Anxiety and Stomach Issues

[nowandzen11]

Hi, I am 9 days af today. Although I started feeling much better in some ways and look much better, today I woke up very anxious and my stomach is really sick. I have diarrhea and the color is yellowish. I've had this before but I guess I didn't go 9 days w/o drinking so I don't know if it would have cleared up. The pains in my right side started to go away and today they are back a little here and there. I took a ton of milk thistle yesterday. very thirsty and have a weird taste in my mouth. I called my doc but she is not in today. I do not want to see anyone else so I am going to wait until tomorrow to see if I can get a same day appt. I am scared. I didn't want to go see her b/c I was trying to take care of it myself. I also don't have medical insurance and would rather this not be in my chart for when I get it. I know it sounds stupid but I am sure some of you can relate. I have been very anxious. I have anxiety disorder and alcohol always "helped" short term but I am finished with that. I don't know if I am still withdrawing. Probably so. I also know that my liver must be inflammed and read where it will take several months for it to completely subside. Has anyone else experienced anything I mentioned? It would help to know. I am scared. Trying to take deep breaths and get through the anxiety. I take klonopin when I need it so I just took a half. It will help. Haven't had zoloft in 2 days but am on a low dose. Have to go pick it up. More concerned with the stomach stuff and pain.
any responses would be greatly appreciated
thanks for being here

[Blue Sky]

Anxiety and Stomach Issues

Hi nowandzen

All I know is that alcohol makes my stomach bad and increases anxiety. I don't suffer from hangovers as such after drinking but my poor stomach suffers and I feel tired and miserable. I can only congratulate you on the 9 days and say keep going af.

It's best to check with your doctor that you haven't got some other problem besides the alcohol. Try not to be frightened, it's most likely your body adjusting to the new af you and flushing all those toxins out of your body. Are you sweaty as well? That's quite common when you give up alcohol. I would suggest a nice warm bath to relax your muscles. Also drink water with fresh lemon in it if you can as it will keep you hydrated and help your liver. Important to keep hydrated if you have diarrhea.

[sosad61]

Anxiety and Stomach Issues

I think it's your body going through the normal adjustment of being without alcohol. Remember, that crap is a demon, and will play with your mind and do anything to get you back on the bottle again. I've gone through similar things during my withdrawal.

[nowandzen11]

Anxiety and Stomach Issues

Thank you Blue. BTW- nice signature. I drink TONS of water anyway but today I am very thirsty. I will add lemon. I am going to make some ginger and chamomile tea. That always helps. I've had IBS in the past and think that maybe some is related to that. I'm scared to know but want to so I can get better if there is something wrong. Does that make sense? No sweats. The first few nights, I sweat in my sleep and it poured from me but it's gone. My head feels clearer and I feel happy but still scared to death.

Thanks for the message, Blue

[nowandzen11]

Anxiety and Stomach Issues

Thank you sosa. any response is helpful. I am laying low today and taking care of myself and my body. It feels good to do that instead of destroying it. ......

does anyone know how long this lasts? i guess that is a dumb question b/c it would depend on the consumption etc. anything else i can do? is lots of milk thistle harmful or is it helping dump toxins?

[Wally22]

Anxiety and Stomach Issues

I don't know about the milk thistle
I think our body does a good job of detoxing on it's very own
I think loads of lemon water and lovely tea is the best remedy
Diarrhea is not uncommon
Hang in there. you're doing great

[nowandzen11]

Anxiety and Stomach Issues

Thanks Wally. It means a lot

[sosad61]

Anxiety and Stomach Issues

Lemon water and chamomile tea will do wonders to speed up the process. Diarrhea is VERY common, so are abdominal pains and bloating. You really are doing wonderful. Keep in mind with each pain you feel, it is your body healing itself and ridding itself of the toxins. I don't think it will last much longer. I usually detox pretty well after three to four days. I'm on my third day now.

