No alcohol for 10 days and no positive changes?

[Konstantine8364]

I had a very boozy December, Christmas and then a week skiing early Jan, so I thought I would have 2 weeks off drinking alcohol. Everyone bangs on about how much better they feel when they don't drink, but honestly at 10 days in I feel exactly the same. Was wondering if this is normal?! Am I being unreasonable and expecting too much after a short period?

I would usually drink on average around 3 bottles of wine a week, spread over 5 days. I don't drink mon and Tues to give my liver a rest.
I do a lot of exercise whether I drink or not and haven't noticed I have more energy. Skin exactly the same. Energy levels the same (although worth saying I am pretty high energy naturally, as is most of my family). I eat pretty healthily most of the time, mostly salads for lunch and mostly home cooked meals eg this week I've had veggie chilli and rice, seabass and stir-fry and cod with rice and asparagus and I don't have any digestives issues. I do eat out once or twice a week and would have whatever I fancy, but I don't eat cheap takeaways or fast food.
I know I should drink less, but I absolutely love wine and when I get no benefit from not drinking it makes it very hard not to!

Whether or not you’re away if any benefits OP, I’ve read recently that if alcohol was discovered today with today’s scientific knowledge around its effects on the body, the recommended maximum consumption would be 350mls per year, so not even one bottle of wine.
Most of the harmful effects of alcohol are undetectable by us, but our body continues to be affected.

Is less than 2 medium (pub measures) glasses of wine a night ‘a lot’?
If it is then I’m fucked!

I think I'll try and have more like 2 bottles a week instead of 3 when I pick up again. Ultimately I don't want to live to my 90s, I'd much prefer a fun life including wine and potentially die a bit younger!

And this is where your hard-earned national insurance is going, ladies and gentlemen.

Well it’s nearly triple the recommended limit, so yeah I guess it’s ’a lot’.

That’s 30 units a week. So yes, twice the recommended limit.

But the OP doesn't eat "cheap takeaways" so obviously the effects of excessive alcohol consumption will be offset by that...

So you are an alcoholic and trying to convince yourself and others you are not basically

after a spell of prolonged drinking at home on a weekly, almost daily basis, I noticed I wasn’t tired all the time after 2+ weeks of no drinking, so give it a little longer.
I also presumed that a constant state of tiredness was just normal, so was a pleasant surprise!

This isn’t a helpful attitude. Alcoholism is a serious, debilitating addiction that ruins lives and relationships. Op may be heading into problem drinking territory but you don’t know enough about her or her life to be able to label her an alcoholic.

People on MN love to throw that term around for anyone who admits they like a drink. It’s ridiculous and so unhelpful.

I was drinking a bottle of wine a night for several years until I gave up nearly a year ago. I haven't seen one change! Sleep is the same. I haven't lost any weight. I don't feel any different. I used to just sit and drink at home in the evening, so never did anything "embarrassing" that I could even then say wasn't an issue any more. I had 2 liver scans, one during the midst of my drinking and one after I stopped. Both had the same result, no issues. Not sure I've even saved much money as I used to drink cheap wine and now buy "fancy" soft drinks!

All that said, the way I see it is that I've stopped any future problems from occurring. Just because I'd been lucky up to the point I stopped, doesn't mean I would have continued having no issues. Just because you can't see the benefits, doesn't mean there aren't any!

Well my wine consumption gradually rose over the course of 18 months. I never used to drink, only on special occasions like Christmas or my birthday. Went through something tough and reached for wine to get through. Started off with 1 bottle a week on a Saturday night, then it became 2, 3 and eventually 4 or even 5 bottles a week.

I knew it was an issue and knew I had to stop. Haven’t touched a drop since New Year’s Eve and feel way better. I didn’t really notice until probably 2 weeks in but I just feel so much less groggy in the morning. My sleep has massively improved which is a big deal- never had REM when I drank (I have a Garmin to track and I can believe it because I never had dreams). Also feel less grumpy overall.

My initial challenge was to do dry January but I honestly think I’ll just stop all together and go back to special occasions. The habit doesn’t even make sense. My DH doesn’t drink so I was just chugging a bottle alone which made me feel lonely and sad.

3 bottles of wine a week is a LOT by any standards. Your insides will be thanking you, even if it's not immediately obvious.

I'd say it's quite likely that your otherwise healthy habits of eating well and exercising have helped cover or minimise the effects of quite heavy drinking.

