Gave up alcohol after nearly two decades. It's been rough.

[Ahoragi]

I met my ex gf right out of college and we were heavy drinkers of vodka, SC 101, and things like that. We would always drink in the evening till we dropped. This went on for 16 years till I finally decided enough was enough and we split up. I could not shake the drinking though as it had become a habit. Met my wife and and stopped for a few months and then it picked up again, this time with beer. Then it switched to Brandy and then back to beer. I only drank after work till I was tired and then ate and went to bed. I was never a full blown all day alcoholic by any means but I did get pretty hammered at nights. I have been doing this for almost 20 years and I started noticing discomfort in my stomach area and below my ribs so a month ago I called it quits on the beer. I have been feel sluggish and lacking the energy. I lost 10 pounds since I quit and no matter how much I eat I cannot gain it back. There's this energy-sapping feeling sort of like right before you get a fever, where I am just bleh and cannot get the energy needed to do things but I force myself. I assume this is part of the recovery journey as it's only been a month. I tried to have a beer last Tuesday night and I was just sick of just consuming it. I am pretty sure I am over it but would love to be over this weakness I feel most of the day.

Has anyone experience this? I am reading up on it and apparently it's called sobriety fatigue. It's been almost a month so I figured maybe it would go away by now but at the same time It's been twenty years of abuse so maybe my body needs more time?

I welcome your thoughts.

Thanks

 

[Murray01]

Congratulations on your sobriety. I’d suggest you talk to a health care professional, might be more going on?

 

[stoveliker]

I have stopped a year and a half ago or so.
I didn't drink much (a bourbon every third day or so, and one beer a day in warmer weather; tho much is a relative concept...).
I didn't have the fatigue symptoms you describe.

So I can't help with that.

I do applaud you for the strength to make that decision and to keep at it.

 

[begreen]

Good for you. The body is undergoing changes. Get a blood panel workup to get a full picture of how the body is responding. It's good to rule out anemia, low thyroid, sleep apnea, vitamin deficits, infections, etc. Your body is trying to recover, but may need help. Getting a full blood panel may help to target issues like vitamin deficiency, blood sugar swings, dehydration, etc.

 

[Whitenuckler]

I met my ex gf right out of college and we were heavy drinkers of vodka, SC 101, and things like that. We would always drink in the evening till we dropped. This went on for 16 years till I finally decided enough was enough and we split up. I could not shake the drinking though as it had become a habit. Met my wife and and stopped for a few months and then it picked up again, this time with beer. Then it switched to Brandy and then back to beer. I only drank after work till I was tired and then ate and went to bed. I was never a full blown all day alcoholic by any means but I did get pretty hammered at nights. I have been doing this for almost 20 years and I started noticing discomfort in my stomach area and below my ribs so a month ago I called it quits on the beer. I have been feel sluggish and lacking the energy. I lost 10 pounds since I quit and no matter how much I eat I cannot gain it back. There's this energy-sapping feeling sort of like right before you get a fever, where I am just bleh and cannot get the energy needed to do things but I force myself. I assume this is part of the recovery journey as it's only been a month. I tried to have a beer last Tuesday night and I was just sick of just consuming it. I am pretty sure I am over it but would love to be over this weakness I feel most of the day.

Has anyone experience this? I am reading up on it and apparently it's called sobriety fatigue. It's been almost a month so I figured maybe it would go away by now but at the same time It's been twenty years of abuse so maybe my body needs more time?

I welcome your thoughts.

Thanks

That's great that you were able to do it. One time I mentioned that I might stop drinking to my doctor (when I had a family doctor),she said not to stop altogether, but to slow down gradually. She said in some people it can cause the DT's, or some sort of seizures. Anyway, I did slow down for awhile, and now only have a martini every 3rd day so I can have my olives. I make my own beer and drink that. For sure get in touch with a doctor and get checked out. That pain you had/have might not have been from drinking, and could be lots of things. Good luck

 

[brenndatomu]

I have been doing this for almost 20 years and I started noticing discomfort in my stomach area and below my ribs so a month ago I called it quits on the beer

Get your doc to do a blood panel draw...that pain kinda sounds like an unhappy liver, which can often be dealt with, if it's caught and treated properly.
Recently learned a lot about liver cirrhosis due to a family member being diagnosed with NA (non alcoholic) cirrhosis.

 

[Whitenuckler]

cannot get the energy needed to do things but I force myself

If you are tired, and fall asleep all the time, that could be sleep apnea. I have severe sleep apnea, never knew, but had it for many years.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Congratulations on quitting! I’d also recommend a Dr visit! The alcohol may have been covering up symptoms of something else!