[mario]

Anxiety and Stomach Issues

I thing we all have gone through this, Anxiety previews bad happenings; depression reviews bad happenings. Worry is anxiously anticipating that some awful, scary, unpleasant events are going to happen. Worry also involves trying to think of ways to avoid these unpleasant happenings. Worry is an unpleasant, upsetting activity that we'd like to stop but we can't; sometimes we can hardly think of anything else and can't sleep. Worrisome fretting is an effort to solve problems that results in our imagining more problems than solutions; thus, we never find a good place to stop worrying. The stream of worries goes like this: "I have to get that report done this weekend... what if the boss gets mad about what I said... if I lost my job it would be awful... I saw a homeless family on TV today... we should be saving more money... I wonder if my marriage would survive hard times... Oh, God, what if I couldn't take care of the kids..." Each little worry expands into a three hour, award winning movie or flows into an unending elaboration of other worries, Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow.But all this will pass,it is part of our withdrawals

[nowandzen11]

Anxiety and Stomach Issues

sosad61;689525 wrote: Lemon water and chamomile tea will do wonders to speed up the process. Diarrhea is VERY common, so are abdominal pains and bloating. You really are doing wonderful. Keep in mind with each pain you feel, it is your body healing itself and ridding itself of the toxins. I don't think it will last much longer. I usually detox pretty well after three to four days. I'm on my third day now.

Thanks sosa. I was just scared b/c it is 9 days. I also know logically that it didn't take a few days for me to screw up my body with this stuff so it can't take a few days for my body to get better. I am going to make a pot of chamomile tea with lots of lemon. Thanks.

Any diet advice? I read low fat, low sugar, fruit, veg, lean protein and fiber. Ok? or no?
Going to make some brown basmati rice. That always helps my tummy

[nowandzen11]

Anxiety and Stomach Issues

Thank you mario. That makes perfect sense. Yall are helping me feel better. Thank you

[Boss.man]

Anxiety and Stomach Issues

Keep it up nowandzen. For post-AL anxiety I find L-Theanine works well. You can take it in the day.

For an ultra-quick pick me up: Go buy some melatonin in liquid form (uses an eye dropper). It will be labeled Melatonin 1mg. The 1mg dose is 4 droppers full. If you feel anxious, take just two droppers in a glass of water, and drink it down. This will help you relax in about 10 minutes. The effect last 2-4 hours. Melatonin helps you sleep, so if you do 4 droppers full, you may be ready for a nap. I find just 2 is a good dose for me.

Buy Natrol Liquid Melatonin, Supplement

Sometimes my anxiety is based on a sugar low. My body struggles with how to metabolize food, since I'm always on a diet and eating non sugary things. So if I have a headache, and anxiety, the answer sometimes is just to eat a cookie. (just 1) This helps balance my blood sugar. It guards against a natural response that I'm starving, which causes anxiety. I'm pretty much always on a diet, and find that diet and going AF don't mix well because your body is changing so many internal metabolic systems. Best to moderate the diet a bit until you get a good mood balance back.

Another resource I found are relaxation videos on youtube. Just spend 5-10 minutes doing one or two. Here's my favorite, it's an affirmation video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXGwhjUQzrY[/video]]YouTube - Affirmations

Finally - getting out and walking helps, as does exercise. My theory is that your "lizard brain" gets really frustrated when it doesn't get it's sauce. Since this is a primitive part of the brain, it can't communicate by sending words or images to you. However, the Lizard Brain is responsible for adrenaline and "fight or flight" feelings. So this is it's way of throwing a tantrum at you. The solution is to sooth your lizard brain, eat right, move around (exercise) and find moments to internalize that everything is fine, and the "lizard world" will be better than ever. Anything you can think of; music, pictures, achieving a task, can help convince your inner lizard that things are fine, and this will ease the anxiety.

[nowandzen11]

Anxiety and Stomach Issues

Ok, taking notes. Thanks a bunch. I am eating a plain sweet potato. Little bites. Chamomile tea w/ lots of lemon

I feel excited and emotional about "learning to walk again" and getting to know myself for who I really am, not who alcohol tells me I am

[savon19]

Anxiety and Stomach Issues

Nowandzen (like yr name!) - sounds like you're already doing much better.

I was wondering at first if you were eating, but it sounds like you are. Don't let yourself get too hungry.

If the diarrhea persists, can't you take something OTC like Immodium?

[boozehag]

Anxiety and Stomach Issues

Hi Now
The l-glutamine is very helpful for stomach problems and for blood sugar balance especially when first going AF as you are. Also the 5http/l-tryptophan or true calm are very helpful for anxiety which in turn helps the stomach problems!. Its early days and everything should settle down soon. Are you taking any of the MWO supplements as they are all designed for just such a process.
Hang in there.
M