10 days is no time as well. Not even close to a fortnight. I'd say give it a full month, maybe even 2, and then assess how you feel.

My Cousin is 84, she retired in her early 60s after a career in law, a v boozy career, she drinks a bottle of red, every night, with her dinner, without fail.

She is in excellent physical and mental health

My mum (her Aunt) never drank, didn't smoke, died of a stroke, years earlier, following dementia.

No guarantees, though i wouldn't recommend my Cousins approx.

Takes months to detoxify for moderate drinker, years for a heavy one, 10 days is nothing.

I've stopped drinking because of the costs, the amount i was spending on wine and especially going out, pays for my entire heating bill for the year.

The lemon juice/pepper thing is of absolutely zero benefit unless you want to lose the enamel off your teeth. Your liver is perfectly good without a bit of diluted lemon juice.
Lots of water yes - for your skin then vitamin C, retinol and SPF is the way to go.

I stopped drinking - supposedly for a month - and never started again.
Skin, gut, mental health are a million times better. It took more than 10 days though.
One of the unintended consequences - I have a ton more money. Obviously not spending on alcohol but it's allowed me to have my sh*t together so more. No eating crap the next day, eating out because I can't be bothered cooking, no need for taxis, no spending £40 at the local shop because I've popped in for wine. And I treat myself to other things - a nice gym membership, holidays etc.

Sorry but the lemon and cayenne pepper things is just not true - a dr friend almost laughed at me when i asked her.

OP - 10 days is nothing, also 3 bottles is quite alot. Why not consider something like drinking once or twice a week? I drink from 730 pm on friday (I'll have a glass maybe) then on saturday i might have half a bottle with dinner/evening. Nothing on Sunday - Friday evening, that might be better. Christmas i drank when and how much i want and when i go out, i dont take that into account, but in general, maybe drink on set days?

Well that’s around 2000 calories a week less so in theory you may lose weight but honestly it’s your internal organs that will be thanking you. I have been diagnosed with angina, heart issues are genetic in my family, you are dealt your hand aren’t you. I have always been a light drinker apart from my dissolute youth when studying. Now if I had drunk what you did I would possibly have been in a worse place now.

When you are young you don’t especially think of potential health issues, most of my friendship group are in their late 50’s. Various niggly health issues for many of us, two of my friends died when we were all 54. You are helping your future self.

Honestly, I think people over play it (or under play their drinking)

I've cut down to 1 bottle of wine a week at the weekend (from whatever I felt like whenever I felt like it) mainly because of the shopping bill, and felt no difference whatsoever.

The only time I've felt a major difference to my health was when I cut out milk, having developed an intolerance, and that was dramatic and within days I noticed it, and within weeks my aches had gone.

Alcohol? Nada. I know if I've over done it (or drunk cheap red), but at a moderate level vs light level vs. zero I feel no different at all.

It helps me manage on very little sleep when I don't drink. It also makes me a little bit more productive. However, it isn't life changing. I think it varies depending on the person. Some people do get a bit evangelical about these things.

Day 20 of dry Jan. I'm sleeping better, feeling calmer and I'm dreaming again!

Feeling great.

I'm not sure exactly what you were expecting to happen, but 10 days is nothing.
But overall, stopping alcohol isn't a hack to improve your life within a fortnight, it's more about staying alive and healthy in the long run.

It's because effects of alcohol are felt from the first sip. Even two glasses of wine can hinder your sleep for a few days.

On the other hand, it takes a good few weeks to really "heal". I felt glorious from day 45 to day 90 and then after that it was just the new normal.

Im the same as you... im on week 3 of dry jan and no real life differences... I usually drink 3-4 bottles of wine a week.
I've not lost any weight and I have cut back carbs and sugar... I am still working out everyday... skin is the same, sleep is the same.
I would say the only difference is my libido is slightly improved - but I am putting that down to boredom in the evenings!

How old are you OP? Now that I'm 43, I can tell a difference in my skin (not as glowing) and lines under my eyes when my drinking creeps up. My face also starts to look slightly puffy if I've being drinking a lot of wine which I unfortunately love! However, in my thirties, I would see no difference at all, and especially if I'm doing a lot of exercise, I don't see too much difference in my skin.

Try dealcoholised wines… they taste like actual wine just with the alcohol stripped out. Not awful and sweet like the fake wines.

I like the brand Noughty for them. They still have sulphites and things though so I have them sparingly.