 

[Ahoragi]

Thanks for the kind responses. I am in the process of scheduling a doctor appointment. The new online scheduler is new to me lol.

I don't think I have sleep apnea as I can sleep pretty good now, which is quite amazing. I didn't realize it until now that I wasn't getting full night's sleep when I drank.

I have been taking organic Milk Thistle and Dandelion powder a couple times a day and eliminated the crap foods that I used to eat. We have chickens so they are providing me with a good consistent source of healthy protein and I am taking in alot of fruits and veggies and oats. Hopefully things improve and it's nothing major. We will see when the doc does whatever tests she does.

I may dip into a few fasting sessions to let the body heal.

 

[Whitenuckler]

I don't think I have sleep apnea as I can sleep pretty good now

I didn't think I had it either, but my wife observed that I'd stop breathing. I'm sure your wife would know, so you are probably good. Yes, drinking is not good for sleeping. I am a really bad sleeper. I fall asleep no problem, but then wake up every 3 hours to go pee.

 

[bigealta]

Great move to Quit.
Think of it like this Alcohol is a poison. It only poisons your body when consumed.
That is always going to hurt you.
Would you drink arsenic? Of course not. Same difference really.

1 month for a damaged body is no time at all to recover. Your body will heal and it takes time.

Find more fun things to do.
Walk the dogs for longer
Find a sport you like, tennis, pickle, curlying, horse shoes, squash, bike, walking, woods walking, swimming, ping pong, darts, padel whatever.
Then focus on those activities and you will soon see they are much more fun and rewarding then sitting around getting hammered.

I quit drinking many many years ago and feel so much better than the old days of hangovers and to tired to do anything fun.

You are on the right path my friend and you will be so much happier when you start getting your energy back.

Life goes by fast, you don't want to waste the rest of it as a drunk idiot.

 

[Ahoragi]

Great move to Quit.
Think of it like this Alcohol is a poison. It only poisons your body when consumed.
That is always going to hurt you.
Would you drink arsenic? Of course not. Same difference really.

1 month for a damaged body is no time at all to recover. Your body will heal and it takes time.

Find more fun things to do.
Walk the dogs for longer
Find a sport you like, tennis, pickle, curlying, horse shoes, squash, bike, walking, woods walking, swimming, ping pong, darts, padel whatever.
Then focus on those activities and you will soon see they are much more fun and rewarding then sitting around getting hammered.

I quit drinking many many years ago and feel so much better than the old days of hangovers and to tired to do anything fun.

You are on the right path my friend and you will be so much happier when you start getting your energy back.

Life goes by fast, you don't want to waste the rest of it as a drunk idiot.

Thanks. I never thought of beer and hard liquor as poison but now I know very well that it is.

I agree with keeping myself occupied. I am a very busy dude who almost never sits down because there are so many things needed done. I was active and always being productive when I drank though. I only started drinking when the sun went down and I was unwinding from the rough day. But now I have been doing things in the house instead of sitting on the couch having a (many) beer. I have also been sleeping a little earlier, about 9-10pm instead of the old midnight to 1am. This has me getting up earlier and that makes more daylight to get more things done.

But so far things are looking good except for my weight. Two days ago barely ate because I was doing firewood prep and delivery and I hit 156 lbs that evening. I haven't been in the 150's since high school which is alarming because I really bulked up with muscle when I was in college and maintained 170+ since then. But we will see what the doc says in two weeks. Stomach area discomfort is still there but alot less. The weakness feeling comes and goes but has not been an all day thing like before.

Progress....

 

[bogieb]

Congrats on your decision and efforts!

There may be something else going on with your stomach, so glad you are pursuing a doctor's appointment. Losing weight may be just a by-product of your not consuming nearly as many calories since alcohol is calorie dense. And, you say you are busier now too, so that will play a part as you are burning more calories.

I guess I'm lucky as I have never been addicted to alcohol. Although I have had times of drinking somewhat heavily, I also sprinkled in years where I just didn't feel like it and quit drinking any alcohol point blank. I'd go back and forth; drink for a couple of years, not drink for a couple of years (none of it planned or a conscience decision). I've not been drinking for a long time now although a couple of times a year I may take a swallow of something left over in my fridge, which is like, yeah, it sounded good for a second, but nah, I'm good.

 

[punky chunks]

That beer gave you many calories for low effort. Getting the weight up will be work. I am with you brother. I struggle to maintain 150lbs and I'm 6'2". I drink beer like Homer Simpson (after 5pm) and when I stop the beer it only gets harder to keep the weight on. I understand the lack of energy as well because I experience it all the time. I think it's anomie - not the beer but the totality of living in the time and place I live.

