Is it possible for quitting alcohol to be easy?

Advice & Questions
1

Hello everyone, 9 days ago i decided to quit alcohol after getting pains here there and everywhere. It scared me as most of the pains were round my liver area. I dont think it was my liver but it scared me anyway. The thing is im actually finding it quite easy and its very unnerving. almost as if perhaps im still yet to go through withdrawals. ive been a heavy drinker for around 6 years and drank usually between 8 and 12 cans of beer a night. hardly ever spirits but sometimes strong cider.

The only symptoms of alcohol withdrawal ive noticed is itchy skin/hives but only now and again, also a bit of irritability at night, however when i do get to sleep i sleep much better. Just been taking me longer. Also been a bit clammy. Oh and ive started getting a bit of acne. But nothing that bothers me too much

Im worried that the worst is yet to come despite having not drank anything for 9 days. Is there a point at which i wont get any serious withdrawals?

Thanks

2

Not everyone gets serious withdrawals. The itchy skin (ā€œliver itchā€- a sign thereā€™s a build up of toxins in your liver that your body is trying to get rid of) acne (again, your body is removing toxins), clammy and sweats and irritability is part of the withdrawal. You might go through more mental stuff later (moodiness, drinking thoughts that pop in your head, feeling blah or really tired) It varies from person to person.

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3

Welldone, 9 days sober! Officially you have 0 % alcohol in your blood! Everybody has different withdrawal story, depends how much you drank and the make up of your body. Are you into sugar yet?

4

@Melrm, I was wondering why I was always scratching my neck! Do you have any articles I could read on that? Iā€™m on Day 5 sober, but I havenā€™t had any acne pop up.

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5

I also read that the itching is perhaps down to the nervous system rebooting as it were after being numbed by alcohol for years. The liver itch thing doesnt really make sense if i didnt itch when drinking but do when i dont. Not really been itchy for past few days. Until i thought about being itchy which has now made me itchy lolā€¦ oh and the itchying was often accompanied by a rash thats like loads of red dots which maybe hives? It disappeared after a couple of hours though. The acne seems better today, ive always had crap skin though, must be something to do with hormones as i can only grow crappy beard :joy:

added: One thought is ive been consuming quite a bit more sugar than i used to plus energy drinks, perhaps thats causing the itching? ive just had a load of haribo and ive started itching. The other day when i was itchy iā€™d had quite a few energy drinks.

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6

Yeah im eating candy for the first time in years. not a lot of it though. Im trying to drink water and now beside me have just got a massive bottle of water and powerade.

7

@Matthewuk the bears or the worms? :smile:

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8

Possible causes of itchy skin include:

Dry skin. If you donā€™t see a crop of bright, red bumps or some other dramatic change in the itchy area, dry skin (xerosis) is a likely cause. Dry skin usually results from older age or environmental factors such as long-term use of air conditioning or central heating, and washing or bathing too much.

Skin conditions and rashes. Many skin conditions itch, including eczema (dermatitis), psoriasis, scabies, lice, chickenpox and hives. The itching usually affects specific areas and is accompanied by other signs, such as red, irritated skin or bumps and blisters.

Internal diseases. Itchy skin can be a symptom of an underlying illness. These include liver disease, kidney failure, iron deficiency anemia, thyroid problems and cancers, including leukemia and lymphoma. The itching usually affects the whole body. The skin may look otherwise normal except for the repeatedly scratched areas.

Nerve disorders. Conditions that affect the nervous system ā€” such as multiple sclerosis, diabetes mellitus, pinched nerves and shingles (herpes zoster) ā€” can cause itching.

Irritation and allergic reactions. Wool, chemicals, soaps and other substances can irritate the skin and cause itching. Sometimes the substance, such as poison ivy or cosmetics, causes an allergic reaction. Food allergies also may cause skin to itch.

Drugs. Reactions to drugs, such as antibiotics, antifungal drugs or narcotic pain medications, can cause widespread rashes and itching.

Pregnancy. During pregnancy, some women experience itchy skin, especially on the abdomen and thighs. Also, itchy skin conditions, such as dermatitis, can worsen during pregnancy.

10

Your liver has a dual role. It is both the main organ for detoxing (which your body is naturally doing all the time) as well as a digestive organ. These days many, many people have over burdened livers that are ā€œspeakingā€ to them and crying out for help!

Ten signs your liver is telling you it needs help:
abdominal bloating
pain or discomfort over the liver ā€“ (right upper abdominal area under the rib cage)
excessive abdominal fat; pot belly; or a roll around the upper abdomen
trouble digesting fatty foods
had your gallbladder removed
acid reflux/heartburn
dark spots on the skin commonly referred to liver spots
overheating of the body & excessive perspirationacne/rosacea or itchy, blotchy skin
unexplained weight gain and inability to lose weight even with calorie restriction

Other signs to watch for include
high blood pressure,
fatigue,
high cholesterol and triglycerides,
mood swings and depression,
sleep apnea or snoring
fatty yellowish lumps around eyes. These are signs you need to take action, detox and alter you diet and lifestyle to heal your liver.

These are all signs that your liver is blocked or clogged up with unhealthy fat ā€“ in extreme cased itā€™s called fatty liver. When this happens the cells that act as a filter become too swollen with fat and the liver cannot screen out or filter the many substances being passed through it.

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11

I drink the same amount every single night and I depreatly want to stop and quit. Iā€™m finding it exteamly hard.
I wish you luck.
Funny enough Iā€™m sitting outside of a liquor store right now. Almost feels like I have a gun to my head to walk in there :frowning:

12

Iā€™m going to second what @Elle said, the first two and a half weeks I felt amazing then the pink cloud faded and the paws sets in. Pink cloud you usually get the first week, which is like feeling really good/normal against all odds right when you quit. After that if you arenā€™t aware of or pepared properly to deal with PAWS symptoms the probability that you will relapse increases exponentially. It happened to me and just about lost a whole week there

13

I am 3 or so hrs off hitting the 28 day mark. After a few attempts this has been easy. Im 36 and my dad was an alcoholic and let me drink from a young age. I was drinking a bottle of wine a night. Couldnt have just 1 glass, i had to finish the bottle. It was getting to the point where i was aware i wasnt enjoying it anymore. I have zero desire to have a drink.

14

Wow thanks for all your info. the itching is localised and sometimes is accompanied by red dots like a rash. When i drank i used to get really bad acid reflux but since i stopped ive not had to take one nexium or renitadine tablet. Thanks again for all your info.

15

When you say paws hit. in what way? what did you get?

17

Oh. im not bothered about that. I suffer from depression anyway and im generally a miserable bastard. not miserable as in sad all the time but moany and just expect the worst. i was worried about having a seizure or something but if its just emotional iā€™ll cope. my moto has always been ā€˜if you expect the worst you wont be disappointedā€™ i like to combine my misery with humour though as it helps. Ive tried taking setraline but it made things worse. ive also tried citalapram but that didnt do anything. iā€™ll see how i go. my theory is if im depressed and miserable it will be how ive been before but at least i wont be drinking. My doctor is a bag of shit though and useless. last time i went she didnt even look up at her computer.

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18

@Matthewuk you sound like a male version of me! :smile: and whoever says that moaning is bad- cut them out of your life as you donā€™t need that sort of negativety :slight_smile:

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