sweating at night?

[Momoftwo]

I have found that when I dont drink in excess that I sweat proflusly for two nights. I wish I could say what happens on the third night but I usually dirnk by then. When does it stop?? The first two nights suck so much when does it end??? Thanks

[cymru]

sweating at night?

Hi momo. I sweat bad the first night after not drinking. Dont sleep very well either. After about 4-5 days it passes for me. How much are you drinking friend? For me its white wine, and lots of it. Welcome, and keep posting.

[Momoftwo]

sweating at night?

Thanks for your reply, Usually about two bottles of ww a night. I guess the key is go for 4 to 5 nights. I start my products tomorrow wish me luck. By the way how long have you been on the program?? And what have you seen as the biggest difference. Thanks

[cymru]

sweating at night?

I have been active for about 6 months.. Its been important for me to relate and talk to people in the same boat. To not be judged. To make friends that I can rely on when the chips are down and when I feel like shit.
Now it hasnt been easy for me momo, and I have slipped quite a few times. But im better than I was. Im not drinking every night, just have binges when it gets too much. But im working on it, and the people here help.
I used to drink at least 2 bottles of white wine every night, but now I have managed to stop for lenghy periods and plan on stopping completley this year.
I think a very important point that i am still learning is that you have to WANT to quit drinking, rather than knowing that you HAVE too. That has been a big lesson for me. There is no magic pill, and knowing that you dont want it is the most important first step.
I am also an active member of the army here on the general threads. Its been great for me and everyone is welcome, but there are many different 'homes' for people. Im sure you will find one here.

[bloggy]

sweating at night?

Hi MomofTwo and Welcome!

I think the night sweats are pretty much experienced by everybody here when we have a few days without drinking. For me they normally started around day 2- possibly for 2 nights sometimes even 3. (Beer drinker mainly) however I quite welcomed them- even enjoyed them, as I knew it was just all the poison coming out.

If you can't sleep while having them, I find a good idea is to get up and have a hot shower- washing the sweat of washes away the toxins rather than letting it get reabsorbed back through the skin into the system.
I then would get back into bed and wrap up tight to encourage the sweating to continue- try to look at it as your friend that is helping you to get well rather than a bad experience to be endured.

[sunshine_gg]

sweating at night?

Yep, I've had them, too... for 2-3 nights. Seems to be pretty common.

[Rachelita]

sweating at night?

I personally dread/like the night sweats. I do not like the fact that I get them, nor do I enjoy waking up soaked. However, at least my body is riding itself of all the poison. It is simply a very unpleasant process. My biggest qualm is the fact that I can't have regular sleep and then wake up all drenched in sweat. I usually have intermittent boughs of sleep disrupted by nightmares. If I am lucky enough to sleep at all at first.
When I had a partner, I found it best to "sleep" in different rooms. The worst passes in about 3 days. It's hell, but it passes. I'd rather have the flu than detox.
At least with the flu you can sleep.
My withdrawl symptoms include insomnia, tremors, sensitivity to sound, itchy prickly skin, sometimes vomiting, night sweats, restlessness, irritability, and shame.

Shit, I'm itchy as we speak.

[beatle]

sweating at night?

I concur totally with Marbella (though I've never had the energy to get up and shower). Think about the toxins being washed out of your body and feel good about it. It works, it really does.

And I think it helps to drink lots of water to speed up the process. And take milk thistle, of course.

[Boss.man]

sweating at night?

From my studies, both the sweats and the 3 day cycle have the same root cause. Although your body metabolizes alcohol in 6-12 hours, it makes some alcohol by-products with it. Drinkers (that's us) attain a capability to make and store acetaldehyde, which your liver can later turn into acetic acid (vinegar) and finally acetone (nail polish remover- really).

Your body can burn acetone instead of glucose (blood sugar) for muscle energy. That's why drinkers become pudgy, because we burn our drinks and store our food. You'll really feel this process if you exercise the day after you've been drinking.

Some studies indicate that drinkers (that's us) have an adjustment that can turn a few drinks into a stable source of alcohol byproducts for 48-72 hours after their last drink. I would guess that one of your factors for drinking after two days is that your body goes into a sugar crash. You get extremely low energy, headache, and nausea, and that having a couple drinks perks you right up as it restores the "balance" that your body is accustom to.

When you go AF, your whole body is going to have to shift energy production from burning acetadehyde to burning fat and sugar. This particularly affects your muscles, as they have to shift from burning acetone to burning glucose.

It is my theory that as a part of that shift they start abnormal burning of -something-, whether acetone or glucose I don't know, and they heat up. The heating of the muscles all over your body causes nighttime sweating. I agree with marbella that it feels like the poison coming out. However, I'm also convinced it's part of process of my body searching and switching the daily fuel needed for muscles.

For me, the sweats last the first 5-7 nights AF, with an occasional relapse afterward. Sometimes they are associated with bad dreams. For the first 1-2 days they are really intense. I wake up with my sheets are soaked and my muscles rigid and hot. It seems to settle down after that for a few more days, and goes away almost completely after about 10 days.

I've done significant AF stretches three times now since Aug 2008. In each case the first three days were the worst. After about day 5 the symptoms get a lot less annoying. I try to mark that, so help assure myself not to go through that level of suffering again, by not drinking to that degree again.

You can mediate the shift in energy by focusing on eating well in the first days after going AF. Whole grains, fruits, carbs are all good. Personally I've taken to eating an oatmeal cookie which has a mix of sugars and grains, and mint tea which helps reduce cravings. Avoid fats and keep proteins limited as these don't directly help your body cope with changing energy sources. Not sure if this will help the sweating, but it may do a lot to mediate the blood sugar crash that comes in the 2nd and 3rd days, and may help you get to day four if you want to go there.

All my opinion. I hope it helps.

[gkej0507]

sweating at night?

OMG, I didn't know ANY of that Boss.man!!!

It all makes so much sense now!

Day 1 for me.... argggggghhhhh

[DeeBee]

sweating at night?

Boss, awesome post!!!

[lilnev]

sweating at night?

I think a lot of the physical symptoms in the first few days are due to overactivity of the sympathetic nervous system. This is the part of the peripheral nervous system, generally not under conscious control, that governs stress responses including heart rate, blood pressure, pupil dilation, and sweating.

Basically, alcohol is a depressant, meaning that it inhibits the activity of lots of cells in your central nervous system. (It can also interact with depression, the mood disorder, but that's not the origin of the term). If you drink chronically, your nervous system will adjust to some sort of equilibrium. Then when you remove the drink, it will be hyperactive for a few days, until it readjusts to the new equilibrium. That hyperactivity drives the sympathetic nervous system, including rapid heartbeat and night sweats.

This is not to disagree with Boss.man. Your biochemistry has to shift too, which might be why I get ravenously hungry and eat a ton of carbs for a few days. And in any case, the bottom line is the same -- eat, drink water, and ride it out for a few days while your body adjusts.