 

[djlew]

Congratulations, I know how hard it is to do this and it is a great start to feeling better. I recently quit as well, per recommendation from the doctor. I have high liver enzymes, fatty liver, etc. but I only found this out by blood panels and ultrasounds like folks here are mentioning. It has been a journey of doctors but I will say it is worth it. Going to a bunch of doctors is daunting, but it will really give you an idea of your progress, where your body is at now, and what you need to focus on in the future.

I consistently meet with my general practitioner and a GI specialist. I recommend it if you are having stomach issues and can recommend some things to give you some relief. It was a wakeup call for me, but I am experiencing very similar symptoms to you that have been improving over time. More energy, less anxiety, etc.

I spend more time in the garden, chop more wood, and find myself less down and in pain (inflammation from alcohol is no joke!)

I know you said you have a dr appointment that may have come and gone, so I hope all is well and you continue to feel better on your journey.

 

[Ahoragi]

Thanks for the responses. It's been a good couple months. I had a couple beers yesterday but it's not a failure. I was promoted at work to a position of high stress. Took a couple days off to unwind and a couple beers were in order. I do not feel the need to drink excessive or everyday anymore so I can say I beat the need for it. It is weird seeing a half of a case of beer last months rather than a few days as it did in the past. 😄

I did go to the doctor and she ordered a blood test. From what they told me, my Vitamin B count was very low, which she believes is causing my fatigue. She recommended supplementing at least 5000 IU daily so I ordered some Organic B12 drops for under the tongue. That has been working pretty well but there are some days where the fatigue still overwhelms me but it is not as often compared to before. I still have that uncomfortable feeling in my upper stomach area mostly when sitting. The doctor said the test results showed that my liver and kidneys are functioning fine. Maybe my hernia repair that I had done last year is causing this. It only bothers me when I'm sitting.

I have a follow up appointment in July so we will address these things further but so far so good.

 

[Whitenuckler]

Thanks for the responses. It's been a good couple months. I had a couple beers yesterday but it's not a failure. I was promoted at work to a position of high stress. Took a couple days off to unwind and a couple beers were in order. I do not feel the need to drink excessive or everyday anymore so I can say I beat the need for it. It is weird seeing a half of a case of beer last months rather than a few days as it did in the past. 😄

I did go to the doctor and she ordered a blood test. From what they told me, my Vitamin B count was very low, which she believes is causing my fatigue. She recommended supplementing at least 5000 IU daily so I ordered some Organic B12 drops for under the tongue. That has been working pretty well but there are some days where the fatigue still overwhelms me but it is not as often compared to before. I still have that uncomfortable feeling in my upper stomach area mostly when sitting. The doctor said the test results showed that my liver and kidneys are functioning fine. Maybe my hernia repair that I had done last year is causing this. It only bothers me when I'm sitting.

I have a follow up appointment in July so we will address these things further but so far so good.

I was looking at B12 on amazon. I take a B100 complex but it only has 500mcg. I ordered some B12 5000mcg. Thanks for sharing and good health. PS I guess they don't use IU for B12, it is water soluble or some reason like that

 

[djlew]

Good news overall! Keep it up. They may recommend a GI specialist for you, might be worth looking into. I've had an upper endoscopy done and they can see if anything is going on in your stomach causing your pain that isn't the hernia stuff, could rule some stuff out.

Glad to hear you're doing well!

 

[helmingstay]

Good luck on your journey. It sounds like you're getting good feedback from your doctors and you're listening to your body.

I first started to realize I had to make some changes when I stopped getting energy boosts from heavy drinking. I have struggled with up-and-down energy since I stopped drinking. And honestly, maybe before I stopped -- it's hard to tell in retrospect what was getting masked. A daily B supplement and cleaning up my diet and sleep hygiene helped me a lot. For me, regular low-intensity aerobic exercise is also non-optional (whereas stuff like intervals wipes me out fast).

A few things that I found helpful and that sometimes get overlooked:

* I wear a fitness tracker that helps me see when I'm run down and what activities recharge versus deplete me (I use a Garmin now, very durable). This was sooooo helpful in improving my sleep. Dropping my habit of eating cereal before bed was a big improvement, for example.

* Diet is a tricky one. Everyone is different, and it can take the gut "ecosystem" some time to recover from heavy drinking. I feel extra tired/sluggish when my digestion is "off". I
found a daily psyllium supplement (eg in metamucil) really helpful, and I just generally feel better. Likewise with lots of leafy greens.

Another supplement to consider is Omega-3s for inflammation (I'd love more seafood but it's not super convenient where we live).
This works slowly, so don't expect to feel different overnight. I had problems with "fish burps" at first (just as gross as they sound), so i switched to algal oil.

Thanks for sharing. I think it's great that we can have these discussions and learn from each others' experiences!