Feel exhausted and like I have the flu

[overdrawn]

My drinking has been getting much more frequent (maybe one or two days off a week) and when I do drink, I'm drinking in excess (ie. 2 bottles of wine on a trip to the cinema) and I've decided to stop drinking for a while to reset and see how I feel and then either stay sober or be much more controlled in my drinking (ie. a glass of wine with dinner, not a bottle of wine).

I stopped drinking on Thursday and am really proud of myself that I didn't drink this weekend (first time in about 10 years!), but I feel awful. I feel a bit like I have a hangover, exhausted, and yesterday had a sore throat. I assumed I would feel really energised and healthy! I'm 39, eat healthily and work out 4/5 times a week (even when drinking I would work out in the morning etc). I really looked after myself this weekend, with a lot of self care (long walks, relaxing bath, yoga etc). I don't have any other alcohol "withdrawal" symptoms (as I've looked them up) – is this normal?? I remember taking 2 months off drinking about 10 years ago (so in my 20s) and feeling great pretty much straight away! Is it my age? Or have I been drinking more than I was back then and it's taking longer for my body to detox? How long will it take until I start to actually feel good? I'm currently on day 5 of being sober.

@overdrawn - well done on recognising the issue and taking steps to address it.

from what you’ve said, it sounds like you’ve picked up a cold/covid. If you’ve not had any alcohol since Thursday, you are past the acute withdrawal stage which starts about 6 hours after your last drink. The risk of dangerous withdrawal symptoms (DTs, seizures etc) is actually about 3 - 5 days after your last drink but that is unlikely given you haven’t been in a drinking all day/every day pattern. And a sore throat is not a symptom of that.

KOKO with the self care, paracetamol/brufen and lots of water and hopefully you’ll feel better soon 💐

@2023forme thanks for the reply! of course it's likely the most simple / straightforward explanation 😂 I think I'm just so focused on staying sober that I'm associating absolutely everything with this change! Thank you for the reassurance (and I'll do a covid test today to see if that's the cause!)

This is completely normal. If you have been drinking most days of the week, then you are in withdraw. Your body is used to it. It's part of your normal weekly routine. And you haven't done it, so your body is a bit out of whack. You're recovering and healing. It's all very expected, but you're right, it feels like crap at the time. You may also have a cold, if you have a sore throat, which is compounding it. But everything else you're describing is very normal for the first weeks/months.

I hate to say it, but when I stopped drinking, I felt like this on and off for the best part of 3 months. I was a daily drinker (or very nearly every day) for at least a year or two prior to quitting, but 3-4 times a week before then for as long as I can remember.

It's taken you a decade (or decades) to essentially get to this point where you feel you need to stop, at least for a bit, so it will take time to undo that damage unfortunately. Your body is trying to find equilibrium again without alcohol. You didn't feel this bad in your 20s as you probably weren't so dependent on alcohol for so many years in your 20s.

It absolutely does get better though. I feel fantastic now and the healthiest I've ever been (I'm 5 months sober). But it did take time. Honestly, you have to treat yourself to an extent like you have the flu (truly!). Skip a workout if you're tired. Go to bed early. Comforting healthy foods. Read a book and stay in instead of keeping plans with friends. Take the day off sick if you really feel awful. Take a nap.

@overdrawn - I am a health care professional and we are experiencing an increase in Covid (which is to be expected really) but fortunately, most people are not becoming very ill/dying - and that includes even the older people I come into contact with. I've also had a really bad cold mid week last week but tested negative for covid.

I am day 42/6 weeks sober after my last horrific binge. I've had lots of day 1s but this time is different - although I've said that before. My mind is now actually contemplating an AF life for good - before I've always thought "if I can get it under control by doing X months sober, I can drink normally again". This time I really know I can't!

I've been treating myself food-wise like the three minute warning has just gone off - but today I've started sensible eating again. No crazy diets but just 3 meals a day and no snacks. I've also started back at the gym although I couldn't do very much lol. I feel great mentally and physically.

I've been reading a lot about anhedonia which is the inability to experience joy - and it can be brought about by excessive drinking messing with our dopamine / dynorphin brain chemistry. This makes a lot of sense to me as I always feel quite down after going dry and put it down to the depression of not being able to drink/the horror of the last bender. But 6 weeks on and I feel really happy - probably a bit of both the relief from not drinking and the brain chemistry starting to sort itself out to be honest - but I find myself really belly laughing at things and being happy just being up and about. You might find you also feel less upbeat than you expected after stopping but it could be the brain chemicals not yet back to normal.

Keep at it - you really don't want to end up like me and nearly losing everything - good luck.

I'm in a very similar boat. Been sober for 22 days now. This is the longest I've been without a drink in the last decade. Before this I was drinking every day and averaging about 60 units a week.

I didn't experience any of the stereotypical withdrawal symptoms during the first week or so but after about 10 days I started to feel dreadful. Quite similar to how you are describing. Mine particularly were (are) dehydration style headaches despite the fact I was drinking plenty of water.

From what I am told this is a normal and part of building a life without alcohol. I have read a few people online with similar accounts to yours (ours) so I'm inclined to think that it's part and parcel of the sobriety process.

I may also have a cold. Either way it's not great but I'm hoping it's just a dip in what is otherwise a positive recovery journey.