertimesahead]

Thank you all. I will consult with a doctor if I feel it’s necessary. I mostly have just discomfort from bloat after eating. I have tried probiotics but always fell off taking them because drinking made me think what’s the point. More of a reason for me to stay sober and heal my body.

Trying to stick to a healthier diet. Have had stunts at anti inflammatory diet. It’s like I know the right things but can never execute them.

[Badger]

Try cutting out onions and apples. It may not work but these are common foods which irritate and cause bloating

[Spartan_Chris]

Advice from a non-medical professional based on personal experience: Healthy food intake, Probiotics, fiber supplements (psyllium), hydration. Go easy on spicy food and drop the sugar.

[Just_Laura]

@bettertimesahead

It’s like I know the right things but can never execute them

I feel that on so many levels

But about gut health. You’re a few days sober, no? It takes the body time to heal. It will continue to do so as long as you continue to stay sober. My insides were wrecked by the end of my drinking. I can’t believe I felt like that every day Around a week sober, pain was gone, I could feel hunger again, heartburn was basically nonexistent, and trips to the bathroom were regular and less frequent.

I understand the want to do everything you can to make yourself healthy again, but focusing on too much of that stuff at once and not succeeding can feel overwhelming(been there). It could take the focus off the most important thing of all…sobriety. The way I looked at it in the beginning was, I’ve been poisoning myself every day for years. Simply not drinking is the #1 thing I can do to help my body right now. Getting that down first made it possible for the rest to follow.

Everyone is different, so just listen to your body. If something really doesn’t feel right, probably best to get it checked out. All the best

[bettertimesahead]

@Just_Laura

but focusing on too much of that stuff at once and not succeeding can feel overwhelming(been there). It could take the focus off the most important thing of all…sobriety.

Thank you for this. I need to be mindful to not put too much on my plate. I am a “I need this now” kinda person and sort of a hypochondriac when it comes to any way to heal my body. Which also makes me a hypocrite who played the balancing act of what can offset the alcohol for years now.

I need to keep it simple and solely focus on just not drinking and let the good stuff come with it.

Thank you again for your words.

[Just_Laura]

Your welcome Wow, that sounds so much like me. I think we all can be the ‘I need this now’ type of person, but I’ve known hypochondria my whole life. I remember learning about tapeworms in 4th grade and thinking I had one!(as well as several other unlikely illnesses) It got better when I started drinking, but I always believed if I kept up my fitness and diet, it would negate the effects of alcohol. It didn’t work in the end

[SinceIAwoke]

There’s a whole thread on this - it does get a little graphic! It took me 18 months to trust my belly after getting sober, this is a real phenomenon.

Sober Poops

It’s past time for a thread dedicated to an issue near and dear to my heart… [Sober Poops] Perhaps more accurately, I’m speaking of the alcohol squirts. Booze can give you the poos, and this becomes especially true for chronic drinking. In my case, ending as a daily drinker for a few years straight, I recognized IBS-like symptoms at least a year before I quit drinking. When I noticed it was becoming a daily problem, I looked it up and saw plenty of articles explaining how the drinking (and of…

[Dirk]

That thread was a blast! (pun not intended)