I am scared. Desperately trying to quit alcohol
 

I've been trying really hard to get some help for this. I am 29 years old and I've been drinking 5 tallboys of beer everyday for 14 months. I guess I thought nothing bad would happen.

One morning I woke up and I felt really weak. Later that day I started getting twitching muscles. They started in my feet (I could actually see muscles in my feet twitching), and this progressed to other parts of my body. Basically my muscles will twitch at random parts of my body. After looking it up and seeing the words, seizures and DT's I realized that I just really made a huge mistake by drinking so much.

This all happened a month ago and since then I have been trying to quit. It's not the cravings that are bothering me, it's the muscle twitching and the fear I get when this happens everyday. I tried cutting down first, since it was reccomended by someone online. They said cold turkey is dangerous...which I found out on Day 2 of my cold turkey attempt.

I have went from 4 beers, to 3 beers, to 2 beers, to 1 beer in about 20 days time. After that I felt like I was good to go with quitting. I stopped drinking beer. I felt fine for about 8 days.

Then it happened. I got major tremors and twitches all over my body as well as paranoia, anxiety, my mouth keeps watering (salvitating), and also I feel clammyness on my skin. I feel shakey, irritable.

So last night I drank 2 beers and that made the twitching go away but it's back today.

I've been avoiding going to the doctor because I keep trying to do this myself but I feel depressed that my efforts of weaning off only resulted in my body returning to twitching everywhere. It gets worse when I try to fall asleep and almost feels like electricity in my legs and I will jump up.

Will this ever go away? Is this normal? Is this dangerous? I really need help I think. I am seriously thinking of finally going to the doctors tomorrow and admitting my shame. I feel so ashamed.

I feel depressed because I was SO proud of myself for cutting down and quitting for over a week. I was really happy and thought I had this beat. But no...now I'm back to square one with the weird tremors. I feel like beer isn't fun, it's just a medication to help me not wind up dead.

What should I do? Did I permanently destroy my body? My birthday is next month and I feel like my life is over.

Any advice or support would be great for me right now. I feel like I have nowhere to turn to. :(

Thank you.

Are you also paying more attention to the foods you eat , maybe taking some multiple vitamins and some supplements?

It will help your body & mind to get beyond the detox symptoms.

some info-
https://www.google.com/search?q=diet...+alcohol+detox

When you stop or cut back on alcohol, the body has to switch its metabolism from liver conversion of alcohol to glucose, to other metabolic pathways. This often leads to carb/candy cravings in the beginning. Expect this, and only allow yourself a bit more carbs in the beginning, tapering off to a limited sugar/carb intake.
Lean proteins, veggies and some fruit and nuts.

This is our alcohol support thread with more information and
the support of others who have done this same thing:

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread104096.html
This is a long thread, but if you read some each day, you'll find answers to supplements, and other information that may help you.

The twitching is probably low blood sugar, as you try to stop the alcohol. This means your body is converting over from alcohol metabolism to regular food metabolism. Magnesium is one mineral that alcohol use depletes in the body, so soaking in some epsom salts in lukewarm bath water, before bed will calm those down. You can get oral supplements too, but avoid those with OXIDE in them. Chelated forms are called magnesium glycinate, carbonate, taurate, malate, or a delayed release form called SlowMag (magnesium chloride). Some find SlowMag easy to tolerate at one tab twice a day. This can reduce twitching considerably.

Hi Wintercat

I can relate to what you have written (I am in remission from alcohol abuse).

Both Jo*mar and mrsD have offered you excellent suggestions about eating in a healthy way. Also, alcohol abuse can lead to depletion of Vitamin B1 (thiamine) - this can cause many signs, including neurological ones. Taking Vitamin B1 as a supplement is worth thinking about.

The alcohol support thread that mrsD gave a link to is definitely worth checking out. Many of us (at different stages of recovery from alcohol abuse) contribute to it. Everybody there offers the others support, encouragement and suggestions.

All the best.

All good suggestions. Magnesium, B1, B12... Still, I think it would be a good idea to consult your doc and perhaps ask for a blood panel? It might be alcohol related, directly or indirectly, or it might be something totally different. But drinking does deplete vital vitamins and minerals. Your GP can be your friend and ally in this, and might also have better ways to safely quit drinking.

But most important: no, you probably (I'm not a doc of course) have not yet damaged your body beyond repair. As soon as we find a way to quit drinking, our bodies have an amazing ability to heal. Your life is far from over, and removing alcohol from the menu can certainly be done. :)

This bit of adversity may be your salvation, your mind and body will heal, as you now have the desire to do so.

I drank 12+ beers daily for over 30 years, and at some time along the way had acquired Hepatitis C, which I likely had for decades.

I'm free of alcohol and hep C, and my liver is doing very well...as is the rest of me. ;)

I was in your exact shoes five years ago to the day. I waited another year and a half to finally get help. Everything got a lot worse in that year and a half. I will be four years sober in February and it's unbelievable. My story is quite long and dramatic, I will just say that I made it through and everyone is sooo proud. Including me. I didn't know that everyone would be so thrilled. No shame needed. Good luck to you

I should mention that i.went to the hospital

While I congratulate you on that week, it is not nearly long enough to rid your body of the current damage that alcohol (in large amounts) has done.

That is why many rehab programs are 30+ days :)

Listen to MrsD and find the supplements your body needs then add in good food and lots of water and you will be come out of this with your head held high.

Hope you have the willpower to go on and quit alcohol. Good luck