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    Stopping Suddenly / Risks

    I've been drinking for a few years now, increasingly heavily in the last year, and have a question about stopping suddenly.

    I told my Doctor how much I drink (about 4 litres of beer at 5%, and regularly combined with 35-40 cl of vodka). He advised my to cut down instead of quitting immediately, but in October last year I was hospitalized for 10 days (unrelated to drinking) and I felt no withdrawal / side effects whatsover. Of course, I started drinking again as soon as I came out of hospital :upset:

    My question is therefore whether I can count on having gone 10 days without problems as a good indicator of being able to do it again (and hopefully for much longer), or whether I would be taking a risk in stopping immediately rather than cutting down first, using medications, or both?

    BzzBee.

    #2
    Stopping Suddenly / Risks

    If you are drinking all day from the moment you wake up in order to avoid your hangovers, then you MIGHT need some sort of medical supervision to help you through the detox. You might have experienced D.T.s before, but full scale alcohol withdrawal can be an unpleasant business. Hallucinations, seizures, etc So you should see your doctor before you plan to stop drinking alcohol. They can help you with medication, also keep asking the qustions here.


    :congratulatory: Clean & Sober since 13/01/2009 :congratulatory:

    Until one is committed there is always hesitant thoughts.
    I know enough to know that I don't know enough.

    This signature has been typed in front of a live studio audience.

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      #3
      Stopping Suddenly / Risks

      Mario, I don't typically drink all day long, and thank goodness I've never had D.T.'s either.

      Seeing as I was able to give up for 10 days while I was in hospital, with no side effects, I'm wondering whether one can still suffer physical withdrawal symptoms after 10 days? If not, then I would like to try to quitting 'cold turkey', at least for a certain amount of time (say, 1 month to start).

      BzzBee

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        #4
        Stopping Suddenly / Risks

        BUzzBee 62;1032903 wrote: Mario, I don't typically drink all day long, and thank goodness I've never had D.T.'s either.

        Seeing as I was able to give up for 10 days while I was in hospital, with no side effects, I'm wondering whether one can still suffer physical withdrawal symptoms after 10 days? If not, then I would like to try to quitting 'cold turkey', at least for a certain amount of time (say, 1 month to start).

        BUzz Bee
        Everyone reacts different when they stop, I stopped cold turkey with no medication what so ever which looking back could have been a dangerous mistake,Its at the start that it is usually the hardest and you are so right to take it one day or month at a time,Are you going for long term abstinence or have you not decided yet.


        :congratulatory: Clean & Sober since 13/01/2009 :congratulatory:

        Until one is committed there is always hesitant thoughts.
        I know enough to know that I don't know enough.

        This signature has been typed in front of a live studio audience.

        Comment


          #5
          Stopping Suddenly / Risks

          I'm not too sure yet, really. I think I need to start with at least a few weeks completely alcohol free, then maybe try having just a couple of glasses at the restaurant from time to time. But, I don't think I'll really know what I can manage until I try. I dread the thought of not being able to have another drop, but I also know that even before I started drinking regularly, I had a habit of getting drunk once I got started, even though it wasn't every day. Basically, I don't know where I'm going to end up yet.

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            #6
            Stopping Suddenly / Risks

            After how long is the risk of physical withdrawal symptoms likely to disappear?

            I mean, if I'm physically OK on day 10, then surely I should still be physically OK on day 15 or 20 etc., no? Or perhaps I'm missing something?

            BzzBee.

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              #7
              Stopping Suddenly / Risks

              Hi BzzBee62,

              I had a controlled home de-tox (using valium) but after day 3 I was feeling fine, just a bit weak and tired. I have to say it was a bit like recovering from flu and perhaps 7/10 days before I felt stronger by 30 days I was ready to knock down walls.
              It could be worse, I could be filing.
              AF since 7/7/2009

              Comment


                #8
                Stopping Suddenly / Risks

                Bee

                If you mean can withdrawl symptoms suddenly appear after 10 days? the answer is "No". Withdrawl symptoms generally make themselves clear as your alcohol levels start to drop, usually started around 4-12 hours after your last drink. The dangerous ones known as shakes, DTs and sometimes fits will generally peak around 24-48 hours but they don't suddenly come out of no-where, and certainly not days after. The only effects you may get after 10 days would be possible problems sleeping but that generally sorts itself out over a couple of weeks AF.

                So if you could get through 10 days AF you aren't suddenly going to wake up with DTs on day 11 - as long as you don't have a drink that is!!!!

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                  #9
                  Stopping Suddenly / Risks

                  Hi Bee and welcome. Mario has some good thoughts above, and UK as well. I agree, that if you made it 10 days, and were OK, you should be fine now to try going cold turkey. You don't have to decide on abstinance or totally giving up on booze right now if you don't want to. Often people site a 30 day period of no alcohol, as a goal, to let themselves clear their head etc. You might want to consider that. All the best,
                  Hill
                  Sober since Feb 7, 2010.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Stopping Suddenly / Risks

                    Thanks again to you all. Indeed, I was wondering if withdrawal symptoms could pop up out of nowehere after several days abstinence. I'm new to this giving up thing and don't want to take any unnecessary risks.

                    BzzBee.

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