For people who have stopped drinking alcohol -

[elfsmum]

did you experience any withdrawal symptoms ?

How much were you drinking and did you just stop ?

I've decided that I don't want to drink anymore and although have usually had a couple of alcohol free days per week the last 2-3 weeks I haven't.

I am full of cold and feel pretty crap and am just wondering if it's all to do with my cold or not

bump

I stopped as soon as I was pg with ds. It will be 2 years in February. I didn't have withdrawl symptoms as such, but if I was in a situation where I would normally have had a drink, I had this real overwhelming urge to drink but had the strength not to have one for the sake of my unborn baby. I found that non alcoholic Becks tastes pretty good and that would satisfy my craving for a drink. I must say that my life is so much better for having stopped. That makes me sound like I had a problem, but I was quite a moderate drinker (not always - drunk far too much in my 20s, binge drinking). I also found that my diet became a bit healthier too - no more nibbles and crisps whilst drinking and no kebabs on the way home, and no stodgy hangover food the next day!
Good luck.

I didn't feel particulalry brilliant for about two weeks but i started on ads a week after so a bit hard to tell

just stopped

too much

I think you will feel ropey for a few days or a week or two

i still feel crap becaue i am having side effects from the ads which i think will have to be changed which is a scenario I really didn't want to get into

I have no plans to start drinking again

I stopped the minute I found out I was pg. I didn't get any withdrawals. I was only drinking at weekends, sometimes 2 or 3 drinks (eg Bacardi Breezer), sometimes a lot more if I went to a party.

How much do you drink daily elfsmum?

Funny because I have often thought about this and did something about it a couple of years ago.

I have never been a heavy drinker (apart from late teens and uni!) but one day a couple of winters ago I remember feeling worried because I didn't have any wine in and DH wasn't back until late and children were in bed. Then I thought back over the week or two and realised I had been having at least half a bottle a night - could not believe how it mounted up. I then stopped completely apart from socially or if DH opens wine when eating - but no more booze at home otherwise. I remember missing it at first, but really compensated by how much 'fresher' I felt during the day.

Give it a try, also means you enjoy it a lot more when you have it! I am going to have a drink at home on christmas day and boxing day otherwise will stick to my social drinking rule.

Hi elfsmum, Different people experience different withdrawals symptoms depending on how much and how often they drink.

You also don't have to have a drink problem to experience them.

Mild to moderate psychological symptoms:

Feeling of jumpiness or nervousness
Feeling of shakiness
Anxiety
Irritability or easily excited
Emotional volatility, rapid emotional changes
Depression
Fatigue
Difficulty with thinking clearly
Bad dreams

Mild to moderate physical symptoms:

Headache - general, pulsating
Sweating, especially the palms of the hands or the face
Nausea
Vomiting
Loss of appetite
Insomnia, sleeping difficulty
Paleness
Rapid heart rate (palpitations)
Eyes, pupils different size (enlarged, dilated pupils)
Skin, clammy
Abnormal movements
Tremor of the hands
Involuntary, abnormal movements of the eyelids

Severe symptoms:

A state of confusion and hallucinations (visual) -- known as delirium tremens
Agitation
Fever
Convulsions
"Black outs" -- when the person forgets

I'm a recovering alcoholic, so I was at the extreme end of this. I had to undergo supervised clinical withdrawal...it was reallly really frightening.

Well done for taking positive steps, I wish you well.

kx

thanks guys, it was 2-3 units between Mon and Friday - then Friday and Saturdays could be a full bottle of wine, no drinking on sundays - if I went out binge drinking - the past couple 10 days or so it's been 1/2 to 3/4 of a bottle of wine a night - when it's 3 glasses it doesn't seem so much, but when I've added it up !!

I'm on antibiotics for a chest infection so can't drink whilst I'm on these and really want to get to a place where if I drink it's social and I can limit it withouth binging.

how do you cope with DH/DP's who drink at home when you don't want to - he will think nothing of cracking a bottle open and giving me a glass without even asking me, even before when I've said I don't want to drink at home.

He doesn't think I have a problem (and he's not a massive drinker) so doesn't seem to take me seriously when I say I'm not drinking at home anymore

For coping with DH giving you a glass of wine - have something nice in to drink (fizzy water or somesuch, with ice & slice of lime) & pour it for yourself before DH has time to offer. Then when he pours 'Thanks, but I've already got my drink'. Or if starts to give you wine when you haven't had time to get something for yourself just say 'I'd rather have X - could you possibly get me a glass?'. So he can still do something nice for you, and doesn't feel rejected. Don't get into a debate with him about it if possible, it's likely to make him feel defensive of his own drinking which might make him sabotage you. If you're seriously worried about your drinking & find it hard to give up then do get help - can't be done alone. But it sounds like you're just sensibly calling a halt rather than struggling with addiction, so good on you.

Hey Kokeshi - are you a friend of Bill's? I'm 9 years sober, nice to see a fellow traveller

Ah, yes, friend of Bill's here! Thought I was the only one in these parts! Good to see you becster. Congratulations on your 9 years...

thanks for these replies, haven't touched a drop since Sunday now, and no withdrawal symptoms !!

DH asked Tuesday if I wanted wine as we had none in I said no, he went shopping last night as he had no beer left and asked if I wanted anything again I said no, can you get me something nice and fizzy like schloer, he came back with some nice fruit juice based spritzers for me. Checked in the fridge this morning and there was a little one glass bottle of wine there hmmmm.

We have some spirits in and he also bought mixers for them and guess what, I looked at them and didn't even fancy one !! I made a cup of tea.

Thanks thebecster for saying that you didn't think I had an addiction problem, that means a lot to me.